Nicola Williams (2) (1961–)

I always enjoy a good legal crime thriller and Until Proven Innocent is a fantastic example of this genre. I was gripped by the story and found it to be a hard book to put down.

Lee Mitchell is a barrister in South London. She comes from the same side of the tracks as many of the people she represents and she's done well for herself, but she's never forgotten her roots. Against her better judgement Lee finds herself acting for DS Jack Lambert when he's accused of shooting the son of the pastor at the Black church in her neighbourhood and it soon seems that locals are questioning where her loyalties lie.

Whilst Lee is the main character, there are also chapters that cover the story from the point of view of a Black police officer, a Tory councillor, instructing solicitor and others, and whilst much of the book is about bringing the case to court, the story covers much more than just the trial. This all served to give an excellent overview of crime, punishment, and the legal system as all the strands were pulled together.

I found this book to be a really exciting and compelling read. The author gives a strong sense of place and community, and the racism that the Black characters endure, not least from the suspect himself, felt realistic and sadly, not unexpected.

This is not the first book to feature Lee Mitchell (Without Prejudice was the first, originally published in 1998 and republished in 2021 as part of the Black Britain series) and I think there could be more in the future. I'd certainly read another book by Nicola Williams who has used her own experience as a barrister to brilliant effect. I haven't read the first book and it didn't matter as any pertinent background information was mentioned.

Until Proven Innocent is a rollicking good read. It's gritty, relevant and fast-paced and comes highly recommended by me.… (mere)