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rosieclaverton's review
4.0
A very different crime novel, where a solicitor attempts to cover up a murder by blaming a client with mental health problems - to the point of representing him at the trial!
There are two parallel threads - in the present, preparing for court and at the Old Bailey, and in the past, leading up to the murder and its aftermath. Little pieces of the puzzle emerge from the two timeframes, building up to a surprise conclusion. Odd diversions in the narrative turn out to be of the greatest significance, and I like how it all slotted together to form a cohesive whole.
The morally grey tone of the book made me uncomfortable, but I think that was the point. Jim isn't an easy man to know, and that comes across in his voice. He has a difficult past and knows the legal system, how it can potentially screw him over and how to play the game for the best outcome. While he may not have much luck at the bookies, he tries his hand at gambling with both his and Elton's futures.
If you like crime fiction where there are no good guys, the lawyers and criminals are virtually indistinguishable, and taking a refreshingly honest look at criminal justive and mental health provision, this is the book for you.
There are two parallel threads - in the present, preparing for court and at the Old Bailey, and in the past, leading up to the murder and its aftermath. Little pieces of the puzzle emerge from the two timeframes, building up to a surprise conclusion. Odd diversions in the narrative turn out to be of the greatest significance, and I like how it all slotted together to form a cohesive whole.
The morally grey tone of the book made me uncomfortable, but I think that was the point. Jim isn't an easy man to know, and that comes across in his voice. He has a difficult past and knows the legal system, how it can potentially screw him over and how to play the game for the best outcome. While he may not have much luck at the bookies, he tries his hand at gambling with both his and Elton's futures.
If you like crime fiction where there are no good guys, the lawyers and criminals are virtually indistinguishable, and taking a refreshingly honest look at criminal justive and mental health provision, this is the book for you.
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