There is a fine line to be walked in a long-running series. What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?ĮARLY GRAVE is the 15th and final novel in the series that began with the international bestseller To Speak for the Dead in 1990. If you are to spend your life in its pursuit, it is best to believe it exists and hope that you can attain it.” It cannot be bought, sold or mass produced. Justice is the North Star, the burning bush, the holy virgin. “Justice requires lawyers who are prepared, witnesses who tell the truth, judges who know the law, and jurors who stay awake. Other than that, anything goes.” Jake Lassiter is a lawyer who believes the justice system is flawed and that “rough justice is better than none.” This is where character and plot merge. I won’t lie to a judge, steal from a client, or bribe a cop. “In the practice of law, a sea inhabited by sharks and other carnivores, my ethics are simple. An often cynical lawyer, his personality traits govern how he will handle every situation. Writing a series character has the advantage/disadvantage of a fully formed protagonist. Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?Ĭharacter and plot are intertwined for me. Paul Levine recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing his latest thriller, EARLY GRAVE. “Lassiter is the lawyer we all want on our side and on the page.” – Lee Child “Lassiter is my kind of lawyer.” – Michael Connelly Melissa Gold and vows to live long enough to fix his relationship and achieve justice for his godson. He’s in couple’s therapy with fiancée Dr. At the same time, the former NFL linebacker battles CTE, the fatal brain disease caused by repetitive head injuries.Ĭomplicating Lassiter’s lawsuit and his health, his personal life hits a rocky patch. When his godson suffers a catastrophic injury in a high school football game, lawyer Jake Lassiter sues to abolish the sport and becomes the most hated man in Miami.

First grave on the right book