Fatal Proof

The Hither Green murder...

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.

The Hither Green murder... William Benson knows what it's like to be accused of something you didn't do - the fear, the vulnerability and the nightmare of watching your life unravel. Now he speaks on behalf of those who have no voice, defending anyone who claims to be innocent. This time, it's Karmen Naylor, estranged daughter of a south London crime boss, fighting a murder charge and desperate to be believed. But Benson becomes trapped into a grudge match between two rival clans, endangering himself and those he loves.Tess de Vere is by Benson's side but she's keeping something from him. A stranger on the trail of a state-sanctioned death squad operating in Northern Ireland during the Troubles brings a terrible secret into the heart of her own life. And he won't go away.Can Tess and Will find their way through all the secrets and the lies? Should justice always be served - and if so, at what cost? Praise for the Benson and de Vere series 'Assured storytelling and highly intriguing moral complexity. I tore through it' Chris Brookmyre'The courtroom scenes are brilliant, and Benson really comes alive under pressure. Stubborn, fitful and contradictory, he's a highly individualised creation' Spectator 'Punchy dialogue and devious plotlines . . . compelling' The Times

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