After 14 years, Penn State linebacker turned night-school lawyer Jake Lassiter is making his return in "Lassiter," the newest novel from Paul Levine.
Levine, an award-winning author of legal thrillers and Penn State graduate, brings back Lassiter -- cited by Booklist as "one of the most entertaining series characters in contemporary crime fiction" -- for his eighth appearance in one of his books after repeated requests from readers.
Lassiter, a renegade lawyer, makes his return as Amy Larkin accuses him of being involved in the disappearance of her sister 18 years earlier. Seeking to be absolved of the accusations, Lassiter follows the cold trail, which quickly heats up.
"Lassiter runs head-on into a conspiracy of Miami's rich and powerful who would do anything to keep the past as dark as the night," said Levine. The hardcover book from Random House is available in stores or as an ebook beginning Sept. 13.
Levine earned his Penn State degree in 1969 and worked as a newspaper reporter, law professor and trial lawyer before becoming a full-time novelist. He won the John D. MacDonald Award for his critically acclaimed, earlier Jake Lassiter novels, which are now available as ebooks. He was named a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus in 2003.
He also is the award-winning author of legal thrillers including "Illegal"; "Solomon vs. Lord," nominated for the Macavity Award and the James Thurber Prize; "The Deep Blue Alibi," nominated for an Edgar Award; and "Kill All the Lawyers," a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award.
Levine also has many television writing credits, including more than 20 episodes of the CBS military drama "JAG." Manuscripts from that series' shows may be found in Carnegie Building on the University Park campus, part of a donation by the show's creator Donald Bellisario, who was named a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus in 2001.
Levine lives in Los Angeles, where he is working on his next Jake Lassiter thriller, with his wife, Renee. He is the father of two children, Wendy Sachs, a New York public relations executive and Michael Levine, a 2003 Penn State journalism graduate who is a sports broadcaster in Miami.