The Aladdin Trial

A new Burton and Lamb legal thriller A SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB PICK 'An intense and compelling legal drama – quite wonderful' Geoffrey Wansell When an elderly artist plunges one hundred feet to her death at a London hospital, the police sense foul play The hospital cleaner, a Syrian refugee, is arrested for her murder. He protests his innocence, but why has he given the woman the story of Aladdin to read, and why does he shake uncontrollably in times of stress? In a spellbinding courtroom confrontation in which they once more grapple with all-too-possible developments in artificial intelligence, they uncover not only the cleaner's secrets, but also those of the artist's family, her lawyer and the hospital. A new Burton and Lamb legal thriller with an AI twist from the author of the acclaimed The Pinocchio Brief.

A SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB PICK 'A first-rate courtroom drama' – Daily Mail SHORTLISTED: Waverton Good Read Award A 15-year-old schoolboy is accused of the brutal murder of one of his teachers His lawyers – the guarded veteran, Judith Burton, and the energetic young solicitor, Constance Lamb – begin a desperate pursuit of the truth, revealing uncomfortable secrets about the teacher and the school. But Judith has her own secrets which she risks exposing when it is announced that a new lie-detecting device, nicknamed Pinocchio, will be used during the trial. And is the accused, a troubled boy who loves challenges, trying to help them or not? The Pinocchio Brief is a gripping courtroom thriller which confronts our assumptions about truth and our increasing reliance on technology.

When the only thing worse than being found guilty...is being found not guilty 'Tense thriller wrought from a cutting-edge subject' - The Times James Salisbury, the owner of a British car manufacturer, ploughs his 'self-drive' vehicle into a young family, with deadly consequences. Will the car's 'black box' reveal what really happened or will the industry, poised to launch these products to an eager public, close ranks to cover things up? James himself faces a personal dilemma. If it's proved that he was driving the car, he may go to prison. But if he's found innocent, and the autonomous car is to blame, the business he has spent most of his life building, and his dream of safer transport for all, may collapse. Lawyers Judith Burton and Constance Lamb team up once again, this time to defend a man who may not want to go free, in a case that asks difficult questions about the speed at which technology is taking over our lives.

'Reveals criminal corruption on a scale that the Kray twins would never have dreamt of' John Pearson, Profession of Violence, The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins 'Gillard's detailed investigation makes for a stunning and shocking read' Barry Keeffe, The Long Good Friday 'Legacy illustrates the sordid links between business, politics and organised crime' Ioan Grillo, El Narco and Gangster Warlords When billions poured into the neglected east London borough hosting the 2012 Olympics, a turf war broke out between crime families for control of a now valuable strip of land. Using violence, guile and corruption, one gangster, the Long Fella, emerged as a true untouchable. A team of local detectives made it their business to take him on until Scotland Yard threw them under the bus and the business of putting on 'the greatest show on earth' won the day. Protecting the Olympic legacy by covering up a scandal of suspicious deaths and corruption seemed more important than protecting Londoners from the predatory Long Fella and his friends in suits. For others at Scotland Yard, the crime lord was simply too big and too dangerous to take on. Award-winning journalist Michael Gillard took up where they left off to expose the tangled web of chief executives, big banks, politicians and dirty money where innocent lives are destroyed and the guilty flourish. Gillard's efforts culminated in a landmark court case, which finally put a spotlight on the Long Fella and his friends and exposed London's real Olympic legacy.

When food magnate Brett Ingram collapses and dies at a public event, his seafood allergy is blamed and the caterer, Nick Demetriou, charged with manslaughter. Nick hires legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb to defend him. They scrutinise the colourful panellists at the event - a food blogger, a beef farmer, a food scientist, a TV chef and a radio host - who all seem to be holding something back. There's something fishy about the allergy story. Did one of the speakers have a hand in the businessman's death? And what of the nasty incidents that keep befalling them? Should the net be cast wider to include opponents of Brett's mysterious Ambrosia initiative? In another of Abi Silver's nail-biting games of courtroom cat-and-mouse, Judith and Constance must find the truth among a smorgasbord of lies and deception.

When Breakfast TV host and nation's darling, Rosie Harper, is found brutally murdered at home, suspicion falls on her spouse, formerly international football star, Danny &‘walks on water' Mallard, now living out of the public eye as trans woman, Debbie. Not only must Debbie challenge the hard evidence against her, including her blood-drenched glove at the scene of the crime, she must also contend with the nation's prejudices, as the trial is broadcast live, turning it into a public spectacle. For someone trying to live their life without judgment, it might just be too much to bear.Legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb are subjected to unyielding scrutiny as they strive to defend their most famous client yet.

When eminent psychiatrist Dr. Liz Sullivan is found dead in her bed, suspicion falls on local gamer and YouTube celebrity Jaden Dodds. Did he target her because of her anti-gaming views and the work she undertook to expose the dangers of playing online games? And what was her connection with Valiant, an independent game manufacturer about to hit the big time, and its volatile boss? Constance Lamb and Judith Burton team up once again, this time to defend a client who the police are convinced is guilty of murder. But just because he makes a living killing people on screen it does not mean he'd do it in real life. Or does it?