An ambitious legal thriller in the John Grisham vein.

Plucky young lawyer has to balance his career ambitious with the pursuit of truth and justice, often working around the authorities that are protective of the elite. I suspect that it’s not a coincidence that this summary sounds an awful lot like some of John Grisham’s most successful tales.

And, it’s a good attempt to follow in the master’s footsteps. The characters are engaging, the plot intriguing. It doesn’t feel real enough, however. Not surprising when it comes from somebody whose background is TV and film production rather than actually law.

I found the twists surprising, although the resolution felt ultimately forced and a bit false. Trying a bit too hard to be clever I think, but overall well worth a read.

Newly qualified lawyer Lewis Miller is sent to ask a grieving mother to sign a NDA after her daughter was found on marshland after committing suicide. But Irina doesn't believe her daughter Maria would commit suicide so refuses to sign. After listening to her reasoning he has his own suspicions so starts investigating.
This is a fast paced novel with a few red herrings making you wonder what really did happen. I really enjoyed it.

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
4.0 star read

Sometimes the truth is the least obvious answer. Or at least that’s what Lewis Miller finds when he’s sent to get a NDA signed… a story of murder, deceit and lies that you do not expect to the very last page

Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicide, and Violence

When Maria Brenna is found at the Marshlands, her death is seen as a suicide but is all what it seems?

When rich Robert Carlson asks his lawyers to get Maria Mum to sign to sign an NDA. Suspicions arouse. Does he have anything to do with Maria's suicide? Lawyer Lewis Miller is on the case...

A brilliant read, so many twists and turns I didn't know where it was going to end up. I really enjoyed this. Thank you so much.

I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of characters to keep tabs on but the author in the story telling reminded you who they were. Very good for me.

I was reading faster and faster to find out what was happening next. I found all the characters believable and the pace of the book was fast which I loved. Definitely a .great read and I will look lout for more books by James Buckler.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC for which I have given my unbiased review.

Read ARC from NetGalley thank you.


A genre that is not typically one I lean towards I was a little sceptical when starting this. That said, I was gripped from the beginning. Following Maria’s story from her alleged and very strange suicide, to Lewis finally uncovering the truth. I found all of the characters intriguing and couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end.

Buckler writes with a fast paced, and thrilling writing style. Involving multiple characters and various plot lines that intertwined into one of my favourite reads of this year. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

When brilliant research scientist Maria Brennan is discovered dead in her car everyone is convinced she's taken her own life. All the evidence points to suicide; she's lost her high profile job and seems to have been blacklisted in the research community. However, her mother Irina is convinced Maria wouldn't take her own life and when a young lawyer is tasked with getting Irina to sign an NDA he begins to suspect that she may be right.

I was a little bit skeptical when I started reading The Simple Truth as the opening pages are very descriptive, setting the scene on a nature reserve and leading up to the discovery of a body. Once the main characters are introduced the story really begins to increase in pace.

The story taps into a lot of themes which are very relevant at the moment. Organised crime, green energy and Russian money. Author James Buckler manages to weave these themes together in an interesting, and believable, way. The use of the themes also means that there is never a dull moment in the story, we have action, tension and terror.

A range of characters feature throughout the novel with the main one being young lawyer Lewis Miller. Lewis has fought his way up from his working class background in east London to become an employee of one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. Because of his background Lewis sees parallels between himself and Maria Brennan and this sets him on his crusade to discover the truth.

The story has plenty of twists and absolutely no-one can be trusted. There are plenty of red herrings along the way too. James Buckler has worked in TV and film for years and this is evident in the way the chase scenes are written, your heart is pounding as you wonder if each character can escape pursuit.

A pacy legal thriller that grips throughout with plenty of twists and turns and intriguing characters.

The main protagonist is suitably morally challenged and the mystery element is very well done keeping the narrative unpredictable plus the fast nature of events makes this easily a one sitting read.

A great read overall and hugely enjoyable.

The Simple Truth follows Lewis Miller, a young and ambitious lawyer, as he is tasked with getting some important documents signed. It sounds simple enough, and the request comes from an important boss, on behalf of an extremely wealthy client, so has the potential to fast track his career. However, Lewis soon realises that all is not what it seems and he quickly finds himself caught up in a potential murder investigation with his own life at risk.

The Simple Truth is a good quality story, it is fast paced and well written. There are a number of characters to get to grips with and several different stories happening at once, until they all merge together. I liked Lewis as a main character and would be interested to see more books about what happens to him in the future. For me, the chapters were just the right length, nice and short; it meant that I had MANY 'just one more chapter' evenings!

