Derek Wheatley again writes fiction that is based on fact. These short stories are founded on real cases in which he acted as Counsel in criminal trials at the Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, when he was a young man at the start of his career as a barrister. Fictionalised they had to be, since the Defendants were real people, who might still be living...and you might be left with the impression that but for the skills of their advocate, the fictional Tam Pearse, they would have been found to be ``Guilty as charged``, and sentenced to the imprisonment which they had richly deserved. It is said that ``Truth is stranger than fiction`` but you are left to decide this tricky question for yourselves.
The one exception is the story of a holiday romance ... just why did the beautiful, highly-born young Lady, on holiday with her companion on the beaches in Galicia, seem to be so very interested in his six year old son and apparently throw her cap at Tam, a happily married man on that sandy shore?
``I enjoyed the read and some of the narrative reflected one or two of my own experiences when I started in practice ... now rather a long time ago.``
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge
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