John Ellsworth was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and moved to Chicago to set up his law practice. For thirty years he defended criminal clients across the United States. He has defended cases ranging from shoplifting to First Degree Murder to RICO to Tax Evasion, and has gone to jury trial on the same. His first book, "The Defendants," was written in 2013 and published for Amazon Kindle on January 20, 2014. The protagonist is Thaddeus Murfee, a 25 year old attorney with 18 months under his belt. He is drawn into a government-mob conspiracy when a woman walks into his office who has been tattooed with a ballpoint pen across her breasts V-I-C-T-O-R. An investigation, lawsuit, murder trial, and showdown with a Mob hit-man ensue. Strong female characters, bright and tough, make the book come alive. John's second book, "Beyond a Reasonable Death" is available on Amazon and was published in March 2014. It is the continuing story of Thaddeus Murfee and is a legal thriller in the true sense of the word. "Beyond a Reasonable Death" has been an instant hit with John's fans and new readers alike.

"I loved writing these books.They are the kinds of books I love to read, full of information about a wide spectrum of characters, lots of dialogue, and, as always, plenty of action and traps for the young attorney. The books represent the kind of learning experience I went through when I was Thaddeus' age and learning how to patty-cake when it came to doing the right thing for clients."

Today John Ellsworth lives in Arizona, is married with three grown children (all musicians and teachers) and rescues guinea pigs and plays classical guitar. "My next novel is underway and looks like a heart-thumping thriller, so please check back often."