Fatal Proof

John Fairfax is a master of the courtroom drama and these Benson and de Vere stories are unputdownable. At one point Benson says to a gangland thug: ‘I belong to that peculiar class of people who have died in this life and come back, not caring.’ He’s fearless, which makes him scary, not only to the criminals, but also his legal colleagues. A five star bravura performance. This writer gets better and better * A.N. Wilson, The Tablet *If you love legal thrillers don’t miss Fairfax, our answer to John Grisham. This is the fourth outing for William Benson, a defence barrister who fights for the innocent with little chance of clearing their name. But, he could be on a loser defending Karmen Naylor who’s on a murder charge. It doesn’t help her case that her estranged father’s a London crime boss. Getting involved puts Benson in grave danger. Meanwhile sidekick lawyer Tess de Vere has learned a dangerous secret involving the Troubles in Northern Ireland * Peterborough Telegraph *

John Fairfax is the pen name of William Brodrick, who practised as a barrister before becoming a full-time novelist. Under his own name he is a previous winner of the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award.