My type of book. Intelligent, and totally absorbing. A page-turning legal thriller which you don't want to end. I cannot wait for the next in the series. Recommended.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

#BeyondReasonableDoubt #NetGalley A great start to a new series involving Elliot Rook QC and his new junior Zara Barnes. Reminiscent of the Cormoran Strike novels this was every bit as entertaining and by the end of the book I had warmed to the two main characters. A fair bit of descriptive writing which is inevitable at the start of a new series but when the action came it was gripping and mesmerizing. Great to see from a different perspective than the more common detective thrillers, I look forward to the next installment in this series.

I thought this was a good read and a bit different to the usual crime books. I liked the the two lead characters and think they probably have a lot of potential to develop so I'm interested to read the next book. I did rush it abit as I thought it was about to be archived and so disappear

Beyond reasonable doubt is a page turning legal thriller with a cast of characters that are interesting, well rounded with each given a depth that adds to their appeal, or maybe not with some of them.
Elliot Rook is quite a character from his physical description you but think of Rumpole, but there are major differences. Rook has dragged himself up from a violent poverty ridden past even including a spell in prison. Apart from his mentor and Head of chambers no one else knows this, all assuming he has an Etonian Oxbridge background.
Enter Mixed race Zoe from the same background as Rook who is desperate to be taken on as a pupil, Rook sees a lot of himself in her and takes her on as his junior, their banter and growing respect for each other makes especially good reading.
A 16 year old girl has been found brutally murdered on waste ground in Nottingham, where Rook is originally from. The accused is well known to Root, a violent racist having spent many years in and out of Prison. Rook is blackmailed into defending him otherwise all his previous background will be revealed.
As Rook and Zoe look more deeply into the case there are many unanswered questions and the accused refuses to help refusing to volunteer information. When the court case begins the thrust and parry of both barristers arguments are brilliant, though it looks like an uphill struggle for Rook, but he’s a fighter and determined to get to the truth despite how guilty his client appears.
A wonderful read with a great finale, a page turner and with Rook and Zoe proving to be a good team I hopefully see a great future for a series with these two.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Elliot Rook QC is an eminent barrister, working out of a prestige Chambers. He has a hidden, rather sordid past though which he is desperate to keep under wraps. Most of his peers are completely oblivious to the path he took to gain Silk and he likes it this way. Little do they know of his ex-mining town background and the things he did to survive growing up there. When we first meet him he is in the middle of a big fraud case which isn't quite going according to plan and he is trying to get help from others. He bumps into Zara Barnes, who coincidentally shares a similar background to him, as she leaves from an unsuccessful interview with his own Chambers and takes it upon himself to not only re-interview her but also to employ her. His world is then torn apart when he is requested to represent a face from the past. The past he has struggled to keep hidden. Billy Barber, the brother of his best friend (now deceased) has got himself arrested for the murder of a young, unknown woman. He protests his innocence even though his alcohol consumption dictates that even he can't say what he was doing at the time so has no alibi. Now Billy may be many things, even a killer in his past, but everyone deserves a fair trial. Blackmailed into taking the case, and with Billy not being very helpful in building his own defence, can Rook and Zara get to the bottom of things in time, deliver the correct verdict, and keep Rook's past firmly in the past?
Rook is a bit of a character to say the least and, after reading up about the author on finishing this book, shares a lot of his past with Mr Bell himself. He's brash and brusque and doesn't suffer fools. His marriage has broken down, something he is still a bit in denial of. His lifestyle also leave a lot to be desired. But, and this is important, he has a healthy respect for the law, especially the innocent until proven guilty and entitled to a fair trial parts, something he endeavours to instil in Zara as they work together.
Zara is a bit of a revelation. She's smart and gutsy and rubs along quite well with Rook. She may have had a bit of a time with the politics of things in her past employment but that doesn't seem to have taken the shine off things for her. She just needs a break and appears to have found a kindred spirit in Rook although appearing chalk and cheese at face value. I loved some of their interactions and found certain conversations enlightening.
The story itself was a wee bit predictable and I guessed the ending ahead of time which did take some weight off the punch for me. Probably no fault of the author as I do read a lot of this genre book so I know most of the tricks by now! That said, this book delivered more during the journey rather than relying on just the twist at the end so, overall, it was a good solid read. Pacing was also good and the description complemented the narrative rather than distracting from it.
The author also got my favourite barrister joke into the narrative and, for that alone, I salute him!
All in all, a cracking series opener which thoroughly satisfied but, at the same time, left me hankering for more. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.