Fast, funny and readable, Murder at the Bailey is an enjoyable romp through a 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. Milner clearly can, and with verve and humour. The Times
'A pacy, witty, riveting tour de force.' Wensley Clarkson
A gloriously entertaining audiobook from one of Britain's top criminal lawyers.
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 numero uno Big Jake Davenport showing such a keen interest in the proceedings?
A wickedly eccentric cast of brilliantly drawn characters populate this daring debut from one of Britain's top criminal defence lawyers. Dripping with sparkling dialogue and delicious wit, Murder at the Bailey is a masterly picaresque romp through the courtrooms, custody suites and London restaurants graced by the cognoscenti.
The life of a criminal defence lawyer is shrouded in mystery. Outsiders might wonder about how to deal with potentially dangerous clients; what happens behind the scenes when building a defence; and, that age-old moral dilemma, how a lawyer can defend someone they think is guilty. But what is life really like for those tasked with representing the shadowy underbelly of society?
For over forty years, criminal defence solicitor Henry Milner has been the go-to lawyer for some of Britain's most notorious criminals including Kenneth Noye and the Brink's-Mat robbers, Freddie Foreman, John 'Goldfinger' Palmer and the gang behind the Millennium Dome raid.
Here, the lawyer referred to in the Sunday Times as 'The Mr Big of Criminal Briefs' offers a fascinating insight into life at the top of the profession, lifting the lid on the psychology of those who end up on the wrong side of the law and those who defend them. By turns shocking and hilarious, this remarkable memoir takes us deep into the enigmatic criminal underworld, delivering a wry personal commentary on the most extraordinary aspects of a life spent amongst the accused.
'A fascinating read as a top-class criminal defence lawyer tells the story of his top-class clients and their top-class crimes'. JAMES MORTON author of Krays: The Final Word
“A no-holds-barred exposE.” ANDY MCNAB
“An entertaining and revealing insight into the world of the criminal defence lawyer and the inside stories behind some of the Old Bailey s most famous cases.” DUNCAN CAMPBELL, journalist and author of Underworld: The definitive history of Britain's organised crime
“A fascinating read and brilliantly written.” CLARE MONTGOMERY QC
“Henry Milner's colourful account of a career over decades as a criminal defence solicitor evokes a bygone era of the criminal justice system. In a highly readable style with plenty of wry self-deprecating humour, Milner gives a compelling insight into a life defending some of the big-league criminal names. A must-read.” FRANCES GIBB, former legal editor,The Times
“What a great read and testament to a stellar career” CRISPIN AYLETT QC
