This edition published 7th October 2024 by Lume Books.
From the cover of the book:
The body of an ambitious trainee lawyer is found sprawled on the boardroom floor, blood pooling around her on the pristine cream carpet.
Etched across her chest is one word — CONTRACT.
Up-and-coming lawyer Maddy Kramer is determined to find out who killed her colleague, even though they weren’t exactly best friends. Maddy’s not your typical legal suit — she’s not ruthless like her teammates who will do anything to get to the top.
But then there’s a second corpse — another female lawyer. And this time inscribed on the body, the word CRIME.
Maddy must team up with Detective Jake Carver to get into the mind of the brutal murderer. The killer has their eye on another victim . . . and Maddy could be next.
Please note this book was previously published as The Scribe.
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It opens with a bang that hooks you from the word go. A young lawyer is horribly butchered when working after hours in her central London office, leaving very little for the police to go on except the enigmatic message that has been carved into her chest - the single word 'Contract'. Before long, more bodies start to pile up, each one a young female linked to The Bloomsbury Academy of Law, and with a different legal term carved into their chest, which inspires the media to start referring to the mystery murderer as 'The Scribe'.
Chief Inspector Jake Carver and his team are desperate to track down the killer and put a stop to this grisly campaign, but with clues thin on the ground they are floundering. It is not until the smart young lawyer Madeleine Kramer, herself a former friend and classmate of some of the victims, comes up with an inspired theory that Carver begins to make any headway at all - and so begins a beautiful partnership!
I really enjoyed the underlying premise of this thriller, with the legal theme running through the core of the piece, tying all the imaginatively staged murders together nicely. Chaudhuri's background as a former City lawyer gives fascinating insight into the intricacies of the different areas of the law, blending fact and fiction together in a truly compelling crime novel. She weaves in seriously thought provoking themes about the abuse of power, sexual politics and the legacy of difficult childhoods in telling the story too.
Chief Inspector Jake Carver and his team are desperate to track down the killer and put a stop to this grisly campaign, but with clues thin on the ground they are floundering. It is not until the smart young lawyer Madeleine Kramer, herself a former friend and classmate of some of the victims, comes up with an inspired theory that Carver begins to make any headway at all - and so begins a beautiful partnership!
I really enjoyed the underlying premise of this thriller, with the legal theme running through the core of the piece, tying all the imaginatively staged murders together nicely. Chaudhuri's background as a former City lawyer gives fascinating insight into the intricacies of the different areas of the law, blending fact and fiction together in a truly compelling crime novel. She weaves in seriously thought provoking themes about the abuse of power, sexual politics and the legacy of difficult childhoods in telling the story too.
There are red herrings and twists aplenty that will stop you in your tracks, and just enough subtle hints to keep you guessing about the identity of the culprit in the spirit of Agatha Christie. The tension builds steadily, with clever scenes that bring out your inner detective, and there is lovely suspense in the way you get ahead of the game and wait for Carver and Kramer to catch-up.
The central players of Carver and Kramer complement each other perfectly, sharing the credit for tracking down their serial killer foe, which I really enjoyed. The 'will-they-won't-they' sexual tension builds in a charming frisson to their relationship, and their relatable character flaws make them spring from the page as realistic characters.
A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer turned thriller writer, born and raised in Portsmouth, but who now lives in Surrey with her family. Once a highly ranked British junior tennis player, competing in the national championships and a member of the national squad, she went on to tour the women’s professional satellite circuit as a teenager and achieved a world ranking of 650.
THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION, published by LUME BOOKS in July and December 2019, are her first crime book series, plunging readers into London’s glamorous legal world and featuring series’ heroine, Maddy Kramer, fiction’s first female City lawyer amateur sleuth, who teams up with charismatic DCI Jake Carver to solve a gruesome series of murders and a puzzling abduction. THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published as audio books by Isis Audio on 1st January and 1st March 2021, both read by David Thorpe.
She has also contributed an original short story THE ENCOUNTER to crime anthology GIVEN IN EVIDENCE published by LUME BOOKS in May 2020, has written many articles and short stories for The Crime Writers’ Association.
Her first psychological thriller with HERA BOOKS, SHE’S MINE, was published in e-book, paperback and audio in August 2021, the second, THE LOYAL FRIEND, was published in all three formats in June 2022 and published in the USA by Canelo US on 20th June 2023. Her third, THE FINAL PARTY, was published on May 25th 2023. It was released in audiobook on 1st February 2024.
Her fourth psychological thriller - UNDER HER ROOF - was released in e-book, paperback and audio on 13th June 2024. Her fifth psychological thriller will be released in June 2025.
The Scribe, was re-published as THE LAWYER by Joffe Books on 7th October 2024 in e-book and paperback.
Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!
I loved this novel, which introduced me to the cracking writing of the lovely A.A. Chaudhuri, and I am absolutely delighted to see it being reissued by Joffe Books with a sexy new cover design and title (previously issued as The Scribe). If twisty crime mysteries with an unsettling edge are your thing then this is the book you need on your reading pile this autumn. With any luck, the second book in the series will also be reissued in due course... and perhaps Chaudhuri might be tempted to write some more too, because I really want to read them! Any chance, Alex?
The Lawyer is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
About the author:
THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION, published by LUME BOOKS in July and December 2019, are her first crime book series, plunging readers into London’s glamorous legal world and featuring series’ heroine, Maddy Kramer, fiction’s first female City lawyer amateur sleuth, who teams up with charismatic DCI Jake Carver to solve a gruesome series of murders and a puzzling abduction. THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published as audio books by Isis Audio on 1st January and 1st March 2021, both read by David Thorpe.
She has also contributed an original short story THE ENCOUNTER to crime anthology GIVEN IN EVIDENCE published by LUME BOOKS in May 2020, has written many articles and short stories for The Crime Writers’ Association.
Her first psychological thriller with HERA BOOKS, SHE’S MINE, was published in e-book, paperback and audio in August 2021, the second, THE LOYAL FRIEND, was published in all three formats in June 2022 and published in the USA by Canelo US on 20th June 2023. Her third, THE FINAL PARTY, was published on May 25th 2023. It was released in audiobook on 1st February 2024.
Her fourth psychological thriller - UNDER HER ROOF - was released in e-book, paperback and audio on 13th June 2024. Her fifth psychological thriller will be released in June 2025.
The Scribe, was re-published as THE LAWYER by Joffe Books on 7th October 2024 in e-book and paperback.
Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!
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