A schoolboy accused of a brutal murder. A retired lawyer with secrets to hide…
A 15-year-old schoolboy is accused of the murder of one of his teachers. His lawyers, the guarded veteran, Judith, and the energetic young solicitor, Constance, begin a desperate pursuit of the truth, revealing uncomfortable secrets about the teacher and the school. But Judith has her own secrets which she risks exposing when it is announced that a new lie-detecting device, nicknamed Pinocchio, will be used during the trial. And is the accused, a troubled boy who loves challenges, trying to help them or not?
The Pinocchio Brief is a gripping, very human thriller which confronts our assumptions about truth and reliance on technology.
About the Author: Abi Silver: “I cannot remember a time when I was not writing stories. Growing up with a house full of books (my parents were teachers), I was inspired from an early age to believe I could join the ranks of my heroes.
I grew up in Leeds and studied in Cambridge before settling down to a legal career in London. I travelled extensively through Asia, South America and Australia and lived in Israel. Being an ‘outsider’ (as you frequently are when you travel or live overseas) makes you a wonderful people-watcher and it certainly informed my writing. I now live in Hertfordshire with my husband and three sons.
The Aladdin Trial is the second in the Burton & Lamb legal thriller series. The Pinocchio Brief was my first novel.”
My Review: If you like legal thrillers with complex characters and an intriguing plot line then check out The Pinocchio Brief which is the first book in Abi Silver’s new series featuring Constance Lamb and Judith Burton.
The story is told through the points of view of Raymond a 16 year old, quirky, schoolboy, accused of murdering his Maths teacher and Judith Burton, a very successful, retired barrister who is approached by Constance Lamb, a young and ambitious lawyer to help defend Raymond.
Alternating between time-frames, the story is easy to follow and the characters are well developed. The addition of a new technology called Pinocchio which is a lie-detecting device adds a clever and unusual twist to the normal courtroom dramas.
