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This is the seventh book by Natasha Cooper featuring the barrister Trish Maguire. The details of her barrister's life are fascinating, showing that the obvious court confrontations are not the whole of the lawyer's work in chambers -- for example, the drafting of opinions proves to be significant and interesting. Trish is a serious character with domestic responsibilities for her young half-brother, David, and a loving, if eccentric, relationship with George. Through the books Trish has matured and developed in interesting ways for a reader to appreciate. When she gets her teeth into a topic Trish is a bulldog who never lets go and her interest in the travails of the biographer Beatrice Bowman who is accused of libel is a case in point. Cooper intertwines two stories together -- that of Beatrice and a serious situation faced by Trish's friend, Caroline, a police inspector, dealing with an approach from a whistleblower whose information could implicate a colleague or ruin Caro's own career. The title of the book refers to a family of villains from South London and their treatment of anyone who tries to expose their secrets. I can see the contrast that the author carefully produces between this appalling brutality and the civilised world but I really don't require the details of torture as spelt out here to appreciate this distinction. Cooper is a consummate writer who presents parallel stories very skilfully and who portrays with clarity the emotional travails of her heroine as she suffers the personal and professional conflicts caused by her dogged investigations. There is steadily-building tension with the threat of violence looming over many characters as the book progresses. The effects of Trish's investigative methods produce an edge-of-the-seat response from the reader. The power of words to wound and to cause severe damage when spoken at the wrong time is shown beautifully in different situations echoing the title in various ways. This is a well-crafted book which carries the reader along on a wave of enthusiasm.
Reviewed by Jennifer S. Palmer, July 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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