Title: The Trial
Author: Rob Rinder
Publisher: Century
Synopsis:
ONE MURDER. ONE IMPOSSIBLE CASE. WHO IS GUILTY?
When hero policeman Grant Cliveden dies from a poisoning in the Old Bailey, it threatens to shake the country to its core.
The evidence points to one man. Jimmy Knight has been convicted of multiple offences before and defending him will be no easy task. Not least because this is trainee barrister Adam Green’s first case.
But it will quickly become clear that Jimmy Knight is not the only person in Cliveden’s past with an axe to grind.
The only thing that’s certain is that this is a trial which will push Adam – and the justice system itself – to the limit…
My review:
The Trial is a very entertaining, accessible legal thriller which effectively blends humour, suspense and mystery to create a really fun read.
Adam is a trainee barrister, working all hours to try and impress his mentor and secure a permanent position as a barrister. They take on the defence case of Jimmy Knight, who is on trial accused of murdering popular Detective Grant Clivedon. It seems a fruitless battle, but Adam is determined to do what he can to ensure justice is served…
I didn’t realise until about halfway through the novel that this is written by celebrity Judge Rinder, but if that’s the kind of book you usually dislike, don’t let it put you off! This is a really addictive read. I found it so easy to race through and the characters, from sweet Adam who I was really rooting for to his unlikeable but entertaining pupil master Jonathan, made this book all the more enjoyable.
The mystery – did Jimmy kill Cliveden? And did Cliveden have some secrets of his own despite everyone thinking he was perfect? – is absorbing and easy to follow, and the added humourous elements throughout the novel keeps it hugely entertaining.
I really enjoyed The Trial – it would make a great holiday read – and am already hoping there’ll be future releases from Rob in this series!
My rating: 5/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Century, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.