The Protest by Rob Rinder is an excellent legal thriller I couldn’t stop reading it to see what would happen next. It is possibly his best book yet. I particularly like the two different storylines that Adam attended court with. The soldier who was being held responsible for the death of a young boy was particularly moving and very emotive, I also admired the irony at the end of that story. The main court case was for the death of an artist and whether Lexi knew that the can had cyanide in when she sprayed it onto the victim. That court case was also very clever and the verdict at the end of that case was also very unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, all of the twists and turns and the characters were superbly drawn, particularly the more flamboyant characters. Highly recommended

In war-torn Khandistan, a child has died, trapped inside a British Tank; in London, an antiwar protester’s stunt has just killed a famous artist. Two unconnected deaths, two murder trials, which have both ended up on the desk of one young defence barrister – Adam Green, of Stag Court. The life of a young barrister is like that, two major cases running at the same time is par for the course; not to mention fitting in a couple of lesser cases. The big one here is the murder of the world famous artist, Max Bruce, at a retrospective at the Royal Academy. He was standing in front of his most famous work, Primal Scream, when a young woman, Lexi, sprayed his face with blue paint. This is a tactic being used by an Anti-war group, Max is not the first person to be attacked in this way. He is, however, the first to die, not from the paint or the shock but from the cyanide that someone had introduced into the can. The exhibition was being filmed by Max’s son so there is unequivocal proof that Lexi is the culprit. Adam is assigned as Junior to the formidable Morris Brown KC and must try to find a flaw in the prosecution’s case, something that will introduce a reasonable doubt. On the other case, he is, again, assigned as Junior, this time to his old mentor Bobby Thompson KC. This time he will not be in the Old Bailey, but at a Court Martial being held in Aldershot Barracks, a very different sort of trial where Adam’s task must be to demonstrate that the death was ‘accidental’ and not the fault of the Lance Corporal in charge of the tank. Rob Rinder is a beautiful writer, a joy to read. This is his third book in the Adam Green series, but can be read as a standalone. Adam is advancing, slowly, through the levels of the profession, but he is still a rather anxious young man, overworked and underpaid. The descriptions of his trials and tribulations are convincing, but the main strength of the stories come from the courtroom scenes, where the business unfolds with precision and the speeches sound so meticulously right. The murder-mystery elements are subsidiary, these are not detective stories, but there are twists so there is the intellectual challenge of trying to solve the case, before the reveal. I look forward to the next instalment. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Another very entertaining courtroom drama from the pen of Rob Rinder featuring the barrister Adam Green. It's a two for one offer as Adam gets to work on two major cases. One is a the court martial of a young soldier and the other a protester spraying a 'national treasure' Max Bruce with blue paint which leads to his death. Adam is a very lucky chap as he works with two very different young women, Georgina Devereaux a fellow barrister, super clever, attractive, articulate and competitive and Stacey Jackson a pupil at Stag Court, wannabe barrister, feisty, fun and outspoken. They both have traits which Adam finds alluring but not enough to take one of them home to meet his Mum, yet! Adam puts his deerstalker hat on to sleuth his way around these two court cases in the hope of uncovering something which may support his argument. Sadly, it's not him that pulls the rabbit out of the hat although he gets to proffer the new evidence for his senior colleague to present to the court. I judge the novel purely on its entertainment value as I get the feeling there may be a sequel which hopefully will dot the 'i's and cross the 't's. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As I did The Trial and The Suspect, I blooming loved this book, once again featuring Barrister Adam Green. As you would expect, the main story is self contained, however for best enjoyment, especially wrt Adam's backstory and development, I would start from book one and read in order. In this outing, and this is something I really love about this series, as well as the main "crime" whose defendant is Adam's current client, the author keeps up the pressure on Adam, giving him additional cases to work on along the way. This also adds a whole other layer of authenticity to the profession and, indeed, Adam's workload. But it is the big case that the books is centred around. That of the death, in plain view, of world renowned artist, Max Bruce who is present for his own retrospective showing which includes, on loan, his early masterpiece "Primal Scream". His death coming from being sprayed in the face with blue paint by gallery employee Lexi Williams as an anti-war protest. It appears to be an open and shut case and, even though Adam is not at all convinced of her guilt, Lexi really isn't helping herself. Adam definitely has his work cut out for him this time... I've already said it. I love this series. The whole shebang. I adore the character of Adam and especially enjoy his "Jewish Mother's phone calls". Other characters are just as delightful and the whole world that the author has created within the walls of Stag Court Chambers comes across as nothing but authentic. But then I guess it is the author's world so it kinda should! In fact, I loved it so much that I didn't even mind the fact that quite a big thing isn't fully resolved in this book. I might mind if it doesn't get resolved in the next, but I guess its inconclusion is in itself something that happens in this world, and its resolution will most certainly add a different slant to the proceedings going forward. Sorry if I'm being vague, you'll understand when you get there. Actually looking forward to it. One of the other cases Adam is working on features the court martial of a young soldier, caught up in an alleged war crime. This again adds a lot more colour to the proceedings and it was interesting to see the workings of military court too. Adam is maturing with each and every book. Professionally anyway. He still has some way to go in his personal life! But I guess he'll get there in his own sweet time. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the will-they-won't-they! All in all, a cracking addition to what is shaping up to be a very worthy series. Roll on next time.

Rob Rinder’s The Protest is a standout courtroom drama that blends razor-sharp legal insight with emotional depth and political relevance. Centered around a controversial war protest and a splash of blue paint that becomes a symbol of resistance, this novel is both timely and timeless. Rinder’s writing is intelligent, heartfelt, and packed with tension. The courtroom scenes are electric, but it’s the moral questions and human stories that really stay with you. A must-read for fans of legal thrillers with substance. Absolutely brilliant.