Detective Inspector Grant Cliveden was a national hero. He took a bullet for the Queen herself, was famed for his dogged pursuit of the criminal underworld and was the face of Scotland Yard. So when he collapsed and died in the Old Bailey, a victim of Botox poisoning, the nation was up in arms. Heaven help the lawyer who has to defend the prime suspect.

Jimmy Knight had a history with the victim and seemed to have the perfect opportunity. It’s the first major case that trainee barrister Adam Green has worked on but he soon becomes convinced that this is far from an open and shut case – there are many questions concerning Jimmy’s guilt and plenty of other people who would wish Cliveden dead. It’s just a pity that the lead defence lawyer on the team is convinced that his client did it…

Two things to forgive here. First of all, sorry the blog is still going slow – this is a particularly busy time at school for a timetabler. You’ll also have to forgive my innocence here, but this is touted as another celebrity dipping their toe into crime fiction writing, following Richard Osman and Richard Coles. Now, if it’s not between 8 and 10 on a Sunday, or a football match, Sam Matterface notwithstanding, then ITV rarely makes an appearance chez Puzzle Doctor. I gather Robert Rinder (or Judge Rinder) is popular on daytime TV, but I’ve only got a vague awareness of him. Is he a celebrity? I guess so, but even so, does it matter? Well it would if this was a load of old tosh only being sold on the strength of his name. And this book, most assuredly, is not a load of old tosh…

It’s a legal thriller/mystery. I’ve not really enjoyed many serious attempts at the genre – Tragedy At Law and Excellent Intentions spring to mind – but the courtroom scenes in some classic mystery novels – The Judas Window – are an absolute delight. And of course, there are the barking-mad but enjoyable Steve Kavanagh thrillers. So, I figured this would either be right up my street or a complete wrong turn.

It’s the former, an absolute delight of a book. The lead character Adam has enough of a personal involvement in the story to draw the reader in, but not so much so his life becomes the focus of the book to the detriment of the plot. His colleagues all come across as “real” people – perhaps the lead lawyer in the case is a something of a caricature – and the relationships that develop come across as “real”.

Most importantly, the plot moves along at a good pace, conflicting Adam’s desire for the truth with the needs of his position as defence council. There’s a genuine surprise at the end of the book – that’s quite a rare thing for me – and a very satisfying conclusion, for the reader at least. I really hope this is the start of a series – looking forward to more from the author.

The Trial is out now in hardback and ebook from Century. Many thanks to the publisher for the e-review copy.