April Fool

Arthur Beauchamp #2

by William Deverell

An irresistible story of justice heading off the rails.

Arthur Beauchamp, the scholarly, self-doubting legend of the B.C. criminal bar (and one of Deverell’s most amiable — and crafty — protagonists), is enjoying his retirement as a hobbyist farmer on B.C.’s Garibaldi Island when he is dragged back to court to defend an old client. Nick “the Owl” Faloon, once one of the world’s top jewel thieves, has been accused of raping and murdering a psychologist. Beauchamp has scarcely registered how unlikely it is that the diminutive Faloon has hurt anyone when his own personal life takes an abrupt turn. His new wife, Margaret Blake, organic farmer and environmental activist, has taken up residence fifty feet above ground in a tree she is determined to save for the eagles and from the loggers. Beauchamp shuttles between Vancouver and the island, doing what he can to save the tree and get his wife back — and defend Faloon.

Part courtroom thriller, part classic whodunit, April Fool sees Deverell writing at the top of his form as he puts these characters through some entertaining and very surprising twists and turns.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Canada, Novels, Ebooks, Crime

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

William Deverell was born in 1937 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He put himself through law school by working as a journalist for the Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun, and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. Deverell served as counsel for over a thousand criminal cases and is a founding director and former president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. He created the television series, Street Legal, and has written screenplays and radio plays. Deverell lives on Pender Island, British Columbia.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
* 1998 – Trial of Passion – Winner
* 2006 – April Fool – Winner

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Returning to the world of William Deverell, I found myself enthralled by this second novel in the Arthur Beauchamp series. Free of the inherent glory of literary awards, the reader is able to get to the core of the story; two powerful legal matters. Enjoying life as a goat farmer on Garibaldi Island, off British Columbia’s mainland, Arthur Beauchamp has not missed the fast-paced life as a defence attorney. Married to his once neighbour, Margaret, Beauchamp has been able to enjoy the quiet life. Margaret, the consummate protestor, has turned her attention to her Save Gwendolyn Project, seeking to prevent companies coming in and destroying the forests, particularly when a pair of eagles are spotted in a nearby tree. Ramping up her efforts, Margaret agrees to sit in a makeshift tree fort to protest the environmental issues. The authorities began cracking down and gathering up some of the protestors, which brings a few lawyers in to help defend the Gwendolyn protestors, including Lotis Rudnicki, newly drawn to the profession but with a long history of small-screen stardom. Meanwhile, one of Beauchamp’s former repeat clients, Mick ‘the Owl’ Faloon has found himself wrapped up in a murder charge related to a therapist with whom he was fraternizing in Port Alberni. Faloon decries his innocence, but all the evidence points to his guilt, particularly seminal fluid found inside the victim. Beauchamp agrees to help, but is soon thrust into first chair after a familial breakdown befalls the original attorney. Working on both the environmental matter and trying to prepare Faloon for trial, Beauchamp begins to develop a closer working relationship with Lotis Rudnicki, the new-age flower child of the legal profession. With Margaret holed away in the tree, Beauchamp must use his mind rather than any other ‘brain’ to move forward and keep things proper. While away on the mainland fighting these two cases, Beauchamp cannot crack how his client’s DNA might have been placed at the scene of the crime, though does not dispute Faloon’s innocence. On the eve of the trial, Faloon organizes an escape and flees to Europe, leaving Beauchamp to begin the trial with the accused in absentia. Paired with a Crown attorney who is eager to push the case quickly before the jury and the Chief Justice presiding, Beauchamp is in for quite the legal circus. Focussed on the murder trial, though always hoping that the Gwendolyn folks remain one step in front of the legal decisions being made in an adjacent courtroom, Beauchamp cannot help but worry about Margaret and her decision to roll the dice to further enamour herself with the environmental activists around. A stunning legal thriller with the perfect development into a courtroom drama, Deverell redeems himself after a less than well-presented series debut. Those who love a good Canadian legal thriller will lap this up and soon see that William Deverell is a master at his trade.

