A Game of Proof (The trials of Sarah Newby) [Kindle Edition]

Tim Vicary (Author)

Book Description

A mother's worst nightmare - can her son be guilty of murder?

Sarah Newby, who left school at 15, and was living as a teenage single parent on an inner-city estate, has worked her way up to begin a career as a criminal barrister. But what should she do when her own son, Simon, is arrested and charged with a series of brutal rapes and murders?


Has Sarah, in her single-minded determination to create a career for herself, neglected her son so much that she no longer knows him? He has often lied to her in the past, so how can she trust him when he says he is innocent this time? And what should she do when she herself uncovers evidence that seems to suggest his guilt?

 

Should she help the police and protect the public? Or risk her career to save her son?

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This is a tale about a tough lady barrister - a British trial lawyer. When it was first published in hardback my agent and editor persuaded me that no one would read a crime thriller with a female main character written by a man, so, reluctantly, I used the pseudonym Megan Stark. But I was always uncomfortable with this - in fact now I think they were plain wrong! So here's the truth - I'm a happily married man with two grown-up daughters, one of whom is now a barrister herself. My family and workplace are full of lots of confident, assertive women, and I find them pretty interesting, so that's the sort of person I chose to write about.  But don't worry, there are men in this story too. Her would-be lover, detective Terry Bateson, a single father, is very definitely male. Very much so. Tall, handsome, tragically flawed - just like me, in fact!

About the Author

Tim Vicary is an award-winning author and a university teacher at the Norwegian Study Centre at the university of York, England. He has published three legal thrillers in 'The Trials of Sarah Newby' series. A Fatal Verdict, the second book in this series, was awarded a B.R.A.G Medallion for an outstanding independent novel in 2012. He has also written about twenty graded readers for foreign learners of English, published by Oxford University Press. In 2010 and 2011 two of these - Titanic and The Everest Story - were each the winners in their category for the Language Learner Literature Award for the Extensive Reading Foundation. He has also published four historical novels.

Tim lives in the English countryside, near York. When he's not writing he likes horse-riding, cycling, and swimming.

His website is http://www.timvicary.com and his blog is http://www.timvicary.wordpress.com

Product Details

• File Size: 715 KB
• Print Length: 458 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1482343886
• Publisher: White Owl; 2 edition (July 4, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005ALGIFK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,370 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant British Crime / Thriller March 15, 2012

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

A Game of Proof was originally published under the pen name of Megan Stark, and follows tough Barrister Sarah Newby as she defends the indefensible, and, ultimately, her son.

The book is set in York, and is a very British crime book. The books begins with Sarah Newby defending a thug who is up for the crime of rape. Sarah believes that the courtroom is a game, a game of proof. She ultimately has doubts in her mind about the guilt of her client, but she defends him regardless. She is a tough, driven woman who has battled the odds to reach the upper echelons of the British justice system.

As the story progresses, we see Sarah take on the case of her son, Simon, who is accused of the brutal rape and murder of his girlfriend. The book is gory and gruesome when the nature of the crime is recounted, but you do get a real feel for the almost clinical and detached nature of the British courtroom. As the story, and case against Simon, develops you, as the reader, begin to think yourself about the validity of any conviction. You work in your mind alongside the police as they try to piece together other possible suspects for the rape and murder.

A Game of Proof kept me engaged throughout. It's skilfully written and I'll be looking to read more of the Sarah Newby trials books. She isn't an especially likeable character - there are times as which she epitomises the eternal question of can you ever have it all? The successful career, marriage and family life. At times she appears cold and calculating but is she ultimately just doing her job? The book is very thought provoking in this regard.

There are some very minor inconsistencies in this book, and some frustrating typing/spelling errors but not what Vicary does is to uncover the workings of the British legal system, and the importance of presentation. You can't help but feel that, at times, it is all just a game, albeit with a very high price. Witnesses are treated appallingly, in the name of justice, and at stages this book makes for painful reading when you put yourself in the place of the witness. The book is well written and is a brilliant British crime thriller that you really should read. And even better is that at the time of writing, A Game of Proof, is free on amazon.

Sarah Burns ~ On Behalf of the Kindle Book Review

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Actually, this was great! March 8, 2012

By book fan

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was the first Kindle-only book I read -- I admit that I was a bit reluctant to move away from the big publishing houses and household names. But it was definitely a good read! With a solid storyline, surprises, twists and turns, and a very human protagonist, this is as good a legal thriller as you will get.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtroom thrillers are back April 6, 2012

By Suzie Ivy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Anytime a man writes a female lead character, I'm looking for flaws in the writing. I can't help it. What I found in A Game of Proof was that I sometimes didn't like Sarah Newby and other times I loved her. With her imperfections, strong personality and ambition, Mr. Vicary gave us a heroine with realistic faults.

The parallel and differences in the legal justice systems of the United States and England intrigued me throughout the book. At times I was thinking we do it so much better and at others, I wanted to adopt English law.

The author explains the intricacies of defending a rapist as it happens in real court. He shows the fine line, right and wrong, of the justice system where the victim is the one on trial. Then the twist is added when Sarah's son is accused of rape and her role as defense barrister must co-exist with her role as a mother. I also enjoyed Sarah's interplay with Detective Bateson and again the author portrayed a real person who I could honestly admire, flaws and all.

For fans of courtroom drama this book is a must read. If you're not a fan you need to see what you're missing. I've already sunk my teeth into the next book because I needed more.

More About the Author

Hi. My name's Tim Vicary and I'm an author and a university teacher at the Norwegian Study Centre at the University of York, England. I've written three crime/legal thrillers in 'The Trials of Sarah Newby' series, and I'm currently writing a fourth. I've also written four historical novels, two children's books, and about twenty graded readers for foreign learners of English in the Oxford Bookworms series, published by Oxford University Press, two of which, Titanic and The Everest Story, won awards from the Extensive Reading Foundation in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

My legal thriller, A Fatal Verdict, was awarded a B.R.A.G Medallion for an outstanding independently published book in 2012, and in 2013 Bold Counsel won the Awesome Indies Seal of Approval.

I live in the English countryside, near York. When I'm not writing I like horse-riding, cycling, and swimming.

website http://wwww.timvicary.com
blog http://wwww.timvicary.wordpress.com