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[Cover Story]
Portland’s best-selling
mystery writer turns his
pen to serious literature
by Deborah Moon
After hitting the New York Times best seller list with all 16 of his
novels, Portland author and attorney Phillip Margolin is eager to
publish the historical novel he has worked on for 30 years.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever written,” says Margolin of the
yet-to-be named novel due to be published by HarperCollins
in 2014.
“Someone who likes my legal thrillers will like this,” he says
as he leans back in his office chair with his feet on the desk and
the covers of his novels displayed on the wall behind him. “It
has a murder trial and courtroom scenes, action and a surprise
ending. But there is another layer of quality writing and serious
themes.”
Reviewers have praised all of Margolin’s novels for their
page-turning plots and surprise endings.
During the launch of his latest novel, Capitol Murder, at
Annie Bloom’s Bookstore in Multnomah Village, he said the
goal of his legal thrillers is entertainment.
“I’m fabulous at plotting, but no one picks up a Phillip
Margolin for literary quality,” he said during a later interview at
his office. He added that reviewers often have criticized his lack
of character development.
But he has spent 30 years, off and on, living with the characters
and researching the culture and real Oregon slavery case at
the center of his upcoming historical novel. He says early readers
all agree the writing is strong and the characters well developed.
In addition, the novel has two very serious themes – grief and
the impact of slavery on an individual.
Phillip Margolin in his office.
He says this novel is as similar to, and as different from,
his previous novels as To Kill a Mockingbird is from the Perry
Mason mysteries he loved to read as a child.
“Usually I have no emotional involvement in anything I
write, but I’m not objective about this book,” he says. “I just
finished The Ottoman Scepter (another legal thriller) and after
that (the publisher) will get to this. … I’m very excited.”
He notes this is “a side project” for HarperCollins, which
has published his last 10 best sellers and has slated The Ottoman
Scepter for publication in 2013. “It’s different from what I usually
do.”
But what he usually does has certainly attracted a wide
readership base.
22 JULY 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE