Authors Like Lisa Scottoline (158 Crime Fiction Book Recommendations)

Lisa Scottoline was born in Philadelphia in 1955. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she earned a BA in English and afterward graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. 

She worked as a court clerk and litigator but after the birth of her daughter, she began her writing career. 

Authors Like Lisa Scottoline (158 Crime Fiction Book Recommendations)

Her second book Final Appeal won the Edgar Award for excellence in crime fiction. Look Again published in 2009 was named one of the best books in the world at World Book Night 2013.

More than 33 bestselling novels followed with two reaching the second spot on the New York Times bestseller list. She currently has 30 million copies of her books in print with her work being published in over 35 countries. 

Scottoline has been the president of the Mystery Writers of America and won many awards for her work including a Distinguished Author Award from Scranton University, and an award from the University of Pennsylvania, Women in Business.

The author also writes a weekly column for the Philadelphia Inquirer with her daughter Francesca Serritella. These stories have been published in a collection of New York Times bestselling memoirs

Lisa Scottoline lives in the Philadelphia area with her dogs, cats, and horses. 

For those who enjoy the many works of award-winning author Lisa Scottoline, the books of David Baldacci, Paul Levine, and John Grisham will be a real treat. Check out the many novels these authors have written and which you should add to your collection.

Books By Lisa Scottoline

Lisa Scottoline is a prolific author and has contributed several different genres of writing. These include historical fiction, standalone thrillers, humorous nonfiction, anthologies, and short stories. 

But her most well-known works are the Rosato & Associates series and the Rosato & Dinunzio series. These are legal thrillers inspired by her career in law and the first book Everywhere That Mary Went was published in 1994. 

However, it was her novel Final Appeal, published in 1995 that brought Scottoline to the attention of the wider world. The book won the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original Mystery and is a stand-alone crime fiction novel. 

The author went on to write fifteen more stand-alone thriller books between 1996 and 2022. Many of these books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, some remaining on the list for three to four weeks. 

Scottoline’s first book was also the first of the Rosato & Associates series. These novels revolve around a Philadelphia law firm much like the one the author worked at. There are eleven books in this series with Think Twice being the last, published in 2010. 

A new series called Rosato & DiNunzio followed three years later. Based on the same law firm, the books focus on one of the partners Mary DiNunzio as she takes on various cases. The series has six books published between 2013 and 2018.  

During this time Lisa Scottoline was also writing humorous nonfiction including Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog published in 2009. 

The majority of Scottoline’s work has been in the genre of legal thrillers with a couple of historical fiction novels Eternal and Loyalty as well as her nonfiction humor. She has also contributed to other works such as The Chopin Manuscript, a collaboration of 15 different authors to create the ultimate international thriller. 

Authors Like Lisa Scottoline (158 Crime Fiction Book Recommendations)

Authors Like Lisa Scottoline

David Baldacci

Absolute Power

David Baldacci has an impressive list of crime fiction works with eleven different series of books and eleven stand-alone novels. His very first book, Absolute Power is a stand-alone work, becoming a bestseller and a movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. 

As a former attorney, it is unsurprising that the majority of Baldacci’s work is in the genre of legal thrillers in a similar way to Lisa Scottoline. 

Following the success of his stand-alone novels the author started working on the King and Maxwell series in 2003, about a pair of former Secret Service agents. 

He also created The Camel Club series of which there are five books and the Shaw and Katie James series featuring two novels. Following this was the John Puller, Will Robie, Amos Decker, Atlee Pine, and Aloysius Archer series. 

Baldacci also writes for children with his Freddy and the French Fries series and for young adults with the Vega Jane series. The 39 Clues series are adventure novels written in collaboration with other authors and intended for an audience of 9–14 years of age. 

Pros

  • Written 40 novels for adults, all of which have been national and international bestsellers. 
  • His work is published in 45 languages in 80 countries with 150 million copies in print worldwide. 

Cons 

  • With so many books to his credit, it is difficult to choose where to start reading his work. 

Themes: legal issues, thriller 

Paul Levine

Solomon vs. Lord

Paul Levine is known for his legal thriller books starring Jake Lassiter and for his Solomon Vs. Lord series. He began his career as a courthouse reporter for the Miami Herald, going on to become a trial lawyer and a TV legal commentator. 

After 17 years of practicing law, Levine quit becoming a full-time writer. In 1990, he published his first book, To Speak For The Dead. This is the literary world’s introduction to Jake Lassiter, an ex-linebacker turned attorney. 

The debut novel was turned into a TV movie and the character of Lassiter is described as having more charisma than Perry Mason. Thirteen more Lassiter books followed with the latest Early Grave published in 2022. 

Levine’s other series Solomon Vs Lord centers around a pair of bickering Miami lawyers. This produced four novels in total with The Deep Blue Alibi being nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. 

The author has also penned four stand-alone novels, Illegal, Paydirt, Ballistic, and Impact which is also titled 9 Scorpions

Pros

  • Paul Levine has received and been nominated for several literary awards for his works of crime fiction including the John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction.
  • He has also written 21 episodes of JAG, a military drama series for CBS. 

Cons

  • The catalog of Paul Levine’s work currently stands at just 24 novels. 

Themes: courtroom drama, legal issues, thriller

John Grisham

The Firm: A Novel (The Firm Series)

The similarity between the works of John Grisham and Lisa Scottoline is best defined by People Magazine’s description of Scottoline as the female John Grisham. 

Grisham is perhaps the most famous author of legal thrillers in the US with several of his books being made into movies including his debut novel, The Firm starring Tom Cruise. 

As a former lawyer and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, he has vast experience to draw on for his books. He has written more than 50 books, 28 of which have been consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers. 

His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide and are one of only three authors to have sold 2 million copies on a first printing. His book The Pelican Brief was turned into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. 

John Grisham has authored a multitude of novels, young adult fiction, and short stories as well as some non-fiction, and even recorded some audiobooks. He has also worked on film adaptations of his work and has written for TV. 

Pros

  • Grisham is one of the most famous, prolific, and successful crime fiction writers in the world. 
  • He has won numerous awards and has received the Harper Lee Prize twice. 

Cons

  • With so many novels to choose from the only problem with John Grisham novels is deciding which one to read next. 

Themes: non-fiction, young adult, law, crime, corruption

Bottom Line 

Most writers know that the best authors write about what they know and this has been the case with those featured in this article. All four have previous law careers and can use their past experiences and inside knowledge to create believable characters and storylines. 

Of course, they all have their own style and way of crafting their books. However, all are talented, award-winning authors so whichever one you choose to read you are unlikely to be disappointed. 

If you like the work of Lisa Scottoline you will really enjoy the works of David Baldacci, Paul Devine, and John Grisham. And of course, with their combined catalog of work, you will never be short of choice for something great to read. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Order Should I Read Lisa Scottoline Books?

Scottoline’s Rosato & Associates and Rosato & DiNunzio series of books are best read in the order they were published. Her stand-alone books are independent of each other. 

What Is The Best John Grisham Book To Start With?

With such a range of choice, it can be hard to decide which John Grisham novel to begin with, but one recommendation is The Firm which was also made into a movie. 

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Anna Davis