Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.

Nazir Azfal does an excellent job describing the shortcoming and successes of the British legal system during his 20+ years career. I found the detail behind the cases, the many hoops prosecutors have to jump thrrough to bring a case to justice illuminating. I also really enjoyed how he put the outcomes of specific cases into context about the broader changes they brought. However, I felt I would have liked more depth in each case - sometimes it felt a bit too rushed and also how the systemic changes came to be. The public sector moves very slowly and even though he commnets on this, while reading it feels like everything moves fast because there is a lot of detail missing. Overall though, I think this is a very important book which highlights many important issues and brings home the realisation the justice system needs major reform.

I loved this very well written book. It is a great insight to his life and the fights he has taken on throughout his career. Gripping and fascinating.

A really interesting insight into the workings of the British justice system and the CPS. Sadly he describes the system as broken but this is a great snapshot of what goes on behind the scenes.

An incredible memoir they focuses on the role of the prosecutor and the CPS in a way that I have never read or understood before. This well-written and capturing account of a career in British justice in recent decades details some well-known crimes and how reforms and miscarriages of justice have happened throughout that time.
Nazir Afzal brings such a personal and likeable approach to both his writing and to the work he has done: in going against the grain, challenging stereotypes, racism and cultural issues, and serving the British public. It becomes clear how pivotal change has been in adapting the law and prosecution to be fit for purpose in the modern climate as well as examining what can be done better for a fair and just society.
This was a brilliant read and a fascinating insight in to this side of our legal system.

I thought this was a fascinating, important and urgent read. It made me want to be a better citizen. Very powerful stuff.

Nazir Afzal knows a thing or two about justice. As a Chief Prosecutor, it was his job to make sure the most complex, violent and harrowing crimes made it to court, and that their perpetrators were convicted. From the Rochdale sex ring to the earliest prosecutions for honour killing and modern slavery, Nazir was at the forefront of the British legal system for decades.

I love reading books from the perspectives of people who have been inside of the UK justice system, and this was enlightening in an entirely new way. The author has the most incredible life within the justice system and will be inspirational to people who have an interest in the justice system and law. It is eye-opening, to say the least, and is definitely a book I would invest in to have as a hard copy.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I knew pretty early into reading this book, that it was going to be a brilliant read. Azfal's talent for storytelling was captivating.
As I had previously read a non fiction that turned into an unexpected autobiagraphy of the author, I was wary about how much this book would be about the British judicial system. I needn't have worried. The early stages of his life laid the foundations for what he was to become and definitely impacted his need for change.
Throughout, we get a fascinating look at certain high profile cases, and how the perpetrators were found and brought to justice. One particular case, Safiya, a deaf girl kept as a slave, was nothing short of remarkable and will stay with me for a long time.
I have always had a deep fascination with the legal system, and this was a wonderful insight into it. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Really interesting perspective on the British legal system from the prosecution angle. Well worth a read.

I'm not a true crime person, there is something about the mix of forensic prurient details and reminder of real world evil that has never appealed to me. And I suppose I was a little naive to approach The Prosecutor thinking it would largely be a procedural nuts and bolts discussion of the role of the senior decision makers in the Crown Prosecution Service. It is that, and it is a personal memoir, but there are also nuggets of true crime here, and true crime of the most unpleasant form - from modern slavery to gang grooming. And whilst Nazir Afzal is far from glorifying it, it is true crime nonetheless.

Its an odd book, as it limps between celeb style memoir (nuggets of a mixed childhood, glossed over first marriage), and broader philosophical views of the British (English) Criminal justice System. I learnt a lot about the short history of the CPS, I hadn't realised it was only thirty five years old and was largely brought in to tackle the miscarriages of justice which had come about when the police also prosecuted their own crimes. This explains some of its broader failings, that the police and CPS have different sets of priorities and often work antagonistically with each other (not least in the beginning). I knew the CPS had a test about public interest, and also about how likely conviction was, but not how much that is squeezed in a budgetary way. Having been a witness in a CPS case I certainly saw the waste involved and how the system as it was ten years ago was not serving victims or the accused well, I know it is even worse now. Near the end Afzal engages with what he feels are problems in the system, but I would have liked a lot more of that.

Instead there is a strange tension in the book between a memoir that identifies Britain as a hugely racist country, and a selection of true crime anecdotes that seem to be fuel to that fire. He engages with the BNP at one point to identify that they indeed have little interest in justice, rather in stirring up hatred, but whilst there is an aspect of the story where Afzal as a member of the British Pakistani community has been able to press for convictions around crime involving those communities it feels like a flaw to have so many cases from them. I get the passion for the subjects, and there is a solid bit of convincing work to stress that in prioritising what Afzal calls Gender Terrorism you tend to find a way into closing other crimes too - those involved in organised crimes and terrorism usually abuse partners too. But there is a long standing recognition how poor the police are are supporting victims of gender violence, it is a pity that there is no engagement here with the parlous state of rape convictions, police race relations and ways to solve it. I guess he is out, and that's fair, but if he was willing to learn from mistakes in his career, it would be good to see him continue that conversation, not least because its only in the more philosophical slivers of the book when I get the sense of the real person, rather than someone being ghostwritten into a number of other genres (poverty memoir and true crime).

