The Brief

This is the first of four Charles Holborne thrillers set in the 1960s and it provides a exceptional start to what is turning out to be an exceptional series of legal thrillers. Holborne is a Jew and does not fit in with the reactionary legal system of the time and he is kicking against the traces.

The plotting is sublime and the characters well drawn. There is a sense of time and place and the legal side is accurate and credible.

Simon Michael's "The Brief" has been described as 'BritCrime at its best' and I would wholeheartedly agree, it's so impressive! It had me hooked from the very first page till the tense gripping end.
This is so much more than a legal thriller - intense, riveting, compelling and with plenty of action to keep you turning the pages . "The Brief" gives you a brilliant insight into the criminal justice system in the 1960's and the legal goings-on behind the scenes, with the frightening realisation that criminals could still hang for certain crimes committed back then. This wasn't some boring courtroom drama that dragged out but a very exciting and intriguing thriller incorporating the courtroom through court transcripts and police documents which I found a very original and novel way of portraying the facts of the trial. I loved the ambience of the book - London during the swinging 60's, the clubs and pubs, the criminals and the gang wars.
The final part of the book was a race against time and had me holding my breath - I hate injustices in stories and I desperately wanted a favourable outcome, you'll need to read the book to find out if Charles finally escapes his false charge of murder!
The authors attention to detail using his own personal experience as a barrister for many years is second to none and stunningly authentic. There's no over the top legal jargon or complex terminology. The brilliant writing style was easy to follow and understand, a captivating plot that has you screaming for justice and a list of characters that are very believable even the corrupt police officers - there's just nothing not to like in this book. I loved Charles (who is quite the anti-hero) with his honourable morals and hardworking intentions whilst struggling to come to terms with his background and family rejection.
I've been told that the sequel "An Honest Man" is even better still and I really can't wait to read more about Charles Holborne and the 1960's!!

Set in the 1960s London, Charles Holborne is a barrister of Jewish origin who has renounced both his family and his religion in an attempt to fit in with his colleagues and his wife's elitist family.

The first half of the book is a courtroom drama that is cleverly written allowing the reader to experience Charles's skills as a barrister as well as his daily struggles against anti-semitism. We also see that Charles is devoted to his career at the expense of his marriage which is failing.

The second half of the book is less successful as it transforms into a thriller with Charles being framed for his wife's murder. His escape from police custody and his attempts to both find the real culprit and bring him to justice constitute a rip roaring ride.. While the pace of the book is maintained at a high level throughout, I found the believability of the narrative suffered. Nevertheless, the mystery of the who and why kept me racing through until the end.

‘The clerks’ room is its usual, frenetic, five o’clock worst.’

London, 1960. Barrister Charles Holborne is not popular in his professional chambers: the criminal clients he represents are not welcomed by his class-conscious colleagues who mainly deal with civil cases. He’s only tolerated because his father-in-law is the head of the chambers. This is the era of gang wars (including the Krays), there is plenty of vice and violence, and at least a few corrupt police. Charles Holborne was once Charlie Horowitz, a Jewish East Ender, with a rough past. He abandoned his religion and in turn was abandoned by his family when he married Henrietta. Charles has worked hard to be successful, but he is often ostracised by his colleagues, many of whom went to school together and many of whom hold antisemitic views. His marriage to Henrietta is under strain: they are becoming distant from each other.

A high-profile murder case lands on Charles’s desk: could this bring him the recognition he is looking for? But Charles’s past is never very far away. A murder is committed, and Charles is arrested. Someone is trying to frame him, but who and why?

The first third of the novel revolves around the murder case and showcases Charles’s skills as a barrister. We see the tensions in his marriage and some of the friction between him and other members of the chambers. We also get glimpses into his past.

And then the novel changes direction. Charles and Henrietta’s marriage continues to disintegrate. Charles is arrested for murder and escapes from police custody. He tries to find out who is framing him and why. The pace of this part of the novel is frenetic but, for me, less believable. I enjoyed it because I wanted to know who had committed the murder. There are a few possibilities, and a few different motives.

For me, the highlight was the courtroom drama in the first third of the novel. This showcased Charles Holborne’s skills and provided a good view of the UK criminal justice system in the 1960s. The action kept me turning the pages, and I was mostly satisfied by the ending. I understand that this is the first in a series of Charles Holborne novels: I’m keen to read the next one.

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

This was a well written legal thriller that had lots of twists. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, as this is the first book in a new series!