Force of Evil (Charles Holborne Legal Thriller Book 6) - Simon Michael

London, 1965

After a series of successful cases, Charles Holborne’s reputation is on the rise.

He is asked to work pro bono to represent a widow in a recent accidental death case.

The deceased was a Sergeant Maynard, an RAF policeman who worked at the Cardington base in Bedfordshire.

It seems his death was the result of a tragic motorcycle collision, but Mrs Maynard insists her husband was murdered.

Though sceptical at first, Charles soon realises she could be right.

And as he delves further, he realises that the RAF base could be the centre of a much bigger criminal undertaking…

As rifts in the corrupt Metropolitan Police are revealed, and the threats to Charles and those he loves escalate, he begins to wonder — has he finally bitten off more than he can chew?

FORCE OF EVIL is the sixth crime novel in an exciting historical series, the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers — gritty, hard-boiled mysteries set in 1960s London. 

What did I think?

The Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers is a series I just can't get enough of and I couldn't wait to catch up with barrister Charles Holborne in the sixth instalment, Force of Evil, to see what scrapes he gets himself into this time.  This is a book that you could definitely read as a standalone as Simon Michael brilliantly touches on a few elements from previous books so any new Charles Holborne readers won't feel like they're missing something and fans of the series will be reminded of certain events.

It was only 4 years ago that I read The Brief (the first book in the Charles Holborne series) and said that it was BritCrime at it's very best.  Well, BritCrime just got better!  Force of Evil is simply outstanding.  Not only does Charles have an intriguing case to defend, but he has so much going on in his personal life that it's a wonder he isn't dizzy.  

Charles takes on a pro bono case when he is contacted by the widow of an RAF serviceman; the death appears to be an accident but a secret RAF investigation into the incident shows that there is more to it than meets the eye.  As Charles and his Irish policeman friend start to dig into Sergeant Maynard's death, they unwittingly put themselves and their loved ones in danger as someone wants to silence them at any cost.

If you've read any of the Charles Holborne series before, you'll know that Charles has a complicated love life and an even more complicated relationship with his mother.  Charles realises that he made a mistake letting Sally go and I love that he starts writing letters to her, sharing stories from his day in the hope of rekindling their romance.  I really have my fingers crossed for this couple.  Charles' mother isn't as much of a battleaxe as we're used to in Force of Evil as her health is starting to fail.  Millie may not have been the best mother but Charles remains the devoted son as he and his brother David do all that they can to help their parents.

The Charles Holborne series is going from strength to strength and long may it continue.  Simon Michael is a storyteller extraordinaire, fully immersing the reader in 1960's London through his riveting, enthralling and beautifully descriptive writing.  The courtroom scenes written by Simon Michael remain the best I've ever read as the reader sees all aspects of the trial through Charles Holborne's eyes.

As with the other Charles Holborne thrillers, Force of Evil is based on a true story and that is what makes it quite extraordinary.  Simon Michael brings these long forgotten events to light through his magnificent storytelling and yet again produces an unputdownable book.  This could be Charles Holborne's trickiest case yet as he is pitted against those who are meant to uphold the law.  

Riveting, gripping and breathtaking, Force of Evil is a stunning novel that had my heart racing and my palms sweating as the threats and danger increased.  Force of Evil isn't just unputdownable, it's completely unmissable; this is crime writing at its finest.

 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Waxwork Corpse (Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers Book 5) - Simon Michael

Charles Holborne is back – with his strangest case to date! Perfect for fans of John Grisham, Robert Bailey, Michael Connelly and Robert Dugoni.

A deadly crime has been dragged to the surface…

London, 1965

Charles Holborne, maverick barrister, will never fit in at the Bar; he is too working-class, too Jewish and too dangerous.

But that makes him the perfect outsider to prosecute a shocking murder case which has already made its way to the press.

By chance, a body was found, dumped in a lake. It had clearly been there for some time, but the conditions in the water have meant that it was nearly perfectly preserved.

The police have managed to match this ‘waxwork corpse’ to a missing woman and if her husband — a senior judge — was the one who killed her, the scandal threatens to rock the British justice to its foundations.

The waxwork corpse is not the only thing to be raised from the past. The investigation also dredges up a violent mistake made by Charles in his youth which, if revealed, could put his own life at stake…

THE WAXWORK CORPSE, based on a real Old Bailey case, is the fifth crime novel in an exciting historical series, the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers — gritty, hard-boiled mysteries set in 1960s London.

