TOP 7 LEGAL DRAMA BOOKS LAW BEAKS WILL LOVE
It starts with a crime committed. Next thing you know is that you’re paying a lawyer to clean up your mess. You’re being deposed. The opposing counsel keeps a deal on the table which you’re just not ready to take — you won’t settle. The lawsuit goes to trial. There’s burying of evidence. There’s commitment to felonies. You want to perjure someone. But there’s also the rule of law. There’s a jury, sitting there, to either set you free from all the accusations, or make you plead guilty and then be escorted downtown, for a year or two, or maybe lifetime.
Tension. Suspense. Sweats.
But then you know, that there’s a superhero there for you — your man in black.
Lawyers are everyone’s favorites — the superheroes who come, not in capes, but black coats. Do you remember the dishy and charming Harvey Specter of Suits? What about Saul Goodman of Better Call Saul?
While they are the on-screen men-in-black, we’ve some lawyers and a truckload of courtroom drama waiting for you to be read, written by some of the amazing writers, authors and lawyers.
Let’s take a look:
- THE EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK BY STEPHEN L. CARTER
For those obsessed with law and thrillers, this could be the best combo you’ve had in a while, as Carter plots an intangible murder mystery for his readers. The novel tells the story of Talcott Garland, a law professor who uncovers a mystery surrounding his father, the titular ‘Emperor of Ocean Park’. Published in 2002 by the American author and law professor, The Emperor of Ocean Park was on the New York Times bestseller’s list soon after it’s release. It received the 2003 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and 2003 BCALA Literary Award, from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
2. PRESUMED INNOCENT BY SCOTT TUROW
Fixed with the perfectly-timed cliffhangers, twists and turns, Presumed Innocent by Turow is a legal classic you can’t afford to miss out on. Published in 1987, the story is narrated by Rozat ‘Rusty’ Sabich, the one accused of the murder of Carolyn Polhemus, a prosecutor. Rozat is a prosecutor and co-worker of Carolyn and is assigned her case by the DA’s office. The case is further complicated by the fact that Rusty had a brief affair with Polhemus that ended months before her murder. A motion picture adaptation starring Harrison Ford was released in 1990.
3. THE FIRM BY JOHN GRISHAM
Another legal spine-chiller would be the 1991 The Firm by John Grisham. Selling more than a million copies in one year after its publication, the novel revolves around the life of Mitch McDeere, a law student who graduates from Harvard Law School. He is seduced by the buttload of money and perks the firm offers. But soon, he learns from the FBI that the firm is a part of the Morolto crime clan. He is almost caught by the firm, but escapes with $10 million and somehow, survives.
4. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE
A classic of the modern American literature and the winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize, To Kill A Mockingbird is a story based on a series of events Lee observed when she was 10, near her hometown in Alabama. The novel circles around themes of law, gender, class and castes, courage, compassion, loss of innocence, and what prevailed at that time — social injustice and racial discrimination. The story is told by six-year-old Jean Louise Finch. The novel grabbed attention from all over the world and became an instant bestseller.
5. DEFENDING JACOB BY WILLIAM LANDAY
Andy and Laurie live with their son Jacob in Massachusetts. Andy Barber is a district attorney. The novel opens with 14-year-old Ben Rifkin, a classmate of Jacob’s, being murdered. Andy Barber is in charge of the case and even finds a suspect. But soon, Jacob is accused of the murder. Things begin to take a turn when Andy finds a knife in Jacob’s room. But he knows that his 14-year-old son is innocent. The novel revolves around how Andy and Laurie defend their son, Jacob, from going behind the bars. The novel is full of cliffhangers, twists and turns which make it a complete package of thrill and crime drama.
6. CONFESSIONS OF AN INNOCENT MAN BY DAVID R. DOW
Another page-turning novel is Confessions of an Innocent Man. The story is about Rafael Zhettah, the owner and head chef of a restaurant in Houston, free-spirited, happy and a content bachelor. He finds his soul-mate, and his life begins again. But soon, his life is ripped apart as his wife is murdered. But for Rafael Zhettah, death row is not the end. It is only the beginning. Now, with his recaptured freedom, he will stop at nothing to deliver justice to those who stole everything from him.
7. THE LEGAL LIMIT BY MARTIN CLARK
Gates and Mason are the two Hunt brothers. The only line which differentiates them is that Gates is a career criminal, whereas Mason is a lawyer. Gates draws a long prison sentence for selling cocaine to an undercover cop. He tries to save himself by implicating Mason in an unsolved murder. Martin Clark is an author and a retired Virginia circuit courts judge.
If you’re a lover of the law, or an admirer of lawyers, or simply a courtroom drama fan, then you just cannot afford to miss out on reading these 7 page-turning, spine-chilling novels!
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