The Long-Shot Trial

Love Love Love. Deverell is witty , literate, completely knowledgeable about the law and trials and can write and entertaining and thought provoking novel at the same time. This book involves a case from Arthur Beauchamps’ early career(Beauchamp is a lawyer and star of many of Deverell’s novels). Just read it and enjoy. There is no way you will not like this book and you certainly will search out Deverell’s other books.

Arthur Beauchamp takes a break from the courtroom to write a memoir so he can set the record straight about a headline murder case he fought as a young lawyer in 1966. The trial would either mark him as a pathetic loser or thrust him into the top ranks of criminal counsel.The background: in 1966, a young housemaid was raped by her employer, a callous and vindictive millionaire. She shot him point blank, so it seemed an open-and-shut case of first-degree murder. Enter Arthur Beauchamp, a young lawyer haunted by having bungled his only previous murder case. He is now called upon to defend a murder that he is almost certain can’t be won. But as the trial speeds through twists and turns, his slashing cross-examinations bring hope that the jury might entertain a reasonable doubt. In the present time, Arthur learns that writing about his social gaffes, booze, and sex is not easy, especially as his efforts are regularly interrupted by the quirky characters who inhabit his supposedly idyllic Garibaldi Island. A brilliant and very witty legal thriller! I now have to go track down all this authors other works because I am now a huge fan!