From early editions of The Newgate Calendar to the adaptation of Presumed Innocent airing on HBO, the fascination with crime and courtroom drama has spanned centuries. Whether you’re a weekly crime podcast listener or pick up the newest legal thriller from the shelf, a story’s outcome can stick with you long after the recording ends or the book closes. The legal thriller may feel like a modern genre, but its roots can be traced back to some of the earliest crime narratives ever published.

Crime Stories: A Brief History

Printed stories, focusing on clever criminals and scandalous trials, have been captivating readers since the 1600s. The earliest known example of real-life criminal cases presented as stories was A Gallery of Horrible Tales of Murder,^[1]Marlyn Robinson, Collins to Grisham: A Brief History of the Legal Thriller, 22 Legal Stud. F. 21 (1998). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. written by German lawyer and poet Georg Harsdorffer, in 1650. The text is widely considered by literary historians to be one of the earliest versions of what is now considered true crime or the legal thriller. The title is cited as A Gallery of Horrible Tales of Murder in English literary histories and was originally published in German as Der Grosse Schau-Platz Jämmerlicher Mord-Geschichte.

Harsdorffer took documented criminal cases from court archives and made them digestible for the public using both his knowledge and creativity to spin an engaging narrative. In his work, he often combined “elements of the supernatural and science to provide evidence and detect the guilty party at a time when legal guilt was usually determined by torture or ordeal.”^[2]Marlyn Robinson, Collins to Grisham: A Brief History of the Legal Thriller, 22 Legal Stud. F. 21 (1998). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. Published in 1661, Matthias Abele von und zu Lilienberg’s Metamorphosis and Unusual Law Cases is another example of early criminal accounts made accessible to interested readers. Lilienberg, who was also a German lawyer, gathered inspiration for his work from the archives of the French Parliamentary Courts.

Francois Gayot de Pitaval, a Parisian lawyer, compiled Famous and Interesting Cases. First published in 1735, some of his work details high profile criminal trials, inheritance disputes, and martial scandals. He later published 22 volumes, an expanded edition between 1772 and 1788, which highlights famous imposters, major criminal trials, and judicial errors, among other legal topics. The full French 26-volume set of Causes Célèbres et Intéressantes can be found in HeinOnline’s World Trials Library.^[3]Francois Gayot de Pitaval, Causes Celebres et Interessantes, avec les Jugements Qui les Ont Decidees (1775). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s World Trials Library.

A snapshot of a section titled “Marie Cognot” from Causes Célèbres et Intéressantes (shown left). The title page of a published volume of The New Gate Calendar (shown right). Both found in HeinOnline’s World Trials Library.

The Newgate Calendar, a publication named after the prison located near the public gallows, details the lives, crimes, trials, and executions of notorious English criminals. The Newgate Calendar started publishing in 1734 and continued in print into the Twentieth Century. The compilations, which differed from Pitaval’s accounts, “were often taken from actual confessions reported at the time of an execution and originally printed as broadsides or in newspaper accounts.” ^[4]Marlyn Robinson, Collins to Grisham: A Brief History of the Legal Thriller, 22 Legal Stud. F. 21 (1998). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. To learn more about The Newgate Calendar and crime, read the HeinOnline blog post Speech, Crime, and Son of Sam Laws.

From Fact to Fiction

There was a time when factual accounts of crime gradually gave way to fiction. Real crimes, which were once recorded as cautionary tales and courtroom narratives, began to inspire stories that explored not just what happened, but why. Before fictional lawyers Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird) and Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer) made compelling arguments in the courtroom, detective stories gained traction with readers in the early Nineteenth Century.

Starting in the 1830s, penny dreadfuls were produced as serial literature in the United Kingdom. The stories, which were low-priced (costing only one penny), served as a form of “escapist reading” for both youth and the general audience. Featuring reprints or even rewrites of early Gothic thrillers as well as sensational tales of horror and crime, penny dreadfuls have influenced today’s popular culture and include recognizable characters such as Sweeny Todd or Varney the Vampire. The text was not the only printed aspect that grabbed a reader’s attention. The illustrations included in penny dreadfuls were often highly dramatic and showcased villains or even gruesome crime scenes. “The new literature forms contained specially created prints, all different, and with a degree of clarity unmatched by the gallows broadsheets. Importantly, too, the pictures could dominate whole pages and be accompanied by subordinate text.”^[5]Jon Davies, Aspects of Nineteenth Century – Legal Literature, 29 Cambrian L. Rev. 22 (1998). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library.

