What a wonderful, powerful & emotional book - I have just finished reading & still have tears streaming down my face! I am sure that many women have been through a violating experience that they didn’t want but felt that they couldn’t speak up, as if somehow it might have been their fault. This book needs to be read, the stage production seen & conscious changed.

Tessa Ensler is a young and brilliant criminal defence barrister from a working-class background. As she juggles her experiences in her ‘new’ world (high-flying, posh and elitist) with the tensions in the ‘old’ (for example, a brother with a criminal record), her career seemingly goes from strength to strength. However, a blossoming relationship with a work colleague turns sour, leaving Tess with a difficult choice: can the defence barrister now turn witness?

Miller’s novelisation of her successful stage play does not disappoint. One in three women have been the victim of a sexual assault; 3% of rape complaints lead to a prosecution. This play deals directly with not only the horrors of this, but the challenges our current legal system needs to overcome if we are to change this appalling statistic.

Powerful, hard-hitting and gripping from the start, this is a great read.

Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is a compelling legal drama. I haven't seen the theatre show, so am not in a position to offer comparisons between the two. A a book though, it is a compelling read.
The story revolves around Tessa, a criminal lawyer, who takes on the case of a young woman accusing a man of sexual assault. Tessa’s own experiences shape her approach to the case.
The book explores themes of justice, gender dynamics, and the impact of trauma on individuals and society.
This will be an excellent choice for a book club as it is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel.

I haven't seen the theatre show so can't compare the story to this but as a stand alone novel this is fantastic. It's wonderfully written, simple but effective. It almost reads like a legal case and with the stripped back storyline feels very different to anything that I've read recently. The characterisations are fantastic, the story uncomfortably believable and the premise all to familiar in every day life. My only negative was that I rather hoped it was based on real life and that the changes it lays hope to have started to happen, unfortunately it's hard to know when this will take place. An at times uncomfortable but compelling read.

If this doesn’t make you angry then I don’t know what to say to you. Prima Facie is the novel of the play that famously starred Jodie Comer and played on the West End and Broadway. It was incredibly successful, powerful writing and has been expanded on by the playwright into this gut wrenching novel. I knew that the numbers of sexual assault cases that were brought to justice were low but I had no idea just how low. The system truly is broken. The author is a lawyer herself so it is depressingly realistic.

Jodie Comer reads the audiobook of this new edition, so I would recommend getting your hands on that if you can.

What a fantastic hard hitting but ultimately important book.
I really liked Tessa - she was a great character and as a victim of rape myself, Tessa was well written and imagined by the author

4+ stars

Adapted into a novel from a successful stage play.

Meet Tessa Ensler, a top criminal defence barrister. She’s excellent at her job and goes the extra mile for those she defends. She’s had to work hard to get where she is today as she’s from a working class background, winning a full scholarship to Cambridge to study law and look where she is today. Her background means she has very specific reasons for becoming a defence lawyer, and she uses her considerable intelligence to gain win after win. She firmly believes in the system, fighting hard for the theory of innocent until proven guilty. Tell the best version of the story, test the law, test it again and see if the story has holes …. that is until she finds herself a rape victim – then what?

I knew this would be a tough read in places, but it’s a very powerful one. I like the way Suzie Miller approaches this as we get life before and life after, Tessa before and Tessa afterwards and you get to know her and her motivations. There are some fascinating insights into the law and some good discussions before the assault between Tessa and her coworker Alice about attitudes towards sexual assault cases. This really makes me think. There’s a courtroom scene too that blows my mind it’s so powerfully thought-provoking. Here Tessa uses all her incisiveness and tenacity for her client.

The author pulls no punches when it comes to the scenes of Tessa’s assault. They are terrifying and shockingly real, leaving you in no doubt. Tough though it is, it allows you to comprehend the dissociation, her numbness and I applaud her bravery of reporting the crime which does eventually go to court. The situation is especially shocking as we have two barristers on opposing sides, one in the dock annd one the victim. One has the benefit of not only a powerful law background, but the benefit of the law. The courtroom scenes are positively electric and you feel every inch of Tessa’s pain. This part of the book is exceptional as it demonstrates with tremendous clarity that the law is inadequate in cases like this, in fact, it’s not fit for purpose. My eyes fill with tears, but I also want to stand and cheer because it’s speaking for every victim. It’s an indictment of the law, but also of society that one in three women will face this and only one percent of cases are successfully prosecuted.