While only the second novel in the series, I am captivated and drawn to the Arthur Beauchamp novels already. Those who had the chance to read my review of the series debut will know that I was confused by all the literary prizes for a piece that seemed to toss too much at the reader in the form of massive chapters, as if it were meant to weed out the less dedicated. Here, Deverell returns after a writing hiatus to develop the Beauchamp character a great deal. With an equally long lull in legal matters, Beauchamp has become a small-town citizen who loves his farming but still spouts Latin to anyone who will listen. He seems to love the peace and quiet that becomes his every day, though there is surely a part of him that remains sharp when it comes to legal matters. Deverell develops less of a backstory on Beauchamp than to build this post-attorney foundation and the happiness in rural British Columbia. However, the old dog still has it in him and Arthur Beauchamp is able to return to the fray at the drop of a hat, though perhaps a little more hesitant and definitely with increased sobriety. Tossing in a more grounded Margaret and a slew of other secondary characters, Deverell offers the reader some interesting contrasts within the story, if only to exemplify the various sides of Beauchamp. The story is crisp and flows with greater ease than the debut, paced out with excellent chapter breaks and poignant forks in the narrative, which allow the reader to see all that is going on. Without weighing things down too much, Deverell does force the reader to become one with the legal battles taking place, therefore he chooses not to skim over key aspects in a single sentence or paragraph. The legal arguments are strong and yet not lost on the non-legal minded reader who might enjoy some courtroom banter. Brilliantly presented and thoroughly enjoyable, William Deverell has a definite winner on his hands when it comes to this series, as long as things continue to build on this powerful second novel.

Kudos, Mr. Deverell, for making the law so entertaining and yet not skimping on it. You foist Canada into the limelight and show just how different we can be from a genre that is supersaturated with vapid American legal stories.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of the Arthur Ellis Award and deservingly so. I felt far away from here -- as though I had travelled to a vacation spot: hugely entertaining and good writing, to boot.

This is the second of the Arthur Beachamp series and I read this second. Now to go to the first. (I am reading the three Arthur's -- so far -- in reverse order.)

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just as entertaining as the first book in the series. Famous Canadian barrister Arthur Beauchamp decides to come out of retirement to help out an old client who has been arrested on murder charges. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, all the characters, and found the plot very engaging.

[Nanci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great “Arthur Beauchamp” novel. Love these courtroom dramas! 4 1/2 stars upgraded to five.

[Janette Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow read. Plots are good but long winded in parts that was a bit frustrating. Good characters.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend that you read the first book in the series, Trial By Jury, before enjoying April Fool. The main character in both books is Arthur Beauchamp. I think I developed a crush on Arthur while reading the first book. In order to appreciate his situation in April Fool, you need to know a little bit about him. He used to be a respected and highly paid criminal lawyer in Vancouver, Canada. A recovering alcoholic, he decided to retire from the pressures of high profile trials. He bought a run down cabin on the coastline of beautiful Garibaldi Island, and tried to become a gentleman farmer, and learn about the wildlife and scenery that surrounded him, often with humorous results. He met a variety of eccentric characters who are part of the island community. Eventually, he was lured back to Vqncouver to represent a special client. Arthur was reluctant to leave his idyllic haven, especially since he had developed a crush on his neighbour, Margaret. This is a well written mystery, with plenty of insight into the life of a big-time trial lawyer. I enjoyed it immensely, and decided to read the next instalment, April Fool.

In April Fool, Arthur is still living on the island, and many of the same interesting characters are present. Margaret becomes involved with a environmental group that wants to stop a developer from cutting down a huge parcel of beautiful forest on the island's coastline, much to Arthur's chagrin. Simultaneously, a murder at a nearby tourist lodge occurs, and Arthur is approached to represent the suspected murderer, a former client who has made a career out of breaking and entering. Once again, he must cope with leaving the island for the high profile legal scene, where judges and former colleagues are keen to see him in action again. Arthur's attention to the case is diverted by the fact that his lady love, Margaret, had decided to join the sit-in that is taking place in the treetops of the massive coastline forest, in order stop the urban development and destruction of eagles' nests in said trees. A lot for Arthur to deal with! The murderer must be caught, the wrongly accused set free, and what will happen to the forest and Margaret's involvement? A very entertaining read, but I did not enjoy this one quite as much as the first, but still gave April Fool four stars. I missed the conversations between Arthur and Margaret, since she was sitting in the treetops. However, Arthur is still a dear and deserving of my continued affection. I am interested to see what happens to him, Margaret, and the rest of the quirky inhabitants of this beautiful coastal town, in the next book.

