Trial of Passion

This book won the Arthur Ellis Award in 1997 for best crime novel and I can see why. William Deverell was a criminal lawyer just like the protagonist in this book, Arthur Beauchamp. It would be interesting to know how much is autobiographical because, just like Beauchamp, Deverell now lives on one of the Gulf Islands.

In the book, Beauchamp is coaxed back to Vancouver to do one last trial. The acting dean of the Law School has been charged with sexual assault on one of his female students. He initially denies any contact with her, then admits they had intercourse but says it was consensual. He denies tying her up or drawing on her with lipstick but is he believable? Beauchamp just wants to be back on his island, working in his garden, show more reading his classics and wooing his next door neighbour. But he sticks with the case in part because he identifies with his client who seems to be on the road to alcoholism which was almost Beauchamp's undoing.

The pre-trial and trial scenes are well-done as you would expect from a former barrister. They have a definite Canadian flavour about them which might surprise people who only know about trial procedure from American shows and books.

The ending is somewhat unbelievable but it does tie up all the loose ends nicely and I'm willing to give Deverall some leeway because the book as a whole is very true to life. show less

Garibaldi Island is a fictional island in the Gulf Islands, a thirty-minute float plane flight from Vancouver. Like the author, Arthur Beauchamp is a lawyer who is about to retire to the islands. He has been asked to defend a law professor accused of rape by one of his students. The story follows Beauchamp's move to his island home, handling the legal battle, as well as getting to know the eccentric locals with whom he uses his gift of tolerance and patience. After a bad start, the widowed farmer next door becomes more attractive by the day adding a little romance to the story. This is the first in the Arthur Beauchamp series, a great story that is literate and funny and set on the Gulf Islands, one of my favourite places in the world. show more Highly recommended.

Deverell is a lawyer and founder of the BC Civil Liberties Foundation. He writes a great courtroom drama that is light and highly entertaining. show less

This is the first Arthur Beauchamp mystery. It won the Hammett Prize for a work of literary excellence in the crime-writing field in North America and the Arthur Ellis Award for excellence in Canadian crime writing.

Arthur is an ex-alcoholic and a discarded husband. At 63 he retires from a very successful law practice and moves to Garibaldi Island to become a gentleman farmer. He is however reluctantly persuaded to return to Vancouver to defend a professor charged with raping a student.

The trial is the focus of only half the book; the other half is devoted to developing Arthur's character and describing some of his eccentric neighbours.

The book is definitely an enjoyable read. It is intelligent, witty, and literate - as is the show more protagonist. There is sufficient suspense (how will Arthur get a favourable verdict for his client), but there is humour as well, especially in the portrayals of the islanders. Even romance makes an appearance, albeit rife with worries for Arthur who has been impotent.

Deverell is an author and Beauchamp a character to whom I will return. show less