Rob Rinder

Well plotted legal thriller drawing heavily on the author's legal and media experience. The writing is lightened by the amusing conversations, Adam the junior barrister and main character has with his archetype Jewish mother.

Adam, a pupil barrister, attempts to make up for the short-fallings of his pupil-master Jonathan, as Jonathan prioritizes a lucrative fraud case over the legal aid trial of a man accused of the murder of a celebrity police officer. Adam was likeable protagonist, the earlier phone conversations with his mother were very amusing, and the plot was interesting and easy to follow. The ending was rather morally ambiguous, but that's life, I suppose.

I hope this is the beginning of a series.

Public hero and “pride of the nation” DI Grant Cliveden collapses in Old Bailey just minutes before giving testimony in a drug case. All evidence points to him being poisoned and the prime suspect is career felon Jimmy Knight, who has only recently been released after serving a ten-year sentence for armed robbery. Jimmy had a history with the deceased and had met with him in a local pub before his death. The theory is that Jimmy slipped the poison in Cliveden's drink. Though there is no show more forensic evidence linking Jimmy to the poisoning, he is arrested and set to be tried for murder, based on the discovery of a burner phone, from which he sent a text message setting up the meeting, in his possession and CCTV footage of the same meeting which shows Jimmy buying Cliveden a drink.

Pupil barrister Adam Green is on Jimmy’s defense team headed by his pupil master Jonathan Taylor-Cameron, who would rather Jimmy plead guilty so that he could devote his attention to more high-paying clients. Though his pupil master is leaning toward establishing reasonable doubt, Adam is convinced of Jimmy’s innocence and tries to gather evidence that would prove the same often attracting the ire of his pupil master who is happy to let Adam shoulder most of his caseload while he pursues other interests.

As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident that the “pride of the nation” might not have been the honest, hardworking member of law enforcement he was made out to be. This is a high-profile case and the first major case that Adam has been assigned. Adam is in the second six stage of his pupillage and his future at the Chambers is at stake. Is Jimmy truly innocent or is Adam being played by a career criminal? Will his pursuit of the truth end up jeopardizing Adam’s career prospects?

With its intricate plot, even pacing, and interesting cast of characters The Trial by criminal barrister and television personality Rob Rinder is a cleverly crafted courtroom drama/ murder mystery with plenty of twists and surprises along the way. The narrative flows well and the author also injects a healthy dose of humor into the narrative. Adam is a very likable protagonist and I loved how the author describes the dynamic he shares with his colleagues, the competitive work environment and his courtroom scenes. I also enjoyed the telephone conversations between Adam and his mother, who frets over her son’s well-being and is intent on finding him a girlfriend. Adam’s personal history and his motivation for helping Jimmy are skillfully woven into the narrative without compromising the pace or suspense. Though a few aspects of the mystery were not entirely hard to predict, this did not detract from the overall reading experience. The ending, though not entirely convincing, did come as a surprise, which is always a good thing!

I should mention that this is a lighter read and leans more toward the cozy mystery genre.

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and thought this was an impressive debut novel. I certainly hope this novel is the beginning of a new series and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

3.75⭐


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Excellent! Complex but easy to follow. Who murdered the public's hero policeman who saved the Queen's life? There's an obvious suspect. It is pupil-barrister Adam Green's first case. He soon discovers the question might be, not 'who' but 'why'. Saying too much will spoil a great read, but if you expect a fairy- tale ending, read Blyton! This is real-life writing, and the answers are there, beautifully crafted into an amazing debut novel.