Calling Down the Storm

Ben Schroeder #5

by Peter Murphy

Calling Down the Storm is the story of two separate but strangely parallel lives: the life of a defendant on trial for murder, and the life of the judge who presides over his trial.

April 1971.When DI Webb and DS Raymond arrive at Harpur's Mews in Bloomsbury in response to a 999 call, a horrific scene awaits them. Susan Lang is lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby, holding a large, blood-stained knife. In shock, Henry claims to have no memory of the events that led to his wife's death leaving his barrister, Ben Schroeder, little to defend a potential charge of murder.

Unknown to his strict Baptist wife Deborah who lives in the family home in Guildford, Mr Justice Conrad Rainer has a secret life in his London flat, a life as a high-stakes gambler. In his desperation for money to fund his gaming, he has already raided his own and Deborah's resources, and now he has crossed another line - one from which there is no return.

To his horror, as the trial of Henry Lang starts, Conrad discovers a sinister connection between the trial and his gambling debts, a connection that could cause his world to unravel. And then, there's the other terrible secret he is hiding in his flat. In a rare case in which the judge is in greater peril than the defendant on trial in his court, both Henry and Conrad have called down the storm on to their heads.

Their lives are on the line, and time is running out.

'An intelligent amalgam of spy story and legal drama' - Times

'Murphy's clever legal thriller revels in the chicanery of the English law courts of the period' - Independent

417 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2017

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

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This the first book I have read by this author. I have to admit I didn’t even realise it was part of a series so it can definitely be read as a stand alone.

The legal genre is not the sort of genre I usually go for but saying that I have really enjoyed quite a few lately so as I liked the sound of the book description for Calling Down The Storm, I thought I would give it a go.

The story flicks between present day as well as the past where we learn more about Conrad and how he has managed to get himself into a heap of debt. I really enjoyed the parallel aspect of this story. How two total strangers lives are affected by a connection yet apart from them appearing in the same court room, they know nothing about each other. It was certainly an interesting journey that the author takes us on in finding out what that connection may be.

Calling Down The Storm is not a fast paced thriller by any means yet I did enjoy the slower pace at which it was set. A lot of the story is set in and around the court rooms which normally I wouldn’t like but luckily the author doesn’t bombard us with lots of legal jargon of which I would have struggled with.

None of the characters are overly likeable in this story. The male characters are self absorbed and none of the female characters, which all played a relatively small role, were cast in a good light. To a certain extent this did somewhat spoil my overall enjoyment of the novel but then that’s just more down to personal taste.

Calling Down The Storm is a steady and intriguing read. The author certainly knows how to captivate his audience and would certainly recommend that readers give it a go.

My thanks to No Exit Press for an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Peter Murphy and I have to admit that I hadn’t even realised it was part of a series until I was writing up this review and saw it was number 5 in the Ben Schroeder series. But I would say 100% that you can read this as a standalone novel. I did and can honestly say I didn’t feel I missed anything by doing so!

Peter Murphy has used his vast experience of the law to create a believable and authentic legal thriller here of an exceptionally high standard. Set in the early 1970s at a time when the “old boys club” mentality was running high in the men’s clubs in the city of London, the author has taken a real life setting and some high profile characters of the period to spin an intricate and fascinating insight into the gambling scene of the day.

When I first read the chapter where the murder takes place, I was wondering how on earth the author was going to be able to maintain the momentum for the whole plot as it seemed to be such an open and shut case. But things are never quite what they seem here and when we meet Conrad Rainer, that’s when this book became pretty unputdownable for me! The description of the gambling clubs and the games played both on and off the tables was fascinating, as was Conrads private life and I became thoroughly involved in his downfall as I watched helplessly from the sidelines. Most of the characters here are very unlikeable and the male ones are shown in a pretty bad light especially when it comes to their attitude to women!

I loved the flow of the narrative here and how one chapter just lead to another within the same thread, there wasn’t a lot of changing of perspectives or timelines just a good old fashioned legal thriller that we don’t see enough of nowadays! Although it took me a while to find my reading pace due to the large number of character introductions at the start, once the courtroom scenes started I was sucked into the drama until that final verdict.

