Crucial Evidence

by Margaret Barnes

Lenny Barker is pleading not guilty to the brutal murder of prostitute Shelley Paulson, while his defence barrister Cassie Hardman is left in no doubt of his guilt - that is until shelearns of compelling new evidence in the highprofile case to which only she is privy.
Risking her future career and her ambition to become a QC, Cassie Hardman seeks a fair trial for the accused Barker, and will stop at nothing to locate the missing witness who may hold the key to his acquittal.
Will she find the man in question before the jury retires to consider their verdict at the Old Bailey? And if Barker is acquitted of the gruesome crime who was really responsible?
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352 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2014

About the author

Crucial Evidence is my first novel and draws on my experiences as a barrister defending in the Criminal Courts. During my career at the Bar I have represented murderers, rapist and robbers. A jury speech is just a way of telling a good story only one can't invent the evidence.
I have always wanted to write a novel, but until retirement I didn't have the time.
I did an MA in Creative Writing at Exeter University so that I could try and break the bad habits I had acquired as a lawyer.
I hope this novel gives some insight into the life and work of a barrister and looks at a murder from a different perspective.
If you have ever wanted to know how a lawyer can represent someone they know is guilty, this book will provide the answer.

Reviews

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut novel by this author drawing on her own experiences at the English Bar; an intriguing courtroom drama with some interesting characters. Cassie a determined young barrister is instructed by her Chambers to defend a young man who has been arrested for the murder of a young woman who had worked as an escort. A very believable and compulsive account of the trial and an insight into the inner workings at The Old Bailey in the pursuit of Justice. Certainly an author to keep an eye on.

[Eve Wheaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great debut. Margaret Barnes knows what she's writing about. As an ex barrister her attention to detail is immaculate and gives a reader a real feel for the process of legal justice. This is crime fiction made real by a great authority. I look forward to seeing the development of the characters in books to come.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man was charged for the murder of a prostitute . As he going to trial they ended up catching the real killer and had DNA to prove it. But the jury was already out on the trial of the man they had charged with her murder - or they thought he was guilty . What do they do in a case like this. Well it was complicated but they had to go by the law and what the judge says.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Ideally, I'd give this book 3.5 stars, but since I can't give half stars...

I've watched a lot of murder mysteries, but the only show revolving around court cases I could really get into was Shark. Therefore, my experience with what goes on in court is very limited - I don't like to know who the murderer is from the start. (It's why I could never get into Columbo).

This isn't as much about the court itself, which I think was what managed to keep my attention throughout. That and the fact that the characters were realistic and human, even if I did think they made some silly mistakes at times.

I admit I don't know much about what goes on in court, but one thing that particularly struck me was how adamant even the defence were that they had the right guy - based on what I would personally think was circumstantial evidence.

I do think that the politics of the court came across really well. I have no idea if the attitudes really are as sexist and racist as they come across in this book, but it's true that not everyone has moved past certain ideas.

The intricacies of the court room came across really well in this book and the scenes from Alex's perspective helped ensure I didn't become bored with all of the case work being thrown around. I did think that Cassie was a bit free with the information she was giving out to everyone - I was under the impression that a case's proceedings are confidential, or at least not things that should be talked about to the general public. I could be wrong, but it did strike me as being a bit inaccurate.

There's clearly been a lot of thought that's gone into this book. The writing in terms of the descriptions is good, but I did notice a lot of errors - including random capital letters and more than one person speaking in the same paragraph.

I'd be interested in reading more books by this author, if only for the simple fact I should have gone to bed ages ago - but something in this book kept me reading to the end.

[Geraldine O'Donnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This debut novel engaged the reader throughout, with a well constructed plot and believable characters. The author, an experienced barrister, provides enough detail to allow the reader an insight into legal proceedings.

I have rated a number of books that provide "benchmarks" and have awarded only three stars on account of the lack of expert editing which has let down a talented author.
I am sure that Margaret Barnes has more stories to tell and I look forward to her next publication.
A very promising start to a new career!

[susan murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lenny barker is accused of murder and Cassie his barrister has to defend him. Lenny is confused when arrested and admits being in the park and Cassie
Believes him to be not guilty but how to prove it. Cassie puts her career on the line trying to help Lenny and gets help in the end from an unexpected source. The story is excellent keeps you interested from beginning to end would recommend to anyone interested in detective stories.

[Judy Birkbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-paced novel, offering great insights into the fascinating and intimating world of the courtroom, and the nepotism and misogyny of the predominantly white Anglo-Saxon male legal profession. I loved the judge playing with his model yacht in his room, and this bit: "He gathered his gown up like a duck's tail, and sat down with a dramatic flourish of his hands as he released the material."