I just reviewed The Suspect by Rob Rinder. #TheSuspect #NetGalley

Just when you think you couldn’t love Judge Rinder any more…. BOOM! He comes up with this legal masterpiece!

Move over, Steve Cavanagh, we have a new boy in book-town threatening to take your Crime Crown!

It’s a five star read and I’m definitely going to start reading the first book from Robert Rinder now I know what he can do!

The Suspect by Rob Rinder follows a young Barrister on his legal journey with two big high-risk cases, on which he has been placed while also being there to support his friends Georgina and Libby. The first case concerns a television personality who is savagely murdered on live TV by the chef who is cooking that morning. Everyone thinks all the blame lies with him, but is this the case? The second high-profile case concerns Alexi, whose family have encouraged him to lie about weapons found under his bed to protect his brother. Ultimately, Alexi is encouraged to tell the truth, but is this the safest option? This book indicates what life as a Barrister is like while interweaving the topic of mental health.

I enjoyed this book because it was very gripping and always came with a twist and turn. I really enjoyed the relatively short chapters, which also gave the book some pace and helped increase the story's excitement and flow. This is also a very British book, not entirely because of the British Criminal Justice System being featured but because of the love of morning television and cooking segments in the United Kingdom. It was great how Rinder spoke about mental health and supporting one's friends as although this is important in all aspects of life, it is particularly important with a career in the law and particularly at the bar due to the high pressure, workloads and stress Barristers can be put under. It is believed that not many people know much about the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales so it was really good to see Rinder educate the reader about trial processes and the law of evidence in this book in a fun and exciting way interspersed within the fiction.

There is not much I can critique about the book itself, as it is generally well-written and very entertaining. The book is of good length and not too complex in terms of the law for the layperson for whom this book is inevitably written. However, I will critique some of the wrong laws and trial processes in this book. There were a few examples of the law being incorrectly referenced in this book; I will consider just two of them. Firstly, when the parties are in court, and they come across a point they do not agree with, the Barristers in this book stand up and exclaim, "Objection!". However, this does not happen in England and Wales, and the legal counsel just stands up to show that they don't agree with a point. Shouting out "objection!" is what happens in the American courts!

Secondly, when addressing the crown court judge sitting at the Old Bailey in this book, the legal counsel was referring to the judge as "My Lord". However, in the crown courts, the judge is addressed as "Your Honour", and it is only at the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court where judges are referred to as My Lord or My Lady, or My Lordship or My Ladyship, and so on. It is important to raise these points as the public often doesn't have too good of a knowledge of the criminal justice system, so it is important we make sure that when we portray our criminal justice system, it is accurate information.

Altogether, I rate this book 4 stars, making it a very good book as it was very gripping and very interesting, shadowing the life of a Barrister both in Chambers and Court, giving the reader an idea of what a career as a Barrister entails. I also enjoyed the public legal education element of this book as well. I would, therefore, definitely recommend this book, particularly to those interested in the legal system. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story by Rob Rinder but I didn’t love it. I didn’t particularly take to Adam or any of the characters and I felt it took too long to get to the court trial. The conversations with his mum got annoying but the sub plot was good and the guess the celebrity in the main plot was interesting. I didn’t read Robs first book and I’m sorry to say this one doesn’t make me want to head straight out and buy it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy.

The second novel from Rob Rinder follows the first book "The Trial".
A breakfast presenter dies live on TV, only to find out it was not an accident. A great read and very entertaining murder mystery and another hit for Rob Rinder.
Adam Green a junior barrister is defending a television chef accused of poisoning his lover who is the TV presenter er... The law is explained and we are given a look at life as a barrister and how the law works
I loved it and want more and hopefully, Rob Rinder will be writing as we speak

The second novel featuring Adam Green, a junior barrister sees the protagonist in court defending a high profile television chef accused of poisoning his one time lover live in television. The machinations and intricacies of the British law system are well written and I liked all the characters especially Adam's mother. An easy but enjoyable read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

The Suspect is the second in the series following the early career of Adam Green although it works just as well as a standalone novel.
I enjoy learning about the court proceedings from an obvious expert. The storylines are interesting and veer between Adam's professional dealings and the mysteries they surround, Adam's burgeoning love life and, my particular favourite, the phonecalls between Adam and his mum, who I love, she reminds me of one of the mums on Gogglebox! The well developed characters and the interesting storylines make for a very entertaining read and, dare I say, an even better read than Rinder's first novel; I look forward to the third.

This is the second book in the series by Rob Rinder, featuring Adam Green a junior barrister. I liked the storyline and it was a good follow up to the first book.

I liked the structure of the book and particularly enjoyed that every now and again there was a short chapter which was a phone call between Adam and his mum. The themes in the book are quite heavy and these phone calls introduce a lightness and a touch of humour. Adam's mum thinks he works too hard and needs a girlfriend! I love Adam's mum - one of the best characters in my opinion. She reminds me of Joyce in Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club!

Adam's character is also well developed. You get the sense that he wants to prove himself whilst being very aware of his inexperienced status. He wants to be a good friend to this year's pupil barrister and his colleague Georgina, the rising star. But he is swept along by the incessant workload and the expectations of the senior staff he works with.

This was a great read and I'm looking forward to the next instalment. Hopefully this will be a long running series.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the  first book featuring Adam Green, " The trial",  a young barrister trying to find his place amongst his peers in a highly political ambitious British court system.  

