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For the avid fan of courtroom drama, perplexity occuring when lawyer are fighting the thrilling case, discuss about justice system, crimes and punishment alike these twelve books will make you read to the last pages.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

First Published: 1960

Plot Summary:
The story is set in Maycomb, Alabama and happens in Great Depression era. It revolves around Jean Louise Finch aged six year old, she lives with her older brother, and their father Atticus who was a widower and work as a lawyer. When her father was appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who was accused of raping a white young woman she and her brother must face the bad treatment by racist society. The story was inspired by real crimes in 1950 of racial discrimination, such as the brutal murder of Emmett Till a black teenager.

Reason for You to Read This:
This novel has won Pulitzer price and gain the place as masterpiece of American literature known by everybody who loves to read. The novel highlight on the racial discrimination that could be found until today , and how society and the believer of such notion would goes to a great length to harm innocent people just because of skin color difference.

Best Quote:
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

First Published: 2011

Plot Summary:
Rodian Raskolnikov is an intelligent student lives in poverty, he plans and kill a despicable and disrespectful old pawnbroker and her sister for her money. To justify his act of murder he
develop a theory about men being above the law, as by him killing the pawnbroker he could use her money to do good deeds and thereby make right his crime. He also elaborate by doing so he is terminating such bad person like the pawnbroker from the world, thus cleansing the world and makes it a little bit better place to live. He even point out that he did is to prove his other theory of people who in nature are capable to took someone else’s life and have the right to do so. He shares Napoleon Bonaparte belief of murder is tolerable for a higher purpose.

Reason for You to Read This:
This is a must read for the legal fiction fans, as it’s popularity and influential literature status worldwide. The novel focus on psychological aspects of Rodian actions, his views on guilt and salvation, the theme that until today is still extensively studied among human condition yet remain unfinished. Human psychology is too far complex, as every individuals posses different trait of state. A very interesting book to have in your book collections.

Best Quote:
“To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.”

First Published: 1862

Plot Summary:
This novel set during 1815 until 1832 in Paris France, the central character of this novel is Jean Valjean a former prisoner lives and interactions with several other character in his experience to redemption. This novel analyze the cause of law, history of France, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, family and romantic love, and also urban design of Paris.

ExLes Misérables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for the stage, television, and film, including a musical and a film adaptation of that musical.

Reason for You to Read This:
This novel has been populare through centuries around the wolrd, adapted to numerous stage, musical, television, and film. The tale of good versus evil and how some people have done bad deed to a noble cause or people who has been deemed evil actually a good person and bad people who pretends to be good in the surface. If you’re looking for a book describing the political history and law during those age in Paris but with drama of love, dilemma of between bad and good, and morale phylosophy to even the ex-convict that change to a new good man after shown some compassion from others this is the book you must have.

Best Quote:
“It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.”

First Published: 1850

Plot Summary:
This novel set in the Puritan community of Boston during 17th century, following Hester Prynne who gave birth to an illegitimate daughter from an affair and her struggles to make a life of herself yet preserving her dignity. It also elaborate on the whole society that condemn her of making such sin, and the guilt of the church minister Arthur Dimmesdale that will accumulate and claim his life, also Hester’s husband who return after though to be dead at sea Roger Chillingworth and his seek of revenge to the man causing her wife to suffer such treatment.

Reason for You to Read This:
This book shows Hester strength in resisting to name her daughter father, doesn’t matter how bad people treat her and how she is forced to live an exile and mocked daily. An example from real stories of how the puritan community norm of life is and their beliefs often outlook more important merit of an individual. This book will give a peek of such case happens in the past and might as well a small rare society like this are still exist out there, to which religion are taken literary as the highest law.

Best Quote:
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, wihtout finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”

First Published: 2010

Plot Summary:
The novel focus on Clyde Griffiths and during his young age his family are poor. He have to work odd jobs to help support his family, but when an accident happen he irresponsibly flee without many consideration. When he meet his wealthy uncle and given a job to even promoted of his goodwork, he then have a secret relationship with poor innocent Roberta and publicly court and have relationship with Sondra the elegant socialite. When Roberta pregnant and wanted him to marry her, he bring her to boating and plans to drawn her, but an accident happen and while Roberta drown and in his panic he refuse to help cause him to be convicted in the court, sentenced to death and executed by electric chair.

