ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Killer Instinct by Nicola Williams
Killer Instinct by Nicola Williams is published by Penguin Viking and is out now. My thanks to the publishers for the proof copy.
When the Head Clerk at her Chambers is murdered, Lee Mitchell doesn’t know who she can trust.
One of the last people to see him alive, the crime is pinned on Junior Clerk Dean who ‘seems like the type’. Working-class and still living on the estate where he grew up, he has the most to gain from Tom’s death.
But Lee knows how easily prejudices can snowball into convictions – and steps in to defend him. As the trial progresses, people Lee has worked with for years become suspects as her Chambers crumbles into a world of chaos and deceit.
And, what of the diary, whispered about by those at Chambers? The one Tom used to blackmail Lee’s friends and enemies alike to do his bidding? The one containing secrets some might kill to keep hidden?
Maybe finding it will be the key to solving his murder. Or maybe some secrets are better left buried . . .
Killer Instinct is the third book to feature barrister, Lee Mitchell. I’ve also read book two, Until Proven Innocent, which I thought was brilliant, and I can give that same accolade to Killer Instinct too which had me gripped from start to finish.
This story focuses very much on the Senior Clerk at Lee’s chambers, Tom Mannion. Nobody could say they liked him, but he ruled chambers and most of the tenants respected him for the work he could get for them and for his ruthless attitude when doing so. When he is murdered it is a massive shock to all concerned, and then when Junior Clerk, Dean Carter, is arrested for the crime, Lee takes on the case, hoping to prove his innocence.
Whilst this is a Lee Mitchell story, much of the focus is around Tom and Dean, and also the police’s investigation. There is plenty of courtroom action though and a legal thriller is always a draw for me. There’s a lot of attention on Tom’s famous diary too, a tatty notebook that contained a multitude of secrets. What happened to it when Tom was killed is a question many people would like the answer to.
I thought Killer Instinct had a killer storyline and I loved every bit of it. It’s written with style and knowledge and it grabbed me and didn’t let me go until I knew the outcome. The characters are diverse and interesting to read about and I really hope there will be more about Lee and Maple Court Chambers. I’d love to know how chambers fares without Tom. In the meantime, this one comes highly recommended by me for its twisty storyline and legal drama.
Nicola Williams started her career as a barrister in private practice, specializing in criminal law. She was a member of the first Independent Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police Service and has been a part-time Crown Court judge since 2010. She is the author of three legal thrillers. Without Prejudice was selected for the Black Britain: Writing Back series by Bernardine Evaristo and Until Proven Innocent was the winner of the Diverse Book Awards Readers’ Choice Award 2024. Killer Instinct is her latest novel.