Publication Date: 5th January 2023
Published by Random House UK, Transworld, Bantam Press
My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest thoughts
Book Description:
A young woman is dead.
A very wealthy client needs a favour. You're newly qualified as a lawyer and this could be your big break, so you jump at the chance.
The case is about to be closed.
All you have to do is talk to a family, ask them to sign some papers. How difficult could it be? Their daughter was found dead at a beauty spot on the outskirts of London in what you're told was a tragic suicide.
Only you can uncover what really happened.
But the truth is never that simple. And this case could cost you your life...
My Thoughts:
As you probably have sussed by now, I love a legal thriller and this one took a different tack to the usual which was rather refreshing. Lewis Miller is newly qualified; knows he's been lucky to bag a job with a well renowned law firm and is keen to prove his worth to those higher up. He thinks he's got his lucky break when summoned from a meeting by one of the partners; all he has to do is deliver some paperwork to a client and get it signed. Job done. But life's never that clear cut especially in these circles and Lewis soon realises there's more to this case than meets the eye.
He quickly works out that his personal and professional lives are about to collide: he comes from the same deprived area of the city where the client lives. He is acquainted with the people involved. On taking his boss's paperwork for signature and listening to the family's reasons for not going through with the request, Lewis's interest is piqued. But his involvement in this case soon turns into him needing to protect himself - he doesn't even feel safe returning to his own home anymore.
I enjoyed reading about the scrapes Lewis found himself in and the moral dilemma he faced between following his dream of becoming a hot shot lawyer and the real-life people who would be subject to a huge injustice if they were prepared to sign a document in exchange for a life changing sum of money. Which did he want most and which would he be able to live with on his conscience for the rest of his days? Therein lies the test of a man.
A great suspense novel which had me hooked sufficiently to want to pick the book up at every possible opportunity, I look forward to more from this author in the future.
About the Author:
James Buckler currently lives in London. He grew up in the south-west of England and has lived in the USA and Japan. He has always been fascinated by books, stories and films, especially the gripping, twisty narratives of classic Hollywood cinema and British crime novels. He studied Film, Video and the Photographic Arts at the University of Westminster and has worked in the film & TV industry for many years, most notably as a post-production specialist for MTV and BBC Films. His debut novel, Last Stop Tokyo, was published to critical acclaim in 2017.
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