Stuart Littlemore

This is the second book to feature the eponymous character, a Sydney barrister known for his blunt talking and somewhat anti-establishment leanings and Arabella Engineer, his sometime junior partner and lover. Between them the lawyers tackle a series of murder cases with the focus being on different legal aspects to the cases rather than the crimes at the centre of those cases. There is, for example, a man who unexpectedly pleads guilty to a swag of unsolved murders and Arabella is concerned show more with trying to attract a sentence lesser than life without the possibility of parole for their client. Another case involves a young man being charged with the murder of the paedophile who abused him for more than a decade but it’s the intricacies of whether the death is the direct result of the client’s actions or not and, if so, whether such action was performed with forethought that occupy Harry and Arabella on this occasion.

I imagine the book offers a realistic picture of the way the legal system operates in this country. Its author is a QC (still active) and there’s every reason to suppose he’s put his extensive knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the system to good use. Focusing only on legal questions, such as how one might handle a case so that it attracts one kind of sentence over another or how to build a case requiring extensive specialist medical knowledge, is a relatively rare thing in crime fiction and one I took a while to warm to. On reflection though it was a good approach as it allowed the author to delve in-depth into issues that “we” (i.e. the non-lawyers in the readership) only ‘know’ from a steady diet of Law & Order episodes. I did find that the lack of attention to the crimes – and by extension the victims and/or perpetrators of those crimes – made the book a little dry in places but I suspect that my need for a more emotional connection to the people at the heart of these stories is (a) one of several reasons I’d make a truly lousy lawyer and (b) not relevant as the book aims, I think, to do something legitimately different than reveal the ‘why’ of the series of crimes.

The characterisations are a little obvious, with Harry Curry’s main personality traits (ugly, irascible, intolerant, clever) being stamped on the book’s cover (literally), and not particularly deep but they are engaging.The relationship between Harry and Arabella has its tensions with the professional side of it requiring Harry to take on a mentoring role while on the personal side both are cautious and still learning where they stand, especially as they are at such different points in their careers. Harry’s decision to sell his Sydney home and move part-time to a farm in the hinterland puts an added pressure on the couple. Their dialogue though is a treat, even if more aspirational than realistic. It is full of the sorts of clever, witty and appropriate lines that everyone wishes they could use in real life but usually only thinks of hours after the need has passed.

My nagging fears (which put me off reading the first book) that this series might be nothing more than a clever bit of marketing fluff from its celebrity author proved completely unfounded, though I do have a suspicion that one of the biggest markets for it is members of the Sydney legal fraternity who must pass many happy moments working out which real-life people and cases the fictional ones are based on. But other readers should enjoy it too, especially locals, like me, have almost by osmosis absorbed up a lot of American law over the years and are interested in an Australian take on the subject. There is by the end a real sense that the reader has been provided with genuine insight into the practice of law in this country and the complexities of all cases, even the supposedly open and shut ones. I admit my liking for this one appeared as a slow burn rather than an immediate rush of affection but in the end I found it a very satisfying read and one I would recommend to those in the market for something a little out of the ordinary. show less

There's increasing signs of "write what you know" in Australian crime fiction, so it's probably not at all surprising that well known QC, and media commentator Stuart Littlemore has followed exactly that path. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure I agree 100% with labelling HARRY CURRY: COUNSEL OF CHOICE as crime fiction. Whilst the idea is definitely that our hero, Harry Curry, is a criminal defence lawyer, this book is less about the crimes and a lot more about the exploits of Curry in show more getting all and sundry off, each and every charge thrown at them.

HARRY CURRY etc is a series of 5 short stories, during which the reader learns that Curry is one of the sharpest legal minds ever to grace the NSW bar. He's also ugly, irascible and irresistibly attractive to a young female barrister. He's exactly what you would expect from a swashbuckling, devil-may-care, legal warrior - irreverent, intolerant, touchy, absolutely and utterly assured of his own invincibility. A brilliant tactician, at loggerheads with legal seniority, Curry is no friend of the judiciary. The book opens with Curry defending himself against allegations that he's sworn at a learned judge during a case and moves onto him fostering the young, beautiful Arabella Engineer, English barrister, Indian beauty, she of the hopeless infatuation with Curry, whilst he awaits the return of his practising certificate. Acting on his own behalf, or as the tactician behind Engineer's scenes, Harry Curry is unbeatable in the court, and resistant to everything Arabella can throw at him... at least for a while.

Needless to say - we're talking, one hopes, just a little bit tongue in cheek here. Although there was a time when I wasn't sure whether that was the case - there are points where, even when you know the lawyer is always going to win the case in this book, you just wouldn't mind a little something to go slightly wrong .... just to make Curry hover down here a little closer to the heads of we mere mortals. Perhaps that's the only minor quibble - Harry Curry - scion of the establishment, class traitor - starts out with some real potential for a bit of stereotype smashing. A little dancing on the lower side if you will. But for all his supposed fall from grace, even allowing for the old Jag he's driving unknown to it's owner, banged up as he is in jail, somehow Curry doesn't really seem to have sunk that low. Maybe his home location doesn't quite telegraph a dramatic step away from the privileged background for those from other States.

Curry is undoubtedly no Rumpole, and it's unlikely that the case of The Live Dead Man will ever quite scale the heights of infamy of the Penge Bungalow Murders, but for what it is - a series of legal tall tales, HARRY CURRY: COUNSEL OF CHOICE is a gently amusing little wander around in the far end of crime process. I think I heard that a second book is in the pipeline - it will be interesting to see where Littlemore heads Harry Curry. show less

I have known of Stuart Littlemore for many years because of his media and journalistic work, but did not really know that he is QC, nor that he is a crime fiction author.

Harry Curry reminds me a little of Horace Rumpole, and I suppose comparisons like that are inevitable.

COUNSEL OF CHOICE begins when Harry manages to get himself disbarred for appearing to refer to a judge with an obscenity. Although the case against him is eventually dismissed, Harry has to re-apply to be admitted back to show more the bar and he is not sure he wants to do that. In the meantime he is approached by a female barrister who has admired him from afar and who believes they would make a good team. Harry is well known as a strategist, so he develops court defence strategies for Arabella to follow, and they are generally a successful team.

The five chapters of COUNSEL OF CHOICE seem to me to be fictionalisations of mainly rural cases Littlemore has come across in his working life. This tends to make the book a collection of long short stories rather than a novel, although, as the reader progresses from one story to the next, Harry's past is fleshed out and his relationship with Arabella Engineer, an English barrister of Indian descent, develops.

The settings of the stories give the writing an Australian background and flavour, and also a chance for Littlemore to demonstrate a rather quirky style of humour, imparting some light-heartedness to the narration. The stories indicate clearly the variety of cases an Australian barrister may be required to handle. I found them enjoyable reading. show less

It’s not really surprising that Stuart Littlemore, well-known legal counsel, would attempt Australia’s answer to Rumpole of the Bailey in a series based on cases where the Defence (in the guise of Harry Curry) rides to victory on the back of some cunning goings-on in the trial courts of NSW. Full Review: http://newtownreviewofbooks.com/2013/09/17/crime-scene-david-whish-wilson-zero-a...