Book about being a prosecutor?

July 1, 2009 6:42 PM

Please recommend a book, preferably fictional, that gives you a sense of what it was like to be a criminal prosecutor in a big American city in the middle-to-late 20th century.
posted by profwhat to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Bonfire of the Vanities? There are several main characters, one of whom is an assistant Bronx DA.
posted by chelseagirl at 7:14 PM on July 1, 2009

Although your preference is for fiction, the first title that springs to mind is Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter. It's a great read.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:15 PM on July 1, 2009

You might try checking out the works of Scott Turow, who has written a number of books involving prosecutors in fiction Kindle County, which largely resembles Cook County in Illinois (home of Chicago). While I haven't read the book, I did like the movie version of Presumed Innocent.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:02 PM on July 1, 2009

_{fictional Kindle County}
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:03 PM on July 1, 2009

Seconding Scott Turow. He's a trial lawyer and an excellent story teller. I've read all his novels, on my own time. I work in publishing and I'm paid to read crappy fiction by the board foot so that's an AAA+++ EXCLENT rating.
posted by dogrose at 9:24 PM on July 1, 2009