A Case of Mice and Murder
The Trials of Gabriel Ward
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4.7 • 33 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE 2026 BRITISH BOOK AWARD, CRIME & THRILLER
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Wall Street Journal, Library Journal, and Christian Science Monitor
"I was immediately besotted . . . Brilliant." -Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal
When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms at exactly two minutes to seven on a sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case--the disputed authorship of bestselling children's book Millie the Temple Church Mouse--that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep.
But even he cannot fail to notice the judge's dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart of London's legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now . . .
The police can enter the Temple only by consent, so who better to investigate this tragic breach of law and order than a man who prizes both above all things? But murder doesn't answer to logic or reasoned argument, and Gabriel soon discovers that the Temple's heavy oak doors are hiding more surprising secrets than he'd ever imagined . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Smith (Marshall Hall) delivers an affable if verbose series launch set in 1901 London's Inner Temple, home to distinguished judges and barristers. Sir Gabriel Ward KC, a neurodivergent barrister, strictly adheres to his daily routine—so much so that he barely notices a barefoot corpse lying at the front entrance of his chambers. The victim is Lord Chief Justice Norman Dunning, who was stabbed with a carving knife. Sir William Waring, master treasurer and head of the Inner Temple, is wary of outside police probing their community, so he assigns the investigation to Ward. Though Ward would rather focus on defending publisher Herbert Moore in a dispute over the true authorship of children's bestseller Millie the Temple Church Mouse, he reluctantly launches his inquiry. Alongside London police constable Maurice Wright, Ward interviews a wide array of people: servants, an ex-convict, the Temple Church's minister, Dunning's family, and potential candidates for the new Lord Chief Justice. Though at times the large cast and Smith's fondness for the language of the period saps the plot of momentum, readers will admire Sir Gabriel's wit and the tender partnership he develops with Constable Wright. This series is off to a promising start.
