Bestselling crime author, ex-barrister and recent The Traitors contestant Harriet Tyce on her favourite courtroom page-turners.
1. You Don’t Know Me by Imran Mahmood
A young black man from South London on trial for murder takes over his own defence in an impassioned closing speech that unpicks four weeks of prosecution evidence. Now adapted for TV, it’s very compelling and given it’s written by a criminal barrister, deeply authentic as well.
2. Without Prejudice by Nicola Williams
Another legal thriller steeped in authenticity written by a practising judge, Without Prejudice follows 30-year-old Lee Mitchell, a barrister, as she takes on the trial of her life. It’s the start of a gripping series all featuring Mitchell which I’d highly recommend.
3. Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty
One of the novels that was the inspiration for my debut Blood Orange, Apple Tree Yard charts the spectacular fall of Yvonne Carmichael from high-flying scientist to a murder trial in the Old Bailey due to a misjudged and passionate affair she embarks upon via a cupboard in the Houses of Parliament. Splendid stuff.
4. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
One of the biggest hits of last year here and in the US, Broken Country is framed around another murder trial in the Bailey, but this time in the Fifties, fraught with tension and emotion. I defy you not to be in tears by the end of this book.
5. This House of Grief by Helen Garner
This non-fiction account of the murder trial is a man in Australia accused of killing his children is as gripping as any thriller and a sobering reminder of the tragedy that lies at the heart of what we can too easily see as merely entertainment. Garner is a stone-cold genius and this is a brilliant book.
