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Simon Michael

Goodreads Author

Born

in London, The United Kingdom

January 04

Website

http://www.simonmichael.uk

Twitter

https://twitter.com/simonmichaeluk

Genre

Crime, Historical Fiction

Influences

Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hamett, Damon Runyon

Member Since

September 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/simonmichael

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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.

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Combine Editions
Simon Michael’s books

Average rating: 4.35 · 5,492 ratings · 458 reviews · 17 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Brief (Charles Holborne #1) 4.11 avg rating — 1,858 ratings — published 2015 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Honest Man (Charles Holborne #2) 4.27 avg rating — 857 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lighterman (Charles Holborne #3) 4.40 avg rating — 481 ratings — published 2017 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Waxwork Corpse (Charles Holborne #5) 4.48 avg rating — 415 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Corrupted (Charles Holborne, #4) 4.40 avg rating — 398 ratings — published 2018 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nothing But The Truth (Charles Holborne #8) 4.66 avg rating — 358 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Force of Evil (Charles Holborne #6) 4.61 avg rating — 343 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Final Shot (Charles Holborne #7) 4.52 avg rating — 347 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Death, Adjourned (Charles Holborne #9) 4.69 avg rating — 260 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fall Guy: Rock 'n' roll murder in 1960s London (Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers Book 10) 4.73 avg rating — 86 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Simon Michael's Blog

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 »

1 like · Like • 1 comment • flag

Published on September 25, 2016 05:08 • Tags: crime-barrister-trial-humour

Series by Simon Michael

Charles Holborne (10 books)
by

Simon Michael (Goodreads Author)

4.34 avg rating — 5,403 ratings

Simon is Currently Reading

Simon Michael is currently reading

The Puppet Show (Washington Poe, #1)

by M.W. Craven (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Oct 24, 2025 07:27AM

Simon Michael is currently reading

Scene from a Lower Bench

by Penny Ryding

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Oct 24, 2025 07:23AM

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Simon’s Recent Updates

Simon Michael liked Jan Mawdesley's review of The Brief (Charles Holborne #1): "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 »
Mar 09, 2026 05:10AM · see review
Simon Michael and 2 other people liked Helen's review of The Brief (Charles Holborne #1): "https://sarahreads4.wordpress.com/202..."
Mar 09, 2026 05:10AM · see review
Simon Michael liked Hannah Boyland's review of The Brief (Charles Holborne #1): "4.5 ⭐️ This was such a fun and interesting read, that kept me guessing till the end! I find that legal thrillers (and especially historical ones) can often be hit or miss, but I can safely say that this was one hell of a HIT. The plot is tense, and in" Read more of this review »
Mar 09, 2026 05:10AM · see review
Simon Michael liked Alice Chambers's review of The Brief: Charles Holborne, Book 1: "The Charles Holborne novels are historical, gritty, legal crime stories centred on a barrister operating in the shadow of gangs, organised crime, and institutional corruption during the 1960s and 1970s. Set largely in London, and its criminal underwo" Read more of this review »
Mar 09, 2026 05:10AM · see review
Simon Michael rated a book it was amazing The Fall Guy: Rock 'n' roll murder in 1960s London (Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers Book 10) by Simon Michael (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 07, 2025 01:32PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Fall Guy by Simon Michael. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Fall Guy by Simon Michael <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Simon Michael rated a book it was ok Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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
Dec 01, 2025 06:35AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Trust Exercise by Susan Choi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Trust Exercise by Susan Choi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Simon Michael is currently reading The Puppet Show (Washington Poe, #1) by M.W. Craven (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 24, 2025 07:27AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Simon Michael is currently reading Scene from a Lower Bench by Penny Ryding	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 24, 2025 07:23AM · like
Simon Michael has read The Mercy Chair (Washington Poe #6) by M.W. Craven (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 24, 2025 07:14AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Simon Michael finished reading Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 18, 2025 12:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Simon Michael (?)

“Your doctor will know of him, certainly.”
― Simon Michael, Force of Evil

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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On The Same Page : Carolien's 2026 Independent Challenge	19	14	Feb 17, 2026 06:11AM

Simon’s Quotes

“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

tags: blade-runner, science-fiction

207 likes

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

tags: love, moon, stars, sun

2408 likes