Excellent book. Great main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

This was a very interesting story. I had not previously read this author before and I found this book to be a mixed bag. The beginning felt very English, which was what I expected. I felt that the pacing was pretty slow and I wondered where the conflict was going to come in. Even after the murder, the pacing seemed slow. Once the viewpoint switched to Conrad Rainer, it seemed to be written by a different author. It was excellent, realistic and believable. However, it also contained explicit sexual content. Some of the gambling descriptions seemed a bit tedious until you realized how important it was in the game. Until I read the Author's Note I was unaware that many of the people referenced were real people. I liked the sentence he gave Lang and the fact that he got away tough I would have liked more info on where he ended up.

I was in heaven with this book if I could have given it more stars I would. What a brilliant courtroom drama so well written. You really got to know the characters. I just loved it a real page turner.

Knowledgeable courtroom drama brings authenticity to this legal mystery. However, it is in the British system, so there are difficulties with some dialogue and verbiage. The mystery is suspenseful- (NOT a thriller)- but even the suspense peters out at the end, instead of driving to a stunning climax. Furthermore, the denouement was meh. This novel had a great premise, and the plot was complex and interesting, but the author didn't capitalize on building up the suspense. Another negative this reader has is that the legal scenarios kept repeating themselves, over and over. The redundancy became quite irksome, and I skipped entire sections that would have been a repetition ( almost verbatim) of a previous scene.I kept reading because all of the elements of a great legal thriller seemed to be present, then, POOF! I'm giving it a 3* in light of the fact it is British, and the slow, methodical storytelling might be fine for a British audience.

Firstly this is book 5 in a series- I enjoyed the mix of legal and spy story set in the 1970s. A superbly atmospheric read, perhaps I would have enjoyed more by reading the earlier books, but nonetheless really entertaining, very visual in a way, I could see this as a TV drama! Well written and well paced you can't ask more from a thriller!

Exceedingly engaging police procedural that turns into much more than that: what looks like cut and dried crime turns out far more. complicated. The story unravels into. complexity after it seems a man has killed his wife, fighting over custody. But we learn more about her character and back ground and shady figures emerge. In court, it becomes apparent much was going on .. figures in the courtroom at highest level seem implicated. Great shocking ending with twists and turns years later .. really much more than immediately expected by plain straightforward, adept strong writing; good value.

Calling Down the Storm by Peter Murphy.
April 1971. When DI Webb and DS Raymond respond to a 999 call at Harper Mews in Bloomsbury, a horrific scene awaits them. Susan Lang is lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby, holding a large, blood-stained knife. In shock, Henry claims to have no memory of the events that led to his wife’s death, leaving his barrister, Ben Schroeder, little with which to defend a potential murder charge.Unbeknownst to his strict Baptist wife, Deborah, Justice Rainer has a secret life as a gambler. In his desperation for money to fund his habit, he has already raided his own and Deborah’s resources, and now he has crossed another line - one from which there is no return.To his horror, as the trial of Henry Lang starts, Rainer discovers a sinister connection between the trial and his gambling debts which could cause his world to unravel. In a rare case in which the judge is in greater peril than the defendant on trial, both Lang and Rainer have called down the storm on their own heads.Their lives are on the line, and time is running out.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Full of twists and plots. I had a feeling there would be a twist. But I had no idea it would be that. 5*. Netgalley and Oldcastle books.

Wasn't sure where this book would lead...Susan Lang has been murdered by her husband. There is a witness and although he has no memory of the events there is no doubt he is guilty. Conrad Rainer is the judge but he leads a double life that is leading his life into a spin. As you will discover although they appear very different there is a similarity. Brilliant book, would recommend.

This is the first book I have read by the author and I really enjoyed it. I have since learnt it is part of a series, I can say it can definitely be read as a stand alone book. Generally legal type storylines are not my thing, but this had enough other stotylines that the legalness did not turn me off. I enjoyed the plot and character development, a really good read.