We are delighted to welcome author Paul Levine to Omnimystery News today.
Paul's latest legal thriller, Bum Rap (Thomas & Mercer; July 2015 trade paperback and ebook formats) features characters from both of his series novels. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with him to talk about his new book.
— ♦ —
Omnimystery News: Bum Rap is your first crossover thriller, one that features characters from both of your series. For those readers new to your work, introduce us to Jake Lassiter, Steve Solomon, and Victoria Lord.
Photo provided courtesy of
Paul Levine
Paul Levine: Jake Lassiter is a linebacker-turned-lawyer, a guy with a tough bark and a tender heart. After a few seasons barely hanging onto the Miami Dolphins' roster — "My butt was so far down Shula's bench, my feet were in Ocala" — he sneaked into night law school. He passed the Bar exam on his fourth try and became a criminal defense lawyer. "Most of my clients are guilty," he bemoans in Bum Rap.
Steve Solomon is defense lawyer with a flexible code of ethics: "If the law doesn't work … work the law." Solomon infuriates his lover and law partner, Victoria Lord, with his shady stunts, his tacky ads, his shameless self-promotion. Far worse, in Bum Rap, his recklessness gets him charged with murder.
Victoria is the opposite of Solomon in every way. A patrician upbringing and Ivy League schools, she does everything by the book … while Solomon burns the book. Solomon is a beer and burger guy who loves baseball; Victoria is a Chardonnay and paté gal who adores ballet. Yet, together, they're more than the sum of their parts … and they form a powerful team in the courtroom.
OMN: You've written several stand-alone novels as well. When starting a new book, how do you decide if it will be one of a series or a stand-alone?
PL: Generally, I know immediately if this is a freestanding thriller, Lassiter novel, or a Solomon & Lord novel. The plot idea informs me who the protagonist should be. With Bum Rap, something else was at play. I wanted to write a novel loosely based on a true story, a Bar-girl racketeering enterprise involving Russian gangsters on South Beach. It quickly became apparent to me that there were juicy roles for all three of my protagonists: Jake Lassiter would defend Steve Solomon on charges of killing a Russian club owner … and fall for Solomon's lover, Victoria Lord.
OMN: How do you categorize your books?
PL: Right now, Bum Rap is ranked number one on Amazon Kindle's bestseller lists in both the "legal thriller" and "mystery" categories. It's also ranked third in the "crime thriller" category. So, I'll go with those three genres. But certainly the general category of "suspense" would apply. There are also ample doses of humor in my books. Lassiter has a wry, self-deprecating wit and a jaundiced view of the "so-called justice system." That's the one area where Lassiter and Solomon agree. "Always assume your client is guilty," Solomon says. "It saves time."
OMN: Tell us something about Bum Rap that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
PL: Certain passages made my editor laugh out loud so hard her spittle flew into Puget Sound.
OMN: How involved were you with the cover design for Bum Rap?
PL: The editors and Thomas & Mercer involved me in cover design the moment we signed a contract, and I really appreciated it. I've been published by major New York houses since 1990, and trust me, this was much more collaborative. I didn't want the typical dark, ominous cover that signaled traditional thriller. While a murder is at the heart of this story, there's humor, too. There's also the Miami Beach setting … .hence the tide rolling over the sand. It was a tricky cover to do, and I'm very pleased with it.
OMN: Describe your writing process for us.
PL: I try, oh how I try to outline. I generally have Act One outlined in detail, but that's not saying much because I have short first acts. In classical structure, at the conclusion of the first act, the hero's quest is defined. I then outline about halfway into Act Two, roughly the place where a major plot twist occurs. Then I start writing the book. Once I have a feel for where I'm going, I go back and finish the outline of the second act, which ends with with a plot development that sinks the protagonist to his/her lowest point. Hey, if this seems formulaic, don't blame me. Blame Aristotle.
OMN: And where do you most often find yourself writing?
Photo provided courtesy of
Paul Levine
PL: I have a conventional study with bookshelves, desk, computer … and bottle of Jack Daniels. I type; I pace; I walk into the kitchen in search of salty snacks and chocolate. Pretty much the same as every other writer.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories? And particularly challenging topics?
PL: I've often talked to medical examiners about autopsy procedure, detectives about police technique, criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges about specific courtroom details, even though I was a trial lawyer. As for challenging topics, I wrote a stand-alone thriller called "Ballistic" that involved the takeover of an Air Force missile silo by a religious cult. I traveled to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and was in the launch capsule when they test-fired a missile down the Pacific where it struck an island. Hawaii. No! Just kidding. An uninhabited island.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a story, where would it be?
PL: Is that an offer? It doesn't have to be terribly exotic. After seeing the movie In Bruges, I'd say Bruges, Belgium. Italy would be fine. I'd say Shickshinny, PA, but I've spent too much time there already.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your books?
PL: When I was younger, I was an avid windsurfer. I went to Puerto Rico, Aruba, Maui, the Columbia River Gorge, in addition to my Miami beaches. So, Lassiter was a windsurfer. But we've both gotten older. Now, our mutual hobby is making the perfect gin and tonic. Hint: freeze the tonic water for your ice cubes, and the best brand is Fever Tree. A good gin wouldn't hurt, either.
OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you say to aspiring authors?
PL: Advice received: Read! Learn from others.
Criticism: Stay on the plot.
Advice given: Keep your ass in the chair. Don't talk about writing; don't blog about writing; don't even think about writing. Write!
OMN: Have any particular authors influenced how and what you write today?
PL: I was most influenced by John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee books that I read as a young adult. There's a lot of McGee in Lassiter.
OMN: When selecting a book to read for pleasure, what do you look for?
PL: I don't have a checklist for books. Whatever appeals to me at the time. I just read Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, which won the Pulitzer. He's such a great writer I wanted to take a sledgehammer to my computer and become an artisanal cheesemaker. And I don't even like brie.
OMN: What's next for you?
PL: Next? Remember that gin and tonic I mentioned a few minutes ago? It's 5 p.m.
— ♦ —
Paul Levine worked as a newspaper reporter, a law professor and a trial lawyer before becoming a full-time novelist. Obviously, he cannot hold a job. Paul claims that writing fiction comes naturally: he told whoppers for many years in his legal briefs. His books have been translated into 23 languages, none of which he can read.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at Paul-Levine.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
— ♦ —
Bum Rap by Paul Levine
A Jake Lassiter/Solomon vs. Lord Crossover Mystery
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
NFL linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter has had it with shifty clients, dirty prosecutors, and a legal system out of whack. It's enough to make a man want to leave Miami and never look back — until he gets a call from Victoria Lord, the better half of hot local legal team Solomon & Lord. Her partner in life and law has been arrested for murder. What's worse: the only person who can clear him has fled the city. Now it's up to Jake and Victoria to track down the witness — a stunning "Bar girl" — before she's roped in by the feds … or eliminated by the Russian mob.
Jake knows that if he doesn't get to the witness first, his client's case is lost. Luckily, he's got some good advice from his college football coach: "Buckle your chin strap and hit somebody." And sometimes, the only way to win a tough case is to do just that.
— Bum Rap by Paul Levine