"The Suspect" is as much a continuation of Adam Green's career, trying out the ropes,  as it is to uncover who set a fatal allegic reaction of a prominent female breakfast TV presenter in motion. Was it really Sebastian Brooks, the TV celebrity chef who is the one accused of murdering her? A fun read, i learned a lot about how the British court system works and enjoyed the plot.

The second in the series. I thought the first one was “an okay” read. This one was a stringer outing for me.

The charters were well rounded and I enjoyed the detail of the court proceedings.

I probably enjoyed the gangland subplot more than I did the main plot of the murder of the Breakfast TV celebrity.

Thanks to. NetGalley for the ARC.

Having been called to the bar at the same time as Rob Rinder (although I don’t practice) I was really looking forward to a meaty book. How wrong was I.

The characters were 2 dimensional, there clearly wasn’t much imagination needed to cook up a day time blonde presenter on a morning show, who had worked in her teens on a Saturday morning show with two cheeky chaps and a foreign tv chef. My 12 year old could have written better prose. Thoroughly disappointed.

I've long been a Rob Rinder fan but this is the first chance I've had to read one of his novels. Can't wait for the next. Although this featured characters from and references to plots in book one. It works equally well as a standalone novel. I really enjoyed it and devoured it in one sitting.

Really enjoyed this book. I have not read any of Rob Rinder’s books before but I will certainly be looking out for them. It was very well written and was the storyline unfolded in a logical order.

An enjoyable book that put me in mind of a comfy sweater - you know what to expect, and are not left disappointed. I enjoyed this book, which builds upon many characters from the first novel from Rinder. It moves along at an easy speed, with some of the usual plot devices in this genre.

The second offering from the incredibly talented Rob Rinder, cannot wait wait to read the third, absolute gem of a book

A brilliant book by Rob Rinder and despite it being his second book to feature Adam Green it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone.

When Jessica Holby, popular day time Tv host, does live on TV after having a severe allergic reaction, it seems that the only explanation is that she was poisoned by her secret liver Tv chef Sebastian Brooks.

The story centres around Adam Green, junior barrister who is a really likeable and relatable character. The added phone conversations with his mum add humour and break up the story well.

Adam’s intuition from the start tells him that the Brooks case is not as open and shut as it seems but should be make things more difficult by rocking the boat?

I really enjoyed this book and felt it was a really realistic representation of chambers and the challenges facing legal teams.

The novel flowed really well and was really enjoyable and easy to read.

A bit of a drag to get the actual trial - it’s obviously written with a good knowledge of judicial procedures. The plot is interesting but like the previous novel it has too many throwbacks to Rumpole. The conversations with his mother are realistic but there are far to many of them. Likewise trying to be a good and kind friend and work colleague. We get it he’s a nice guy!

I read this ARC with a view to doing an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I really enjoy the author when on TV
I haven't read the first book which introduced the main character Adam but will
I don't feel I have missed out on anything and its great if this is going to be a series - it'll be good to have another barrister based series
I can definitely see this being a TV series
It does ring true - I have barristers in the family so its really interested to see the backroom dealings and goings on
A really great couple of cases - a murder trial - I did not see the twist coming so that was a treat and then what I call the dilemma case - interesting
Loved the book
Great writing style that was really accessible, a real turn pager
Would highly recommend this read
Couldn't put it down

Oh, I was disappointed!
I loved the first book in this series, but this one felt a little forced. There were occasions when things just too convenient happened, and the leading man really didn't figure anything useful out at all, so it all felt a bit flat to me.
Having said that, Rinder writes well and you are drawn into his characters and the plot, so I am still absolutely looking forward to the next one!

Thank you for the chance to read this through NetGalley. The main case Adam is dealing with in his junior position is the suspected murder of celebrity Jessica. Another is the case of a gang member’s brother covering for him as he’s scared of him. There are twists and turns in the first case which are very well written. The second case leaves you scared for the outcome of the accused. Very well written and the details of life in chambers are eye opening.

This is the second book by Rob Rinder which follows barrister Adam Green. I enjoyed the first book, ‘The Trial’ when I read it last year after I got into the writing style and found I liked following the antics of the lawyers so I happy to rejoin the characters in a new case.

Adam secured tenancy in the first book and The Suspect follows him and his colleague Georgina navigating the next stage of their careers as junior/baby barristers. A new pupil Libby also joins the cast at Stag Chambers. This time Adam finds himself on the defence team for celebrity chef Sebastian Brooks, who is accused of poisoning national treasure, Jesscia Holby, host of morning TV show Wake Up Britain live on air. We follow Adam as he investigates the world of TV and finds that all may not as it seems.

I enjoyed following the lawyers at Stag Chambers again and I do like reading all of the back-and-forth arguments put forward in court. I did find the story a bit of a slow burn but it was readable and short chapters helped me to get through it quickly. I’m not sure the mystery was the strongest but I feel that I am more interested in the characters and the legal world in general than the specifics of the case. There was also a side plot which raised some ethical/moral questions for Adam and the reader. I did feel the ending was a little rushed and not explained as clearly in comparison to other parts of the story.

Overall, I thought the book was a good, fun read and I did find myself picturing various real life TV shows and celebrities in the place of the characters. I found this brought the story to life and I could see this making an enjoyable TV series! I will definitely continue to read more in this book series.

I am rating this book 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4 stars).

Thank you to the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.