This is a very good, well written legal thriller, absolutely jam packed full of fascinating characters. There is an interesting mix of characters, some likeable and some very aggravating. I really liked Lee and Dean, Giles not so much and I felt at times that I really wanted to murder him myself! The themes of racism, corruption, privilege and abuse of power are handled with sensitivity and the courtroom scenes are filled with dialogue and drama. I never read the first in the series featuring Lee Mitchell and this can easily be read as a stand alone. A very good thriller which I would recommend.

This is the second book in the Lee Mitchell series but reads well as a standalone. That being said, I have read the first one & I think you should too. Tom Mannion, the senior clerk at Maple Chambers, is found dead in an alley the morning after the chambers attended a Marlowe Foundation event. They were the only barristers invited. Dean Carter, a junior clerk, is charged with the murder. Lee Mitchell, one of the Maple team, agrees to represent him. We follow Lee & Dean through this thriller, experiencing their highs & lows, as the truth is slowly revealed. The story has a good pace & the characters are believable, drawing you in with unexpected twists which keep you wanting to read more. An enjoyable & entertaining read, which is highly recommended.

The second in the Lee Michell Series and reads well as a stand-alone. Lee is a black female barrister, at Maple Court Chambers in London, originally from the Caribbean she knows how hard it is to fight your way to the top. Tom Mannion is the senior clerk in the Chambers. He is rich, successful and keeps a hidden diary holding his fellow Chamber members secrets. Dean is his Junior Clerk, from a working class background but determined to make something of himself, it is Dean who keeps the engines of the firm running. Briefly, one morning a seemingly innocuous incident involving Tom and a woman at an underground station becomes the catalyst for events in the book. Following an office party Tom’s body is found in alleyway. Was he attacked or did he fall over drunk? With fingers being pointed at him Dean finds himself arrested and charged. He claims innocence but the police are only interested in charging him. Enter Lee who declares herself his Barrister. I love a legal thriller and this is a very good one, full of twists and turns. I love the main protagonist, she’s one feisty lady who really is in the job to do what is right. I loved the descriptions of the inner machinations of the Chambers as it began to implode with every revelation. I loved the court case. You’ve got it. I loved this book! Great read.

Killer Instinct is the third book to feature barrister, Lee Mitchell. I've also read book two, Until Proven Innocent, which I thought was brilliant, and I can give that same accolade to Killer Instinct too which had me gripped from start to finish. This story focuses very much on the Senior Clerk at Lee's chambers, Tom Mannion. Nobody could say they liked him, but he ruled chambers and most of the tenants respected him for the work he could get for them and for his ruthless attitude when doing so. When he is murdered it is a massive shock to all concerned, and then when Junior Clerk, Dean Carter, is arrested for the crime, Lee takes on the case, hoping to prove his innocence. Whilst this is a Lee Mitchell story, much of the focus is around Tom and Dean, and also the police's investigation. There is plenty of courtroom action though and a legal thriller is always a draw for me. There's a lot of attention on Tom's famous diary too, a tatty notebook that contained a multitude of secrets. What happened to it when Tom was killed is a question many people would like the answer to. I thought Killer Instinct had a killer storyline and I loved every bit of it. It's written with style and knowledge and it grabbed me and didn't let me go until I knew the outcome. The characters are diverse and interesting to read about and I really hope there will be more about Lee and Maple Court Chambers. I'd love to know how chambers fares without Tom. In the meantime, this one comes highly recommended by me for its twisty storyline and legal drama.

This is the first in a new series and what a cracking start, welcome to the world of DS Eden Driscoll. A detective based in London, happy in his work and lifestyle. But then he receives word that his sister Apple, who he hasn’t seen or spoken to for 12 years has disappeared off a boat in Devon. Furthermore her 7 year old son Finn was found on board locked in the cabin and someone needs to take care of him. This was such a well written and plotted book I was engrossed and read it in a day. Briefly, Eden heads to Teignmouth to try and find out what has happened but finds himself embroiled in an ever deepening mystery about what his sister was actually involved with. She had strong views and was a committed vegan and a climate activist. At the same time he is struggling to have a relationship with his nephew, particularly as he has no knowledge of dealing with children. Luckily his sister’s friend Molly is on hand to help, until Finn goes missing… I liked the mix of criminality and sentimentality in this book, the characters are very good, particularly Eden and Finn, and the description of the struggles Eden has with his feelings about Finn, and vice versa, are so well done. Full of twists and turns I was getting giddy trying to keep up with them. It’s a great read and looking forward to book 2.