The best legal thrillers feature an attorney protagonist and courtroom drama. Usually there’s a crime, thought not always murder, a trial, and a satisfying resolution. The most popular authors in the genre include lawyers turned authors John Grisham and Scott Turow, but some very talented women authors like Aime Austin, Pamela Samuels Young, Melissa F. Miller, and Rebecca Forster have come to the forefont.
Political, Police, Psychological...
Many thrillers take place outside of the courtroom. Micheal Connelly’s Harry Bosch series focuses on the procedural police aspect. Elizabeth George concerns her self with the ramifications of political decisions, while books like Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, and The Silent Patient train their lens on the creepiness of psychological manipulation.