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Rumpole of the Bailey #6
Rumpole's Last Case
Rumpole is on the case again with several interesting cases of murder and suspicious doings passing through chambers.
These seven stories include:
Rumpole and the Winter Break.
Rumpole and the Blind Tasting.
Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim.
Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow.
Rumpole and the Official Secret.
Rumpole and the Old, Old Story.
Rumpole's Last Case.
These seven stories include:
Rumpole and the Winter Break.
Rumpole and the Blind Tasting.
Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim.
Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow.
Rumpole and the Official Secret.
Rumpole and the Old, Old Story.
Rumpole's Last Case.
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 1990
About the author
John Mortimer
261 books233 followersJohn Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 19, 2014
This was just what the doctor ordered for mental chiropractics. For realigning my spirit over the gloom of impending winter and too much serious reading. The BBC TV series begun in the late 70’s was almost as much relief from the madness of the world as Monty Python, and its extensions through the Reagan and Thatcher years into the early 90’s was always a safe haven. And by golly, I have been missing the old curmudgeon.
My choice to do an audiobook version of this collection means I could visualize Leo Kern again in the title role and all his allies and enemies in his practice and pompous adversary on the bench, the “Mad Bull” Judge Bullingham. In the seven cases in this book, he tilts at windmills with the sword of his words and usually wins, always in surprising ways and at the cost of many a punctured ego. What he does with the English language stands well on the shoulders of Shakespeare’s comedies.
I love the paradox of his bumbling and brilliance, the hybrid vigor of his humility and arrogance. His wife Hilda is such a perfect foil for his self-centeredness, always able to bring him down to earth (I feel the love in his chorus of “She Who Must Be Obeyed”). In "Rumpole and the Old, Old Story", they have an unusual break. After she admonishes him for an off-color joke at a fancy group dinner, he walks away and tries to live in his office and later with a colleague. The resolution was sweet more than comic.
Often Rumpole is defending guilty petty criminals, such as members of the Tilson family of housebreakers. In “Rumpole and the Blind Tasting” the charge is theft of expensive vintage wine. We know Rumpole thrives on the cheap stuff, as he is always hanging out in Pomeroy’s Wine Bar drinking what he refers to as Chateaux Thames Embankment. There was a great twist in the resolution of this case, poking much fun at the culture of aristocratic tastes.
One story was a more serious case of investigation involving murder. Through an old chum he gets a chance to handle a murder case (the “mother’s milk” of his ambitions). This away game has him travelling to Germany to defend a soldier accused of murdering his sergeant. That the victim was found wearing a dress is an affront to regimental honor, and his army helper on the defense pressures him to pursue a supposed German lover as a culprit. It was fun to see Rumpole apply his shenanigans to a staid court martial setting, but the elements related to deflating homophobic presumptions was often too serious to be funny.
A case relevant to our current crises over exposure official secrets concerns a clerk with MI6 accused of revealing the agency’s large budgetary expenses for tea biscuits. This healthy intersection of Rumpole with the world of espionage was my favorite of the lot. Don’t you deserve some of this kind of mental health break?
Now I have Mortimer in my sites, I have to consider completing what is called the “Rapstone Trilogy.” In a different kind of warm satire, he gave us the brilliant “Paradise Postponed”, a tale of class conflict, hapless ambition, and hopeless romance in a post-war English village. It was adapted into a wonderful Masterpiece Theater production in the 80’s. Number two, “Titmuss Regained”, is muttering “read me, please” from my dusty shelf.
My choice to do an audiobook version of this collection means I could visualize Leo Kern again in the title role and all his allies and enemies in his practice and pompous adversary on the bench, the “Mad Bull” Judge Bullingham. In the seven cases in this book, he tilts at windmills with the sword of his words and usually wins, always in surprising ways and at the cost of many a punctured ego. What he does with the English language stands well on the shoulders of Shakespeare’s comedies.
