When you think about legal thriller authors, John Grisham usually comes to mind. But these ten authors like John Grisham are worth looking into! Like Grisham, they have penned bestsellers with exciting plotlines and legal backgrounds. And if you are yearning for a long series, one of these authors wrote a 32-part novel series!
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1. Lee Child
Lee Child is the pen name of famous British writer James Dover Grant. And like John Grisham, Child writes riveting thriller novels. In fact, Killing Floor (the first book of the Jack Reacher series) won the Barry Award and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel.
Fun fact: The Jack Reacher books now have a television series.
2. David Baldacci
One of the other talented authors similar to John Grisham is David Baldacci. He is an American-born novelist who also pens suspense and legal thriller books.
He wrote the international bestseller Absolute Power in 1996 while still practicing law. The book is about a fictional American president who, together with his secret agents, commits atrocities and covers them up. The book was adapted as a film in 1997 starring Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood.
3. Scott Turow
If you like John Grisham, then you will undoubtedly love Scott Turow’s nonfiction and fiction legal thriller novels too. He has penned more than ten legal thrillers, including Personal Injuries. The book is about corruption in the legal system and an undercover scheme to incriminate the guilty parties.
4. John Lescroart
John Lescroart has written over 20 legal and crime thriller novels that have sold over 10 million copies worldwide. His books have received much acclamation, with Sunburn (1981) winning the San Francisco Foundation’s Joseph Henry Award. It is a legal thriller about a young American looking for his lover, where loyalty is tested and blood is shed.
5. Michael Connelly
Another person that writes books like Grisham is Michael Joseph Connelly. With 31 novels and one nonfiction work, he has sold over 74 million copies worldwide. One of his finest novels is The Black Echo.
The book is about a Vietnam veteran that served as a tunnel rat and later became an L.A. police detective, Harry Bosch. It involves investigating a murder committed by bank robbers, whom he believes were after more than money.
6. Robert Crais
Robert Crais is an award-winning author who writes crime and detective fiction novels that are bestsellers worldwide. One of his best novels is The Monkey’s Raincoat, which won the Mystery Reader’s International Macavity Award for Best First Novel in 1988. It also won the 1988 Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original.
The book is centered around Elvis Cole, a private investigator. Together with his partner Joe Pike, they track down a missing husband and his young son.
7. John Sandford
John Sandford is an American bestseller author whose real name is John Roswell Camp.
He is the author behind the 32-part series called the Prey. The novel series is about a Minneapolis Police Department detective, Lucas Davenport, who runs his own intelligence unit. Davenport occasionally acts as the troubleshooter in politically sensitive cases for the governor of Minnesota.
Fun fact: In 1986, Camp won the highly coveted Pulitzer Prize in journalism.
8. Lisa Scottoline
Lisa Scottoline also writes legal thrillers just like John Grisham. She is a law graduate who has written over 30 bestselling crime fiction novels that include Don’t Go and Look Again. Scottoline also won many honors and has served as the President of the Mystery Writers of America. Don’t Go
9. Steve Martini
Steve Martini is a former Los Angeles Daily Journal journalist covering political and legal beats. He also practiced law privately and wrote several New York Times Bestseller rated novels, including The Attorney and the Prime Witness.
His second novel, Compelling Evidence, became a national bestseller. It follows the story of Paul Madriani, a sharp defense attorney involved in a love triangle and the death of a partner. The ensuing investigations unravel a compelling plot that threatens Madriani’s career and life.
10. Dan Brown
Dan Brown is the author behind The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno, and Angels & Demons.
The Da Vinci Code made it to the New York Times Best Seller list within the first week of its release in 2003. By 2009, it became a worldwide bestseller with over 80 million copies sold. Although Brown’s work doesn’t revolve around legal issues, the way he unravels the plot is much like reading one of Grisham’s captivating novels.
Conclusion
These authors like John Grisham have an enthralling way of writing books even when the genre might be different. You’ll be captivated by the exciting twists and turns, leaving you yearning for more.
