Desperate to get away on a trekking holiday after a trial, Charles Konig KC finds himself instructed by American lawyer Yara Ortiz to defend a Hollywood actor, accused of the murder of his wife.
Leo Lusk took on a role in a play he co-wrote for a chance to reconnect with his daughter, Francesca. Since his divorce from Alexandra Dyce, he believed Alexandra was turning Francesca against him. However, Leo finds himself sharing the stage not only with his daughter, but also his ex-wife as Francesca has insisted her mother also be given a role.
Unsurprisingly, tensions flare up during the production. Alexandra was not a nice person, putting up the backs of many of her fellow actors and production staff. When the execution scene goes wrong and she is guillotined for real, live on stage, Leo is the prime suspect and put on trial for her murder.
The historical play about the illegitimate daughter of George Washington had run for over a year of sold out shows. Staged in a cemetery in London, it may hold the answers as to what happened.
While the play is a drama staged by actors, the novel gives us an insight into the theatrics of court and the egos of KCs. Casting the accused as an American actor with an American lawyer allows us to compare how trials work on both sides of the Atlantic, contrasting British court process with what many of us are familiar with in American movies and series.
Primarily set in the courtroom, the cross examinations of witnesses, and Yara Ortiz being unfamiliar with the British courts system allows the processes to be explained to the reader without overwhelming us with legalese, making this a very readable story.
The dramatics of the courtroom are interspersed with the theatrics from the stage, as excerpts from the play are submitted in evidence, and we get to see what happened on the stage and behind the scenes, how the tensions spilled over into the performance. Did Leo really murder his ex-wife? Charles Konig, while wanting to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury to have his client acquitted, is given plenty of opportunity to point the finger elsewhere. But after putting his client on the stand, it becomes clear that the only way to win the case is to find out what really happened that night on stage.
An excellent legal mystery with plenty of dry humour and drama, and I hope to see Charles and Yara again soon!
Thank you to the author, Viper Books and NetGalley for a digital advance copy for review.
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