I love the paradox of his bumbling and brilliance, the hybrid vigor of his humility and arrogance. His wife Hilda is such a perfect foil for his self-centeredness, always able to bring him down to earth (I feel the love in his chorus of “She Who Must Be Obeyed”). In "Rumpole and the Old, Old Story", they have an unusual break. After she admonishes him for an off-color joke at a fancy group dinner, he walks away and tries to live in his office and later with a colleague. The resolution was sweet more than comic.
Often Rumpole is defending guilty petty criminals, such as members of the Tilson family of housebreakers. In “Rumpole and the Blind Tasting” the charge is theft of expensive vintage wine. We know Rumpole thrives on the cheap stuff, as he is always hanging out in Pomeroy’s Wine Bar drinking what he refers to as Chateaux Thames Embankment. There was a great twist in the resolution of this case, poking much fun at the culture of aristocratic tastes.
One story was a more serious case of investigation involving murder. Through an old chum he gets a chance to handle a murder case (the “mother’s milk” of his ambitions). This away game has him travelling to Germany to defend a soldier accused of murdering his sergeant. That the victim was found wearing a dress is an affront to regimental honor, and his army helper on the defense pressures him to pursue a supposed German lover as a culprit. It was fun to see Rumpole apply his shenanigans to a staid court martial setting, but the elements related to deflating homophobic presumptions was often too serious to be funny.
A case relevant to our current crises over exposure official secrets concerns a clerk with MI6 accused of revealing the agency’s large budgetary expenses for tea biscuits. This healthy intersection of Rumpole with the world of espionage was my favorite of the lot. Don’t you deserve some of this kind of mental health break?
Now I have Mortimer in my sites, I have to consider completing what is called the “Rapstone Trilogy.” In a different kind of warm satire, he gave us the brilliant “Paradise Postponed”, a tale of class conflict, hapless ambition, and hopeless romance in a post-war English village. It was adapted into a wonderful Masterpiece Theater production in the 80’s. Number two, “Titmuss Regained”, is muttering “read me, please” from my dusty shelf.
December 12, 2018
For a second there John Mortimer had me believing this truly was Rumpole's last case. I know that one of these days these stories will come to an end, but it shall not be this day!
April 21, 2022
John Mortimer's Rumpole books are consistently excellent. For me, the only decision in rating them is whether to give each volume five stars or just four. This one gets a five. The seven stories have excellent plots and are filled with eccentric, but realistic characters.
And I hope that it's not too much of a spoiler to say that Rumpole indeed intended "Rumpole's Last Case" to be his last appearance at The Old Bailey. It's not surprising that things didn't turn out the way he intended - so we are fortunate enough to have more of Rumpole's legal adventures after the events described here.
And I hope that it's not too much of a spoiler to say that Rumpole indeed intended "Rumpole's Last Case" to be his last appearance at The Old Bailey. It's not surprising that things didn't turn out the way he intended - so we are fortunate enough to have more of Rumpole's legal adventures after the events described here.
March 25, 2020
Rumple is still fun if a bit tired and formulaic.
May 23, 2023
An enjoyable, entertaining collection of seven short stories mainly involving Horace Rumpole being barrister for the defendant. The stories are:
Rumpole and the blind tasting.
Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim.
Rumpole and the Judge’s Elbow.
Rumpole and the Official Secret.
Rumpole and the Old, Old Story.
Rumpole’s Last case.
In the Judge’s Elbow story, a judge has his elbow fixed at a massage parlor and pays by credit card, later to find that the massage parlor was under investigation by the police and a court case pending.
In the Official Secret, Rumpole defends a middle aged eccentric clerical worker from charges that she leaked official secrets.
In Rumpole’s lasted case, whilst defending one of the Timson clan, Rumpole makes a horse racing bet with 100 pounds sterling, betting on four horses winning. Winning such a bet would give Rumpole 300,000 pounds sterling and allow Rumpole to retire.
This book was first published in 1987.
Rumpole and the blind tasting.
Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim.
Rumpole and the Judge’s Elbow.
Rumpole and the Official Secret.
Rumpole and the Old, Old Story.
Rumpole’s Last case.
In the Judge’s Elbow story, a judge has his elbow fixed at a massage parlor and pays by credit card, later to find that the massage parlor was under investigation by the police and a court case pending.
In the Official Secret, Rumpole defends a middle aged eccentric clerical worker from charges that she leaked official secrets.
In Rumpole’s lasted case, whilst defending one of the Timson clan, Rumpole makes a horse racing bet with 100 pounds sterling, betting on four horses winning. Winning such a bet would give Rumpole 300,000 pounds sterling and allow Rumpole to retire.
This book was first published in 1987.
Read
April 3, 2022I love the audio versions of the Rumpole books. I think I read this one a long time ago, but I'd forgotten most of the details. It was great listening to -- the narrator, Frederick Davidson, delivers Rumpole's sassy, curmudgeonly, good hearted character beautifully.
Read
January 20, 2019Funny and entertaining as always, but probably not for everyone. I’d recommend Mortimer’s Rumpole series to anyone who finds P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves to be funny and entertaining.
June 4, 2019
Oops! Did I just delete my review? sigh
I loved the wine one, and the "last case" is just what I wanted, without knowing it.
But it's the one about the court martial that stays with me.
I loved the wine one, and the "last case" is just what I wanted, without knowing it.
But it's the one about the court martial that stays with me.
November 24, 2021
Another winner. There's a certain sameness to many of the stories, although it's currently a comforting sameness, I think, but I can see (given the sheer number of volumes yet to come) that it could easily slip into annoying sameness (is Claude going to attempt to romance every female associate? I suppose so).
Still, I continue to marvel at how enjoyable the authorial tone is, given these stories, I'm told, began as TV episodes. If you novelize TV episodes, I'd expect a lot of dialogue and description, but instead, most of the good stuff here is what's going on in Rumpole's head. Perhaps the TV show employs a lot of voiceover? I'll have to find out.
Anyway, this is my current favourite bedtime reading. Better than hot cocoa (or Chateau de Thames Embankment).
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I feel like I should mostly read 3s, but of course I am biased in my selection and pick books I think I'll like, so mostly read 4s!)
Still, I continue to marvel at how enjoyable the authorial tone is, given these stories, I'm told, began as TV episodes. If you novelize TV episodes, I'd expect a lot of dialogue and description, but instead, most of the good stuff here is what's going on in Rumpole's head. Perhaps the TV show employs a lot of voiceover? I'll have to find out.
Anyway, this is my current favourite bedtime reading. Better than hot cocoa (or Chateau de Thames Embankment).
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I feel like I should mostly read 3s, but of course I am biased in my selection and pick books I think I'll like, so mostly read 4s!)
April 19, 2010
Another bunch of stories about that inimitable barrister, Horace Rumpole. In "Rumpole and the Official Secret" he defends a middle-aged eccentric clerical worker from charges that she leaked official secrets, to wit, the budget in her department for "biscuits" aka cookies. And in "Rumpole's Last Case" he's about to tell off Judge Bullingham because he's about to come into a fortune after betting on the horse races. I'll leave it to you to guess whether he actually quits.
May 4, 2010
Would have been a 5 but the narrator (it was audible) was only so-so. Not gravely enough. Leo McKearn has ruined me for all other Rumpoles.
December 24, 2019
This, you see, is the trouble with Rumpole audiobooks. Once you start, they become an addictive substance, like audio crack.
