I started this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to rate a book that I wasn't able to finish.

I didn't realise this was the 5th in a series when I requested but this was a good book and a great story. Loved the writing style and really want to read more by this author. A great read.

My first book by this author and it’s won’t be the last, gripping story that keeps,you turning the pages, look forward to more from this author.

Another tense episode in this well written series.Full of twists and turns kept me reading late into the night.An ending I never guessed.#netgalley#saeperebooks

A good interesting read. I liked the story and the characters. This is the first book that I have read in this series. I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

In a vast reservoir whilst on a dive a tightly wrapped body is found. Whilst a young woman has been missing, it is discovered this is not that woman. The woman whose body is found is someone who went missing thirteen years ago - a wife of a Judge and one who is very eminent now.



Judge Steele is a pillar of the community - three young children, stellar character and there is no one who will talk ill of him. On the other hand, there is no one either personal or professional who will talk well of his late wife - the stories are lurid and ugly and each one is worse than the other. That he stayed in the marriage "for the sake of the children" is the theory flouted but even that wears thin.

On discovering blood in the ceiling and on the floorboards of their former house the Judge is taken into custody and then the trial emerges. The prosecuting lawyer Charlie has his own demons - Jewish and not comfortable in an orthodox household he has broken away from family and has a bitter relationship with his mother. He puts together the pieces of Judge Steele's marriage and the final breakdown where he murdered his wife. The Judge however due to clever lawyering and an epic display of emotion masterfully crafted swings a jury for his acquittal.

It is only after the acquittal that Charlie puts together pieces of a puzzle which he knows is incomplete upto now and the final piece is very surprising.

Well written, masterfully played out by the two main characters of Judge Steele and Charlie and the supporting cast of family this was a very good book.

This is the 5th book in this series written around the character of Charles Holborne. I have not read the first four books, but I found the Waxwork Corpse to be a brilliant legal thriller from Simon Michael. This novel takes place in the 1960’s and involves gangsters. I love its noir vibe which hooked me right from the start. The Waxwork Corpse stands fine on its own and I did not feel like the story was missing any pieces from past books in the series.

We learn that Charles is a bit like a duck out of water, or as they say, an “odd duck” in the workplace. Charles is considered by others to be low-class. And it is an understatement to say, Charles is not readily accepted by those he works alongside. The fact that Charles is not treated as an equal, tends to garner sympathy from the reader. And that in itself, made me want to cheer Charles on in his investigation.

I found The Waxwork Corpse to be quite a page-turner. And the story has a brilliant twist to keep readers on their toes. The high-stakes in this murder investigation kept me turning the pages and cheering Charles on in his effort to identify the killer and solve the crime.

All in all, the Waxwork Corpse is an exciting legal-thriller/murder investigation novel. It’s a great face-paced read fans of Simon Michael (and his Charles Holborne series) will surely enjoy.

I enjoyed reading this book and found the story to be interesting and informative. I would definitely recommend this book to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

The Charles Holborne series reaches book with The Waxwork Corpse and it is yet another excellent legal thriller from Simon Michael.

The story as usually keeps the reader hooked and the courtroom scenes are excellent with the cut and thrust shining through.

Holborne’s complicated private life is easily interwoven into the narrative but, for once, ends on a positive note.

A superb read and definitely recommended

This is the fifth in this series but my first reading of this author. It’s a good standalone but probably an excellent addition once you know the players. . Set in the sixties, this was actually based on a real-life case which was fascinating. With a hefty dose of anti-semitism our protagonist faces a case that could have major political implications. Well written, great legal analysis, and solid characters elevate above the average crime novel.

Although this is the 5th book in the Charles Holborne Legal Thriller Series, it is the first one I've read. In this fast-paced legal thriller, the author deftly wove an unrelated blackmail scheme along with personal, family drama into the fabric of his novel, bringing the characters to life, Thoroughly enjoyable.

A really interesting read. The author brilliantly unravels the story as you go along. I really enjoy this series of books - the author has created a great character and the stories are gripping and leave you waiting for the next installment

I now actively look forward to the next Charles Holborne legal thriller and this book, the fifth in a burgeoning series, based on an actual murder case, clearly demonstrates why.

Holborne is a maverick barrister who is practising in the early to mid 60s and at a time when London was dominated by the Krays and Richardson gangs and prejudice and snobbery predominated within the legal profession, Holborne is a Jew from a working class background who does not fit in and is not easily accepted by the majority of the legal fraternity.

