Keen reader? Interested in legal suspense novels? Looking for something other than the latest John Grisham?
First of all, many thanks for taking the trouble to open the one page on this site not directly associated with practising law for a living.
In the course of doing exactly that, I have been inspired to write three legal suspense novels, driven initially by the Kindle self publishing boom that enabled independent authors to bypass literary agents and mainstream publishing houses, and get their literary works into the public eye.
My first, Hatred Ridicule and Contempt, visited the English law of libel as it used to be, and was underpinned to a major extent by my experiences in climbing the ladder at what was then a relatively large provincial firm (no clues!), only to find that its corporate environment was not to my liking.
I followed this up with Infernal Coalition, pairing up the vulnerability of law firms to scam activity with a venture into politics, in particular a fictionalised account of a fight for a seat in the 2010 General Election and its regrettable but true to life skulduggery.
The last of the three, Craven Conflict, was very much based on an actual acrimonious battle for a real client, with initial victory in what was the local Mercantile Court and subsequent victory in the Court of Appeal. The inspiration for the parallel plot that involved a legal executive with a hidden disability, and two ruthless law firm partners who sailed close to the edge and chose not to stop, is another matter altogether.
Has this caught your interest? Here are the back cover write ups, the front cover images, and purchase links.
Hatred, Ridicule and Contempt
Injustice. Treachery. Sabotage.
Called upon to defend an acrimonious libel action on behalf of an important newspaper client, newly appointed law firm partner Alex Harris never once expected to find his efforts impeded by wanton disregard for ethics and blatant self interest that crossed all boundaries. Not only on the part of his opponents, but also those he should have been able to trust implicitly and without question...
What must he do to withstand the onslaught against his clients’ interests – and his own? How far, in his battles both external and internal, would he be able to resist the pressure to sacrifice principles for expediency? To reject integrity and fall into line? To forego a rocky and twisted path in favour of a quiet life?
Hatred, Ridicule and Contempt. A high calibre courtroom drama with many unexpected twists as one man stands up against conformity and the easy way out.
Available via Amazon: click here
Available via Draft2Digital: click here
Infernal Coalition
Where Law And Politics Collide
When a client of law firm partner Alex Harris unexpectedly turned on him in a quest for an undeserved payment to drop a negligence claim, Alex was in no mood to take it lying down after discovering he had almost fallen for an elaborate scam. But never for one moment did he realise just how deep the plot ran and who was pulling his client’s strings.
Nor was his wife Susie any more disposed to a quiet life after her new found political ambitions were treacherously derailed. Shaking off her own disappointment, she calmly struck back at the party machine that had once seemed so eager to welcome her. And not once could she have expected the repercussions for both her and Alex as their mutual struggles against their legal and political opponents become ever more entwined, leading to a shocking outcome.
Infernal Coalition. Where law and politics collide. At their very lowest.
Available via Amazon: click here
Available via Draft2Digital: click here
Craven Conflict
Only days after recruitment consultant Karen Rutherford’s right hand man suddenly quits, she is horrified to discover the theft of her database and an underhand campaign to entice her clients away and destroy her business. Anger turns to disbelief when immediate legal redress fails. Her livelihood threatened to the core, she finds herself locked into a courtroom battle escalating into bitter conflict when a fraught episode from her private life pours oil on already troubled waters.
Not far away, legal executive Paul Craven can hardly believe his luck and his headhunter’s skills when he lands his dream job. Or so he thought. As the cold reality of the new workplace sinks in, it slowly dawns on him that his deepest personal secret - his affliction with Asperger’s Syndrome - may be impossible to keep to himself any longer. Amid the turmoil, being drawn into someone else’s legal dispute was all he needed.
Craven Conflict. Unwelcome choices. Harsh decisions. Barely lesser evils.
Available via Amazon: click here