[Mary Oxendale Spensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually avoid anything labelled "a mystery", because I'm more interested in character than in plot. I picked this up grudgingly, it was free, but I'd never heard of this author.

At first, I noted that although the copyright is 2005, and a significant character had short, spiky green hair, and multiple characters had cell phones, their dialogue was straight out of a Film Noir. The green haired young lawyer refers to another woman as a "dame". At one point that lawyer is referred to as a former "starlet". A jail house informant is a "fink". Slang I've never heard also surprised me. It took a while to figure out what a "mouth" is (lawyer), and what a "stone fox" might be- (serene but beautiful woman).

But I was amused by the characters, many with the kind of names you'd find in a Film Noir, or Damon Runyon paperback. We had Nick "The Owl" Faloon, as our main jewel thief but lovable character, his associates with equally vivid middle names, along with Slappy, a dog, and Shiftless and Underfoot, two cats.

The story is set in the same kinds of regions as Jack Hodgin's Spit Delaney's Island, with similar characters and humour. I'd heard of Jack Hodgins, but had never heard of William Deverell. On looking him up, I am chagrined. He is the winner of multiple awards, and is a journalist, civil-rights lawyer and activist.

The main character, Arthur Beauchamp, is a hopelessly stuffy fellow, retired from his law career, living in the sticks, and tending to his goats, tomatoes, and some chickens are involved too. He speaks to himself in Latin, sometimes classical Greek, loves his wife who is much less stiff than he is, and truly cares about his former clients. He gets dragged out of his pastoral retirement by the antics of Nick Faloon, gets tangled up with environmental activists, comes face to face with a sleazy developer and eventually becomes quite lovable to the reader.

Besides the crazy characters, the humour in this novel sparkles. In what Arthur hopes will be the trial that turns around a trial that went badly years ago, he faces a humourless judge who drives his meek clerk, Gilbert Gilbert to distraction-" 'Mr. Gilbert?' The judge looks darkly down at him like a vulture eying carrion. 'Sir?' He jumps, he'd been staring into space. 'Adjourn this court, Mr. Gilbert.''' Kroop, the judge, "...shakes his head, ... rises and walks off, wrathful as God , tempted to flood." His Honour will live to regret his miserly treatment of poor Gilbert Gilbert.

Later, when Arthur starts to worry if he might lose this important case after all, he considers "But why does he hear the whispering hobgoblins of pessimism?"

Yes, there is a mystery, but also a double plot that is compelling. One is solved with great cleverness, the other a cliff hanger. Enjoy!

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not as whimsical or weird as the first book, which is a shame. Doubly a let-down is that the culprit is telegraphed very clearly, but nobody in the story gets the message for a long time. I think it's fine if the characters take a while to figure out things the audience has already figured out, as long as the focus is on how they prove it. But here the focus is really on "who did it?" There are some funny digressions on the way.

(Also a little annoying: the occurrence of fake rape in this series. Three times in two books! That's a lot! Will be looking at books three and four with narrowed eyes.)

The interpersonal dynamics and Beauchamp's perpetual sexual anxieties are good. He seems way more insecure here, compared with the first one, where he was insecure but also very sharp. Some of this is part of the story: he is "losing his edge." But is he?

I also really enjoy the way this series seems to be focusing on attempts to slow the destruction of the "natural" world in a specifically Canadian context.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Interesting because it’s set on a fictional British Columbia gulf island, as well as Victoria and Vancouver. Two story lines: one about a clear cutting of old growth trees on the fictional island and one about a murder in a small town on Vancouver Island. The retired lawyer , Arthur Beauchamp, is involved in both cases. Lots of back and forth. Best part for me was the young law student who works with him and seems to have lots of insight.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second in the Arthur Beauchamp series, and very good. I enjoyed this story, although there were some twists and turns until his clients defense was finally confirmed. The finally was a bit out there, but still a very good read, with some things left open for the next in the series.

[Brenda Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful character! Fascinating story of 'retired' Arthur pulled into 2 trials simultaneously: saving ancient forest on his island and murder charged to one of his long-time clients. Our library has only a few of Deverell's books but I plan to check out every one.

[Tinika · Rating 3 out of 5]

April Fool, the second in William Deverell’s Arthur Beauchamp legal series, entwines two stories in one. The main one, the one in which Beauchamp is the shining star, is a traditional who-done-it. A former client of his, a renowned jewel-thief and compulsive liar, has been accused of rape and murder. How could this be? Is there going to be a miscarriage of justice? To ensure not, Arthur leaves his happy retirement refuge on Garibaldi Island and re-enters the fray of the courtroom. But to prove his client’s innocence, he must uncover the real murderer and he has suspects aplenty. William Deverell knows the courtroom and those scenes are funny but they do make one question some aspects of our legal system.

Meanwhile, back on the farm (or, at least, quite close to it) things are getting out of hand. The second story captures the zeitgeist of the West Coast with its environmental theme. An unscrupulous developer, Todd Clear-cut Clearihue wants to level the pristine Gwendolen Valley, home to bald eagles and Phantom orchids, and make a quick buck. Much to the law-loving Arthur’s chagrin, his new wife, Margaret, an ardent eco-activist, has embraced civil disobedience and taken up residence high in a tree to thwart Todd’s plans and there she remains for much of the book.

The latter story introduces us to Lotis Rudnicki, one-time Hollywood starlet, newbie lawyer and environmental crusader. She is a terrific character, well-developed, super bright and makes a terrific counterpoint to the more staid Beauchamp. On the other hand, the gentleman swindler came across as a nitwit, rushing to implement every ill-conceived idea he fosters. Why he is the recipient of so many deep, lasting friendships is the true mystery. Despite the author’s say so, I failed to succumb to his charm.

While we are talking about characters, personally, I would like to see some jousting between Beauchamp and Stoney. The great lion of the courtroom becomes a meek lamb in the face of Stoney’s inane money-making ventures. The occasional push-back would still keep the comedy interesting yet keep the reader wondering who will come out on top instead of the same foregone conclusion all the time.

Still, this is a small quibble. Overall, April Fool is a droll legal drama/mystery paired with an environmental battle cry so dear to the hearts of those of us on Canada’s West Coast.

[Janice Ludberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

my favourite in the series

[Marni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light-hearted mystery set on west Vancouver Island.

[Coreena McBurnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book while sitting on a beach on an island very near to Garibaldi Island, where Arthur Beauchamp, the main character, lives. I love all of the description of island life and the pace of things on the island. There is some great description of the forests and people - Deverell has a great vocabulary and he uses it.

April Fool is told in the present tense, something that was a bit hard to get used to. There was often changes in point of view and the characters went back into their thoughts, then I felt jarred as they returned to the present. I imagine this was a way to separate the past and present, but it kept taking me out of the story.

The beginning of the book was intreguing and certainly made me want to find out who had committed the crime and how they had done it. Faloon is a thief and he starts off by stealing from guests in a local resort. There is great authentic sounding detail here, as there is with all of the crime description - it would seem that Deverell has done his research. The flip side of this is that he used a lot of criminal slang vocabulary that the reader had to interpret. Again, this was offputting at times as it drew me out of the story if it wasn't immediately obvious what the word meant.

This is a book in two parts, the crime and investigation and then the courtroom drama. Both were carried off well and we were carried along with Beauchamp as he not only wanted to defend his client, but be able to solve the crime and point the finger at the real criminal in a dramatic gesture.

I enjoyed Arthur Beauchamp, and this is the second book I have read featuring this character. However, I also found him annoying at times. At first his insecurities about his wife were amusing, but after awhile they just got to be annoying. I found it difficult to believe that a man of his age would be so insecure about his wife and I did get tired hearing about it. Again, there was a flip side to this, Deverell was able to use this relationship to compare to others in the book and the dynamics of marriage, for example the womanizing, urban lawyer in marriage councelling, and the Viagra popping lawyer keeping a mistress.

In the end, I did enjoy April Fool, but did not love it. There was just too much repitition in the descriptions and the main character stopped being charming. I did enjoy the mystery of who committed the crime and the suspense of Beauchamp's wife trying to save the forest from development. There are definitely some local political issues at work here.

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The doyen of Canadian crime writing, Deverell continues to rack up awards and acclaim thirty years after first picking up the fiction-writing pen as a sideline to his career as a top criminal barrister.

The award-winning April Fool marks the return of one of Deverell’s most beloved characters; Arthur Beauchamp, a Denny Crane-esque legal legend now retired to a hobby farm on one of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. Beauchamp’s quiet life is upturned when his environmental activist wife decides to protest logging by living in a tree, at the same time as a roguish ex-client is accused of a heinous rape and murder.

The heroically fallible Beauchamp is forced onto an entertaining rollercoaster combining courtroom thriller with mystery whodunit. For readers, Deverell’s unique writing style – melding quirky characters, witty dialogue, contemporary themes, and literary touches into a richly authentic Canadian setting, makes the ride all the more worthwhile. Highly Recommended.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Beauchamp has been spending his retirement learning about his hobby farm among ex- and new hippy neighbours on a Gulf Island close to Vancouver Island when his final client, a small gentle con man he unsuccessfully defended on a rape charge, is again charged with murdering a couples counselor in nearby Bamfield. Arthur's life has been recently complicated when his new wife has become embroiled in plans to oppose a development in the wilderness of his chosen island and the surrounding area is filled with an influx of environmental protestors as well as the eager local defenders of the land. Ashe deals with his insecurities his recall to the law reveals much to his understanding of himself and the people around him. A hilarious book.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Beauchamp, a lawyer retired from the British Columbia Criminal Bar is brought back into the courtroom on a mission to defend a veteran thief and former client from murder charges which Arthur is sure are false. Meanwhile, Arthur's environmental activist wife is illegally squatting in a tree on property she is determined to save from a developer's axe. I loved this book which is part mystery (a good one), part courtroom thriller and totally entertaining! Many quirky characters, a wonderful Canadian setting and terrific humor made this a superb read!

[Bernie Charbonneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good read by one of our own Canadian writers. After enjoying his latest release, I decided to head to the library to backtrack to some of his earlier works and with this novel winning some Canadian awards, I decided to start here. A good plot that Mr. Deverell mixes with humor, where I find myself laughing out load, and a who-don-it style that leaves me turning the pages. I will be looking forward to the sequel to this novel, Kill all the Judges, as if it is like this book, will be quite enjoyable.

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read part in 2008, part in the first hours of this year, I suppose I was not in the mood. I liked the main character very much; a retired lawyer with many things shaking his visions of peaceful living but the solution of the mystery was not very neat IMHO. What I liked most were the characters all of them a bit twisted but likeable. I must read some other book in the series to appreciate the writer.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retired lawyer is recalled from his idyllic home on an island off the B.C. coast to defend a jewel thief against murder charges in what seems like a hopeless case.

Meanwhile, developers threaten to destroy a delicate wilderness to put in suburb of wealthy homes, and William Beauchamp's wife climbs a tree and vows to stay put in protest.

A cast of colourful characters, and twists and turns in both cases kept me turning pages long past my bedtime.

[Irene D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful, witty, story about a retired lawyer coming out of retirement to defend a former client and Jewell thief.
After the intelligent writing, the biggest allure for me was the locale, Bamfield and Vancouver, B.C.
I MUST tread more of William Deverell's books!

[Jo-anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthur Beauchamp and his wife Margaret are two characters I could become very fond of. Unfortunately, I found the two storylines too tangled and I lost interest in their outcomes. I will try.another book in the series in the hopes that second time us a charm.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fun murder mystery that takes place in Canadian Pacific Northwest.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really light / fun read I enjoyed reading in a hammock in the Pantanal region of Brazil. A great little mystery perfect for vacation reading.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

light mystery, good story, not particularly well written.

[Sunni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bought this while vacationing in Vancouver Island. While it had some fun images for me with the setting I found it a pretty dull read.

[Michael McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like all of Deverell's mysteries, and this was no exception. His writing draws you in, and his characters are vivid. The Owl is my favourite.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written Deverell's usual droll style with a new cast of odd characters thrown into the mix. Enjoyed it very much.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow going I thought. Interesting with being set on the coast of BC but not sure I will read another