MURDER AT THE BAILEY

'A fast, funny and enjoyable romp through the criminal world more recognisable decades ago. Rogues' justice often prevails against a background of colourful lifestyles, from expensive restaurants and bars to flashy cars and mistresses. Few lawyers can turn their hand to fiction after a lifetime processing the dry details of the law but Milner clearly can, with verve and humour' said The Times. A notorious loan shark is shot dead in broad daylight right outside the front doors of the Old Bailey. The killer is arrested at the scene, and Adrian Stanford is lined up to take on the toughest defence case of his career. Can he steer his client past the no-nonsense Detective Chief Superintendent 'Iron-Rod' Stokes, hell-bent on achieving a murder conviction in his last case before retirement? That's assuming he can keep his client alive in prison long enough for the trial to go ahead. Can his illustrious defence QC Patrick 'The Edge' Gorman swerve the case past the acerbic judge known to all as Mack the Knife whose own resolve is being tested to the limit by an adulterous wife? And why is London underworld Big Jake Davenport showing such a keen interest? With a wildly eccentric cast of brilliantly drawn characters. 368pp, paperback.