Paul Levine is an American author of crime fiction, particularly legal thrillers. His novels have been translated into 21 languages. He has written two series, known generally by the names of the protagonists: "Jake Lassiter" and "Solomon vs. Lord." Lassiter, a Penn State linebacker who played for Joe Paterno, was not drafted by an NFL team. Signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins, he played mostly on the "suicide squads," but went to night law school at the University of Miami and became a hardnosed lawyer. The fictional character has appeared in ten novels. He has been described by Booklist as ?one of the most entertaining series characters in contemporary crime fiction? and by The Miami Herald as having ?a lot more charisma than Perry Mason ever did.? "To Speak for the Dead," the first of the Lassiter series, was honored as one of the ten best mysteries of the year by the Los Angeles Times, which described Lassiter as ?Travis McGee with a law degree.? A screen adaptation of the book ? re-titled "Jake Lassiter on the Bayou" ? became an NBC movie in 1995. Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, squabbling Miami lawyers, appeared in four books. 

January 9th, 1948 in (Age 76)