Reason for You to Read This:
This story unravel the corruption which lead to the destruction of Clyde Griffiths, as he goes to the desperate path to achieve success. Though the society he lives in has been one of the factor shaping his ambition, the Dark American Dream of a weak and coward character hoping for success and worldly pleasures that if he choose wisely his act and have morale conscious will actually live a happy life and make his ambition come true.

Best Quote:
“She merely beamed a fatty beam. She was almost ponderous, and pink, with a tendency to a double chin.”

6. The Stranger by Albert Camus

First Published: 1942

Plot Summary:
This book tells the story of Meursault the apathetic citizen of France but live in North Africa, he attend his mother funeral without grieve or any evidence of emotion toward the loss of a mother. His personal view of other human as annoying or interesting with no empathy towards anything. A few days after the funeral he was involved in a conflict of a friend and kills an Arab man on the beach just because the man flashed a knife at him and feeling agitated with the heat. He was then tried and sentenced to death for his unability to show remorse and detachment to emotion.

Reason for You to Read This:
This novel discusses on the meaning of life, God’s exitence, life is nothing but physically alive, and existence in the world without purpose at all. All this are depicted in the first person narrative of Meursault regarding all the topics above, divided in two parts. First part consist of his views of life and living before the murder he commit and the second is after the murder. A must read book of the unordinary topic yet are commonly thought by every being, a dangerous state of mind that will bring disastrous event unimaginable.

Best Quote:
“I may not have been sure about what really did interest me, but I was absolutely sure about what didn’t.”

First Published: 1998

Plot Summary:
Doctor Manette has been living the past eighteen years of his life as a political prisoner in Bastille, he was reunited with his daughter back in England upon his released. There her daughter are the object of love from to very different men, Charles Darnay is a French aristocrat living an exiled life and Sydney Carton the brilliant and infamous English lawyer. Together they are forced beyond their will to the bloody streets of Paris during the height of the Reign of Terror and end their life in tragic.

Reason for You to Read This:
The story relates on the French Revolution as Aristocrat oppression toward peasants reach the breaking point and claim many life of tragic and drama whilst in the midst of love, loss and betrayal. One of Charles Dickens masterpiece, this book is a must have in your collection.

Best Quote:
“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.”

8. The Firm: A Novel by John Grisham

First Published: 1991

Plot Summary:
This novel revolves around Mitch McDeere, a young, ambitious and brilliant lawyer. After he gets the job of his dream in Bendini, Lambert, & Locke law firm his life seems to be heading to success, wealth, and power. Until one day he discovers that all his phonecalls has been bugged, and when FBI are looking to have a word with him his ambtition might have be the end of him.

Reason for You to Read This:
This book shows that the saying “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is?” is true, Mitch ambition has blinded him and he fails to investigate the origin of the highly paid job offer might have been in the mix with illegal world of Mafia. If you are looking for a legal fiction book involved with the dark world of mafia this book is your choice.

Best Quote:
“Any lawyer worth his salt knew the first offer had to be rejected.”

First Published: 1846

Plot Summary:
Edmond Dantes is the first mate of the Pharaon ship and on the day of his wedding to Mercedes, he is accused of treachery, arrested, and then imprisoned in the Chateau d’If without even a trial. When he was prepare to commit suicide out of desperation a fellow prisoner Abbe Faria enlightened him, teach him language, science, culture, and gives to an immense amount of treasure hidden in island of Monte Cristo. Dante then manages to escape and retrieve the treasure, buy the island and assume a new identity of Count of Monte Cristo the rich, powerful, and mysterious. He enters the fashionable Parisian world of 1830 and seek revenge to three men who have set him up and cause him to suffer all those years, Fernand Mondego his rival for Mercedes love, Danglars his envious crewmate, and the cunning Magistrate Villefort.

