Legal thrillers are a kind of detective story in which a lawyer, a law office staff person, or a law student is the main character who uses his/her intellect to unravel they mystery of a crime.  The framework for the novel is provided by the legal system rather than the police work that provides the structure for a police procedural detective story. Authors in this genre are often former lawyers, including John Grisham, one of the most popular author of legal thriller books who has had many of his novels made into Hollywood films. 

Popular Authors in this Genre:

• Grisham, John
• Lescroart, John
• Margolin, Phillip
• Martini, Steve
• Parker, Barbara
• Patterson, Richard North
• Scottoline, Lisa
• Siegel, Sheldon
• Tanenbaum, Robert K.
• Turow, Scott
• Wilhelm, Kate