Wilkie Collins, an English novelist and playwright, helped shape the rules for “sensation” fiction and the modern detective novel. Some of his popular works include the Woman in White, published in 1860, and The Moonstone, which was published in 1868. He was a lifelong friend of the well-known author Charles Dickens and even became collaborators with him down the road. He often combined complex mystery plots with radical social critiques. His novels delved into different topics such as women’s rights, social status, and medical ethics. Read an excerpt from Collins’ novel The Law and The Lady^[6]Wilkie Collins, The Law and the Lady, 34 Litig. , Spring 2008, at 72. This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. in HeinOnline.

The Perry Mason book series (published from 1933–1973)  is a classic collection of 82 detective fiction novels written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Featuring the fast-acting defense attorney, Perry Mason, the novels were featured on bestseller lists and were later adapted for television in the ’50s. The legal drama premiered on CBS and ran for nine seasons. A lesser-known fact is that “Gardner was a successful Ventura County, California trial lawyer with a strong record of representing minorities and the poor.”^[7]John S. Caragozian, Erle Stanley Gardner: America’s Best-Selling Author and a California Lawyer, 19 Cal. Legal Hist. 255 (2024). This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. His novels deal with topics such as wrongful accusations and private investigation along with social and narrative themes ranging from ethical dilemmas to greed and blackmail. Read an excerpt of Gardner’s The Case of the Terrified Typist^[8]Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Terrified Typist, 36 Litig. , Fall 2009, at 57. This document can be found in HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library. in HeinOnline.

The Rise of the Legal Thriller

“How does it end?” is a question many readers and viewers ask when the stage is just being set for a courtroom case. We become invested in the possible outcomes and are roped in by the suspense of the “whodunnit.” Understanding this fascination, several authors have built successful careers by keeping the audience guessing until the final verdict. The genre of the legal thriller took off after John Grisham published his second book, The Firm. It was an immediate bestseller and later adapted for film in 1993. The movie stars big names such as Tom Cruise, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman, and Jeanne Tripplehorn. According to a 2023 interview on Time.com, “Grisham has released 48 consecutive New York Times No. 1 bestsellers, a feat no other writer has matched” since breaking out with The Firm in 1991.

Another popular name associated with the legal thriller genre is Scott Turow, who became an assistant U.S. attorney after graduating from Harvard Law School. His first novel, the acclaimed courtroom thriller Presumed Innocent, was released in 1987. Its commercial success helped propel the legal thriller into the mainstream, demonstrating a growing appetite for fiction rooted in legal procedure and courtroom drama. Many authors followed, publishing popular works that now appear on bookshelves under signage directing readers to the legal thriller genre.

Grisham is not the only author that has used his legal background to create compelling stories that fly off the shelves. Read more about the legal professionals below who have gravitated toward crafting fictional courtroom scenes and criminal drama.

Legal Thriller Case Files: Lawyers Who Became Novelists

John Grisham

• Occupation: Former small-town attorney.
• Specialty: Criminal defense and civil litigation.
• Breakthrough: The Firm (1991).
• Lasting Impact: Helped define the modern legal thriller.

Scott Turow

• Occupation: Former Federal prosecutor.
• Breakthrough: Presumed Innocent (1987).
• Lasting Impact: Brought realism and moral ambiguity to courtroom fiction.

Lisa Scottoline

• Occupation: Practiced law and worked as a litigator in Philadelphia.
• Breakthrough: Everywhere That Mary Went (1993).
• Impact: Helped broaden the legal thriller genre with sharp courtroom drama, humor, and strong female protagonists.

Marcia Clark

• Occupation: Served as Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles for over a decade. She is most famously known for serving as lead prosecutor in the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial.
• Breakthrough: Without a Doubt (1997, memoir) followed by the Rachel Knight legal thriller series.
• Impact: Brought firsthand prosecutorial experience to fiction, creating realistic and fast-paced legal mysteries.

David Ellis

• Occupation: Attorney and former chief counsel to the speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. According to Northwestern Magazine, Ellis was sworn in as the youngest-serving justice on the Illinois Appellate Court in 2014. As of 2026, he continues to serve as justice.
• Breakthrough: Line of Vision (2002), winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel.
• Impact: Known for intricate plots, surprising twists, and authentic depictions of the legal system.

Case File 01: The Reporter Turned Novelist

Michael Connelly

• Occupation: Crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times before becoming a full-time novelist.
• Breakthrough:The Black Echo (1992), the first novel featuring LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.
• Impact: Brought unparalleled realism to crime fiction, creating one of the most enduring detective series in modern literature and inspiring successful television adaptations including Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer.

Further Reading

If legal thrillers are your gateway into the intersection of law and storytelling, you’ll find tons more to explore on the HeinOnline Blog. Browse our criminal law, mystery, and true crime features for deeper dives into the cases, individuals, and legal questions that continue to intrigue readers. For example, visit HeinOnline’s Crime of The Century blog posts or Heinous Histories.