And Is There Honey Still For Tea?

Ben Schroeder #3

by Peter Murphy

The Third Ben Schroeder Novel. 1965. The British Establishment is reeling after a series of defections and acts of treachery by high-ranking Intelligence Officers. When Francis Hollander, an American academic, accuses Sir James Digby QC, a Baronet and a leader of the Bar, of being a Soviet spy, Digby retains Ben Schroeder and his head of Chambers to represent him. At first, it seems to be a simple case of libel, but as evidence starts to emerge of Digby’s association with the Cambridge Spies, and as MI6 becomes involved, Ben can no longer be sure that he can save Digby from prosecution and ruin. To obtain vital evidence, Ben will have to put his career at risk. But will it be enough? If you are a fan of John Grisham, and enjoyed BBC One’s legal drama Silk, then you’ll love Peter Murphy's And Is The Still Honey for Tea!

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Peter Murphy was born in 1946. After graduating from Cambridge University he spent a career in the law, as an advocate and teacher, both in England and the United States. His legal work included a number of years in The Hague as defence counsel at the Yugoslavian War Crimes Tribunal. He returned to England in 2007 on his appointment as a judge of the Crown Court. He lives with his wife, Chris, in Cambridgeshire.

Reviews

[Georgia Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because Peter Murphy came to speak to the writers' group I attend and he recommended it as he intended on using this book to show how he researched his novels. He was an excellent speaker and the content of his presentation was very interesting.

And Is There Honey Still For Tea? is the third Ben Schroeder novel and is set in 1965. Francis Hollander arrives from America to accuse Sir James Digby of being a Soviet spy. Initially this appears to be a simple case of libel but as the case proceeds, and MI6 get involved, it’s no longer clear who’s in the right anymore.

This book looks, with great depth, into the background and development of the Cambridge Spies and I found all of that fascinating. This input is written from Digby’s point of view and I enjoyed watching what felt like his rather naïve associations with those who wanted to draw him into their world of espionage. All the way through Digby’s real passion was for chess and although that had a crucial place within the story for me there was a little too much detail. That’s just a personal thing.

I enjoyed reading about life at the Bar, a lot of it seemed terribly dated, even for 1965, but I know that’s how life was at that time.

Peter Murphy writes his legal thrillers with great authority as he was a barrister, and his expert knowledge is clear throughout this read. The courtroom detail, the references to the law you can be assured are spot on. This didn’t really read as a thriller for me although I suspect others in the series may well contain more suspense, that said if you love courtroom dramas and an excellent attention to detail then this will definitely be one for you.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

And Is There Honey Still For Tea? An Acquired Taste

Peter Murphy’s Ben Schroeder series is back with And Is There Honey Still For Tea? a legal thriller set in what were worrying times during the Cold War. The title is also a clever take of a line in Rupert Brooke’s poem The Old Vicarage, Grantchester, as well as Trinity College Cambridge being his Alma Mata, which once you have read the book ties the story together, while gently reminding the reader of the Cambridge Spy Ring and all those associated with it and the crimes they committed.

It is 1965 and Sir James Digby QC is a respected member of the Bar a successful member of the Chancery Division of the High Courts of Justice, a chess player and journalist. He is about to take an American Assistant Professor to court for libel, as been called a Soviet Spy of long standing by Francis Hollander. As a member of the establishment Digby must fight this libel and have his good name restored.

When Hollander comes to London to fight the libel he arrives with very little evidence and is hoping that Mi6 may help his cause in Court. The question becomes does Mi6 have the evidence that will help Hollander or will it exonerate Digby, who had served the Intelligence Services during the war.

Throughout the book we see Sir James Digby’s life explained to us in depth from childhood, to Cambridge, marriage, the estate, his legal work, and chess. While at the same time we see the legal conferences take place with Ben Schroeder as the junior counsel defending Digby trying to find how the defence team will play out everything in court.

At the same time we Schroeder has been summoned to answer to the Middle Temple on a disciplinary matter that may cost him his career. During the course of the defence he also has to put his whole career on the line to find out the truth so that he can honestly give clear and honest legal advice.

