What is truth?

This is a first class courtroom drama, in my view even better than its predecessor. Will Benson is a barrister – and a convicted murderer. He plead innocence in his own trial but accepted guilt in order to practise at the Bar.

In this second outing he must defend Brent Stainsby, an abusive lover, accused of killing his girlfriend in a callous and vicious murder, popularly known as the Blood Orange Murder. It appears to be an open and shut case. The forensic evidence seems decisive. Stainsby is proven to be an incorrigible liar, as well as a thoroughly nasty character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Benson, whose own guilt or innocence remains uncertain, is a troubled man who comes alive in the courtroom, and he is able to raise some doubts in the jury’s minds about the evidence presented against Stainsby. In the meantime, his instructing solicitor, Tess De Vere, discovers that a hushed up police operation some years previously may have considerable relevance to the case.

This is a murky, dirty tale, with a twisting, clever plot. It raises many ethical questions about justice, about crime solving and about the conduct of court trials. At its heart is the question mark over Benson himself, whether he is guilty of murder as charged, or does he have other sins on his conscience. The ghastly Stainsby is a constant reminder to Benson, de Vere and the reader, of how vexed a question guilt or innocence can be.

This is a cracking and gripping British legal thriller, the sequel to Summary Justice, which I loved. The central character, Benson, is an unusual barrister, a man who studied law whilst serving a 11 year prison sentence for murder. Against all the odds, inspired by lawyer Tess De Vere, he has succeeded, although being shunned by the entire law community, he was forced to set up his own chambers. He attracts a phenomenal level of hostile media and public attention, relying on a small close knit group of people for support, such as Archie, Molly and the Congreve family. Against her better judgement, Tess has instructed Benson to defend Brent Stainsby in the notorious Blood Orange murder of the vulnerable and abused Diane Heybridge, the ex-girlfriend of Stainsby. The battle lines have been drawn, the public and the legal profession want Stainsby to pay the price for his heinous crime, and the evidence is overwhelmingly pointing towards his guilt. Even Benson cannot see how he could possibly win, and he is not sure that he wants to, given the monstrous character of Stainsby.

The trial begins, Benson is in his element in court as he slowly begins to dismantle the perceptions and assumptions made about Diane, which makes him less than popular but begin to sow the seeds of the possibility that maybe, just maybe, all is not lost and he could win. It is an intricate puzzle of a case, with twists coming from numerous directions as it eventually becomes clear that Diane was an exceptionally brave and courageous woman. Benson is under severe personal pressure as debts are forcing to him to sell his beloved barge/home, and Tess, and her best friend, Sally, want to get to the bottom of his conviction for murder which has him panicking and floundering emotionally. Benson has been carrying a guilt which weighs him down, revealed through the chilling portrayal of his time in prison, which up till now he has managed to cope with by compartmentalising his life, but as the floodgates open, his grief and sorrow threaten to overwhelm him. Richard Merrington, Secretary of State for Justice is looking to bring down Benson permanently, and he has a personal reason, his idealistic son, David, sees Benson as an inspiration, with plans to work in his chambers.

Fairfax writes a fabulous novel of considerable depth and complexity, beautifully plotted to raise the levels of tension and suspense, you just have to keep reading until the brilliant conclusion. Much is left hanging, and I just cannot wait for the next in the series to see where Benson's story goes next! The creation of Benson, a man with such a compelling backstory and character, gifted, vulnerable, drowning in his personal history, is at the heart of the appeal of this series. He and other characters in the book such as Diane, are ghosts of who they might have been, crippled by what they have done or had done to them, linked by their grief and loss, where only the truth can set them free. If you enjoy legal thrillers, then this is a must read, I highly recommend it. A fantastic and entertaining read. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

Summary Justice was a book I really enjoyed so I was very pleased to get my hands on Blind Defence. It was good to be back with Benson and de Vere again. It starts with a snapshot of Benson's time in prison - powerful - and something that hangs over this book. Back to the present day and Benson gets another high profile case which does not please some people. It should come as no surprise to anyone who read the first book to hear that this appears to be a "hopeless case". Even Benson and de Vere think so but that can't be the case can it?

John Fairfax writes well crafted courtroom type stories for me. However that alone probably would not have me as such a fan. The key is Benson's background story. We got some insights in the first book. The fact that he was jailed for a crime he maintained he did not commit. However to become a barrister he needed to admit his guilt. It was obvious in the previous book that there was more to this than met the eye. This book develops that storyline gradually. Benson's character - complicated, flawed, insightful and with flashes of brilliance - make for an excellent read.

The main case - the Blood Orange murder - is good. It twists and turns, ebbs and flows but kept me interested and engaged throughout. I think the author did a very good job of the ending of the case personally. Not all the loose ends are neatly tied up. Some of the threads seem a little too convenient to me but that is being a little picky probably. Fans, and yes I'm one, will be pleased to know that this is not the end of the story. Benson's guilt or innocence does need establishing for his sake as well as for his family and for Tess. I confess I'm looking forward to the next instalment and hoping it will not be that last!

I read the first in this series last year and thoroughly enjoyed it - I’m always a sucker for a good courtroom drama. This one picks up where the last one left off.
The premise is interesting. Will Benson is a barrister defending an accused murderer- Stainsby, the Blood Orange Killer - but Will Benson himself is a convicted murderer as well as a barrister!
Some of the plot pertains to Benson’s own background: Tess, the referring solicitor has feelings for Benson and is still keen to find out if Benson really is innocent himself. She was there as a work experience student at his original trial and gave him hope to pursue a legal career, even after he was convicted.
Tess and Benson investigate Stainsby who is not a particularly nice man whether he is innocent or guilty and only at the very end of the novel do we learn the truth.
The author was, I believe, a practising barrister and this shows in his attention to detail although the plot is fast moving and does not get slowed down by this knowledge.
I liked Benson’s character development, the flashbacks to his time in gaol showing why he behaves as he does. It was interesting to see how he became a different person when he put on his wig and stood up in court- he was able put aside all his insecurities which had arisen from his time in prison and transform himself into a defence Barrister. He was a different person!
The mystery of Benson’s past was woven into the plot perfectly and added to my enjoyment of the book. His current financial problems also added another dimension to his life. His stress at having to sell his home to pay his debts was an additional pressure.
A great follow up to the first novel and perfect for fans of legal thrillers. You can read Blind Defence as a stand alone but it is worth reading Summary Justice to fully appreciate the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.