Reason for You to Read This:
This book is a timeless classic in French and English literature, with very intricate plot and cross connection of the characters necessary for the count revenge, yet very smart, intriguing, and deeply moving. This is a book of legal fiction genre that will guarantee you to read it to the last page in no time, especially with it’s reputation and popularity nowadays. A book that speaks universally and shows how a person with such motivation and determination will achieve goal by educating oneself of knowledge necessary. This book also focus on the consequences of actions done will always come catching.

Best Quote:
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words – wait and hope.”

10. Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver

First Published: 1959

Plot Summary:
The story follows Frederick Manion who is an army lieutenant convicted for the murder of a bartender name Barney Quill. He justify his action, in reason of his wife was beaten and raped by Barney. Although his wife confirm his story, her medical check up says otherwise. He then hired Paul Biegler to defend him, as Paul investigate the case it is found out that his client is a possessive and violent man and Laura is helping his husband to conceal the truth.

Reason for You to Read This:
This is a classic story of legal case which the victim were actually pretending to be innocent and goes to great length to cover their crime. This book will make you wonder whether the case is just that simple, or even worse then just a plain jealousy and rage. The kind of legal fiction book that will make you intrigue until the last page.

Best Quote:
“Animals are strictly dry, they sinless live and swiftly die, but sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men, survive for three score years and ten.”

First Published: 1995

Plot Summary:
This novel tells the story of Rudy Baylor during his final semester of law school and it is mandatory that he provide free legal council to a group of senior citizens, it was when he meet Dot and Buddy Black who complain that their insurance company refuse to pay their dying son medical treatments of leukimia. After further investigation, he discovers that this might part of the largest insurance frauds ever happen and in civil litigation historywill be consider as one of the most lucrative case. The only thing that will separate him from finishing the case is his lack of proper title and fund to face such big company and their collection experienced attorneys.

Reason for You to Read This:
John Grisham is notable for his legal fiction novels, his five novels have all sit on number one best sellers and sold 47 million copies worldwide. From A Time To Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, and The Chamber. This novel is his latest book with even more thrill, humor, and legal intrigue of the corporate greed. Another must have book of John Grisham that will thrill you to the last page.

Best Quote:
“I don’t feel stupid, just inadequate. After three years of studying the law, I’m very much aware of how little I know.”

12. A Time to Kill: A Novel by John Grisham

First Published: 2009

Plot Summary:
Set in the small town of Clanton, Mississippi, Tonya Hailey a ten year old girl african american girl life’s shattered by two drunken white supremacists James Willard and Billy Ray Cobb. Her father Carl Lee Hailey then shoots both man to death and charged with capital murder. His white attorney friend Jake Brigance represents him at court, Jake are helped by his two loyal friend Lucien Wilbanks, Harry Rex Vonner, Ellen Roark, and respectable black county sheriff Ozzie Walls. When Freddy, Billy Ray’s brother with the help of Ku Klux Klan wants to revenge to Carl Lee and even target Jake on his way to courthouse until burning his house down. Jake have to struggle to protect his client and his own life yet still have to win the case for the sake of his client and his own believe.

Reason for You to Read This:
This novel is John Grisham first book, a debut of his legacy of legal fiction best seller. The fascinating story of retaliation and justice to his theme of viscious truth of violence against racial discrimination in such small souther town in Mississippi. If you never read his book, this is the first book you have to get. A legendary book of legal fiction that even adapted to a critically acclaim film in 1996.

Best Quote:
“Make friends with fear, Lucien always said, because it will not go away, and it will destroy you if left uncontrolled.”

 

CONCLUSION
These twelve novels of legal fiction genre is iconic, groundbreaking, thrilling, and intriguing. With it’s theme of jusice for crime, the ambiguous law, the talented attornies in their works to defend the inncocent, and morale dilemma. The kind of books that will keep you reading until the last page and open your eyes to the works of law in reality.

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