The Prosecutor is truly fascinating. It covers a vast majority of topics but the theme of race is particularly strong throughout.

Nazir Afzal is a former chief prosecutor and he has prosecuted some of the countries most notorious criminals. The encounters he details are very shocking - covering rape, child slavery, murder amongst many other heinous crimes.

Afzal's pursuit of justice is unrelenting and admirable. Many of the topics and the cases discussed will stay with me for a long time. This book is well worth a read.

This is an autobiography of sorts that charts the author’s journey from growing up during the ‘60s in Birmingham with Pakistani heritage. Afzal shares how he has worked in the British justice system for over 25 years in various positions. He has been instrumental in prosecuting some of the most heinous crimes from murder to child grooming. The book is written with a large dose of humanity, in that each case is related to an individual and they are given the outmost respect. Afzal makes clear that justice is for all, not something which should be based on class, status or wealth. Although written with an awareness for the political climate, this book does not get overly political and focuses instead on the law. I found it a pleasure to read, even though at times it shines a harsh light on some of the more unsavoury aspects of human nature.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for an honest review.

This is not my usual type of book but I have to say what a fantastic read.
Nazir is a compassionate and very empathetic person who is always fighting and giving a voice to the under dog.
Definitely recommend reading this book.

As a young boy in sixties Birmingham Nazir Afzal experienced the casual racism which divides communities. After a family tragedy he chose to apply him and found his calling with the law, swapping defence work to become a prosecutor and rapidly rising in his profession. After chosing to move out of London, Nazir lands in Manchester and heads up prosecutions in a series of landmark cases.
The name Nazir Afzal is synonymous with the Rochdale Grooming Gang trials, a man who chose to believe the testimony of a group of victims who had been ignored by different teams supposedly there to protect them. This book shows that it was merely the natural extension of a career based on righting wrongs in society, particularly for those who appear to have no voice. The book pulls no punches as it describes horrific violence, domestic and criminal, and the terrible stories of some of those victims. My only criticism is that the writing can be a little clunky at times, but the passion and dedication shine through.

What a great read ,! Highly recommended, Nazir Afzal is an intelligent, compassionate man and this book shows this in all its glory.

The book highlights some of society’s issues and problems , I’m ashamed to say I knew little about and it shows Nazir’s understanding and concern to always champion the underdog . He does this whilst ensuring he is doing his job to the highest standard, and ensuring all those around him can do the same whilst knowing their voices will be heard.

The book is well written and easy to read despite some of the hard subject matter. I feel this is book is on the must read list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing.

A superbly written book, blending real life stories with honest and heart felt observations. It was impossible to read without feeling the emotion of the writer. Truly inspirational.

Intelligent, informative, interesting, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. Nazir is a brilliant man who deserves every success. I learnt a lot about forced marriage, the CPS and judicial processes. Not a book I would usually choose so thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

A fascinating book, which highlights the important and difficult work of the Crown Prosecution Service. At times the writing style is a bit dull, but it comes to life when Nazir Afzal is writing about cases he feels passionate about. I would definitely recommend this book.

What an amazing and very readable book. One of the very few that I have read recently that deserves more than 5 Stars. Whilst it was interesting to discover that Nazir Afzal managed to succeed in an environment stacked against him, it was even more interesting to discover what has gone on behind the scenes of the Justice System and what has been achieved by imaginative thinking and shear hard work, both by the people he has worked with and Nazir, himself.

It is amazing that the Justice System has managed to achieve what it has, despite the swingeing cuts made to all parts of the services and very scary to think what the nasties are getting away with, today and tomorrow, because there just are not enough people to deal with them.

This book is a total eye-opener and one that I think that everyone should read.

This is and interesting quick read that is certainly a little different to the books I have read recently.

Nazir Afzal was a Chief Prosecutor and supplies interesting back stories to some of his experiences over his career. Nazir Afzal was at the forefront of the British legal system and gives some very interesting insight into the legal system and some of the cases. Afzal was raised in Birmingham in the sixties and faced racist violence which gave him a grounding in what was to come in a celebrated legal career.

It was an interesting read but lacked the real depth of detail which would have made this book far more interesting and insightful.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin Random House for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a story! And what an insight into our criminal justice system! Nazir Afzal was a Chief Prosecutor for the CPS and made it his mission in life to ensure perpetrators of serious crimes were brought to book and that victims received justice. Always on the side of the victims and willing to fight for them, his empathy stemmed from the racism he and his family had experienced first-hand and this made him determined to give a voice to those who previously often hadn’t had one. The Rochdale sex ring, modern slavery, honour killings and forced marriage – all were grist to his mill and the book is a gripping account of his work over decades. I was occasionally torn between deep admiration and a measure of irritation with his air of righteousness and holier-than-thou approach, but in view of the fact that he achieved so much and made some really significant changes to the justice system I guess we must forgive a certain amount of self-congratulation. A great read and an important one.