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

James Buckler writes a fast paced, action packed, twisted, London based thriller, with short chapters that will have you turning the pages as fast as possible. Maria Brennan was a young gifted climate scientist working at the cutting edge company Ever Sine run by Robert Carlech, a green technology entrepreneur, before being fired. She has been discovered dead close to a beauty spot, Coldharbour Marshes, by a dog walker, apparently a tragic suicide. Lewis Miller is a ambitious lawyer at the exclusive law firm of Renfrew and Hall in the city, he is the outsider from the wrong side of the tracks, unlike the others from their backgrounds of privilege. He is keeping his head down, waiting for his chance to move on up, and when a senior partner, Charlie King, tasks him with closing the Brennan case for their wealthy client, Carlech, he thinks he has finally made it.

All he has to do is meet the family, and their lawyer, Martin Sobel at the Whitechapel Law Centre, deliver a substantial cheque, and get their signature on a NDA document. Simple, right? However, the distraught and grieving mother of Maria, Irina Koval, refuses to accept the money or sign the NDA, despite being urged to do so by her son, Drew. She claims Maria was murdered, something Miller is not convinced of, until his girlfriend, science teacher Rachael, tells him something is not quite right about the death. So Miller makes the fateful decision to investigate, knowing it will bring him trouble from his employer, and without being aware just how much deadly danger he will find himself in. He begins to look into Maria's life and Carlech's plan to establish a groundbreaking hydrogen energy plant, to be built with high level government backing, only to uncover links to Russian oligarchs, and so much more.

Buckler provides a wide cast of characters, the good, the bad, and the very bad. Lewis Miller makes for a sympathetic character, someone who has dragged himself from the depths of poverty through sheer hard work. He feels deeply uncomfortable at Renfrew and Hall, having to dispense all sense of his real self to work there, something which I imagine must be really stressful, and when it comes to it, faced with having to choose between his employers or justice, it's no contest, justice wins. This is a gripping read, an intriguing and suspenseful thriller with engaging multiple plotlines and twists that will appeal to many readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This is a fast paced intense and gritty novel . with well thought out characters and twisty plot. the story had me completly engaged and needing to know more. I liked how all the characters played a part in the story. This gripping storyline was unpredictable and full of suspenseand also had a great plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for access to this ARC.

A great premise that starts off with a bang. The fast pace is upheld throughout. The short sharp chapters keep you engrossed and a protagonist that you will root for. The thrills are there but sometimes felt plausible. Perhaps if you’re looking for a courtroom thriller, this may not be the one.

A very intriguing and gripping read. This book is well-written and has a good plot - readers will not be disappointed. I liked the twist at the end and recommend this book to others.

Loved this book it’s hard to put it down and do something else. I didn’t think I would like certain people but I got involved into there stories just as much. The twists and turns went right up to end brilliant book, can’t wait to read more by James Buckler

If it seems to good to be true - it probably is! When young up and coming lawyer Lewis is asked to deliver a contract and NDA to the family of a suicide victim, he thinks this is the opportunity to show his firm what he is capable of! However, the mum believes it was murder - he cannot just let it go, and starts to dig deep into what actually happened!
Slow in parts and heart stopping in others - I love a legal drama and this didn’t disappoint!

Murder or suicide, that is the question.
I enjoyed the book. The characters and plot were all well thought out and kept me needing to know more. I like how all the characters play a part in the story. I did not see the ending coming but I like how it all tied together nicely.

Nothing Is Ever Simple…
Young and newly qualified lawyer, Lewis, is about to get way out of his depth in this action packed, swiftly moving suspenseful mystery. He only has to get a family to sign some paperwork following the tragic suicide of their daughter - so that should be fairly straightforward. Or, so he thinks. And so begins a catalogue of bizarre events. Nothing is ever simple and certainly not straightforward. With a well drawn and credible cast of characters and an immersive storyline, this is a pacy and deftly plotted mystery.

When young lawyer, Lewis, is given the task of delivering a cheque and an NDA to the family of a dead woman things do not go as planned. Why does an NDA need to be signed and what exactly happened?
This was a sharp read, quick chapters and I found myself racing to the end.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I really enjoyed this dark, chilling, well-plotted story. It was intense and fast paced and I raced through this in a few hours, frantically turning the pages, desperate to find out how it was all going to be resolved.

A young corporate lawyer is tasked with a seemingly simple task, getting a signature on a non-disclosure agreement after the apparent suicide of a young woman. But there is more going on than meets the eye and he is soon sucked into a situation beyond his control. This is full of action and suspense, with a main character you will really root for.