What did I think?

I'm a huge fan of Simon Michael's Charles Holborne series and I made sure that I had this fifth instalment on preorder so that it dropped onto my kindle on release day.  Although it took me a few weeks to get round to reading it, I can definitely say that it was well worth waiting for.

Simon Michael has taken the Charles Holborne series to the next level with The Waxwork Corpse; not only do we get to see Charles at his lowest ebb but, as it says on the cover, there is a huge twist in this book.  I wasn't going to refer to this at all as it feels like a bit of a spoiler, but all I will say is that it's an absolutely brilliant jaw-dropping ending to an outstanding book.

My heart really went out to Charles in this book.  The prejudice he experiences is a common theme throughout the whole series but it seems to really reach a head in The Waxwork Corpse.  Not only do his peers look down their noses at him because of his Jewish ancestry and his East End upbringing, but his mother has basically disowned him because he refuses to conform to the Jewish faith.  Millie Horowitz is a very bitter woman and when she stops speaking to Charles she turns her forked tongue on her long suffering husband.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Charles Holborne legal thriller without a court case and what a case it is!  Charles is not afraid to take on a high profile case, after all he has nothing to lose and this case of the murdered wife of a judge resonates with Charles as he was in a similar situation in The Brief.  This time, Charles is on the prosecution rather than being the accused and I loved reading about sifting through the collection of evidence and flashbacks to the judge's past.

I actually didn't think Simon Michael's writing had any room for improvement but oh my goodness some of the descriptions in The Waxwork Corpse gave me goosebumps.  The description of Tiffen's Rock on the shore of Wastwater is simply sublime, but one sentence stood out among others and I'd like to share it here.  During one of Charles' own flashbacks during the blitz, he is out with his cousin Izzy when the air raid sirens start sounding and with searchlights scanning the skies for enemy aircraft, Simon Michael writes:

"London holds its breath."

Never before have four words been so powerful and held such meaning.  It feels like Simon Michael has carefully chosen every single one of his words and they all fit together perfectly to complete the jigsaw of The Waxwork Corpse. 

Scarily true to life The Waxwork Corpse is actually based on a real life case and you can find out more about the Lady in the Lake here.  I love that crossover between fact and fiction in novels, although we love to escape through fiction there's something special about books that feel true to life.  I always love it when a book interests me so much that I end up heading off to google to find out more.

Exceptional, outstanding and completely brilliant, The Waxwork Corpse, is Simon Michael at his finest.  This phenomenal series blasts all other legal thrillers out of the water and I can't recommend it highly enough.  Simon Michael, you're accused of stealing all five stars.  How do you plead?  GUILTY!

My rating:

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The Whistler (Exclusive Early Sampler) - John Grisham

The most corrupt judge in US history. A young investigator with a secret informant. The electrifying new thriller.

Lacy Stoltz never expected to be in the firing line. Investigating judicial misconduct by Florida's one thousand judges, her cases so far have been relatively unexciting. That's until she meets Greg Myers, an indicted lawyer with an assumed name, who has an extraordinary tale to tell.

Myers is representing a whistle blower who knows of a judge involved in organised crime. Along with her gangster associates this judge has facilitated the building of a casino on an Indian reservation. At least two people who opposed the scheme are dead. Since the casino was built, the judge has made several fortunes off undeclared winnings. She owns property around the world, hires private jets to take her where she wishes, and her secret vaults are overflowing with rare books, art and jewels.

No one has a clue what she's been doing - until now.

Under Florida law, those who help the state recover illegally acquired assets stand to gain a large percentage of them. Myers and his whistle blower friend could make millions.

But first they need Lacy to start an investigation. Is she ready to pit herself against the most corrupt judge in American history, a judge whose associates think nothing of murder?

What did I think?

What a teaser! I've always been a big fan of John Grisham books so I was eager to read the 4 chapter sample of The Whistler but now I absolutely NEED to read the whole book. It is filled with corruption and intrigue ensuring the reader is hooked from the start.

It's all about a dodgy judge who seems to be making some illegal money in the Native American casino business. Two investigators, Lacy and Hugo, have been thrust into the midst of this case by contact from a whistle blower. I have no doubt that they will succeed in taking the judge down and revealing the depth of the corruption.

Roll on October when I can read The Whistler in full.

I received this e-book sampler from the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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