Fatal Proof
by
John Fairfax
Published
February 2023
Publishers
UK
Little, Brown
The Hither Green murder...
William Benson knows what it's like to be accused of something you didn't do - the fear, the vulnerability and the nightmare of watching your life unravel. Now he speaks on behalf of those who have no voice, defending anyone who claims to be innocent. This time, it's Karmen Naylor, estranged daughter of a south London crime boss, fighting a murder charge and desperate to be believed. But Benson becomes trapped into a grudge match between two rival clans, endangering himself and those he loves.
Tess de Vere is by Benson's side but she's keeping something from him. A stranger on the trail of a secret death squad operating in Northern Ireland during the Troubles brings a terrible secret into the heart of her own life. And he won't go away.
Can Tess and Will find their way through all the secrets and the lies? Should justice always be served - and if so, at what cost?
Praise for the Benson & De Vere series:
Vivid and exciting, and the novel raises some important issues to do with prisons and the ethics of the legal system.
The Times
I hope John Fairfax is planning a long series involving Benson. [An] excellent legal thriller.
Literary Review
The courtroom scenes are brilliant, and Benson really comes alive under pressure. Stubborn, fitful and contradictory, he’s a highly individualised creation.
Spectator
Assured storytelling and highly intriguing moral complexity. I tore through it.
Chris Brookmyre
William Benson knows what it's like to be accused of something you didn't do - the fear, the vulnerability and the nightmare of watching your life unravel. Now he speaks on behalf of those who have no voice, defending anyone who claims to be innocent. This time, it's Karmen Naylor, estranged daughter of a south London crime boss, fighting a murder charge and desperate to be believed. But Benson becomes trapped into a grudge match between two rival clans, endangering himself and those he loves.
Tess de Vere is by Benson's side but she's keeping something from him. A stranger on the trail of a secret death squad operating in Northern Ireland during the Troubles brings a terrible secret into the heart of her own life. And he won't go away.
Can Tess and Will find their way through all the secrets and the lies? Should justice always be served - and if so, at what cost?
Praise for the Benson & De Vere series:
Vivid and exciting, and the novel raises some important issues to do with prisons and the ethics of the legal system.
The Times
I hope John Fairfax is planning a long series involving Benson. [An] excellent legal thriller.
Literary Review
The courtroom scenes are brilliant, and Benson really comes alive under pressure. Stubborn, fitful and contradictory, he’s a highly individualised creation.
Spectator
Assured storytelling and highly intriguing moral complexity. I tore through it.
Chris Brookmyre
