Read my short story collection featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies now (in paperback, hardback, or on Kindle)! If you’re interested in reading my academic work about detective and crime fiction (free PDFs available), check it out here.
Review
I picked up this novel as a prelude to reading Nicola Williams’ second novel featuring barrister Leanne “Lee” Mitchell (Until Proven Innocent, out this year). Lee finds herself the barrister of choice for a high-profile, wealthy man accused of fraud along with his father and much-older half-brother, while she also deals with the day-to-day realities of a legal-aid criminal defence practice and rekindling relationships from her past. Although 25 years old, it holds up well as a story about a mid-seniority barrister, struggling with a sense of still being a fish out of water.
I enjoyed the combination of Lee’s professional life now and the intrusions of her personal history, in particular the minor revenge in which she indulges as a speaker at her old school that told her she’d never amount to much. (I think many of us can empathise with that experience and the petty joy of holding to account people who’d like to forget their past misdeeds.) That event leads to her renewing a relationship with a former classmate who is also struggling to find the right place for herself in the world, and who eventually turns out to need her help.
The intertwining personal and professional pettiness and priorities worked well and is an accurate reflection (I think!) of the small professional world in which Lee finds herself. However, overall, I found it a little slow. Although the book isn’t uncommonly long, it was a little ponderous in its scene-setting. This is often a challenge for people writing about a niche professional scene they know so intimately – how do you see the woods for the trees? I also found some of the menace somewhat artificial. About two-thirds of the way through there is a particular melodramatic turn that is unnecessarily melodramatic, and the plot would have been all the better for a slightly less hyperbolic portrayal of its primary criminal defendant. I’m looking forward to seeing Lee in print again soon!
See also
These lists capture other detective/crime stories and characters that I thought of as I was reading this piece. I won’t explain why, to avoid spoilers, but they’re associations and not ‘if you liked this, then you’ll love…’ recommendations!
Read my short story collection featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies now (in paperback, hardback, or on Kindle)!
Dominique Gracia 
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