Publisher Description

April 1971. When DI Webb and DS Raymond respond to a 999 call at Harpur Mews in Bloomsbury, a horrific scene awaits them. Susan Lang is lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby, holding a large, blood-stained knife. In shock, Henry claims to have no memory of the events that led to his wife's death, leaving his barrister, Ben Schroeder, little with which to defend a potential murder charge.Unbeknownst to his strict Baptist wife, Deborah, Justice Rainer has a secret life as a gambler. In his desperation for money to fund his habit, he has already raided his own and Deborah's resources, and now he has crossed another line – one from which there is no return.To his horror, as the trial of Henry Lang starts, Rainer discovers a sinister connection between the trial and his gambling debts which could cause his world to unravel. In a rare case in which the judge is in greater peril than the defendant on trial, both Lang and Rainer have called down the storm on their own heads. Their lives are on the line, and time is running out.

Notes

The 5th book in the legal thriller series featuring barrister, Ben Schroeder, it is loosely based on the infamous Lord Lucan affair. Follows the success of A Higher Duty, A Matter For The Jury and And Is There Honey Still For Tea? Set in the 1970s.

Author Biography

Born in 1946, Peter Murphy graduated from Cambridge University and pursued a career in the law in England, the United States and The Hague. He practised as a barrister in London for a decade, then took up a professorship at a law school in Texas, a position he held for more than twenty years. Towards the end of that period he returned to Europe as counsel at the Yugoslavian War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague for almost a decade. In 2007 he returned to England to take up an appointment as a judge of the Crown Court. He retired as Resident Judge and Honorary Recorder of Peterborough in 2015.Peter started writing fiction more than twenty years ago, but following his retirement from the bench he became a full-time author, often drawing on the many experiences of his former career. Two political thrillers about the American presidency: Removal and Test of Resolve were followed by eight legal thrillers in the Ben Schroeder series about a barrister practising in London in the 1960s and 1970s. Alongside those he also penned the light-hearted series of short story colllections featuring Judge Walden of Bermondsey in the 'Rumpole' tradition, based in part on his own experiences as a lawyer and judge, and recently published A Statue for Jacob, based on the true story of Jacob de Haven.Peter passed away in September 2022.

Review

I enjoyed this book - the twists and turns in the plot were really good, and the story was well put together. I would definitely choose another book by this author -- Julie Hosford * Netgalley *
In the pages of this novel, notorious historical figures like Lord Lucan rub shoulders with the complex characters of Murphy's fictional legal world: the clients and lawyers, the police and expert witnesses, and above all of them, the judge. There is time, too, to discuss the subtleties of psychology and the ethics of legal privilege, in a story in which the patient workings of justice compete with the gathering storm of a bloody tragedy -- Paul Magrath, Barrister
What an interesting idea for a plot - this blurb had me hooked from the second I saw the press release! How great that the judge in a murder trial is almost as criminal as those he presides over in his courtroom!? * Emma The Little Book Worm *
The writing is competent and confident -- Gill Chedgey * NudgeBooks.com *

Long Description

April 1971. When DI Webb and DS Raymond respond to a 999 call at Harpur Mews in Bloomsbury, a horrific scene awaits them. Susan Lang is lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby, holding a large, blood-stained knife. In shock, Henry claims to have no memory of the events that led to his wife's death, leaving his barrister, Ben Schroeder, little with which to defend a potential murder charge. Unbeknownst to his strict Baptist wife, Deborah, Justice Rainer has a secret life as a gambler. In his desperation for money to fund his habit, he has already raided his own and Deborah's resources, and now he has crossed another line - one from which there is no return. To his horror, as the trial of Henry Lang starts, Rainer discovers a sinister connection between the trial and his gambling debts which could cause his world to unravel. In a rare case in which the judge is in greater peril than the defendant on trial, both Lang and Rainer have called down the storm on their own heads. Their lives are on the line, and time is running out.

Review Quote

"Provides fascinating insight into the factors contributing to the making of a spy during WWII and the Cold War." -- Historical Novels Review on And Is There Still Honey for Tea?

Description for Sales People

Peter Murphy's extensive legal experience adds authenticity to his writing. Loosely based around the events of the infamous Lord Lucan affair. Fifth story in the Ben Schroeder legal thriller series following A Higher Duty, A Matter For The Jury, And Is There Hone

Details