My legal thrillers, laced with humor, make a distinction between the mechanism of the law - what Jake Lassiter calls the "so-called justice system" - and true justice. The two, though related, are often distant cousins. My just completed novel is my first work of historical fiction. It features real-life friends Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein, fighting crime in 1937 Los Angeles.
Mine is a solitary business. As John D. MacDonald said, "Writing is like dropping feathers down a well. Any echo is appreciated." I enjoy hearing from readers who often find themes in my novels that I never knew existed!
"Levine scores with this complex and witty legal thriller. This winner works even for those new to the series." - Publishers Weekly (★starred review★)
When his godson suffers a catastrophic injury in a high school football game, lawyer Jake Lassiter sues to abolish the sport and becomes Public Enemy Number One. The former NFL linebacker also battles CTE, the fatal brain disease. With his personal life in tatters, he's in couple's therapy with fiancée Dr. Melissa Gold and vows to live long enough to fix his relationship and achieve justice for his godson.
"An extraordinary hero stars in a legal tale as believable as it is riveting. The ending courtroom battle sears with intense and realistic turns and builds to an unforgettable closing scene."
-Kirkus Reviews
For a price, Kip Lassiter can get the perfect score on any test...
When Kip is charged with fraud, his heartbroken Uncle Jake must defend an unwinnable case.
Dr. Melissa Gold, Lassiter's fiancée, tries to keep the ailing lawyer strong enough for a grueling trial, even as his symptoms of brain damage grow worse. As a fiery showdown brings the courtroom to a fever pitch, Lassiter risks everything - including his own life - to fight for his nephew's freedom.
"Only a writer as experienced, clever, funny, and flat-out brilliant as Paul Levine could make the legal issues of the college scandal so clear and also so ridiculously entertaining. The courtroom scenes not only ring with authenticity, they zing with wit, intelligence, and pure fun."
- Lee Goldberg, New York Times #1 Bestselling Author
No witness? No evidence? No body?
Big problem for new prosecutor Jake Lassiter.
Appointed to prosecute a murder case, Lassiter vows to take down a prominent surgeon accused of killing his wife. Problem is...there's not a scrap of forensic evidence, and the defense lawyers are the crafty team of Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord.
Lassiter's symptoms of the brain disease CTE worsen, even as Melissa Gold, his doctor and lover, performs experimental treatments. Can he even survive a high-pressure trial?
"Any book with Jake Lassiter is a drop-everything, read-it-now for me--and this one has Solomon & Lord too. Bum Deal is fantastic."
- Lee Child, #1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series