Apart from how well the aspects of the law are dealt with, Tessa’s emotions are conveyed extremely well too. Tessa has been a confident woman, she is grounded yet has striven to be successful, the Tessa of afterwards is so different with a loss of identity and understandable vulnerability. Her family are diamonds, I love their portrayal and the friendship of Mia and Adam warms your heart.

Overall, this is a very insightful, gripping and very relevant novel. It makes you feel uncomfortable at times but it’s very moving.

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Prima Facie is a first rate read. A successful young defending barrister becomes the victim of a brutal attack by a fellow barrister. Suddenly she is on the 'other' side, as a prosecution witness. This is a powerful book that highlights the inadequacies of our criminal law system. It is utterly unsurprising that so few women report male on female attacks. I hope that this book, in addition to Jodie Comer's National Theatre performance,helps to bring about sorely needed change

Thank you Suzie Miller for writing this unputdownable and necessary book. Thanks also to NetGalley and Random House UK/Cornerstone/ Hutchinson Heinemann for the opportunity to read and review Prima Facie.

Prima Facie is a totally absorbing and gripping account of the circumstances which have befallen Tessa, a young, brilliant barrister. It is a gruelling read in many ways and a salutory reminder of the way in which the legal system can fail its victims. As well as the plot which propels the narrative onwards, there is a feel of authenticity in the depiction of the world of the heroine, both professionally and personally. Utterly absorbing , I can imagine the dramatic work on which this is based.

On the face of it, this is a book about the law. It's about a young woman from a non-priveliged background attaining a scholarship and practising as a criminal barrister in London courts.

Beneath that, it's the story of a horrific crime and the fact that the legal truth is not always - indeed, often - the same as the real truth.

Sometimes they align, sometimes they don't.

I found this book captivating. I went into it intrigued by the cover, and I leave realising that it is not what it seemed to be about...

Expect some strong internal emotions. This is, for want of a better terminology, a complex case.

There's a message here, to all, but you'd have to read it to fully feel it.

I went to the cinema to see the National Theatre screening of Jodie Comer’s exemplary performance in the stage version of ‘Prima Facie’, then bought a signed copy of the script, so I was buzzing to read the novel. That we’re also getting an audiobook (narrated by Comer, no less) and a film is music to my ears. Suzie Miller's work is awe-inducing. She conveys some stark realities in a way that is engaging and accessible. It feels a bit inappropriate to say that I loved this book, due to the subject matter, but I did. Miller has shone a huge light on the deficiencies within our criminal justice system and written one of the most powerful books I've ever read. It's a vitally important piece of work and I hope it is read/heard/viewed by those who need it most. And especially by those who can effect change.

“And so, there are no excuses any more: it must change. We must do better.”

It is difficult to find the words to express how good this novel is.
Before requesting it I looked up about it and learned it was the novel based on a play of the same name which stars Jodie Comer and is receiving rave reviews.
Tessa is a criminal barrister and has unlike many of the others in her chambers come from a poor background. Despite this she shines and revels in giving her clients the best defence ,many of them rape and sexual assault cases then letting the jury decide.
Her world is upending when she becomes a victim herself and realises how unfair and unjust the system is for the victims.
This novel was powerful,heartbreaking and compelling.I will never forget the words to describe how many victims of sexual assault there are…”Look to your left,look to your right,one in three.”
Tessa’s speech at the end had me breathless.The author herself was in the legal profession which is why everything seemed so authentic.
This book will stay with me for a long time.Despite the difficult subject matter it is up there with my favourite read of all time.

This is such a powerful and relevant book. I couldn’t stop reading and finished it hours after I would normally have fallen asleep. I was totally engrossed in Tessa’s world, difficult though it sometimes was because of what she went through. This is a hard-hitting novel, superbly written and full of memorable characters. I loved how Tessa had succeeded against the odds to become a defence barrister and how she has such a strong network of family and friends to support her. The relationship with her brother is realistic and well drawn, and everyone needs true friends like Mia and Cheryl.

I hadn’t had the opportunity to see Prima Facie as a play but had heard that it was brilliant. I am so glad to have read the book. The characters will stay with me and I will read it again for sure.

