Laura Caldwell Books In Order

Publication Order of Izzy McNeil Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Laura Caldwell is an American lawyer turned novelist who writes suspense novels and thrillers. Her first foray into publishing was in 2005, when she introduced herself to readers with Look Closely, her debut mystery that went on to receive critical acclaim and widespread popularity. Most of her novels have received rave reviews with the Chicago Sun Times declaring The Rome Affair a summer must read and one of the best books she has ever written. Burning Map, which is arguably her first ever complete book appeared on Barnes & Noble, Best of 2002 list. With new releases that were always better than the previous ones, Caldwell’s novels received numerous starred reviews from Booklist. In fact, Booklist declared Laura Caldwell one of the most innovative and talented writers of the age. Her novels have been translated into over thirteen languages and published in over 25 countries, which is a testament to their popularity across the world.

Laura has from time to time drawn much of her stories from real life events in her life and of those in proximity to her. For instance, the Rome Affair that is a tale of the struggles of the Chicago society against murder, blackmail, and infidelity, dragged Laura into a real life situation. During the research for the novel, she found herself in a high profile real life murder trial in which a 19 year old was forced to confess to a crime he did not commit, and was then remanded at the Cook County holding cells without trial for more than six years. Given her legal training, she teamed up with a criminal defense attorney to work the case pro bono. The young man was finally released after the two attorneys proved his innocence. Her work with the case had such a profound effect on her, that she wrote her first nonfiction book based on the case titled Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him.

By working with the wrongly accused youth, Caldwell became keenly aware of the shortcomings of the many programs set up to help newly released ex-convicts. She saw how much her client struggled to reintegrate into a foreign and now friendly world. Most of the convicted would typically have a well-structured program of reintegration. Those declared innocent had no support system, regardless of how much time they spent behind bars. She went on to found Life After Innocence, an innovative program that provides support and reintegration for persons found innocent by the system.

Caldwell began her professional writing career writing Chick Literature – a form of fiction genre that focuses on the tribulations and trials of heroine protagonists. As such, it was only natural that she would pivot to the writing of mysteries and thrillers with such ease. Her most popular work in recent times is the Izzy McNeil series of novels. Izzy McNeil the chief protagonist is an attorney that works in various roles of private investigator, attorney, and lover while trying to exonerate her clients, who often times turn out not to be as innocent as they seem.

Prior to becoming a professional writer, Laura Caldwell was a legal practitioner specializing in entertainment and malpractice defense law. In addition to her works of fiction, Caldwell is also a published author in the law. She also teaches Advanced Writing for Litigation at Loyola University of Chicago, her alma mater, where she is an Adjunct Professor. She has been the recipient of the St. Robert Bellarmine award for her great contributions to the Loyola School of Law and the legal profession in general. She has also taught International Criminal Law in Loyola’s Rome campus. Laura also writes freelance for magazines and has had her works published in Shore Magazine, Australia Woman’s Weekly, Lake Magazine, The Young Lawyer, Woman’s Own, and Chicago Magazine among many others.

One of the most popular Laura Caldwell novels is the first of the Izzy McNeil series, Red Blooded Murder. It is often said that when bad things start happening, they happen in threes. But when Sam, her fiancé goes missing on the very same day that her biggest client and mentor is murdered in cold blood, Izzy McNeil Chicago’s hotshot lawyer prays that things will not get worse. But trouble is never far behind when she finds that her apartment has been broken into, and Sam is the prime suspect in her mentor’s murder. Things get worse when she finds out that in addition to the authorities, there are some dangerous persons following her, and she has no idea why. Saddled with the task of trying to unravel who had the motive of killing her client and also finding Sam, Izzy will have to dig deep, push past limits that she didn’t think she would have ever have to. Lucky for her, pressure is one thing that she has always needed to thrive. With her world fast falling apart, will she have the time and wherewithal to determine what the lies and half-truths are in the trail left behind by her missing fiancé, Sam and her dead mentor and client.

Another excellent novel in the Izzy McNeil series of novels is the fourth title, Claim of Innocence. The police believe that Valerie Solara has just killed her best friend in a crime of passion. According to the prosecution, Miss Solara had always had a thing for Amanda’s husband, and so she killed her so to make him his. Izzy McNeil, the best lawyer in Chicago had retired from the legal profession a year earlier, but when a friend in distress calls her for help, she has no choice but fling herself into the rigors of a murder trial. Izzy knows that passion has been the downfall of many a person as she remembers how it nearly ruined her life when she felt such strong emotion for Sam, her ex fiancé. Nonetheless, it is McNeil’s job to find the evidence to get her client off regardless of her innocence or guilt. But she now suspects that Valerie may be keeping something from her, and is determined to find out what it is. Her investigations soon uncover a web of dark motives and secret passions that would be certain to poison an otherwise innocent looking relationship.