Phillip Margolin (born 1944) is an American writer of legal thrillers.

Biography

Margolin was born in New York City in 1944. After receiving a B.A. in Government in 1965, from American University in Washington, D.C., he worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia until 1967. He graduated from the New York University School of Law in 1970, and has worked for 25 years as a criminal defense attorney, an occupation of choice inspired by the Perry Mason books. He started to work in 1970 at the Oregon Court of Appeals.

He published his first story, a short story titled "The Girl in the Yellow Bikini", in 1974, and became a full-time writer in 1996. He has written 12 books as of January 2007. He lists as his favourite writer Joseph Conrad, and among his favourite books War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and Stone City by Mitchell Smith.

Philip Margolin was married to Doreen Stamm in 1968. They had two children, Ami and Daniel. Doreen, also an attorney, died from cancer in January 2007. In 2018, he married Melanie Nelson.

Phillip Margolin is also the president of Chess for Success, a non-profit organisation "dedicated to helping children develop skills necessary for success in school and life by learning chess".

Bibliography

TitleYearPublisherISBNRemarks
The Girl in the Yellow Bikini1974Short story in Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine
Heartstone1978HarperTorchISBN 978-0-06-073969-0
The Last Innocent Man1981HarperTorchISBN 978-0-06-073968-3Adapted into the 1987 HBO film The Last Innocent Man starring Ed Harris
Gone, But Not Forgotten1993DoubledayISBN 978-0-385-47002-5Translated into more than 20 languages, sold over 1.5 million copies, adapted into the 2005 Warner Bros. TV film Gone But Not Forgotten starring Brooke Shields and Scott Glenn
After Dark1995DoubledayISBN 978-0-385-47548-8
The Burning Man1996DoubledayISBN 978-0-385-48053-6
Smokescreen1997MeulenhoffISBN 90-743-3636-1Only published in Dutch as Rookgordijn, published by Meulenhoff
The Undertaker's Widow1998DoubledayISBN 978-0-385-48054-3
Angie's Delight1998Delacorte PressShort story in Murder For Revenge; turned into a 2006 13-minute short film
The Jailhouse Lawyer1998Short story in Legal Briefs
Wild Justice2000HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-019624-0Amanda Jaffe Book 1
The Associate2002HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-019625-7
Ties That Bind2003HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-008324-3Amanda Jaffe Book 2
Sleeping Beauty2004HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-008326-7
Lost Lake2005HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-073502-9
Proof Positive2006HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-073505-0Amanda Jaffe Book 3
Executive Privilege2008HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-123621-1Brad Miller and Dana Cutler Book 1
Fugitive2009HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-123623-5Amanda Jaffe Book 4
Supreme Justice2010HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-192651-8Brad Miller and Dana Cutler Book 2
Capitol Murder2012HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-206988-7Brad Miller and Dana Cutler Book 3
Sleight of Hand2013HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-206991-7Brad Miller and Dana Cutler Book 4
Worthy Brown's Daughter2014HarperCollinsISBN 978-0-06-219534-0Stand-alone Novel
Woman With a Gun2014HarperCollinsISBN 978-0062266521Stand-alone Novel
Violent CrimesFeb. 2016HarperCollinsISBN 978-0062266552Amanda Jaffe Book 5
The Third Victim2018Minotaur BooksISBN 978-1-25-011750-2Robin Lockwood 1
The Perfect Alibi2019Minotaur BooksISBN 978-1-250-11752-6Robin Lockwood 2
A Reasonable Doubt2020Minotaur BooksISBN 978-1-250-11754-0Robin Lockwood 3
A Matter of Life and Death2021Minotaur BooksISBN 978-1-250-25842-7Robin Lockwood 4
The Darkest Place2022Minotaur BooksISBN 9781250258441Robin Lockwood 5
Murder at Black Oaks2022Minotaur BooksISBN 9781250258465Robin Lockwood 6
Betrayal2023Minotaur BooksISBN 9781250885791Robin Lockwood 7
An Insignificant Case2024Minotaur BooksISBN 9781250885821Stand-alone Novel
False Witness2025Minotaur BooksISBN 9781250356895Karen Wyatt 1

He has also co-authored Vanishing Acts (Madison Kincaid Mystery) with his daughter Ami Margolin Rome.

Awards and recognitions

  • 1978: nominated for an Edgar Award for best original paperback by the Mystery Writers of America for Heartstone
  • 1999: the short story The Jailhouse Lawyer is published in the 1999 edition of The Best American Mystery Stories

Notes

External links

  • at IMDb
  • are housed University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections & Archives