The Lincoln Lawyer began as a series of legal thrillers from author Michael Connelly. The first book was adapted into a film starring Matthew McConaughey. Now it's a hit Netflix original series. If you're a fan and want similar books to read before the show returns for its second season, check out these 10 titles.
Much of the appeal of The Lincoln Lawyer comes from the strong moral character of protagonist Mickey Haller. He's an honest and upstanding attorney, yet he's also a very human character with flaws and personal struggles. Ian McEwan's The Children Act features a similarly relatable lead, High Court Judge
Fiona Maye. As her private life crumbles, she presides over the trial of her career concerning a 17-year-old refusing medical treatment for religious reasons. How Judge Maye handles the case is both thrilling and heart-wrenching. Read here.
If the courtroom scenes are your favorite part of The Lincoln Lawyer, you'll love author Robert Dugoni's David Sloane series. Dugoni, an attorney himself, fills his novels with authentic details from the legal process while layering his plots with nail-biting suspense. The place to start is The Jury Master, the first in the
Sloane series that introduces the talented jurist who can accomplish anything with the law. When he receives a package from the victim of an apparent suicide, his career and life spiral out of control. The Jury Master turns into a page-turner that's impossible to put down. Read here.
Mickey Haller from The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the more morally upright characters in this age of fictional antiheroes. FBI Agent Violet Darger, the star of 11 books, is another straight arrow readers will love. Authors L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain introduced Agent Darger in Dead End Girl, a suspenseful thriller so
grisly it also qualifies as horror. Still, you'll enjoy following this top-notch mystery's twists and turns. Read here.
Few authors combine deeply relatable characters and compelling plots as effectively as Dennis Lehane. Three of his novels — Mystic River, Shutter Island, and Gone Baby Gone — have even become beloved films. One of his most intriguing characters is Rachel Childs, the protagonist of Since We Fell. Rachel
grew up as an investigative reporter, so how does she end up shooting her husband and watching him fall out of a boat to his death? Lehane's considerable talents appear throughout Since We Fell, a unique book that's part love story, mystery, and thriller. Read here.
No discussion about fictional lawyers is complete without a mention of John Grisham. His books have enthralled millions, and the films based on his work are always enjoyable. Netflix's Lincoln Lawyer fans will like Adam Hall, the attorney at the center of Grisham's The Chamber. Not too long out of law school, Adam
gets the case of a lifetime when he's tasked with saving his grandfather from the death penalty. The Chamber is one of the most suspenseful novels from a master of the form. Read here.
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The Good Lawyer by author Thomas Benigno is an excellent choice for a legal thriller based on actual events. It's the story of Nick Mannino, a Legal Aid attorney in the Bronx Criminal Court. As he defends a high-profile case, his family's connections to the mob threaten his career and his client's future.
Benigno has followed up The Good Lawyer with two more books, all as gripping and fascinating. Read here.
Author Sheldon Siegel has proven to be a master of the legal thriller. His series, featuring former spouses Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, contains his most beloved books. In Special Circumstances, the debut novel in the series, attorney Daley is booted from a prestigious San Francisco law firm and sets up his
practice. He picks up a case that leads to investigating his former firm and untangling a web of greed, corruption, and secrets. Special Circumstances is a sharp thriller full of behind-the-scenes looks at the law. Read here.
The Boston Crime Thriller series by Brian Shea offers readers a more extensive look at the criminal justice system that's just as engaging as any legal thriller. Murder Board, the first of five books in the series, centers around homicide detective Michael Kelly. He's a good cop in a bad neighborhood who picks up a
case that hits too close to home. Police, the mob, lawyers, and judges fill out a well-rounded story that rings true from its first page. Read here.
There's perhaps no better substitute for Michael Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer books than his Jack McEvoy books. In the first book in the series, The Poet, we meet reporter McEvoy whose twin brother's death has been ruled a suicide. McEvoy doesn't believe that ruling and starts his investigation, quickly
uncovering a serial killer's work that turns the story chilling. Fans of Connelly's novels should check out The Poet and its two sequels. Read here.
If you like the Jake McEvoy books, you'll love The Prey Series from author John Sandford. Rules of Prey is where the story introduces the heroic cop Lucas Davenport. Davenport's on the trail of a serial killer who taunts law enforcement by leaving notes with his victims. The messages contain the killer's rules for
murder, but will these clues be enough for Davenport to crack the case? Readers will enjoy Davenport's attempts to put it all together. Read here.
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Bonus Picks! Watch and Listen to These Titles Similar to The Lincoln Lawyer
The Trial
Before The Lincoln Lawyer, Netflix had another legal drama worth your time. It's called The Trial, and it's a superb eight-episode limited series. Following the murder of a teen girl, police arrest a suspect who proclaims her innocence. A defense attorney looking to make a name for himself takes on the case, while
the prosecutor wants out because she is the victim's relative. The Trial is a well-made legal thriller like no other.
Law360's Pro Say
Legal dramas like The Lincoln Lawyer often lead to an interest in real-world legal affairs. If that's the case for you, check out Law 360's Pro Say podcast. Each episode provides a quick recap of the week's biggest legal stories, brought to you by hosts Amber McKinney and Alex Lawson.
around a neuroscience facility that houses scientists, researchers, and their families. Three days pass before security allows them in — and when they do, everyone has disappeared. The podcast is filled with intrigue and mystery, so if you enjoy Shining Girls, you'll enjoy this too. And after you've finished listening, check out Facebook Watch's screen adaptation starring Jessica Biel. Listen here.