The novel is set to the background of the Cold War and the defections of the Cambridge Spy ring whom were Apostles at Trinity and also friends and associates of Digby, who make various appearances in the book.

This is an interesting and read not quite the thriller it promises to be as it is rather gentle, but it is still an enjoyable read.

[Mark Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but at times dragged on

I am enjoying this series. This story was interesting but some passages, particularly those where Sir James is recounting his life, drag on for too long.

[Margaret B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the author's historical legal thriller series, this time centering on the 1960s world of espionage. The author has clearly done his research and it is all very plausible and realistic, especially the scenes involving barristers and solicitors. But I found the ending a bit of an anti-climax, and although I like Ben Schroeder as a character I did start to get a bit tired of his relationship issues (both professional and personal) with his girlfriend. So probably a three and a half for me rather than a four. After reading each of the first two books in the series I couldn't wait to start the next ... whereas now I am going to read some reviews of the fourth before I buy it!

[Gail Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I would have given this book a swerve if I had read a synopsis, as war time Europe and espionage is definitely not my choice of read but I really enjoyed it. Peter Murphy really writes well and I like his main characters and enjoy learning more about our legal system.

[Jeffrey Kershaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An historical game of chess

A very intricate tale of the lure of chess and socialism which leads a baronet along a difficult path involving spies and possible betrayal.Tea? Certainly but perhaps without honey.

[Brett Oaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really warming to these books and characters. Excellent

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through the Real Readers programme.

Pillar of the establishment Sir James Digby QC is accused in print by an American academic of being a Soviet spy of long standing. It is 1965 and Britain is at the height of its paranoia about “Reds under the bed” in the wake of revelations about the Cambridge Spies. Sir James feels he must stand up against this libel and engages barrister Ben Schroeder to act on his behalf. But when MI6 shows an interest things start to get much more complicated and more difficult for all concerned.

I must admit from the off that I’m not a huge fan of spy fiction in print, though I do enjoy a spy film from time to time and was an enormous fan of the TV series Spooks. I do, however, greatly enjoy a courtroom drama so was looking forward to this book as it seemed to involve several elements that I would like.

The novel really divides into three strands – the preparation for the libel case, an autobiography of Sir James Digby, and the personal lives of barrister Ben Schroder and his girlfriend Jess. These three elements weave through and around each other during the book. I have to say, however, that I wasn’t particularly interested in Ben and Jess’s struggle with the heads of the Middle Temple about their relationship. I felt that this slowed down the action and other than highlighting how old-fashioned the legal world was at that time (and likely still is), it added little to the book. This should have been the strand of the book that gave most of an impression of the novel as a period piece, but I didn’t get much of an impression of the 1960s from this, or indeed from the rest of the book. It could really have been set at any point in the past hundred years.

I was interested in Sir James and his legal case, but probably not as much as I should have been or as much as the author intended. The whole book felt rather bloodless and left me feeling indifferent to everyone. And although the autobiographical sections dealt with some deep and difficult feelings, I felt that I was watching from some distance and that the emotions involved didn’t reach me. The whole book felt very neutral, I didn’t engage with any of the characters and though the mechanics of the plot worked beautifully with a satisfying ending, it just didn’t grab me somehow. As this was the case it took me longer to read than a novel usually would.

I had been looking forward to reading the book so was disappointed not to have enjoyed it more. Those who are aficionados of spy fiction may have a better time than I did.

[Gonzaga Escauriaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading.

Easy, moving, and with a lot of suspense.

[Franca Pelaccia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believing that the defections of the Cambridge Spies during the Cold War are over, the British government now faces another possible scandal. This time it is initiated by American academic Francis Hollander, who has published an article, accusing Sir James Digby QC of being a Soviet spy. In an attempt to salvage his reputation, Digby turns to Bernard Wesley and Ben Schroeder to sue Hollander for libel. But when they learn that MI6 agents and the Secretary of State for Home Department are intervening to prevent the suit from going to trial, then everyone’s suspicions, including the defendant’s and his legal team are aroused and the search for the truth begins.