‘One in three’ had me absolutely sobbing 💔
I could not put this book down! Finished in two days and completely enthralled in this story - gutted to have missed seeing this performed in theatre!
As a woman, this hit home heavily and hearing it from the point of view of a defence lawyer was so interesting. It was an extremely educational read while also evoking a lot of emotions, a lot of which were hard hitting and uncomfortable to sit in but completely necessary and it definitely made me think about the way the justice system has been run and how that needs to change in the modern day.
A gripping read that will hopefully gain the traction it deserves and get people of all genders to look at the way victims of sexual assault are treated and listened to with the statistics hopefully changing for the better when it comes to conviction rates and people feeling safe to come forward and press charges, instead of feeling unheard and isolated.

Thank you for the ARC for this book. I knew I had to read it after watching the cinema screening of Jodie Comer's one woman play of the same name, and am so glad it was written as a novel.

The book tells the story of Tessa Ensler, a successful defence barrister who is sexually assaulted by her colleague, Julian. Tessa takes the brave step of moving to the other side - becoming witness for the prosecution in a court case that's statistically bound to fail, with just a 1.3% conviction rate for rape cases (for the miniscule minority of incidents that make it to this stage).

The storytelling is so powerful, as was the frequent switching between past and present, highlighting the transformative impact the event and case has had on her life. This novel shines a light on the current legal system and its clear failings for victims of sexual assault. Would highly recommend.

“Prima Facie” is a new novel based on the smash hit, one woman stage show. Told by Tessa, a working class woman from Luton who attended Cambridge University and then went to work as a criminal defence barrister. She’s starting to gain a reputation as a formidable barrister when her career and life is derailed, forcing her to re-examine her life and work.

I enjoyed this book. It is hard-hitting and difficult to read in some places. I liked Tessa’s relationships with her friend and the women in her family, including the complex relationship with her older brother.

Emotional and enraging, a "must read". Class, ambition, consent and a white male driven justice system.

Breath-taking, devastating and yet somehow hopeful. PRIMA FACIE runs the emotional gauntlet and comes out top. I watched and loved the play, and this book brings the conversation to life in a whole new way, expanding on the story and delving into the finer points of Tess and the law. It’s beautifully and carefully done, doing the play justice while also creating an accessible and wholly compelling story. A must-read for everyone, and I do mean everyone.

"𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲. 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞."

I remember seeing clips of the stage play for Prima Facie a while back and thought it looked good, especially with Jodie Comer being one of my favourite actresses. So, when I saw it was also being turned into a book I immediately needed to get my hands on an ARC for it!
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This was so well written, more so than I'd anticipated. Though I haven't seen the full play, thanks to the clips I have seen, I was able to picture Jodie as Tessa easily which made for a more immersive story to me. It's interesting reading a book that's based on a play when it's usually the other way round but it definitely worked. This was such a powerful and emotional read; I am still thinking about it and the character of Tessa a day after finishing it.
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I felt this entire book was evidence of how flawed our justice system is when it comes to sexual assault against girls and women— it's something that as a woman I'm obviously aware of but it's only when something is highlighted in black and white, in this form, is when you fully realise just how bad things are. I thought Suzie did brilliantly at showing the reader the stark reality of what can and does happen to women who do decide to report these types of crimes; the scene with Tessa's speech in court was so moving and so real.
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Overall, this was a really harrowing and heavy read but one that I think is so important. There's clearly been plenty of research that's gone into it, with Suzie having practiced human rights law before becoming a full time writer; the statistics that we were shown were shocking but unfortunately not surprising. I highly recommend this to everyone, but please be aware of the trigger warnings beforehand.

Thank you Netgalley & publishers for the free eARC!

What a compelling read! I came to this book knowing only that it is based on an award winning play - I think this stands up really well as a novel in its own right. It starts at quite a slow pace as you get to know the fiercely driven protagonist before the pivotal event in the book occurs. I found the pacing slightly uneven but was swept along by the narrative and was fully invested by the end. The book is full of fascinating details about life as a barrister which I also really enjoyed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, the subject matter is upsetting and uncomfortable but that makes it all the more important to shine a light on the subject of consent. The author has real storytelling talent and highlights how the legal system currently operates and the changes needed to make it work better for women.