Steve Cavanagh, a practising lawyer turned bestselling author, is set to release the tenth installment of his Eddie Flynn series, titled One of Us is Guilty, later this month, reports BritPanorama.
Cavanagh is known for his deep understanding of courtroom drama, and in a reflection of his influences, he shares five legal thrillers that have shaped his perspective and craft. Each of these works offers unique insights into the complexities of law and justice.
Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer
“This encapsulates everything I love about legal fiction. Rumpole, a defence barrister, is such a brilliantly drawn, almost mischievous character, dealing with all the moral rules – and, more importantly, the moral grey areas – of being a lawyer. The courtroom scenes are exceptional because Mortimer, a gifted advocate, really knew what he was writing about.”
“The book is a collection of short stories, so you get all sorts of cases – dodgy policemen, gangsters, MPs accused of wrongdoing – and is the first of what became a classic series. Rumpole remains one of the greatest legal dramas in fiction, and I come back to it again and again.”
Penguin Modern Classics, £10.99
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
“For many readers, this is the original modern legal thriller. Turow’s novel follows Rusty Sabich, whose colleague – and former lover – Carolyn Polhemus is found murdered. Rusty is then charged with killing her.”
“What I love is that the book explores the private lives of lawyers: the mistakes they make, the lines they cross, the moral compromises they justify, and the consequences that follow. Those grey areas fascinate me, because lawyers aren’t superheroes – they are flawed people like everyone else. At its heart, though, this is still a brilliant courtroom novel, with one of the best trials I’ve ever read.”
Penguin, £10.99
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“Harper Lee created perhaps the most iconic lawyer in fiction: Atticus Finch. There are countless lawyers – particularly in America – who followed that path because they read this novel. They too wanted to be the person who stands up for someone falsely accused when nobody else will. That influence is extraordinary.”
“The story centres on the trial of Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of a crime, but it’s also Scout’s coming-of-age story and a much broader exploration of justice, prejudice and morality in the American South. The trial may only form part of the novel, but it carries all the themes Lee wanted to explore. It’s an inspiration not just for legal fiction, but for lawyers themselves.”
Arrow, £8.99
The Firm by John Grisham
“35 years on, I still think this is John Grisham’s finest novel. It follows Mitch McDeere, who has worked his way out of poverty through law school when he’s offered the perfect job: an enormous salary, his student loans paid off, a house, a car, everything he could want. It seems too good to be true – and of course it is.”
“He gradually realises that nobody ever leaves the firm, and when he starts looking into suspicious deaths involving previous lawyers, everything turns very dark. It’s about the price people pay for success, and what happens when ambition blinds you to what’s really going on. In many ways it is a dissection of the American Dream, but it is also still an absolutely brilliant suspense novel.”
Arrow, £10.99
You Don’t Know Me by Imran Mahmood
“I love this book because it completely breaks the usual legal thriller formula. Most courtroom novels follow a familiar pattern: there’s a crime, an investigation, then a trial. Mahmood strips all of that away. The entire novel is essentially one long speech from the defendant accused of murder directly to the jury.”
“He is essentially saying, ‘Hear my story; put yourself in my shoes,’ and I think that’s such a clever way of telling the story because, ultimately, that’s what lawyers are trying to do every day in court. You’re asking a jury to step into your client’s life and understand why events unfolded as they did. By making the whole novel that plea, Mahmood creates something genuinely original. It is a fascinating exploration of justice, perspective and truth.”
Penguin, £10.99
‘One Of Us Is Guilty’ by Steve Cavanagh is published in hardback, ebook and audio on 30 July (Headline, £16.99) and is available to preorder now.
