What a marvellous read this book is! Set in London in 1901, it features a renowned barrister, Sir Gabriel Ward. The closed - off world of the Inner Temple, the beating heart of British Justice, is a unique place, similar to the Vatican, with its own rules, laws, ancient buildings and privileged inhabitants and is where this murder mystery is set.
The language which the author uses for the narrative is sublime, and very much of its time. This is so much more than a ‘cosy crime’ story. The characterisation of all the players is faultless, the twists and turns in the exploration of the crime are fascinating. Sir Gabriel is tasked with turning detective for a week, in an effort to find the murderer of the Lord Chief Justice before the Metropolitan police are allowed access to the inner sanctum of the Temple, to begin their own investigation.
Alongside this crime, Gabriel is working on a complex case of his own, trying to establish the real identity of a children’s story which has been published by his client, proprietor of a large publishing house.
Gabriel’s very narrow lifestyle, and his OCD which make it almost impossible for him to leave the confines of the Temple, cause him some difficulty in his detective work. He succeeds in overcoming this by engaging the services of Constable Wright, who has been assigned to assist him. They form an unlikely bond of mutual respect.
During the process of his investigation, Gabriel begins to become much more aware of the people surrounding him in the Temple and the courts, high born and lowly servants alike. As he gains insight into their lives, he becomes more aware of the limitations of his own life. As his self- awareness grows, so does his humanity to his fellow barristers, and all the many people who keep their daily lives running smoothly within the Temple.
Their stories create many opportunities for interaction for Gabriel, while the murder mystery is intriguing. The writing is exceptional, very cleverly setting the unlikely scene for the murder.
I enjoyed this book so much, and I am delighted to discover that this is the first in a series of ‘cosy crimes’ featuring Sir Gabriel. I can’t wait to meet him again. ( I do hope however, that a cure is found for Gabriel’s incessant ‘snuffling’, it’s such a distraction throughout the story. )
My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

A Case of Mice and Murder is a weird little book and our hero Gabriel Ward is a weird little hero. He is a underrated genius barrister who is serious about the law and lives a quiet life in the Inner Temple the closed and closeted world of Londons Legal system until one morning Gabriel trios of over the body of the Lord Chief Justice with a knife sticking out of his chest and no shoes on his feet. Baffling. The Inner Temple is closed to police and Gabriel is given a week to sort it all out before they are allowed in the avoid brining scandal to the hallowed halls. This was a funny little book, it a told in third person so I never felt particularly close to any of the characters and I didn’t get much from Gabriel as a character. I liked the intricacies of the two parallel cases and the internal gossipy politics of Inner Temple. I found the world interesting but could have done with a bit more character.

London, 1901. Gabriel Ward is an excellent barrister who lives and works in the Inner Temple, a gated and guarded enclave for members of the legal community. He lives in rooms with towering piles of books on every available surface. He doesn't leave the Inner Temple willingly and even then, he is obsessive about his routine. He has a sharp mind and a reputation for being a formidable opponent in court, highly skilled at cross examination. When the book opens, he is following his daily routine automatically while his mind is hard at work puzzling out a difficult case regarding the authorship of a highly successful children's book about Millie the Mouse. His daily routine and his ruminations are rudely interrupted, however, when he is prevented from entering his chambers by the dead and barefoot body of the Lord Chief Justice. How could this happen, why did it happen, and who did it? Under the circumstances, it seems quite possible that it was an inside job. Wanting to avoid publicity, the Treasurer calls on Gabriel to do his own investigation with the help of a police constable. This does not fit into Gabriel's idea of proper routine at all, and he is very focused on his upcoming case, but when he is threatened with eviction from his home, he feels powerless to refuse. As he begins to investigate, his horizons widen, he is forced out of his routine, and sees opportunities for personal growth. He also learns more than he's comfortable knowing about his colleagues.

I loved this book. Gabriel is such a wonderful character, with his brilliance, love of books, extensive knowledge, logical mind, and human foibles. He could come across as cold and rigid, but his quick mind allows him to see things from many angles and to analyze his own behavior in new circumstances. The locked room style mystery is intriguing. The setting and the supporting characters provide an interesting window into the culture of the time, which I always like. The writing is fabulous. At one point, the author describes Gabriel this way:
For Gabriel was a traveller. Not of the pith helmet and bamboo stick variety, nor even of the Baedeker guide and Gladstone bag kind, but a traveller in the mind, scaling the mountains of learning created by historians and philosophers, scientists and poets, and novelists.The books in Number Four King's Bench Walk were friends into whose warm embrace he fell every evening and who held him until bedtime at half past midnight every night. Few knew of these travels, since Gabriel read not to acquire knowledge nor to impart it, but simply because he could not help himself.

Books are a part of the narrative here in ways large and small, which is another thing I loved about the book. Both of the storylines are compelling and I was eager to find out whodunnit and who created Millie the Mouse. In short, this is a fine book, skillfully written and a fabulous read. I was thrilled to learn that it's the first in a series and I will definitely be looking out for the next one. Highly recommend!

A Case of Mice and Murder is a cosy mystery in the hushed legal setting of the Inner Temple at the turn of the twentieth century. The fiercely clever and solitary Gabriel Ward KC is asked to investigate when the Lord Chief Justice is found stabbed to death and sockless.

The story was very enjoyable and I liked the Millie The Temple Mouse children's book subplot, but I did find Gabriel's habit of snuffling rather distracting after the first dozen times. I'll definitely look out for the next in the series and hope the snuffling can be treated with an anti-histamine.

Those Hallowed Halls..
The first outing in The Trials of Gabriel Ward, set at Inner Temple 1901. Barrister, Gabriel Ward, is soon to discover the very dead body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his very own doorstep - and so begins a murder mystery of the grandest proportions. Gabriel is soon to learn that the hallowed halls of the Inner Temple hide a multitude of secrets. Wonderfully immersive, wholly enjoyable and beautifully done with a deftly drawn cast, a delightful protagonist and a well imagined setting.

A wonderful narrative filled with twists and turns that left me guessing until the very last page.
A charming cast of characters and richly detailed setting. Every aspect of the novel feels alive and vibrant, drawing the reader in with each turn of the page.
It’s the intricate plot and cleverly woven mystery that truly shine in this novel. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new twist emerges, keeping you guessing and eagerly turning pages late into the night. And when the final revelation comes, it's both shocking and satisfying, tying up loose ends and leaving no stone unturned.
Overall, "The Case of Mice and Murder" is a must-read for fans of mystery and suspense.

This was after some chapters:
This is a sort of pre-review: it's an excellent mystery, it pays homage to Golden Age and introduce us to an intriguing characters like Gabriel Ward.
The closed world of the Temple is fascinating and this is an impossible crime that is keeping reading.
Loving it.
This is now:
I want to complete this review: a well plotted, solid mystery with plenty of sharp remarks about the closed world of the Temple, the importante of the social classes and the role they plays in the everyday life.
The women are nearly invisible, it will take a long time before they can become barrister.
I loved the women in this book as much as I loved Gabriel Ward and the young constable.
I found the case about Minnie the Mouse and the copyrights fascinating as it brought me back to when I was at the university and was studying copyright laws.
A witty, well plotted, and solid mystery that kept me turning pages. I can't wait for the next instalment
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this book - it was a great blend of detecting and atmosphere to use the eccentricities of the Inner Temple in service of the plot without becoming too convoluted. I also felt that the characters were believable for that time period and I quickly got a sense of their individual motivations and concerns. The subplot of Millie the Temple Church Mouse balanced out the more serious detective work of murder and also was a great way of seeing the Inner Temple from a more relaxed point of view!

I'm looking forward to more mysteries featuring Gabriel Ward :)

A Case of Mice and Murder is a wonderfully intriguing debut novel by Sally Smith KC. This cosy mystery is set in London in 1901, where the murder of England's Lord Chief Justice causes uproar in The Inner Temple. Quiet, quirky Sir Gabriel Ward KC is appointed to do a preliminary investigation before the police are allowed to enter these hallowed halls of justice. The reluctant detective has to unravel the mystery while simultaneously preparing the sensational case involving disputed ownership of Millie the Temple Church Mouse..
I absolutely loved this book, the writing style was charming and the emotional journey of Sir Gabriel captivating. I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury/ Raven Books for the review copy.

This is tremendous! I loved every word. When the Lord Chief Justice is found on the steps of the revered Temple chambers with a knife through his heart ,tradition dictates that the crime should be investigated by one of it own. Enter Sir Gabriel Ward, a slightly gauche character with particular quirks but an incisive mind. What follows is a mystery reminiscent of the best of golden age writing. Think of Rumpole mixed with Dorothy L. Sayers. I loved the portrayal of the characters who are exactly the type you would expect to find in a such a setting at this time in history and would hope to read more of some of these in later books. There is a parallel plot concerning a case about the authorship of a popular children's book which brings an extra layer of intrigue to an already cleverly contrived plot.
However, what makes this stand out against other books which this has been likened to is the sophisticated level of vocabulary and wit. This is a book to be savoured for its eloquence and enjoyed for its intelligence. More please!

After reading Sally Smith’s A Case of Mice and Murder, I found out that it’s the first in a brand-new series. I confess that I did a quiet jiggle of delight. I have not seen such a skilfully written debut novel for quite some time. Yes, it’s a murder mystery – a whodunnit, if you will – but I realised half-way through that I was less concerned about finding the perpetrator than usual; and much more interested in Sir Gabriel Ward’s growing experience of the world and its inhabitants outside London’s Inns of Court.

Sir Gabriel lives in 4 King’s Bench Walk and oscillates between his rooms and his chambers in Inner Temple, with meals in the Temple’s adjacent Dining Hall. After the two-minute walk from his rooms to his chambers on the morning of 21st May 1901, he discovers a body blocking the chambers’ doorway. Ward recognises the body as that of the Lord Chief Justice but is puzzled to see that the Chief is barefoot. Because the Inner Temple is legally a liberty, it is outside the control of the City of London and their police force, nor is it subject to the Metropolitan Police. Because of that, Ward is instructed by the Temple’s Treasurer (the Temple’s leader, elected annually by the benchers, i.e. barristers and judges based in the temple) to investigate the murder.

Ward is an unworldly character at the start of the book, unmarried and living for his work, although he does read detective novels such as the new Sherlock Holmes stories by Conan Doyle. Presumably, he will also have read RA Freeman’s Dr Thorndyke novels, published between 1905 and 1942, and may have been amused by the fact that the fictitious Thorndyke lived next door in 5A King’s Bench Walk. However, although he may not be familiar with the outside world, Ward is very sharp and accustomed to assessing people and their tales. He knows when someone is lying.

Sally Smith is a retired KC who, like Ward, has spent her whole working life in Inner Temple. She has a lifetime’s experience of the law but never allows any technical legal arguments to dominate the story. Yes, there is mention of how legal precedents are important; and Herbert Moore, Ward’s client in the case of Cadamy v Moore, is unnerved by Ward’s ability to argue the points in favour of Miss Cadamy as strongly as he can those in Moore’s favour.

Talking of Cadamy v Moore, the premise is that Herbert Moore, a publisher, found the manuscript of a child’s story, Millie the Temple Church Mouse by Miss Harriet Cadamy, abandoned on his doorstep. His daughter loved it and Moore decided to publish it. It was a best-seller – the Harry Potter of 1901, if you like! He also agreed to merchandising and to overseas editions. Although he had tried to find the author, he had failed. However, Miss Susan Hatchings has announced that she is the author and she is unhappy about Moore’s commercial exploitation of Millie. Ms Smith gives us enough exposition of the legal arguments to pique our interest but keeps it simple: Moore has no signed contract with Hatchings that restricts his ability to exploit Millie as he sees fit; and he has signed all contracts with others as Miss Cadamy, but Miss Cadamy doesn’t exist.

The combination of the murder investigation; the tension over Millie the mouse; the secrets that Ward uncovers; and Ward’s growing compassion for more vulnerable people such as the Temple staff and homeless vagrants and his interest in other people such as Constable Wright, make this an engrossing read. It is superb and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

#ACaseofMiceandMurder #NetGalley

Sir Gabriel Ward KC is well known for his little eccentricities. A well respected barrister, working and living in the Temple, Gabriel is a compulsive reader, quite reclusive and fairly (!) obsessive. When the Lord Chief Justice of England is found stabbed through the heart and barefoot on the steps of Gabriel’s chambers, there is shock all round. As everyone knows Gabriel couldn’t possible have committed the crime due to his unswerving routine, he is given the task of “asking questions “ in the hopes that this unfortunate incident can be cleared up without too much police intervention. With so much at stake for the successor of the role, there are a few power hungry individuals and their spouses who could well have done the deed, plus those on the wrong, or right, side of justice.

The fact that Gabriel also has a high profile case due to be heard in the High Court is neither here nor there to his superiors, he just has to get on with it.

This is the first in a new series and our introduction to Gabriel. The setting in the enclaves of Inner and Middle Temple is different, the writing style relevant to the era, and the characterisation well done with the MP’s OCD well integrated into the plot.

My only niggle is the overuse of snuffle. Why? Not sure of it’s relevance to the character.

The author’s note states that there will be a map, and that will be really useful when imagining the scene.

Will be interested to see what book two brings.

3.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing.

There is a murder within the hallowed grounds of The Temple interwoven with the mystery surrounding the authorship of a highly successful
children's book. The well developed characters emerge during investigations by lawyer Sir Gabriel Ward who clearly suffers from a form of ADHD despite which hindrance he persists in solving both mysteries. I believe this is a first of a series developing the latter in to highly unusual
addition to the detective genre. Most enjoyable and look forward to more.

What a fabulous, fabulous book - and I'll be preordering the next in the series the second it's available.

It's set in the Inns of Court in London, 1901; Gabriel Ward, QC, has a case where an author is suing a publisher over the rights to a children's book about a mouse. He's also tasked with finding out who murdered the Lord Chief Justice (the Inns of Court are a 'peculiar' of London, so the police aren't immediately involved), with the help of a young constable.

Gabriel has a brilliant mind (as well as what we'd recognise as OCD). I really enjoyed the way he started to move very gently out of his comfort zone. There's a range of characters (right from the scullery maid up to those who move in royal circles), and they're beautifully drawn. The descriptions of life in the legal community were vivid and really brought you into the scene. The dialogue worked well (I particularly appreciated Gabriel's vocabulary and the subtle way he works in court).

The two mysteries at the heart of the book (ie the court case and the murder) were tightly plotted, and the red herrings were very entertaining, I guessed the court case, but not the murder. (No spoilers.)

If I could give this one more than five stars, I would.

It wasn’t for me, I just couldn’t gel with Gabriel, so I found I wasn’t interested enough to keep reading so as to follow his progress

Sir Gabriel Ward KC is musing over his case when he comes across, literally, the body of the Lord Chief Justice, A knife in his chest but more astonishingly his feet are sans shoes and socks.

This is the first book in a new series. Sir Gabriel lives in the Inner Temple. He works in the Inner Temple. People cou;d set their watches by him,

He has an interesting case, is the person who states they are the author of Millie the Temple Church Mouse really the one who wrote Millie's adventures? So, Sir Gabriel is not happy when the Treasurer asks him to investigate the murder. The inner Temple is rather like the Vatican in that the police can only enter by permission. Sir Gabriel is given a week to try and ascertain who the murderer is.

In this endeavour he is assisted by a young constable who is there to keep note and report back to his inspector.

The reluctant sleuth is wonderfully written. My only niggle is that of the word 'snuffle' which is used constantly and I began to think the use of the word was overused. His routines are so well embedded that the Treasurer feels he is the only one who everyone else knows is innocent!

Will I read others in the series as they are written? I think so, especially if they build on this quintessential character, take him from his safe place and let's us enter his world.

Loved this so so much.
The language style was so refreshing, nobody uses words like this anymore!

Had me hooked from chapter 2!

Murder and Mayhem at the Inns of Court. The four Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. They form an enclave set apart from the rest of London and you can only go there if you have business there. Although this book is set a hundred years ago, I would guess not much has changed since. Barrister Gabriel Ward is a funny old cove. He never leaves the Inns, lives alone and likes his own company. He is given a case involving publishing rights of a children's book about a mouse called Millie. Then there's a murder at the sacred Inns of Court! Gabriel is delegated to solve it. Full of wry humour and compassion. Looking forward to reading more about Gabriel and his policeman sidekick Constable Maurice Wright.

A Case of Mice and Murder could be categorised as 'cosy crime ' or even in some senses a 'locked room murder " but this would very much under play the quality, uniqueness and enjoyment of this historical period story by placing it under these popular categories

Set in the enclosed world of the Inner Temple- home of the highest judges and barristers - a murder has been committed - the death of the Lord Chief Justice. The crime takes place upon the doorstep of barrister Gabriel Ward- who is then assigned the task of carrying out internal enquiries to determine the perpetrator of the murder...The Temple is its own realm ( rather like the Vatican) and police may only enter the grounds with permission. The murderer can only have been somebody who was permitted within the Temple environs.

Accompanied by Constable Wright , Gabriel embarks on his task with reluctance as life beyond the temple walls are a source of anxiety and mystery; he has cocooned himself within his chambers and the legal world.

Whilst trying to explore the death of the Lord Chief Justice, he is also challenged by the curious case of determining the authorship of the hugely popular children's book, "Millie The Temple Mouse"

Sally Smith has created a wonderful protagonist and this is the start of a promising series - combining period details, the greed for power among the judiciary and their wives , creating the atmosphere of Temple life and combining a few red herrings along the way, this is an enjoyable crime/detective procedural with a twist.