For all his individualism and idiosyncrasies Holborne is deeply moral with a strong sense of duty and fair play even if his family life is torrid and he is now partially estranged from his orthodox Jewish parents and his domineering mother in particular who is unable to accept his rejection of orthodox Judaism and the restrictions it imposes.

Why am I dwelling on this subject?

Simply as I too was brought up in the 60s in an orthodox and inflexible orthodox Jewish household and similarly rebelled even if my parents, threatened but never actually followed through, as they do with Holborne, with their threats to ostracise and sit shiva for my associating with non-Jewish women.

No wonder I can identity with Simon Michael or his alter ego, Charles Holborne and I can certainly attest to the accuracy of his depiction of London Jewish life.

The plot was fascinating and the book crackled with excitement.

This was everything that a thriller should be - and more.

I understand that there is more to come from Simon Michael and I can hardly wait.

‘Money for old rope, he thinks to himself.’

London 1965. Charles Holborne may never fit into the establishment at the Bar, but he’s certainly been capturing attention. While he usually works for the defence, in this case he is asked to work as part of an investigation that may lead to the prosecution of a well-known public figure for murder.

A body has been found in a lake. While it has clearly been there for some time, it is very well preserved. It is quickly identified as the body of a senior judge’s wife, reported missing some years earlier. But who killed her?
This case draws a lot of media attention, including from a person in Charles Holborne’s past. A mistake, which could still cost him dearly.

And, on a personal level, there are family issue for Charles to deal with, and the Kray Twins continue to lurk in the background. Charles is lonely since he split up with Sally, but his father has him reflecting on what is important. While the courtroom scenes are less central to this case than to other books in the series, there’s a twist.

This is the fifth book (so far) in the Charles Holborne series. While each one could be read on a standalone basis, reading them in order is far more satisfying. Charles Holborne is a complicated, believable character, far from perfect. A barrister you’d want in your corner.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The Waxwork Corpse is the fifth book in the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers series and is a noir, gangster-esque novel set in 1960s London and featuring former criminal and antihero barrister, Mr Charles Holborne. It is preferable, though not essential, to have read the previous instalments before this as the stories are pretty much self-contained, however, if you jump right in here you will not be privy to Charles's evolution and development. Holborne has been called in to prosecute a senior judge whose fame is about to turn to infamy if the press has anything to do with it; they will go to any lengths to get to a story so long as it sells copies and makes them money. Holborne is the perfect man for the job given he's not a part of the old boys club type of sticking together and hence has little to lose. However, Charles's somewhat unsavoury past looks as though it may be coming out of the woodwork and threatens his high-flying career; a career he's fought hard to keep and he certainly doesn't want it to all go to the dogs now. But we all know that the truth will out in the end no matter how hard you wish it away.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable and captivating thriller set against a historical backdrop and both time and place are described superbly throughout. Michael's writes from personal experience having been a practising barrister for close to four decades. He has worked at the Old Bailey for a time and this story is based on a real case that took place there. I felt really quite emotional at times for Holborne as he doesn't fit in at work, as many of his colleagues come from middle or upper-class families whilst he is working class, but at home, London's East End, it's the opposite way around. To make matters worse he has been subjected to discrimination at work too; not just with regards to his lower-class status but also his religious views. The importance of family relationships is a recurring theme throughout the book, and I very much enjoyed getting to know more about the reluctant, fish-out-of-water main character. A fast-paced, gritty and exciting read, and a book that kept me highly entertained for its entirety. Many thanks to Sapere Books for an ARC.

Great next instalment in the Charles Holborne legal thriller series- I’ve read and enjoyed the first four books so was excited to see this pop up on NetGalley.
In this book Charles is asked to help to investigate and then prosecute someone accused of murdering his wife. However it is all to be kept top secret as the accused is extremely well known.
Meanwhile an incident from Charles’s past comes back to haunt him and he has to use all his skills to save himself.
The reader also learns more about Charles’s relationship with his family, particularly with his father, when there are family issues at home for his parents. Charles reconnects with his Jewish background in order to support his Dad and even goes to the synagogue on the high holy days.
In fact the main theme of this book seems to be father and son relationships and what one is prepared to do to keep family together.
As ever this is a fast paced, exciting read which, in this instance , kept me entertained on a long haul flight. I love the sixties references and also the fact that the author bases his books on real cases he has tried.
I’m now looking forward to the next one in the series and hoping Simon Michael will not take too long to write it.