#19. A Buddy Read – The Trial by Rob Rinder (Kindle)

I’ll admit that when I initially saw the release of this book, I thought, “not another celeb writing a book” but then my niece said she’d read it and enjoyed it; and so this challenge became the perfect excuse to read the book and an opportunity to discuss it with someone afterwards. I confess, I enjoyed reading the book and I’m now looking forward to reading book two and seeing Adam Green progress in his career. Rob Rinder has stuck to what he knows, being a barrister, a Jewish mother, and being charming and witty. It all adds up to an engaging read from start to finish. 

“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. . .”

 

Both legal thriller and courtroom drama, ‘The Trial’ is an engrossing read from someone who obviously knows a lot about the subject matter. Whilst the book looks at the dark side of corruption and justice within the legal system, it has a bright energy running through it, with engaging characters, enormous wit and a clever and unusual style of murder.

Beloved national hero (he once saved the Queen) DI Grant Clivedon is about to give his testimony in a major drug case at the Old Bailey, when he dramatically collapses and dies. Jimmy Knight has just been released from a ten-year stretch in prison for committing armed robbery. Co-incidence? Jimmy has history with the deceased and reports show that he met Clivedon in a pub only hours before he died. Perhaps Jimmy slipped a slow-release poison in Clivedon’s pint; at least that was going to be the working theory despite there being no tangible evidence linking Jimmy to the incident.