No Lawyers in Heaven

A Life Defending Serious Crime

Narrated by Mark Elstob
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date 28 Jul 2022 | Archive Date 08 Sep 2022

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Description

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.

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...


Available Editions

EDITION Audiobook
ISBN 9781004089673
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Average rating from 27 members


Featured Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley for making reading this arc possible. If you enjoy learning about the history of law and police I recommend this book. Since I am not that interested in true crime than just a little fast-paced mysteries. This wasn't my cup of tea. Still enjoyed this audiobook while doing house chores.

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This is a must if you’re interested in the history of the law, corruption within the police or a few pointers to have a successful and free career as a criminal 😂

I really enjoyed it, my husband is also a criminal defence solicitor advocate but he isn’t as interesting as Henry Milner.

Henry talks through various cases that he has defended during his career, some might even be familiar depending on your age.

Overall it was a gripping and interesting listen which I finished in a day and was a fantastic distraction during my dogs walks and house chores ☺️

Thanks @netgallery and W.F. Howes publishers for this free audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

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If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be a criminal defense attorney, this is the book for you. It was interesting and funny. Gave a good overview of the criminal justice system.

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I enjoy crime fiction and thought this title would give interesting insight into the real side of criminal defence. The narration is superb; pitched exactly right and I felt as if the author was reading. The role of a defence barrister can be difficult for a lay person to understand. For those of us not directly involved in criminal justice, it sometimes feels wrong that the appalling actions of an individual are defended, sometimes so well that they walk free, found not guilty.

However, once we grasp the idea that British justice is based on innocent until proven guilty and that everyone has the right to legal representation, the moral issues are more easily accepted. A defence barrister is arguing points of law and that’s different to personal defence. It’s often an exercise in linguistics and interpretation along with convincing rhetoric and the ability to put on a good show. Theirs is the most difficult job as they have to find weak points in the prosecution case and pull it apart to create doubt.

Milner does an excellent job of bringing all of this to life with examples from a few well known cases. I was fascinated by his account and I’m sure he’d make a wonderful dinner guest; articulate, humorous, irreverent and down to earth. He tells it like it is and I really enjoyed No Lawyers in Heaven.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

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This is not my usual type of book but I loved it! I listened to the audio version and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator (and I’m really fussy when it comes to this I have learnt). The book itself was not what I expected and was absolutely pitched to the right level. It was not dumbed-down but equally did not over complicate what, I can only imagine, is a really complicated topic- The British judicial system.
I enjoyed how humble the author is and he selected his cases to explore carefully so as not to trivialise serious crime but to still entertain. I have no doubt there are many more pearls of wisdom Milner could share, a really interesting man. I am definitely recommending this book to a dear relative of mine who only reads non-fiction crime books and will enjoy every second of this.
For clarity, it was focused more on character and human nature than the nuances of crime investigations but did provide a real insight into the overriding question, how does a defence lawyer make peace with the idea of defending the (potentially!) guilty?
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read and review this one!

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If you like the Rumpole series of classic books you will love this true to life autobiography by a
London criminal defense attorney. The author is charming and self depreciating but beneath his humorous veneer one can tell he really does care about his clients, a great read!

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