William Bernhardt
William Bernhardt (b. 1960) is a former attorney and author of thrillers. Born in Oklahoma, he began writing as a child, submitting a poem about the Oklahoma Land Run to Highlights—and receiving his first rejection letter—when he was eleven years old. Twenty years later, he had his first success, with the publication of Primary Justice (1991), the first novel in the long-running Ben Kincaid series.
The bestselling success of Primary Justice earned Bernhardt a reputation as a promising young talent, and he followed the book with seventeen more novels starring the idealistic defense attorney, including Murder One (2001) and Hate Crime (2004). His other novels include Double Jeopardy (1995) and The Midnight Before Christmas (1998), a holiday-themed thriller. In 1999, Bernhardt founded the HAWK publishing group as a way to help boost the careers of struggling young writers. Besides writing and publishing, he teaches writing workshops around the country. He lives with his family in Oklahoma. You can find his website at this link.
“Bernhardt skillfully combines a cast of richly drawn characters, multiple plots, a damning portrait of a big law firm, and a climax that will take most readers by surprise.” - Chicago Tribune
“An insider’s view of corporate lawyering. Cynical, suspenseful, and fast-paced.” - Lia Matera, author of Where Lawyers Fear to Tread
“Ben Kincaid is a refreshing change from the omniscient, holier-than-thou attorney/investigators whose courtroom acrobatics and aerial law displays are more show than substance.” - Tulsa World
“Writers of popular fiction must have some gift of readability, but only a few have as unerring a narrative flair as Bernhardt.” - Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine