What a treat! Loved this and looking forward to many more. Enjoyment improved by a recent walk through the Temple surrounds so had a vague idea of the geography in my head. I am a fan of Rumpole too and this book gave me similar enjoyment. Thanks to NetGalley.

Queen Victoria died on the 22nd of January 1901 and her son immediately became King Edward VII. Consequently, all the QCs immediately became KCs. In the lawyers chambers in the Inner and Middle Temple life went on much as usual. That changed somewhat on the morning of the 21st May, when Sir Gabriel Ward KC tripped over the dead body of The Lord Chief Justice, which was blocking the entrance to his chambers. The Temples are in the unique position of being inside the City of London but not subject to its regulation, so it is decided that the City police don’t have jurisdiction. Instead, Sir Gabriel is asked to carry out a discreet investigation, which he can do inside the Temple grounds where he knows everyone, but is hampered by his isolationism – he really only leaves the Temple grounds to go to court – and his borderline autism and OCD. A young constable is assigned, unofficially, to help in this and other respects. Forensic science and pathology are in their infancies, but he has a vast theoretical knowledge of developments which, paired with his psychological skills, honed by years at the Bar, should hopefully allow a solution.
His actual day job continues, of course, and the current case concerns the authorship of an astonishingly successful children’s book “Millie the Temple Church Mouse”. The manuscript was left ‘anonymously’ at a publisher’s office, but, now it has earned an enormous amount, a claimant to the authorship and hence the money, has appeared. Is she the author or a fraud? The survival of the publisher is at risk.
Historical fiction relies on the creation of a believable scenario, factually accurate, and with language which sound authentic for the period and the characters (bearing in mind the fictional needs of the plot). Where the plot is that of a crime story/murder mystery, the features I’ve just mentioned need to be lightly applied so that they provide an unobtrusive framework. Here I think the author manages this successfully. Fiction which turns on the legal system has the same constraints, and, not surprisingly given the author’s experience, this story is impeccable in those aspects. Ultimately, though, whodunnits need to provide an ‘interesting’ investigator, a clever puzzle and a satisfactory solution. Sir Gabriel is certainly ‘interesting’ and here we have two very different puzzles and two satisfactory solutions. I did solve both, but only at the same time as Sir Gabriel. I look forward to meeting him again.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is a series that has such a promising start. The author creates a believable world into which you feel completely immersed. Some clever writing and a great conclusion. Can't wait for the next one!!

An intricate and cleverly constructed mystery!

Gabriel Ward, barrister, lives and works in the Inner Temple and is rather cushioned from the realities of every day life, so it comes as more of a shock when he opens his door one morning to discover a body - and a bare-footed body at that. After all, it's not every day you discover the dead body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on your doorstep. As the police can enter the Temple by invitation only, Gabriel finds himself charged with investigating, whilst also carrying on with his usual work. He is completely out of his comfort zone but determines to get on with things to the best of his ability.

This is such a great read! Cleverly crafted and entertaining from beginning to end. Alongside the investigation, there are details of a case which Gabriel is working on, all of which kept me glued to the pages throughout. Such a joyous novel, and one guaranteed to make you smile as it did me. Highly recommended, and easily worth all five shining stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Well, this is an odd one, which is why I grabbed a review copy from NetGalley. Interesting setting, both in terms of spatial and temporal location, both of which feed into the plot, and an interesting reluctant sleuth. I’m never quite convinced by the notion of a lawyer who has lived a sheltered life – surely you can’t be an effective lawyer without knowing how the people you defend or prosecute think – but if you put that to one side, there’s some nice gentle character work here, especially as Gabriel gets to know the non-legal staff of the Temple better. I enjoyed the partnership with Constable Wright as well – two quite different backgrounds, but it was nice to see that not being shoved in my face every time they interact.
The story follows two plot strands, the murder and Ward’s current case, the authorship of a children’s book, Millie The Temple Church Mouse, which you might think is something minor, but it’s actually really interesting. The murder mystery… well, there’s a lot of Gabriel being told stuff but there’s some detection going on too. I thought one red herring was a bit forced – there is a nice story behind it, but the reader wouldn’t guess it and it does affect one of the more curious aspects of the crime. I think I was told quite a lot, rather being asked to work it out for myself, but all in all, it was a very pleasant read.
It’s billed as “for fans of S.J. Bennett, Janice Hallett and Richard Coles”, an interesting trio. I’d say it’s mostly for the fans of the latter – it doesn’t have the complexity of Hallett or (from the one-third of a book I managed) the tweeness of Bennett. It’s a satisfying read and with characters who I think I’ll want to read more of.

I think one thing stands out for me with this book. When I finished it I was taken aback that the author was Sally Smith and not Gabriel Ward KC - the main character. I’d become so immersed in the story. I’ve not done that before, and I think that’s a testament to just how good this is. Although I must point out that it’s not written in Gabriel’s voice..

I genuinely did not know who the culprit was, the plot twists in a fantastic way, and I really felt like I knew all of the characters, as I mentioned above, I was utterly immersed in the Inner Temple and it’s ways.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book, I’m sad I’ve finished it!

My thanks is to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

An excellent debut novel from Sally Smith who is a barrister specialising in medical negligence law. Part of me kept on thinking of the writing of John Mortimer when reading this book, a favourite author of mine. I am sure that those who enjoy a legal thriller will love this book. The writing and characterisation is excellent and I for one would enjoy a follow up book. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Sir Gabriel Ward KC is a clever but introvert barrister. When the Lord Chief Justice is murdered within the sanctum that is the Temple in London Gabriel is asked to investigate, much to his discomfort.

However to his surprise Gabriel's penchant for facts, and his love of learning, help lead him to solve the mystery, even overcoming his own fear of life outside the Temple.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Sally Smith and will be keen to read the next installment! Thank you to the author, to Bloomsbury and to Netgalley for the advance reader copy for which I have given my own honest review.

A good book - good characterisation, good pace, brilliant use of language and intellectually wordy. Not a bad thing to be said. A very good book.

Sally Smith writes the first of a promising historical mystery series set in 1901 that illuminates the legal world of the time, the Inner Temple, shaped by ancient traditions, independent with the police only entering by consent. It's a time marked by harsh rigidity and extreme inequality, with the poor subject to precarious living and poverty, where the norms and attitudes ensure that women's lives are subject to limitations, even if they come from wealthy backgrounds. This is personified by the remarkable Theodora Dunning, a woman with a sharp, incisive, and forensic mind, refused entry to the law, yet her more mediocre brother, Norman, has risen to the heights of becoming Lord Chief Justice.

Gabriel Ward KC is a gifted leading barrister, a man of routines, who has shunned the outside world and people, much preferring to focus on his work, reluctant to rely on others, immersing himself in the purity of learning and research, his curiosity driving him to read widely, as well as focusing on increasing his professional knowledge. He is rocked from the comfortable and familiar when he stumbles over the dead body of the Lord Chief Justice, his feet bare which will set tongues wagging. After veiled threats from the Temple Treasurer, Ward has no choice but to play amateur detective, having to investigate and interact with the outside city and other people, collaborating with a keen PC Maurice Wright.

At the same time, Ward has to prepare for and represent Herbert Moore, who has published the runaway successful, beloved children's book promoting featuring Millie, the Mouse, after it was left on his doorstep. With no knowledge as to the author's identity, Moore and his business has profited enormously as contracts have been signed with other businesses, but now someone has come forward claiming to have written it, leaving an anxious Moore facing the prospect of economic ruin.

It took me some time before I felt myself sinking into this mystery, but I eventually became charmed and enamoured by Ward. It's a joy to observe his persectives, compassion, and kindness expanded by his growing awareness of injustice, and the lives of other people, such as the likes of Meg, a maid, and a homeless protester. Additionally, Ward becomes skilful in nudging others to do the right thing and applying psychology to his vast knowledge of facts and other knowledge. I look forward to the next in this series! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

When the Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Norman Dunning, is found murdered, Sir Gabriel Ward is persuaded to investigate this crime, privately, before the whole unsavoury business is handed over to the London Police Force. This is due to the place of murder being the Temple area of the city, a cosseted world of learned Judges, Clerks, Barristers, and a great deal of Latin and legal terminology!
The Temple, both Inner and Middle Bars, were founded by the Knights Templar in the Twelfth century, when they created a very early form of money transfers both across the known world and at home, for the benefit and discretion of Royalty and nobility alike. The stone effigies of those Templar knights make this a very atmospheric place.
Sir Gabriel Ward is the very last person you would expect to become an amateur sleuth, but when he is teamed up with Police Constable Maurice Wright, they are determined in their efforts to find the murderer. Sir Gabriel is working on a case that concerns a book by an unknown author about Millie the Church Mouse, and he would rather be concentrating upon this, but as the story progresses, he starts to show an awareness of social issues that he has up till then been completely ignorant of, and although he is initially out of his comfort zone, he starts to show compassion for the underclasses, and perhaps a disdain for his fellow judges and their behaviour and morals.
I love the style of writing, being both humorous and informative. Tightly written, who doesn’t love the chance to be an armchair detective? Sir Gabriel is a diffident but observant investigator, and Constable Wright is the perfect foil, being both curious about people and new inventions of the time of 1901, and the airs and graces of this hallowed ground.
I think this partnership could be a natural successor to Watson and Holmes, and I am really looking forward to the next book in this new series.
This book examines the social restrictions placed upon the fairer sex, in their aspirations that were cruelly crushed, but they are of a necessity here.
I cared more about Sir Gabriel and his social awakening than the actual crime at times, and that was a very pleasant surprise. I have rated this a five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for my advance copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave a review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

This is a great book, apparently simple but really very clever. Sir Gabriel Ward KC is enlisted to investigate the death of a senior judge within the confines of The Temple. He is also working on a difficult case of copyright. Ward appears to bumble along but assesses everything. It was a joy to read a book with a linear timeline.
As a first in a series, it has definite potential. I look forward to many more in the series.

This was the cosiest murder mystery, set in warmer months, I have ever read. It’s Shardlake with sherry.

I wanted to hug the gentle and shrewd Gabriel, who is the unwilling sleuth, and I adored his encounters and moments of bonding with his co-workers and new found friends.

At the beginning of this interesting and complex story, there a lot of characters introduced closely together and therefore it took a while for me to match the character with the name.

The more uncomfortable he becomes, the more humane his interactions with people from all aspects of society are. The writing is excellent and filled with wit and pathos.

I could choose a bunch of social truisms that are littered throughout the novel, but the one which struck me the most was:
‘Nothing make people cling to the conventional like a fear of being found out.’

I cannot wait to read the next book!

An interesting and informative historical Novel set in the lnner temple of the law courts. Its’ an independent enclave within the city of London where the most senior judges and barristers of the kingdom reside. When a murder occurs within it’s precinct it’s governing authorities appoints a leading KC to conduct the initial investigation before allowing external authorities to intervene. The story of the investigation provides an intimate insight in the life and times of all is inmates and the events that ends in the murder of the Lord Chief justice. What a mouse has to do with it all is another matter

Gabriel Ward KC is a recognised and respected senior lawyer, living and working in the Temple in London. He is precise on his interpretation and application of the law and lives his life according to a regular routine that others can set their clock by. His routine though is disrupted when Lord Dunning, Lord Chief Justice of England, is found dead on Gabriel’s office doorstep and he is asked to investigate.

This is a skilfully written tale combining a murder mystery and an intriguing legal case with some fascinating insights into the Victorian legal system, class boundaries and the role of women at that time in society. Gabriel’s character is well developed and as he is forced out of his comfortable routines and associations he gradually develops compassion for those less privileged.

This is a thoroughly engaging story and I’m looking forwards to further books in this series.

Gabriel Ward KC is asked (strong armed) to investigate the murder of the Lord Chief Justice after he is found murdered on the steps of the hallowed Inner Temple. Also, running alongside the whodunnit is the whowroteit mystery that Gabriel is also embroiled in as he is representing the publisher of a hugely successful children’s book who is sued by a woman claiming to be the pseudonymous author, Miss Cadamy.

The book is slow to begin with whilst we are introduced to the many different characters and the rich setting of the Inner Temple of London, which makes sense given that it is to be a series (I believe). The pace quickens around a third into the book but isn’t laced with lots of sensational chapter cliffhangers and or shocking reveals (for the sake of it). I found this refreshing and helps place you in the setting of the book.

The author brilliant captures the essence of the time with regards to women’s rights and the class system, particularly through the stories of the Lord Chief Justices family and the staff who work at the Inn. It’s probably not likely that Gabriel would not have been as sympathetic towards either but I’m glad he is!

I really enjoyed the book and found it to be a welcome change to modern day mysteries, particularly because of the overly polite, sharp minded and fair Gabriel who is not to be underestimated or ignored.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review,

The first half of this book trundles along. Charming but a little in need of a spark. The second half gathers momentum and ensures you feel like you’re right there alongside the characters, wearing a waistcoat and pocket watch.
Think Agatha Christie meets Richard Osman and you’ll get a feeling for this book.
The story is gentle and whip-smart and you grow to love the main protagonist with all his eccentricities.
A modern take on an historic version of Poirot?!

I loved so many things about this book, the setting, the characters, the clever plotting. I learnt such a lot about the Temple and its workings. A very clever book, more please .......

I absolutely loved this book. Set in 1901 in the hallowed precincts of the Inner Temple of London, the heart of the legal world, it is the story of the shocking murder of the Lord Chief Justice of England.
Gabriel Ward is an esteemed barrister who lives a reclusive life almost completely within the Temple Grounds. He is perfectly happy with his books and court cases and in fact has given up his inheritance to pursue his career when his life is suddenly turned upside down. After almost falling over the body of the Lord Chief Justice, Gabriel is given the job of investigating the crime as the police have no jurisdiction within the confines of the temple.
The investigation was extremely well plotted. This wasn’t really a book where you would be able to guess the murderer from early on as the clues unfolded very gradually as Gabriel spoke to the various people involved and gradually found out exactly what happened on the night of Lord Dunning’s murder. I loved the way that all of the little details built up to a satisfactory conclusion.
The depiction of Gabriel was brilliant. I really enjoyed his gradual change during the investigation from the horror of having to travel outside his beloved temple and speak to women and servants to a man who found that he cared about justice for everyone including the lowly laundry maid. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of showing his need for routine which nowadays would I guess be OCD. I liked the way that he was aware of it too.
The other characters were all shown equally well especially Mr Moore, the publisher who was the main character of the sub-plot involving the publishing sensation of Minnie the Mouse. The details of the investigation into the authorship of the book were fascinating and the two strands of the story came together very satisfyingly at the end. I loved Theodora too and can imagine her sheer frustration at not being allowed to use her intelligence simply because she was a woman.
The setting of the book is vividly described both in the physical setting but also in the attitudes that would have been prevalent at the time and the author’s writing style was perfectly suited to the period. Details such as the new ideas in policing such as taking fingerprints added to the authenticity of the setting. My only quibble is the over-use of Gabriel ‘snuffling’. After a while, it started to jar and I couldn’t see how the repetition of the word added to the characterisation in any way.
Apart from that very minor grumble, this was an excellent read and I can’t wait for the next book. Huge thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is an extremely enjoyable mystery set in London 1901. More specifically, it is set within the confines of London’s legal centre and our main character is the introverted, bookish, Sir Gabriel Ward KC. Sir Gabriel resides within the Inner Temple and rarely socialises or goes outside the confines of his world. However, his legal mind is intelligent and sharp, and he enjoys the world, and the life, he inhabits.

His mind is on a new case, that of a children’s book which was successful after a publisher found it on his doorstep. Herbert Moore endeavoured to find the author of the manuscript of, ‘Millie the Temple Church Mouse,’ to no avail. Now Millie has toys, a forthcoming play and is due to be printed in America, when a woman emerges to say that she is the author and disapproves of how her work has been commercialised. This tricky legal topic is taking up Sir Gabriel’s life when he arrives at his chambers to find a body lying across the threshold. The body is that of Lord Norman Dunning, the Lord Chief Justice of England, and he is barefoot…

Threatened into investigating, Sir Gabriel is unwilling, but also intrigued. Why was Lord Dunning found without his shoes or socks? Alongside Police Constable Wright, he delves into the mysteries of the Inner Temple and who carried out the shocking crime. Alongside, he, of course, also has to discover the true author of Millie Mouse.

I really loved this series. Sir Gabriel snuffled a little too often, which became annoying, but it’s a first in what, hopefully, will become a series and so I forgave the too often used trait. That aside, I loved the sense of place and time. Sally Smith makes that world come alive, with the difficulties and limitations that women and those of a lower class faced. I loved it and look forward to meeting Sir Gabriel, and hopefully P.C. Wright, again. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.