The Lighterman – Simon Michael

The third book in the series starring the barrister Charles Holborne by Simon Michael titled The Lighterman was released earlier this month and an outstanding legal thriller based in the 1960’s and is a terrifically absorbing read.

For anyone new to the series the barrister Charles Holborne was formally known as Charles Horowitz, why you may well ask. This you will have to dig a little deeper into the previous two in the series. 1960’s London and the Krays are at their height and Holborne has had previous with the Krays and in this era of the gangs of London and the corruption that was going on at the time, it is all here in The Lighterman. Even within the police force there is corruption and Charles Holborne has to be at his very best to be ahead in the case. We will also have a glimpse into the time of the blitz when he was a teenager and his family were bombed out of their home and moved to the safety of Wales only for Charles to run away and heads back to London and stays with relatives. This is where he ends up working on the river as a ‘Lighterman’ These are formative years for Charles Holborne and when years later he began in the legal profession he had to change his name to be ‘accepted’.

This time around the case is very close to home as his has to defend his cousin Izzy who is accused of murder, but to confront the case the past also must be confronted and this will not be easy and the Krays are never too far away and are keeping more than a keen eye on the case and also on our barrister.

For anyone who has not read the first two books in the series you need not worry this can be read as a standalone book as there is enough in the background of the story to give you an insight and will also make you want to read the previous two. I really enjoy a thrilling courtroom drama and this delivers. With the added Krays lurking not too far away this is one book that anyone who enjoys a thriller will want to read. Question is will there be a book four? An ideal Father’s Day gift. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thank you to Matthew at Urbane Publications for the advanced review copy.

The Lighterman by Simon Michael is published by Urbane Publications and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops.