Welcome to Litsy!

4-7-23: My 37th finished book of 2023! Reggie Heath, a barrister with an office in the infamous 221b Baker street address, home of the Sherlock Holmes, has a new case. A Black Cab driver is robbing and murdering people, but the man arrested swears he didn‘t do it. Meanwhile, his brother Nigel, has fallen behind on taking care of all the letters addressed to Sherlock. Somehow, those letters will lead to a killer. Book 2 in the series.

The Secret Barrister is an anonymous junior barrister specialising in criminal law in England and Wales and best selling author. Their third book is a searing memoir recounting their journey to the bar and later as a blogger and, more importantly, how working as a criminal lawyer changed their own views of criminal law and those who run up against it. It‘s honest, funny, horrifying and is a great way of learning how the legal system works.

Since I still don‘t have access to a computer, this will be brief. I loved this book. It‘s well written, historic and a really good mystery. As if that wasn‘t enough, I loved most characters. Some are real people from 16th century England. There was also a completely unexpected twist towards the end.

witty and enlightening ✨ but a very slow read, perhaps because the reality hits so close to home.

“Justice? You get justice in the next world, in this world you have the law.”

I had gone through the magical wardrobe into Narnia. Into a land filled with experiences I'd never known before and couldn't begin to understand when I had first arrived. It was not just a degree, but a key to a privileged world I could now live in. Oxford taught me I was not white but also gave me an education in white ness. It told me I was raised poor but left me richer.

...I was reminded of the scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Charloe uncovers the golden ticket.

When you read something and think:
but Where?
I lived in Walthamstow (for a little bit) but would like to know which bit this was!

One of the best memoirs I've read in a long time, A Dutiful Boy is a must read for everyone across ages, gender, culture and beliefs. Moshin Zaidi is an epitome of a real catalyst of change starting from his own sexual identity to becoming a lawyer and advocating equality and justice for all. I admire his audacity and perserverance despite insurmountable barriers that involves his family and his own happiness. 👇

#20series20days The 5 Caper Court series

Follows the legal and personal career of bisexual barrister Leo Davies and his fellow tenants of 5 Caper Court. The first couple of books are really good, but the series becomes steadily more of soap opera as it goes along. I have the 7th and 8th books in the series (somewhere) and I've just discovered there is a 9th. Guess what I'm doing this afternoon?

So much 16th century fun and frivolity with a few murders thrown in. I didn‘t think much of this as a mystery because there were too many last minute reveals. I did like the tale of friends moving about town and all the historical details. But I just can‘t stop wishing this great concept had occurred to a better author.