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Simon Michael

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Simon Michael

Goodreads Author


Born
in London, The United Kingdom
January 04

Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hamett, Damon Runyon

Member Since
September 2016

URL


Simon Michael, often referred to as “the British John Grisham”, is a barrister and the author of the best-selling Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers.

The books are set primarily in London in the 1960s and 1970s, a period of huge social change, and they explore loyalty and prejudice, and what happens when justice collides with a corrupt Establishment. They’re historical and legal crime novels, but they’re also about memory, moral compromise, and the long shadow history casts over the present.

At their centre is barrister Charles Holborne, born Charlie Horowitz, a former East End heavyweight boxer and occasional criminal, who is drawn into cases shaped by gangs, organised crime, political interference and institutional corruption.

Moving between
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Simon Michael I don't really do much on FB I'm afraid, though I maintain the author's page at my publishers' insistence. You can follow me if you like, but it may b…moreI don't really do much on FB I'm afraid, though I maintain the author's page at my publishers' insistence. You can follow me if you like, but it may be a bit dull!(less)
Simon Michael שמעון לייב בן טוביה דוד (courtesy of Google translate)
Average rating: 4.34 · 5,624 ratings · 465 reviews · 16 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Brief (Charles Holborne...

4.11 avg rating — 1,873 ratings — published 2015 — 8 editions
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An Honest Man (Charles Holb...

4.27 avg rating — 871 ratings7 editions
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The Lighterman (Charles Hol...

4.39 avg rating — 489 ratings — published 2017 — 6 editions
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The Waxwork Corpse (Charles...

4.48 avg rating — 427 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions
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Corrupted (Charles Holborne...

4.40 avg rating — 410 ratings — published 2018 — 5 editions
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Nothing But The Truth (Char...

4.66 avg rating — 363 ratings4 editions
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Force of Evil (Charles Holb...

4.60 avg rating — 350 ratings3 editions
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The Final Shot (Charles Hol...

4.50 avg rating — 357 ratings4 editions
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Death, Adjourned (Charles H...

4.68 avg rating — 267 ratings3 editions
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The Fall Guy: Rock 'n' roll...

4.66 avg rating — 109 ratings4 editions
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More books by Simon Michael…

Trial by Jury

The life of a criminal barrister is one of high stress, sweat-inducing responsibility, poor pay, unbeatable camaraderie and extremely funny stories. The “life-and-death” issues in which barristers deal - like police officers, surgeons and firemen – make humour an essential coping tool.
I was a pupil barrister in the Chambers of Robert Flach QC, in the Middle Temple, of whom hilarious stories are l Read more of this blog post »
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Published on September 25, 2016 05:08 Tags: crime-barrister-trial-humour
The Brief An Honest Man The Lighterman Corrupted The Waxwork Corpse Force of Evil The Final Shot
(11 books)
by
4.34 avg rating — 5,532 ratings

The Puppet Show
Simon Michael is currently reading
by M.W. Craven (Goodreads Author)
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Scene from a Lowe...
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Simon’s Recent Updates

Simon Michael answered Amanda Neimer's question: Simon Michael
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The French Vendetta by Simon Michael
" Thank you Greville. "
The French Vendetta by Simon Michael
" Thank you, Annette! So pleased you enjoyed it. And, to reassure you, Book 12 in the series is well on the way. "
The French Vendetta by Simon Michael
"It has been fascinating to see how Simon Michael has managed to navigate his wonder Charles Holborne series of legal thrillers into safe water given the demise of the Kray twins who were his ongoing nemeses throughout the first 8 books of the series." Read more of this review »
The French Vendetta by Simon Michael
"I’ve been a big fan of Simon Michael’ s Charles Holborne legal thrillers since I read the very first one back in 2019 and I really can’t get enough of them. This is number 11 and it is very different from the earlier ones in that it is set in France " Read more of this review »
The Brief by Simon Michael
"Simon Michael introduces a new legal thriller series The Brief, with protagonist Charles Holborne, a lawyer who is married to Henrietta, daughter of a Viscount, practices Criminal Law at the Temple and simply does not fit into what is considered an e" Read more of this review »
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The Fall Guy by Simon Michael
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Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
Trust Exercise
by Susan Choi (Goodreads Author)
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Shows how easy it is to pull the wool over the eyes of the literati. It takes the concept of the unreliable narrator to its logical conclusion, but left me not caring about the reveal at the end. If for 50% of a book you present a person’s “truth” as ...more
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The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven
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Quotes by Simon Michael  (?)
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“Your doctor will know of him, certainly.”
Simon Michael, Force of Evil

Topics Mentioning This Author

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On The Same Page : Carolien's 2026 Independent Challenge 30 16 May 04, 2026 06:10PM  
“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
Rutger Hauer, All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners

“Yours is the light by which my spirit's born: - you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.”
E.E. Cummings

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