Series: Charles Holborne
Book Number: 1
Read this book for: legal thriller, 60s London, semi-historical, amateur detective, based on a true story, realistic
Quick Review: A brilliantly written court case, a fascinating whodunnit and interesting circumstances combine for a page-turner that is both sensational and realistic.
London, 1965
Charles Holborne, maverick barrister, will never fit in at the Bar; he is too working-class, too Jewish and too dangerous.
But that makes him the perfect outsider to prosecute a shocking murder case which has already made its way to the press.
By chance, a body was found, dumped in a lake. It had clearly been there for some time, but the conditions in the water have meant that it was nearly perfectly preserved.
The police have managed to match this ‘waxwork corpse’ to a missing woman and if her husband — a senior judge — was the one who killed her, the scandal threatens to rock the British justice to its foundations.
The waxwork corpse is not the only thing to be raised from the past. The investigation also dredges up a violent mistake made by Charles in his youth which, if revealed, could put his own life at stake…
THE WAXWORK CORPSE is the fifth Charles Holborne legal thriller, based on a real Old Bailey case, from Simon Michael. It follows the rest of the series and provides yet another a taut, well-written, and highly believable legal thriller.
This is the fifth novel in the series (you can read the review for the opening novel, THE BRIEF on the blog), and I do recommend reading the other novels before jumping in to this one. This installment contains some spoilers for previous novels. However, you can read it as a stand-alone if you don’t mind the spoilers – everything is self-contained and there’s enough explanation that you aren’t left wondering too much about mentions of prior events.
Even more than the first novel, this book is about the court case. If you want a good legal thriller — tightly procedural, realistic, detailed and interesting — this is the book for you. Michael’s experience at the Bar shines through in the way that he writes courtroom drama, and the little details that can make or break a case. The way the case is written, which comprises the majority of the novel, makes this story well worth the read on its own.
On top of the great legal writing, however, is an interesting case. The high-profile characters, a near-perfect murder, and the details that lead to discoveries are only a small part of the novel, but those bits are enough to satisfy whodunnit fans. The investigation is a minor area of the plot, but still one that keeps you turning pages.
There is also some development and backstory layered in to Holborne’s character in this novel, and Michael does a great job of adding that depth without it feeling forced or too heavy-handed. Holborne actually develops and changes a bit as a character through the course of this novel — a rare feat for a lead in a series that has already stretched to five books, and one that is extremely gratifying to watch.
If you are at all interested in legal thrillers, THE WAXWORK CORPSE is one that you must read. This series is one of the finest examples of the genre.