Barrister William Benson has an unusual defendant in a murder trial. Karmen Naylor is the daughter of Tony Naylor, the leader of one of London’s two crime families. Karmen appears to be the exception – she left home early, made her way to university, and stayed away from London. She only returned to care for her father after he suffered a stroke. She’s charged with the murder of one her father’s top lieutenants.
Of course, Benson himself is unusual, especially for a barrister. He served 11 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, studied law, and determined that he would become a criminal defense attorney. He has a string of legal victories over some of London’s top prosecutors. The prosecutors, and sometimes the judges, hate Benson and believe he was guilty. His assisting attorney is Tess De Vere, who hails from one of London’s top legal firms. She’s a top-notch investigator, more than attracted to Benson, and struggling with her own demons from the past.
The case against Karmen Naylor is largely circumstantial, complicated by the fact that the victim’s body has never been found. Investigators found his blood, and a lot of it, at the office where he worked. Traces of his blood were found in Naylor’s car and her boat. But the case is becoming more complex. More evidence unfolds. More witnesses emerge. And Benson is warned that if his client walks free, Benson and his associates won’t live to enjoy the victory.
John Fairfax, aka William Broderick
Fatal Proof is the fourth William Benson novel by British author John Fairfax. Like its predecessors, it’s finely written, a gripping story that grabs you by the throat. Fairfax throws so many curves at his legal heroes that you wonder how they’re going to overcome them. But Benson’s prison time, extraordinary mind, and knowledge of the law will see the story through. More problematic is his relationship with De Vere, which is full of its own seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
John Fairfax is the pen name for British writer William Brodrick, the author of the Father Anselm mysteries. Under the Fairfax name, he’s also published Blind Defence and Forced Confessions. Brodrick was a friar in the Augustine order before he became a barrister and a writer. The Father Anselm mystery A Whispered Name won the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award in 2009, and Forced Confessions was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Award in 2020. Brodrick lives in France.
Fatal Proof and the other William Benson novels, like the Father Anselm stories, are among the very best mystery and legal thriller novels being written today. Fairfax / Brodrick has a gift, and I’m glad he’s sharing it with his readers.
Related:
Forced Confessions by John Fairfax.
Blind Defence by John Fairfax.
Summary Justice by John Fairfax.
My review of The Day of the Lie by William Brodrick.
My review of Brodrick’s The 6th Lamentation.
My review of The Gardens of the Dead by William Brodrick.
My review of A Whispered Name by William Brodrick.
My review of The Discourtesy of Death by William Brodrick.
My review of The Silent Ones by William Brodrick.
Some Monday Readings
Ten of the Most Important Battle Sites in the United States – Aaron Spray at The Travel.
Hitting the Road with Gettysburg – Elliott Drago at Jack Miller Center.
One Island in Time – Jeffrey Bilbro at Current Magazine reviews A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin, as does J.C. Scharl at The European Conservative.
AI Is a Lot of Work – Josh Dzieza at The Verge.
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