And Is There Honey Still for Tea?, the third book in the Ben Schroeder series, places fictitious characters alongside the stories and defections of actual Cambridge spies and historical events of the Cold War. The plot goes back and forth from 1965 when the accusations against Digby are made and the lawsuit is initiated to a memoir-style first person narrative where Digby writes about his life until both plotlines come together later on in the novel. The present-day plotline focuses on the personal and professional lives of the various law personnel, including the prejudices of the times as well as the detailed account of the investigation from both the prosecuting and defense perspectives. The memoir-style plotline focuses on the social, political, and familial background of Digby and held my interest from the very beginning.

And Is There Honey Still for Tea? is a fascinating insight into the factors contributing to the making of a spy during WWII and the Cold War and the use of chess as the means of relaying and receiving intelligence.
Reviewed for The Historical Novels Society

[Julian King · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are three strands to the narrative: the courtroom drama of a libel action brought against a journalist who has exposed a 5th man (after Burgess, Maclean, Philby and Blunt); the alleged traitor's diary (presented to the reader in its own typeface: why?); a melodrama surrounding young lawyers battling against the outmoded codes of conduct governing their profession in 1965.

None of these is without merit, but none is done especially well: partly because it's already been written several (if not many) times already; and partly because although Peter Murphy clearly knows his legal procedure and has read his contemporary newspapers, he can't write for toffee: he has a tin ear for dialogue, he bolts on exposition as if he's writing a dissertation rather than a novel, the simplistic social comment is too obvious for words, and the anachronisms that litter the pages are so many that before long they cease to jar, they simply bore.

I did turn the pages, and I did finish the book, but I felt I was struggling against the author to achieve this, rather than being carried along by him.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll put my hands up first and admit that I’m not a huge fan of legal dramas and sadly this book did little to change my perceptions. It is 1965, the intelligence world is still reeling from the defection of several high level British spies. Our legal hero Ben Schroeder is investigating a claim that a member of the British establishment, Sir James Digby is also a Soviet spy. It’s a plot with potential, sadly let down by stilted, plodding prose and stereotypical characterisation that ticks lots of boxes.
The way the story unfolds alternating with James Digby telling his life story and the events taking place over the legal case in 1965 makes it slow moving and lacking in suspense. The lack of suspense isn’t helped by the constant repetitive referring to events in previous books and the drawn out descriptions of legal scenes and chess.
I’m afraid that I’ll be sticking with John Le Carre for spy dramas and John Grisham for legal thrillers

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really pleased to be asked to review the latest Peter Murphy’s Ben Schroeder series And is there Honey Still for Tea? from Read Readers.

This is a legal thriller set in the cold war-Sir James Digby QC is an establishment figure who employs Ben Shroeder to sue Hollander, an American journalist for libel Hollander has published a slanderous article accusing the QC of spying for the Russians He has to fight this to regain the good name that he had.

The question I asked was it coincidence that James Digby was a member of the exclusive Cambridge club alongside Sir Anthony Blunt and Guy Burgess? The author cleverly delves into their relationships.

Some reviews state that if the reader does not have a legal background they will not understand the story line – I beg to differ. I found the legal background fascinating and comprehensible. As a fan of John Grisham I found this a riveting read.

This was published on the 23 April 2015.

[Maxine Wetherall · Rating 1 out of 5]

1965. The British Establishment is reeling after a series of defections and acts of treachery by high-ranking Intelligence Officers. When Francis Hollander, an American academic, accuses Sir James Digby QC, a Baronet and a leader of the Bar, of being a Soviet spy

I was very apprehensive when i received this book as it is not the genre that i would normally read. Unfortunately this book did nothing at all to change my mind. The story was very slow and I thought it would appeal to a very limited audience. I know nothing of this spies or the plot before hand and was quite glad of that because i would of probably not completed the book if I did. I do not hold much interest for chess either with kept being referenced throughout the book.

I found it very slow and hard going, definitely not a page turner, only completed it because i felt I needed to complete the review.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing mystery re Cambridge, spies, and chess.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found there was too much detail of little interest to the general reader in much of Digby's private writings. This rather took over from the law part which I enjoyed. I preferred the earlier books.

[Anne Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intruiging story . If you have read Charles Cumming's books you will enjoy this.