The Long-Shot Trial

An Arthur Beauchamp Novel, Book 9

By: William Deverell

Narrated by: Tim Machin

Arthur Beauchamp takes a break from the courtroom to write a memoir so he can set the record straight about a headline murder case he fought as a young lawyer in 1966. The trial would either mark him as a pathetic loser or thrust him into the top ranks of criminal counsel.

The background: in 1966, a young housemaid was raped by her employer, a callous and vindictive millionaire. She shot him point blank, so it seemed an open-and-shut case of first-degree murder. Enter Arthur Beauchamp, a young lawyer haunted by having bungled his only previous murder case. He is now called upon to defend a case that he is almost certain can’t be won. But as the trial speeds through twists and turns, his slashing cross-examinations bring hope that the jury might entertain a reasonable doubt.

In the present time, Arthur learns that writing about his social gaffes, booze, and sex is not easy, especially as his efforts are regularly interrupted by the quirky characters who inhabit his supposedly idyllic Garibaldi Island.

©2024 William Deverell (P)2024 ECW Press

Critic reviews

“Deverell shines in his clever latest outing for Arthur Beauchamp … The ingenious framing device and surprise-packed courtroom action put this on the level of the series’ best entries. It’s a surefire winner.” — Publishers Weekly

“William Deverell’s popular Arthur Beauchamp series, which began in 1997, is a legal thriller that explores perceptions of truth. Filled with twists, deceptions, and conspiracy theories, the story concerns the social, cultural, and political values underwriting Canadian society.” — Bookworm, Literary Review of Canada's newsletter