If you’re interested in reading my academic work about detective and crime fiction (free PDFs available), check it out here. Or you can take a look at my short story collection of cosy mysteries featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies; order now!
Review
I enjoyed the premise of this, and of course Rob Rinder is a great person to put us in the shoes of a newbie at the Bar, not quite sure of his place, struggling to make ends meet as well as to fit in. Having had a brief flirtation with the Bar myself (before working in Parliament intervened), I’m always fascinated by this scene, and The Trial plays with one of the most challenging concepts for students and pupil barristers: what if you think justice is not being done? What do not only your personal ethics, but your profession’s ethics, require you to do?
There is a certain Line of Duty element to this first novel in a planned series, with the primary murder victim a (possibly) suspect ‘hero’ cop, Grant Cliveden, and the primary suspect a (possibly) victim of the criminal justice system themselves, Jimmy Knight. There is the murk of Big City lawlessness for pupil barrister Adam to contend with, as well as the challenge of trying to do well in a job that can only be learnt through experience.
The central poisoning has a nice Agatha Christie air to it, and Adam has only the tiniest shreds of evidence with which to work in pursuit of what he thinks will be justice. Whether he’s right, and whether he can persuade anyone else, is the central tussle, and Rinder does a nice job of illustrating how hard this can be and how difficult (and yet vital) empathy with a client is.
My one particular grumble was that the surrounding characters felt a little caricatured, although I suspect they will flesh out in future books, and no doubt part of this is because we’re stuck with seeming them only from Adam’s perspective. Otherwise, this felt like a good first novel and a great scene-setter for future books.
Take a look at my short story collection featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies; order now!
Dominique Gracia 
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