The further into Rumpole you go, the more it begins to remind you of something. Rumpole is a flawed, shallow, selfish creature, who nonetheless, compared to most of the other people in his life, wins our admiration and respect by the lack of side or sexism, the lack of bigotry or pretension he brings to life. He's essentially Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster, but with a more middle-class upbringing and a useful purpose in life. For more evidence, I refer my learned friends to the fact that just as Wooster calls on a handful of lines of knowledge and poetry that have somehow stuck in his head over the years and harks back almost continually to the highlight of his academic career - the winning of a prize for scripture knowledge at school - so Rumpole relies on his knowledge of the poetry of Wordsworth, and his career personal best, when he defended in the case of the Penge Bungalow Murder, without - as he's determined we should know - a leader.
Similarly, as you go on, the tropes of the stories become familiar - Claude Erskine-Brown, the silk-hungry barrister, continues to grind his sexist teeth as his wife Phillida climbs the career ladder faster than him, and he continues, it seems, to seek out absolutely anyone who'd be prepared to have an affair with him. There's been a change at the top of chambers, Rumpole now coming under the thumb of 'Soapy' Sam Ballard, one who believes lawyers should exhibit the precepts of Christianity in their dealings, leaving Rumpole - an inveterate old sinner, and proud to be so - increasingly open for clashes.
But Mortimer does use Rumpole to explore elements of the evolving cultural landscape of his times - here, we see the Rumpoles taking advantage of the increasing tendency towards package holidays to get a little winter sun, and the increasing fetishization of wine and wine tasting in the eighties to put Rumpole onto an unusual case of the emperor's new claret. There's even a nod ot the popularity in the eighties of cold war spy thrillers, Rumpole running into a would-be secret-stealer on a park bench and people ending up mysteriously, conveniently, tripping in front of tube trains when their treachery is uncovered.
Mortimer has also, it seems, almost from the very beginning, been searching for a way to finish Rumpole's career - he's been retired once, killed off once, and here, in Rumpole's Last Case, there's a third iteration for what could be the end of Rumpole, as he takes a gamble on a four-horse accumulator and a bit of extra-curricular policework both, on the promise of ending his career on a financial supernova.
There's also a charming, dark, exhausted tale here of what happens when a married couple stop making allowances for each other's familar curves and grooves and stories, as Rumpole and the formidable She Who Must Be Obeyed actually separate, seemingly for good, forcing others around them to drive their implacable stubborn wills back together.
All in all, while the curves and bumps of a Rumpole collection are becoming familiar, they certainly have yet to lose their charm in this collection, and they led me straight on to want more, and more and more, of the incorrigible Old Bailey hack.
The further into Rumpole you go, the more it begins to remind you of something. Rumpole is a flawed, shallow, selfish creature, who nonetheless, compared to most of the other people in his life, wins our admiration and respect by the lack of side or sexism, the lack of bigotry or pretension he brings to life. He's essentially Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster, but with a more middle-class upbringing and a useful purpose in life. For more evidence, I refer my learned friends to the fact that just as Wooster calls on a handful of lines of knowledge and poetry that have somehow stuck in his head over the years and harks back almost continually to the highlight of his academic career - the winning of a prize for scripture knowledge at school - so Rumpole relies on his knowledge of the poetry of Wordsworth, and his career personal best, when he defended in the case of the Penge Bungalow Murder, without - as he's determined we should know - a leader.
Similarly, as you go on, the tropes of the stories become familiar - Claude Erskine-Brown, the silk-hungry barrister, continues to grind his sexist teeth as his wife Phillida climbs the career ladder faster than him, and he continues, it seems, to seek out absolutely anyone who'd be prepared to have an affair with him. There's been a change at the top of chambers, Rumpole now coming under the thumb of 'Soapy' Sam Ballard, one who believes lawyers should exhibit the precepts of Christianity in their dealings, leaving Rumpole - an inveterate old sinner, and proud to be so - increasingly open for clashes.
But Mortimer does use Rumpole to explore elements of the evolving cultural landscape of his times - here, we see the Rumpoles taking advantage of the increasing tendency towards package holidays to get a little winter sun, and the increasing fetishization of wine and wine tasting in the eighties to put Rumpole onto an unusual case of the emperor's new claret. There's even a nod ot the popularity in the eighties of cold war spy thrillers, Rumpole running into a would-be secret-stealer on a park bench and people ending up mysteriously, conveniently, tripping in front of tube trains when their treachery is uncovered.
