10 Legal Thrillers on Alafair Burke’s Bookshelf

I love books that bend genre. DEFENDING JACOB’s legal heft and realism reflect William Landay’s expertise as a former prosecutor, but the novel tells a lawyer’s story from an intensely personal perspective. It’s as much about family, loyalty, and community as it is about the American legal system. It’s also a darn good thriller.

Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of crimes. Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is transformed from accuser to accused when he is handed an explosive case--that of the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover.

Linda Fairstein’s Alexandra Cooper showed readers that prosecutors aren’t always the stuffed-shirt hindrances so frequently depicted in fiction. This entry in a consistently strong series takes readers behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History.

In the small, mostly white town of Clanton, Mississippi, two drunk and remorseless young men commit a terrible crime against a 10-year-old girl. When the girl’s black father decides to take justice into his own hands, defense attorney Jake Brigance struggles to save his client’s life.

Criminal defense lawyer Mickey Haller is neither saint nor scoundrel. He’s also like no other lawyer depicted in crime fiction, working every angle from the back of his car. Michael Connelly shows us the daily work of a trial lawyer, all the way down to his choice of office supplies.

RANSOM RIVER is not exactly a legal thriller, but it starts out with an attack on a courthouse. Adventure follows for juror Rory Mackenzie. There’s a reason Stephen King wants the world to know that Meg Gardiner’s all that.

This is one of my favorites in Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato & Associates series, where the all-female law firm always brings suspense and humor.

In THE FIRST COUNSEL, a young attorney in the White House Counsel’s Office dates the President’s daughter. What could possibly go wrong? Law and politics together in one page-turning package.

How can I possibly leave out a book featuring a law professor? Yale law professor Stephen Carter provides a searing portrayal of both academic and judicial politicking.

Phillip Margolin’s a pro, both as an author and seasoned defense attorney. Added bonus: Every book feels like a visit back to my beloved Portland.