Paul Levine | Author of Illegal

Available September 13th

Next Tuesday, my favorite rogue lawyer Jake Lassiter returns in LASSITER, the new hardcover (and e-book) from Random House. It’s been fourteen years since FLESH & BONES, and after much clamoring from readers -- and persons to whom I owe money -- I wrote this new tale, which once again proves Miami can be murder. Here’s the setup:

Nearly twenty years ago, Jake Lassiter crossed paths with a teenage runaway who disappeared into South Florida’s sex trade. Now he retraces her steps and runs head-on into a conspiracy of Miami’s rich and powerful who would do anything to keep the past as dark as night and silent as the grave.

The evidence leads to a long-ago night of kinky sex, designer drugs – and possible murder. But before Lassiter can nail the truth, a gun goes off, a suspect falls dead, and...

Hang on. No spoilers here. It’s enough to say that Jake has a murder trial to defend, the likes of which you’ve never seen before.

Paul Levine

Get more info and order LASSITER:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound

“Engaging…a standout job. ” – Publishers Weekly

“LASSITER is the courtroom drama of the year.” – Harlan Coben

“Highly competent work by Levine with the usual cascade of surprises at the end.” – Kirkus

“Lassiter is back after 14 long years – and better than ever. Moving fast, cracking wise, butting heads, he’s the lawyer we all want on our side – and on the page.” – Lee Child

"Energetic storytelling... witty and sardonic." - South Florida Sun-Sentinal

“Paul Levine possesses one of the strongest voices in crime fiction, and his Jake Lassiter is one of my favorite characters of all time. If you haven’t met Jake, start right now, with LASSITER.” - Lisa Scottoline

“Paul Levine is one of South Florida’s great writers, and LASSITER is his greatest creation. It’s funny, smart, and compelling.” - Dave Barry

“Paul Levine’s twisty, wonderful novel combines the legal excellence of a Grisham thriller with the highwire antics of Carl Hiaasen. A cover-to-cover triumph!” - David Morrell

“I regularly visit Miami. I no longer need to; all I have to do is open LASSITER. One sentence and you’re there, your skin crawling, your nerves prickling. The highest praise of all: I’m going to sit down and read it again, just to see how Levine pulls off his magic.” - Ridley Pearson

Get more info and order LASSITER:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

IndieBound

In this age of medical miracles, how can that be? ALL BOOK PROCEEDS: "FOR THE KIDS"

A few years ago, one of my dearest friends, the godfather of my son, lost his daughter Margaux to Ewing's sarcoma, a rare but vicious bone cancer. The survival rate for Ewing's sarcoma that metastasises is a disheartening 10 per cent.

Ten per cent!

Which brings me to the Four Diamonds Fund. In 1972, a 14-year-old boy named Christopher Millard was an aspiring writer. Or rather, he was already a writer. He'd penned a mythic tale about "Sir Millard and The Four Diamonds," in the tradition of Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot. What are those Four Diamonds? Wisdom. Courage. Honesty. Strength. All are needed in our daily lives, especially in children's battles with a dread disease.

You have probably figured out that Chris wrote the story while in the throes of cancer. The diamonds of his story were allegorical. The quest was for life itself. After a three-year battle, Chris died, but his memory lives in the name of the Fund established by his family.

Penn State students have contributed an astonishing $61 million to the Fund through their annual dance marathon. This year's event raised $7.8 million alone. The motto of "Thon" is "For the kids." And that, too, is the dedication of "To Speak for the Dead."

Welcome friends, readers, relatives...and creditors.

Many thanks to those of you who helped make the SOLOMON vs. LORD series so successful. Judging from your e-mails and the bushel basket of award nominations, the books were much enjoyed for their drama, humor, and the wicked banter between Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord. So why the newsletter? For one thing, I've got prizes to give away, but here's the really big news:

ILLEGAL, my newest thriller, is in bookstores today!

In the past two years, I've trudged through the Mojave Desert and climbed the Tehachapi mountains. I've followed the toxic sludge of the New River as it winds a serpentine path from Mexicali to the Salton Sea. I've hung out at Border Patrol stations in Calexico and picked peaches in Kings County. Now, it's time to take you on a magic carpet from the dangerous streets of Mexicali, north to Hellhole Canyon, and northward still through the Tejon Pass into California's San Joaquin Valley. That's the perilous road trip taken by Jimmy (Royal) Payne, the hero of ILLEGAL. Did I say hero? Payne, a Los Angeles lawyer with an anger management problem, skims money from a bribery sting, punches out two cops, and skips town when he's jailed for contempt. But when it's time to choose between risking his life for a boy with a missing mother or surrendering to his own demons, his choice is....well, you gotta read the book for that.

So, come along. Hop into Jimmy's Acapulco blue Mustang ragtop - okay, not his; he stole it - and fasten your seat belts. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Paul

You can read an excerpt here. Or, if you're ready to rumble, you can order ILLEGAL by clicking here, and a bookseller will be happy to deliver the book straight to your door.

Inspired by real events, ILLEGAL is harder-boiled than my earlier novels. But if you liked Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, you'll love trouble-prone Jimmy Payne and ex-wife Sharon, a cop who once shot him and now would love to arrest him. The SOLOMON vs. LORD books are frequently compared with the Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn films, particularly Adam's Rib. ILLEGAL combines the moral decay of Chinatown with the sudden violence of No Country for Old Men.

-Click here to read about ILLEGAL.
-Click here to read an excerpt from ILLEGAL.
-Click here to order ILLEGAL

"Riveting...filled with action, pathos, and even humor. Chilling and rings with authenticity."
---Booklist

"Entertaining. Payne has enough backstory and personal charm to head up a series on his own."
---Publishers Weekly

"What's with all this sex?"
---Sally Levine (my mother)

SOLOMON vs. LORD

THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI

KILL ALL THE LAWYERS

TRIAL & ERROR

-Click here to read about SOLOMON vs. LORD.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SOLOMON vs. LORD.
-Click here to order SOLOMON vs. LORD

I'll publish this newsletter a few times a year to keep you up-to-date. If you don't want the darned thing, despite its wit and wisdom, hit the "unsubscribe" button below. But then you'll lose the chance to win a great free prize. (As a subscriber, you're already entered in the contest). If your friends want a shot at the giveaways, make sure they subscribe to my newsletter. Winners will be chosen at random.

This time you can win a personally inscribed hardcover of ILLEGAL, worth, at this writing, about a dozen shares of Citibank stock.

And by the way, if you like my books, try Ridley Pearson's KILLER VIEW, a chilling thriller set in the snow-covered peaks of Idaho. You can sign up for Ridley's newsletter here.