Mortimer has also, it seems, almost from the very beginning, been searching for a way to finish Rumpole's career - he's been retired once, killed off once, and here, in Rumpole's Last Case, there's a third iteration for what could be the end of Rumpole, as he takes a gamble on a four-horse accumulator and a bit of extra-curricular policework both, on the promise of ending his career on a financial supernova.
There's also a charming, dark, exhausted tale here of what happens when a married couple stop making allowances for each other's familar curves and grooves and stories, as Rumpole and the formidable She Who Must Be Obeyed actually separate, seemingly for good, forcing others around them to drive their implacable stubborn wills back together.
All in all, while the curves and bumps of a Rumpole collection are becoming familiar, they certainly have yet to lose their charm in this collection, and they led me straight on to want more, and more and more, of the incorrigible Old Bailey hack.
July 19, 2020
Frantic to make sure this wasn't the last of Rumpole's stories, I was relieved to learn that this book was published in 1987 (and there are many more stories to be read). I particularly enjoy listening to these stories and Frederick Davidson is a delightful voice. He catches all the nuances of British humor.
There are seven stories in this book. This is a great way to while away some hours watching Rumpole try his best to save British law and language.
"Rumpole and the Blind Tasting" -- Who can believe Rumpole didn't know about free wine tastings? He's heartbroken to discover that the real connoisseurs spit out the delightful bubbly.
"Rumpole and the Old, Old Story" -- Can you believe it? Rumpole leaves "She Who Must Be Obeyed" and takes up residence with the Erskine-Browns. Fear not, Rumpole quickly returns to his home hearth.
"Rumpole and the Official Secret" -- When are secrets not secrets? That is the question and Rumpole has to defend a woman accused of giving away governmental secrets to the press. It's much ado about not much.
"Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow" -- I thought this was the funniest of the bunch because a judge (or rather his credit card slip is evidence) in a massage parlor sting.
"Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim" -- This proves that Rumpole will do just about anything to get in front of a judge. He winds up in front of a court in Germany to save a soldier in a proud regiment.
"Rumpole and the Winter Break" -- Rumpole meets a cross-section of the public in his endeavors. However, he remeets a man who has a habit of murdering wives; one who is giving "She Who Must Be Obeyed" too much attention.
"Rumpole's Last Case" -- Rumpole takes the opportunity to tell off people he's tired of because he has found a way to riches at the race track. Alas, all that glitters is not gold (in Rumpole's pocket).
Rumpole Series
Rumpole of the Bailey (1978)
The Trials of Rumpole (1979)
Regina v Rumpole(1981)
Rumpole's Return(1982)
Rumpole (1982)
Rumpole for the Defence (1982)
Rumpole and the Golden Thread(1983)
Rumpole for the Prosecution (1986)
***Rumpole's Last Case (1987)
Rumpole and theAge of Miracles (1988)
There are seven stories in this book. This is a great way to while away some hours watching Rumpole try his best to save British law and language.
"Rumpole and the Blind Tasting" -- Who can believe Rumpole didn't know about free wine tastings? He's heartbroken to discover that the real connoisseurs spit out the delightful bubbly.
"Rumpole and the Old, Old Story" -- Can you believe it? Rumpole leaves "She Who Must Be Obeyed" and takes up residence with the Erskine-Browns. Fear not, Rumpole quickly returns to his home hearth.
"Rumpole and the Official Secret" -- When are secrets not secrets? That is the question and Rumpole has to defend a woman accused of giving away governmental secrets to the press. It's much ado about not much.
"Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow" -- I thought this was the funniest of the bunch because a judge (or rather his credit card slip is evidence) in a massage parlor sting.
"Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim" -- This proves that Rumpole will do just about anything to get in front of a judge. He winds up in front of a court in Germany to save a soldier in a proud regiment.
"Rumpole and the Winter Break" -- Rumpole meets a cross-section of the public in his endeavors. However, he remeets a man who has a habit of murdering wives; one who is giving "She Who Must Be Obeyed" too much attention.
"Rumpole's Last Case" -- Rumpole takes the opportunity to tell off people he's tired of because he has found a way to riches at the race track. Alas, all that glitters is not gold (in Rumpole's pocket).
Rumpole Series
Rumpole of the Bailey (1978)
The Trials of Rumpole (1979)
Regina v Rumpole(1981)
Rumpole's Return(1982)
Rumpole (1982)
Rumpole for the Defence (1982)
Rumpole and the Golden Thread(1983)
Rumpole for the Prosecution (1986)
***Rumpole's Last Case (1987)
Rumpole and theAge of Miracles (1988)
December 20, 2021
I am so glad I picked this up and decided to listen to it. Bill Wallis reads it so beautifully, too, so it's a real treat! Perfect for Christmas, I thought.
The Rumpole of the title is Horace Rumpole, a defence barrister who takes mostly Legal Aid cases by the sounds of it. He is married to She Who Must Be Obeyed aka Hilda, the daughter of the former Head of Chambers. She is permanently disappointed in him, and this lack of real companionship gives rise to his rich inner life, to which we as readers are privy.
This audiobook is a series of short stories based around Rumpole and his work which often includes getting guilty villains off charges. I suspect he chose to do this to challenge his brain as much as because he believes in the legal system in the UK. The thing is, he loves a nice glass of red and a really good dinner, but he's a bit of a scruff and so he is continually underestimated by those around him (in the same way as TV detective Columbo is underestimated). Yet he is very clever and often spots things others don't, so he frequently uncovers the sometimes unexpected or uncomfortable truth about his cases as he goes along.
I won't say any more about this because you may already have read other novels by John Mortimer about Rumpole. There's also a TV series where Rumpole is played by Leo McKern, who does it very well, too, so that is worth a watch when it comes up occasionally. At the time of writing I note that it can be seen on the Talking Pictures channel on satellite/cable.
Bill Wallis' performance here as reader is exemplary because his characterisation is exquisite and so acute, it is an absolute joy to listen to. He's got a lovely piece of writing to work from, of course. John Mortimer's writing is delightful. This is not a gritty view of villains and the law. If anything it's a little on the romantic side. But it is light and amusing and I shall be seeking out more of the same for 2022. Highly recommended.
The Rumpole of the title is Horace Rumpole, a defence barrister who takes mostly Legal Aid cases by the sounds of it. He is married to She Who Must Be Obeyed aka Hilda, the daughter of the former Head of Chambers. She is permanently disappointed in him, and this lack of real companionship gives rise to his rich inner life, to which we as readers are privy.
This audiobook is a series of short stories based around Rumpole and his work which often includes getting guilty villains off charges. I suspect he chose to do this to challenge his brain as much as because he believes in the legal system in the UK. The thing is, he loves a nice glass of red and a really good dinner, but he's a bit of a scruff and so he is continually underestimated by those around him (in the same way as TV detective Columbo is underestimated). Yet he is very clever and often spots things others don't, so he frequently uncovers the sometimes unexpected or uncomfortable truth about his cases as he goes along.
I won't say any more about this because you may already have read other novels by John Mortimer about Rumpole. There's also a TV series where Rumpole is played by Leo McKern, who does it very well, too, so that is worth a watch when it comes up occasionally. At the time of writing I note that it can be seen on the Talking Pictures channel on satellite/cable.
Bill Wallis' performance here as reader is exemplary because his characterisation is exquisite and so acute, it is an absolute joy to listen to. He's got a lovely piece of writing to work from, of course. John Mortimer's writing is delightful. This is not a gritty view of villains and the law. If anything it's a little on the romantic side. But it is light and amusing and I shall be seeking out more of the same for 2022. Highly recommended.
