James Grippando is a well-known novelist and attorney. His hometown is Waukegan, Illinois, he was born on January 27, 1958. He is also listed among the wealthiest people in the United States. Grippando published multiple scholarly articles while practicing law.
He switched to the writing process in the late 1980s, but his initial work in fiction was never released. In September 1994, Grippando’s debut book, “The Pardon“, which was released in hardcover, featured Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck for the first time. To write books full-time, he eventually left his career as a lawyer.
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | James Grippando |
| Nickname | Grippando |
| Profession | Writer |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 27 January 1958 |
| Age [as of 2022] | 64 years |
| Birth Place | Waukegan, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| College/Universities | * University of Florida * University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign * Antioch Community High School |
| Education | The University of Florida, B.A. (with high honors), J.D. (with honors). |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– N/A in meters– N/A in feet inches– N/A |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– N/A in pounds– N/A |
| Career | |
| Genre | Crime fiction; Legal thriller; Young adult |
| Debut | The Pardon [1994] |
| Renowned Work(s) | * Gone Again [2016] * Money to Burn [2010] * Leapholes [2006] * Most Dangerous Place (2017) * A Death in Live Oak [2018] * The Girl in the Glass Box [2019] * A Death in Live Oak [2018] * Twenty: A Jack Swyteck Novel [2021] * The Big Lie [2020] |
| Relationships & Affairs | |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Tiffany Russell [m. 1994] |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father– N/A Mother– N/A |
| Siblings | N/A |
| Children | Daughter– 2 Daughters Son– 1 Son |
| Income | |
| Net Worth [approx.] | $1 million – 2 million |
| Social Media | |
| @jgrippando | |
| @james_grippando | |
Early Life/Biography
Grippando worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas A. Clark. Grippando worked on several death penalty appeals both there and in private practice, gaining expertise that helped him later when he was writing The Pardo, his debut book.
Family, Relationship & Wife
James Grippando is an American citizen and a native of Waukegan, Illinois, There is not much information about his family at the moment.
He married Tiffany Russell in 1994. Together they have 3 children.
Education
James Grippando completed his education at the University of Florida, B.A. (with high honors), J.D. (with honors).
James Grippando’s Career
Grippando practiced law in Miami from September 1984 through September 1996. Grippando worked as senior counsel representing Florida chicken farmers in a seven-year David v. Goliath legal fight that was “the trigger for wholesale transformation in the $15 billion chicken and turkey business.” He started his career in writing in the year 1980.
Grippando produced The Informant while continuing to work as a lawyer (October 1996.) Following his decision to leave the legal profession, he began writing novels full-time.
There are currently seventeen books in the Jack Swyteck sequence, including The Pardon from 1994, Beyond Suspicion in 2002, Last to Die in 2003, Hear No Evil from 2004, Got the Look in 2006, When Darkness Falls in 2007, Last Call from 2008, Born to Run from 2008, Afraid of the Dark from 2011, Blood Money from 2013, etc.
The majority of his Grippando books are set in Florida, primarily in Miami. He writes psychological and legal mysteries as well as suspenseful crime fiction novels, most of which are influenced by his expertise as a trial attorney. He has worked as “Counsel” with David Boies’s national legal firm, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, since 2002.
A professor of law at the University of Miami School of Law, he teaches “The Law & Lawyers in Modern Literature” courses. The novels of Grippando have been translated into 28 languages, including Bulgarian, Czech, Chinese (Simplified), Croatian, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, etc.
His prominent awards include Harper Lee Prize Winner for Gone Again, Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal for Money to Burn, Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist for Leapholes, etc.
Let’s explore some of the most prominent works by James Grippando:
#1 The Informant
Grippando’s book The Informant is a sequence of horrifying murders that occur across the country in what appear to be unrelated ways. An informant has started leaking information to a Miami newspaper reporter, but the caller expects payment, so the FBI agrees to give the information.
The informant claims to think precisely like the murderer and to have foresight into what the murderer would do next. A journalist and Victoria Santos, one of the FBI agents, come into contact in the interim.
Santos is certain that the informant and the murderer are two different people, in contrast to many others working on the case.
#2 The Abduction
In his novel ”The Abduction”, Grippando talks about the complex and cunning nature of politics. In the year 2000, Allison Leahy became the first American woman to run for president. Lincoln Howe, an African-American nominee, is running against her.
Howe’s granddaughter Kristen was recently snatched inexplicably, and Leahy suffered a similar catastrophe when she recently adopted baby girl was kidnapped and never found years before.
Leahy is conflicted about whether to get involved in the search for Kristen, and she is concerned that her political rivals may be using the recent kidnapping as a political ploy.
Others question whether Leahy’s followers planned the kidnapping. Leahy ultimately teams up with Kristen’s mother to look into the kidnapping, and both women’s activities have an impact on politics.
#3 Found Money
According to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, Grippando’s Found Money delivers a “cautionary tale of avarice, family secrets, and the risks of having what you ask for.” Ryan, the central protagonist, finds out that his dearly departed father had $200,000 hidden in the attic, money that was earned through extortion.
Ryan chooses to wait to act on the money until he knows more about where it came from, which sparks a flurry of inquiries from the FBI and other authorities.
Meanwhile, Ryan and Amy Parkins team up to discover a scheme involving corporations and powerful political players after Amy Parkins receives a $200,000 cash gift that she links to Ryan’s late father.
#4 Under Cover of Darkness
In his other novel Under Cover of Darkness, James Grippando describes how Andie Henning, a rookie FBI agent, is pursuing a serial killer. The story begins with Beth Wheatley, the spouse of Seattle lawyer Gus Wheatley, vanishing without a sign and leaving nothing behind.
Subsequently, several young women are found dead. According to a contributor to Publishers Weekly, “Gus Wheatley’s developing realization of his emotional isolation from his family is by far the most powerful element of this novel.”
Net Worth
The personal net worth or income of James Grippando ranges from $1 million to $2 million. His major occupation as a novelist has brought him a significant amount of cash.
Interesting Facts about James Grippando
Here are some of the facts that might help you understand James Grippando better:
- Before starting his career as a writer, James Grippando was a successful lawyer.
- James Grippando is a native of the United States.
- His Zodiac sign is Aquarius
- He completed his education at the University of Florida5. Some of the prominent awards won by James Grippando are: Harper Lee Prize, Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal, Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist, etc.
Read More: Andrew Gross | Jeffery Deaver
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Grippando
