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.

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.

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. But his story begins in Birmingham, in the sixties, as a young boy facing racist violence and the tragic death of a young family member – and it’s this that sets him on the path to his groundbreaking career, and which enables him to help communities that the conventional justice system ignores, giving a voice to the voiceless.

This read is pretty indescribable, as well as being insightful and an absolutely fascinating insight into the justice system and some of our most infamous crimes. I have had the pleasure of attending a talk by Afzal and was eager to read this and learn more about his pretty illustrious career. I was not to be disappointed. Afzal gives just the right amount of detail and ensures this is a gripping read and one that is very educational and thought-provoking.

As you might suspect, this is at times a very difficult read and there are some brutal crimes discussed. Nothing is sensationalised but this is a distressing read at times. Having said this, I was gripped from the beginning and raced through this exquisite read. As well as using examples, Afzal outlines his life history as well as his thoughts on the justice system and justice in general; how it has changed, how it could have changed and what is needed for the future.

'The Prosecutor' is both a highly enjoyable read as well as a factual, fascinating read too. I for one will be recommending this to a lot of people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an advance copy.

This was an amazing portrayal of life in Birmingham at a time when racial hatred was rife. We follow Nazirs life from being beaten up while walking home from school to becoming a prominent prosecutor in our legal system. His meteoric rise from a poor and humble background, as a son of Pakistani parents is nothing short of miraculous and deserves every accolade this book can being him.

I grew up during the same era as the author and I was aware of the National front and their attitude to people of other cultures and faiths. But we lived next door to an Indian family, an Irish family and a Bajan family and my mother could be friends with anyone so I never really understood the extent of the struggles for those communities. We all got on well enough although I did wonder why they kept to themselves so much.

The Prosecutor is opening my eyes to the struggles those communities went through: externally from people who were prejudiced against them, and internally as often cruel traditions (such as forced child marriages and honour killing) from their homelands clashed with living in modern Britain.

The book shows me how far we have come in addressing these issues while making the wheels ofjustice run more smoothly (and boy have we come a long way) but also how one man sought to make the world a better place - and over time succeeded. Inspires me.

Nazir Afzal's memoir of 25 years with the Crown Prosecution Service is both interesting and highly readable. Dipping in and out of some of the biggest crimes of my lifetime, Afzal shines a light on both the biggest victories for the criminal system and some of the worst mistakes, all from the point of view of a man who fought the 'system' which he was a part of for much of his life. As a Muslim man taking on prosecutions for so-called Honour Killings, human slavery and the grooming of poor white girls by gangs of Pakistani men in places like Rochdale, he walks a fine line between the communities of his childhood and the establishment. Whilst he's proud of many of his achievements, he doesn't slavishly toe the line for the CPS and admits that his decision to retire was based on having insufficient staff and funding to do the job the way it needed to be done.

Absolutely fascinating and highly recommended. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

This is an incredible memoir from Nazir Afzal, an outstanding CPS chief prosecutor, central to driving the heart of the pioneering evolution of law and justice in Britain, particularly in protecting communities, and the vulnerable, developing cutting edge practices to ensure there was some measure of justice when it came to domestic violence, forced marriages, the horror of so called 'honour' killings, modern slavery and trafficking. It is usually defence lawyers who are celebrated in our society, but Afzal is the perfect case study of the prosecutor as hero, groundbreaking as he goes out of his way to engage with victims of the most harrowing of crimes, neglected and abandoned communities, the police and other relevant agencies in the pursuit of effective change in a archaic, largely privileged and white profession, not noted for its ability to adapt or change, its diversity or in its promotion of inclusivity when it comes to making sure that justice reaches all corners of society.

Afzal is the son of Pakistani Muslim parents that were remarkable community and civic role models to a boy who faced relentless racist abuse and assaults growing up in Birmingham at a time when getting justice from the police was a joke. This background drove his interest in the law, moving from being a defence lawyer to becoming prosecutor in London with the establishment of the CPS in 1986, a dysfunctional fledgling organisation that took a little while to find its feet, operating on a shoestring, and insufficient number of lawyers, a chaotic, messy madhouse in the court system in the 1990s, but Afzal loved it, he was excited and in his element. His successes were noted but he was feeling hemmed in, which led him to becoming the Chief Prosecutor for North West England, a position and place that proves to substantially more amenable for lateral thinking and radical change than London could ever have been, blessed as he was with a fantastic can-do team and a terrific partner in the Manchester Chief Constable.

Afzal was involved in some of the most high profile legal cases in England, including the Rochdale grooming gang scandal, where he shows real courage in acknowledging the CPS had been wrong in not prosecuting the men earlier, taking responsibility for decisions made by others. It is distressing to hear how deep budget cuts to the service ensures that it becomes well nigh impossible to do his job in an environment where justice as a concept for all was disappearing, unless you happened to be wealthy and privileges. This leads him to quit in 2015, an incalculable loss to the CPS, an extraordinary man, instrumental in shaping the law to meet the grim realities to be found in the darkest corners of modern Britain. So much of this memoir is heartbreaking, such as with the revelations of misogyny, abuse, coercive and controlling attitudes from men, families, a culture and communities, directed towards women and young girls, the gender terrorism and murder, is pure horror. Afzal's response is so compassionate, so human, so understanding, with his rock solid determination to find new, original ways to ensure the most vulnerable and powerless gain access to some form of justice despite the obstacles that stand in his way. One of the most amazing memoirs I have ever read, and should be turned into a film or TV series. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Ebury for an ARC.