I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this insight into a period of time when the law was a profession that excuded power and glamour and I will definitely be looking out for other legal thrillers by Peter Murphy in the future.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling Down the Storm by Peter Murphy.
April 1971. When DI Webb and DS Raymond respond to a 999 call at Harper Mews in Bloomsbury, a horrific scene awaits them. Susan Lang is lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby, holding a large, blood-stained knife. In shock, Henry claims to have no memory of the events that led to his wife’s death, leaving his barrister, Ben Schroeder, little with which to defend a potential murder charge.Unbeknownst to his strict Baptist wife, Deborah, Justice Rainer has a secret life as a gambler. In his desperation for money to fund his habit, he has already raided his own and Deborah’s resources, and now he has crossed another line - one from which there is no return.To his horror, as the trial of Henry Lang starts, Rainer discovers a sinister connection between the trial and his gambling debts which could cause his world to unravel. In a rare case in which the judge is in greater peril than the defendant on trial, both Lang and Rainer have called down the storm on their own heads.Their lives are on the line, and time is running out.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Full of twists and plots. I had a feeling there would be a twist. But I had no idea it would be that. 5*. Netgalley and Oldcastle books.

[Margaret Duke-Wyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very British detective/courtroom drama and as one would expect its presentation is
understated. The horror of the victim’s death is detailed in the description of the knife wounds and the loss of blood but graphic, gory tableaux are not for Peter Murphy.

London, 1971 - The two detectives, Raymond and Webb, respond to a 999 call and run to the nearby location where they discover Susan Lang bleeding to death whilst nearby her husband, Henry sits holding the knife, in a state of shock. The Langs, separated and in dispute over custody of their children had met with a welfare officer preparing a report for the judge and she witnessed Henry’s attack on Susan. Henry was taken to the nearby police station and from there transferred to hospital as he had no recollection of these events.

In tandem to this plot line, we are introduced to Justice Conrad Rainer who has recently joined the Clermont Club, London’s leading gaming club owned by John Aspinall and frequented by Lord Lucan et al. Through this exclusive club and its members Rainer becomes embroiled with another woman who encourages him to gamble beyond his means and introduces him to a sinister character who lends money at an extortionate rate.

In time Rainer is called upon to officiate at the trial of Henry Lang and the two worlds merge with the background of the court and the barristers and lawyers adding a third dimension.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was pleased to recognise streets and locations from my childhood and reading about the Clermont Club and the rich and famous who frequented it took me back to the glamourous hedonistic world on the 1970s often detailed in newspapers at that time.

At times I had to re-think the connections between the lawyers who may well come from the same chambers but appear on opposite sides in the courtroom. This served the plot well as it indicated the quite small, intimate relationships of the legal fraternity and allowed discussions of legal ethics etc.

One tiny criticism. Due to the nature of the law, evidence and statements presented within the text are repeated several times. Council will state what happened; opposing council will also state what happened; witnesses will state what happened – and this is often verbatim so can become tedious to read. However, during this repetition it did strike me that this is what it would be like in court, sitting, listening, trying to follow the arguments, perhaps even bored – so as a device this worked really well.

If you like courtroom drama this is for you. If it must be John Grisham type drama – probably not for you. This is a British courtroom drama, set within a historic (1970s) timeframe; within the British legal system and as such portrays a more gentle but nevertheless fascinating viewpoint.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Written by Peter Murphy and published by No Exit Press in 2017, this starts out looking like a traditional British police procedural, but that changes quickly. The story begins with the stabbing, in the middle of the day and on a public street, of an estranged wife by her husband. It then quickly morphs into a description of the private life of a barrister who wears silk (Queen’s Counsel — QC), and who develops a serious gambling problem before becoming a judge who will eventually preside in the trial of the accused husband. A third minor thread deals with the barristers who will handle both sides of the murder case.

The setting is London in 1971. The author goes into a great amount of detail regarding the gambling habits and sex life of the QC who later becomes a judge, and the story’s dialogues are accurate depictions of the way lawyers speak — especially in courtrooms. English speakers who reside in any one of the countries that share the British legal system will probably have no trouble following the story line, but Americans might not find it so easy. Barristers and solicitors might be unfamiliar to Americans, but not to anybody acquainted with the British legal system. This isn’t the place for a lesson on the subject, but a simplistic explanation for Americans might be that barristers are akin to trial lawyers in the United States, and solicitors are like lawyers who practice law and deal with clients, but do not present cases in courtrooms. The role of barristers in the UK has changed, and this is probably why the author set the book in 1971.

Mr. Murphy did his research well. The gambling game that gets the judge into trouble (Chemin de Fer) is presented accurately, as is the real Clermont Club where the gambling takes place. There really is a Clermont Club in London, and the author actually visited it while writing the book. There really is a game called Chemin de Fer, and it is the forerunner of the game we now call Baccarat. The dialogue and events described in the book are very detailed and realistic.

The three major plot lines come together seamlessly before the end of the book, and the author is careful to tie up loose ends. The ending will come as a surprise to many. It did to me. On the negative side, there was a bit too much unnecessary detail that could certainly have been omitted without detracting from the story. Some of the dialog is repetitious. Some of the details of the judge’s sexcapades could have been omitted without seriously detracting from the story. All in all, however, I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend to anybody who might like a realistic British legal story with a touch of murder.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t really aware that this was the fifth book in a series. The premise interested me and so I was happy to read it. Now I don’t feel that I was at a disadvantage in not having read the first four books as there was enough explanation of the characters and setting in this book for me to easily find my feet. In fact, this could easily have been the first not the fifth book and as such I think you could happily read as a stand alone. It does, after all, surround one particular case, one defendant, and as such there is no carry over from other books.

With that out of the way, what did I think? This book was really intriguing to me. I will happily admit that, despite being a born and bred Brit, I thankfully know very little of the British legal system and the whole solicitor to barrister relationship still confounds me. I can’t say I’m much the wiser now and the fact that this book is set in the 1970’s means I don’t know how representative it is of modern day either, but given our country’s long running fascination with tradition and history, I can’t imagine it has changed that much. Peter Murphy made it much easier to follow and even with much of the ‘action’, as it were, taking place in the courtroom, the use of legalese was not overwhelming.

The story essentially follows the fortunes of Henry Lang, a man who has been arrested for the murder of his wife Susan. The murder was horrific, extremely violent, and yet Henry can recall nothing of the act itself. But is he merely acting or is he telling the truth? Can he possibly have blanked out the entire event? This is something both the Detectives in charge of the case, and his legal team, including Barrister Ben Schroeder, must determine if they are to get to the truth of what happened.

Mixed in with this is a side story, one which it is initially hard to see fitting into the central investigation. We meet Conrad Rainer, a Barrister who is on the verge of being given a Judgeship. Rainer leads a double life, one which puts him in a wholly compromised position and leads to highly questionable behaviour on his part. When he is appointed Judge over Henry Lang’s case, his distraction makes others question just whether he is fit to run the trial, and indeed on many occasions I wondered if his personal problems would work for or against the defence. Believe me when I say that with the nature of the conflict which arises between Rainer and the case itself, it could have gone either way.

This is not your fast paced drama. This is a good old fashioned court room drama, British style. You are not going to find your A Few Good Men ‘You can’t handle the truth’ style outbursts in this book. It wouldn’t be fitting for either the time or the setting. British justice is far more formal than its American counterpart which, in truth, the majority of people are probably far more familiar with from the myriad of programs on TV. I know I am. This difference is reflected in the language used, even when discussing the case in Chambers. This could be off putting for some who are not used to it, but I felt it was used very effectively here to create the drama and tension that the book required.

Although there was an element of the case being a foregone conclusion, we know from the off that Henry is guilty, there was plenty of doubt being drip fed into the action to keep it compelling. Indeed the Judge’s side story meant that I never quite knew what to expect, the frequent questions and comments in court, not typical or expected of a Judge, kept me as a reader on my toes, never knowing quite what he was thinking. And as for the Judge’s gambling habit – Murphy managed to capture the tension of the card tables perfectly. Not labouring the point but still managing to make me feel Rainer’s tension and portraying perfectly the sinking feeling experienced by any seasoned gambler whose addiction has fallen far out of their control. It probably helped too that the action here was set in a real club, up against real life ‘personalities’ not all works of fiction. If you wanted to, you could easily read up on some of Rainer’s gambling partners, see the kind of lives they lived and therefore picture the stakes the Judge was playing against. Lord Lucan, Kerry Packer, Dominick Elwes… You can google them all if the mood takes you.

If you asked me honestly, although this is billed as a Ben Schroeder novel, it was much more about Henry Lang and Conrad Rainer. In fact I’d go so far as to say that even Henry’s case was just the conduit bringing Rainer’s story to the fore. A kind of catalyst, if you like, for what happens to the Judge. If their paths had never crossed, would things ultimately have worked out the same way?

All in all this was a compelling courtroom drama. I became invested in Henry’s fate, wanting him to find some kind of justice, certain that there was more to the case than simply murder fuelled by hatred. But, perhaps more strangely, I also became invested in fate of Judge Rainer. Not a man I could instantly like, he was not painted in a particularly nice way at all and had all of the arrogance and confidence one expects from a gambler. And yet as a person overcome by his addiction, I did feel a strange sympathy for him. You’ll need to read the book to see if, in the end, he acted for good or for self preservation.

[Leah Moyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed a legal thriller, something about the factual details and the pace of the courtroom I think. Calling Down the Storm is no exception to that, I found it had all the ingredients of the genre and I am certainly pleased to add another author to the list of those that I wasn't aware of.

Set in 1971 the book opens with a brutal murder. Susan Lang has been stabbed to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby holding the murder weapon. Seemingly in shock he can't remember what happened, Is he a cold blooded killer like everyone seems to think he is. Of course there is a back story, there always is. A messy divorce and ongoing custody battle, sets some dramatic scenes within the plot and the courtroom.

The judge trying the case of Henry Lang is Mr Justice Conrad Rainer, who has enough problems of his own as his personal life is descending into a cycle of chaos. A problem with drinking and gambling is impacting on his career and he calls upon his friends in high places. When the trial commences it becomes evident that there is a person of disrepute that inextricably links Rainer and Lang. Does this cause damage to the trial? Is justice served? and is Lang the only one in the wrong?

I found the parallel elements of this story fascinating and the character driven nature made it very readable and gripping. It raised a lot of questions for me. Such as what happened in the 1970's when father's fought for custody. Is there one rule for the lay man and a different rule for members of the legal system? Was Justice served to all involved?

Gripping, thought provoking and believable. An interesting plot and criminal case that had me turning the pages well into the night. I could easily recommend this one to fans of the genre and perhaps to those who might be trying the genre for the first time. Authentic and believable.

[Pamela Small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.
2.5 Knowledgeable courtroom drama brings authenticity to this legal mystery. However, it is in the British system, so there are difficulties with some dialogue and verbiage. The mystery is suspenseful- (NOT a thriller)- but even the suspense peters out at the end, instead of driving to a stunning climax. Furthermore, the denouement was meh. This novel had a great premise, and the plot was complex and interesting, but the author didn't capitalize on building up the suspense. Another negative this reader has is that the legal scenarios kept repeating themselves, over and over. The redundancy became quite irksome, and I skipped entire sections that would have been a repetition ( almost verbatim) of a previous scene.I kept reading because all of the elements of a great legal thriller seemed to be present, then, POOF! I'm giving it a 3* in light of the fact it is British, and the slow, methodical storytelling might be fine for a British audience.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this book, in return for an honest review.

Despite all praise for the books of Peter Gordon, after reading which I was really looking forward to read Calling Down the Storm, I had to stop reading after 80 pages of the first half, an about 20 of the end of the book.

It may be me, but I thought this book, so say it bluntly, not good enough for me to keep me interested. A man kills his wife. Page after page follows in which we read how the police interviews the man about this murder. Page after page follows in which we read how a group of people schooled in law talk to each other about the case, and then some. Some of the dialogue is just not real: “…He’s been doing that ever since he and I joined chambers, just when Simon’s mother, Anne Gaskell, was getting her divorce, before she and Kenneth were married.” This is from one friend to another, when they meet in a locker room! And it goes on and on and on.

I love reading legal thrillers but his was, sadly, too much talk and not enough thriller for me.

[Margaret B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skipped number 4 in the series, because of some of the reviews I had read, but I enjoyed this book (number 5) so much that I have decided to go back to number 4 after all! We are now in the early 1970s, and one of the main featured locations is John Aspinall’s famous Clermont Club including various once well-known names who used to gamble there. The blend of fact and fiction work really well, and I’m probably not the only one to wonder if there are any similarities between what happened to Lord Lucan and what happens to one of the characters in this book! As always, the scenes in barristers’ chambers are very well done, including the ethical dilemmas facing the characters. My only quibbles are that perhaps the courtroom scenes are a bit too long, and that the ending wasn’t that much of a surprise (although I don’t think it was supposed to be). Very enjoyable overall though.

[Dee Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really pacey writing that keeps you turning pages, a good plot, and the author obviously knows his subject.
Only four stars because some of the police/court questioning became repetitive, and I skipped through pages of verbatim summings up at the end of the trial. And then there was the ending. I won't give anything away, but it literally left me open-mouthed in disbelief, staring at the last page, and thinking WT...

[Carol Alfini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Murphy has provided us with an exciting thriller that not only keeps you n This book is a must read for anyone connected with the law,as well as the general public.

Peter Murphy has provided us with an exciting thriller that not only keeps you riveted but educates along the way. In particular , he does a terrific job of explaining the law relating to a lawyer's obligation to keep confidential a client's secrets. He's a master at demystifying the law. This is a must read.

[Brett Oaten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I think I'm done with this series. Very slow to begin with. Interminable descriptions of a card game that seems to be all luck and no skill (what would I know?) - weird! The second half was more interesting but, not for the first time, some pretty questionable moral positions taken by the characters (the author?). Let's let this domestic killer escape by boat because ... he was a good barrister. I don't know. I'm out.

[Jeffrey Kershaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first rate thriller

Peter Murphy creates the atmosphere of the court, the Clermont Club, and barristers’ chambers perfectly and then weaves his complex plot. He creates pity and fear in his audience as he explores the weaknesses that men can suffer. Resounding applause for you Peter Murphy one of the best legal thrillers I have read. It would make a great film or mini series.

[Cheryl Bellingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in heaven with this book if I could have given it more stars I would. What a brilliant courtroom drama so well written. You really got to know the characters. I just loved it a real page turner.

[Rashmi Duggal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written legal drama. But I wish the story could have focused more on the main murder angle, rather than bringing in multiple parallel plots. This is the first Peter Murphy book I have read, would definitely like to read more

[Sooz (P.Turners Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Full review to come as part of the Blog Tour on 24th June **

What I will say for now is WOW!! I LOVED this :)

[The P.Turners]

Please see blog for review: https://thepturnersbookblog.wordpress...

[Mark Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, engrossing story

An unusual - in fact surprising - deviation from the usual legal thrillers. Cleverly weaving two parallel situations. A really enjoyable read.

[Karen Lee-Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly this is book 5 in a series- I enjoyed the mix of legal and spy story set in the 1970s. A superbly atmospheric read, perhaps I would have enjoyed more by reading the earlier books, but nonetheless really entertaining, very visual in a way, I could see this as a TV drama! Well written and well paced you can't ask more from a thriller!