June 18, 2026
Another excellent entry in this series. While I must admit that the cast of this book went a long way toward making me dislike them - a distinct difference from the previous books - the courtroom antics and witticisms flew just as thick and landed just as true as all the previous five books. In particular, the mercenary attitude that almost every character exhibits in this book made me revise my opinion in a negative direction of almost all of them. They snipe at each other, backstab each other, and generally make asses of themselves in ways not seen as frequently in the previous books. Perhaps this is intended to be an indictment of the characters who tend to make up the bar, in the author's eyes at least.
Despite this, it's clear to me that John Mortimer has proven himself to be a genius in not only tone and content but also in his ability to make his main character fit into a groove that feels comfortable rather than worn. While this proclaims to be Rumpole's Last Case, I welcome the next few entries in this series and will happily join our main character as he heaves himself "up on his hindlegs" and proclaims for his defendants all the more.
Despite this, it's clear to me that John Mortimer has proven himself to be a genius in not only tone and content but also in his ability to make his main character fit into a groove that feels comfortable rather than worn. While this proclaims to be Rumpole's Last Case, I welcome the next few entries in this series and will happily join our main character as he heaves himself "up on his hindlegs" and proclaims for his defendants all the more.
July 12, 2019
The book may be called “Rumpole’s Last Case,” but don’t you believe it. The old barrister for the defense has plenty of fight left in this collection of seven stories, including the titular story, as well as “Rumpole and the Blind Tasting,” “Rumpole and the Old, Old Story,” “Rumpole and the Official Secret,” “Rumpole and the Judge’s Elbow,” “Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim” and “Rumpole and the Winter Break.”
As always, those who underestimate the Old Bailey hack, do so at their peril.
I particularly enjoyed the title story, as Rumpole is ready to make a gamble of his own, and head off to sunnier climes with wife Hilda (otherwise known as She Who Must Be Obeyed), all the while defending yet another member of the criminal Timson clan and perhaps finally having a chance to express his true feelings about presiding Judge Roger Bullingham, whom Rumpole has nicknamed The Mad Bull of the Old Bailey. Another great read, and I look forward to reading more books in the series.
As always, those who underestimate the Old Bailey hack, do so at their peril.
I particularly enjoyed the title story, as Rumpole is ready to make a gamble of his own, and head off to sunnier climes with wife Hilda (otherwise known as She Who Must Be Obeyed), all the while defending yet another member of the criminal Timson clan and perhaps finally having a chance to express his true feelings about presiding Judge Roger Bullingham, whom Rumpole has nicknamed The Mad Bull of the Old Bailey. Another great read, and I look forward to reading more books in the series.
January 20, 2019
Could this really be it? Hard to believe, especially after She Who Must be Obeyed proclaims, "Murder's mother's milk to Rumpole."
February 4, 2020
Delightful
February 11, 2020
I loved these stories like all of them. I think the only one I haven't heard before was "Rumpole and the Winter Break".
I'd listen to the audiobook again.
I'd listen to the audiobook again.
March 17, 2020
Funny as heck
June 13, 2020
Another seven short stories. I think I have done all of them. Very enjoyable!
March 1, 2022
Not enough stars will do to convey how good this book is.
June 23, 2022
DNF and sorry I even started it
December 1, 2022
Rumpole for the win!
April 28, 2024
Soooo wanna watch this book!
July 16, 2024
July 2024: Listened to 3 short stories on audio.
Loved them of course. It's Rumpole!
Rumpole and the Blind Tasting
Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow
Rumpole's the Old Old Story
Loved them of course. It's Rumpole!
Rumpole and the Blind Tasting
Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow
Rumpole's the Old Old Story
September 1, 2024
A good one to listen to, while lying on the beach...
November 28, 2024
Felt like I was watching the series! So fun!
November 19, 2025
The book was really a collection of short stories
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews