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Burton and Lamb #3
The Cinderella Plan
James Salisbury, owner of a British car manufacturer, plows his "self-drive'" car into a young family, with deadly consequences. Will the industry, poised to launch these products, close ranks to cover things up? If it is proved that James was driving the car he may go to prison. But if he is found innocent, the business he has spent most of his life building, and his dream of safer transport for all, may collapse. Lawyers Judith Burton and Constance Lamb team up once again, this time to defend a man who may not want to go free.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2019
8 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 18, 2019
I love Abi Silver’s legal thrillers – very modern central themes with a wonderful old school feel – the two main protagonists Burton and Lamb are engagingly authentic and these books are always intelligently plotted and beautifully written.
This particular case for our intrepid pair involves self drive cars, a subject that has intrigued me for a while, not sure I’d get into them seeing as this is the second book I’ve read where things have not gone that well…
The author deals with the technology side very immersively, some fascinating and thought provoking detail embedded into a clever and involving mystery. The court scenes as ever are brilliant and you are never quite sure where these stories are going to end up.
The Cinderella Plan has a dark emotional level that plays into the rest and overall it was a brilliant page turner of a read which to be honest I’ve come to expect from this author.
Three books into this series and I am most definitely along for the ride. I’ll drive myself though I think…
Recommended.
July 1, 2019
I’m a huge fan Abi Silver and have read The Pinocchio Brief and The Aladdin Trial. The Cinderella Plan I couldn’t put this court drama down.
James Sailsbury is the founder of SEDA. The SEDA cars are an atonomous vehicle that can drive itself or put into manual. The SEDA cars have saftey features with cameras, lasers, radar and other sensors, with advance breaking system.plus innovative steering. And it doesn’t crash. The court need to decide how was it possible for James to crash his car and kill two young children. The trouble is he doesn’t remember anything about his car accident. Either James Sailsbury was driving his car, or his SEDA car malfunctioned. If he is found guilty of driving his car he will go to prison, but if his car malfunctioned the company will fold without him. It’s a must read with some brilliant twists that are woven into the end.
James Sailsbury is the founder of SEDA. The SEDA cars are an atonomous vehicle that can drive itself or put into manual. The SEDA cars have saftey features with cameras, lasers, radar and other sensors, with advance breaking system.plus innovative steering. And it doesn’t crash. The court need to decide how was it possible for James to crash his car and kill two young children. The trouble is he doesn’t remember anything about his car accident. Either James Sailsbury was driving his car, or his SEDA car malfunctioned. If he is found guilty of driving his car he will go to prison, but if his car malfunctioned the company will fold without him. It’s a must read with some brilliant twists that are woven into the end.
July 13, 2019
The thought of self drive, sorry autonomous cars totally unnerves me. I know the technology is almost there but the whole idea of a car taking you from A to B without you, the person behind the wheel not having to concentrate on what’s on the road…well reading The Cinderella Plan hasn’t really alleviated my fears.
The opening chapter left me stunned, totally and utterly stunned…numb in fact. A young family halved just like that in the blink of an eye. That sort of accident could and does happen on a far too regular basis. The sheer horror and conflict that James Salisbury goes through as he realises the complexity of his predicament. If his car is to blame, he is ruined; if he the drive is to blame, he loses his freedom. What a lose/lose situation! With this in mind, I couldn’t decide whether to trust Salisbury. Did he really have amnesia or was he faking it?
I love the pairing of Burton and Lamb. They are a formidable legal team fighting for the underdog in each case they handle. I’d want them defending me if I ever got charged with something! Lamb has that tenacity to keep digging to defend their client and then the unflappable Burton asking the probing questions in the court room to extract the truth.
I’ve read all of Abi Silver’s books now and I’ve enjoyed all three. Each is a stand-alone book and each is different from the last and the next. She has a knack of creating thought-provoking technological based cases that in my opinion, the human race isn’t that far from seeing real life. I can not wait to see what she thinks of next!
The opening chapter left me stunned, totally and utterly stunned…numb in fact. A young family halved just like that in the blink of an eye. That sort of accident could and does happen on a far too regular basis. The sheer horror and conflict that James Salisbury goes through as he realises the complexity of his predicament. If his car is to blame, he is ruined; if he the drive is to blame, he loses his freedom. What a lose/lose situation! With this in mind, I couldn’t decide whether to trust Salisbury. Did he really have amnesia or was he faking it?
I love the pairing of Burton and Lamb. They are a formidable legal team fighting for the underdog in each case they handle. I’d want them defending me if I ever got charged with something! Lamb has that tenacity to keep digging to defend their client and then the unflappable Burton asking the probing questions in the court room to extract the truth.
I’ve read all of Abi Silver’s books now and I’ve enjoyed all three. Each is a stand-alone book and each is different from the last and the next. She has a knack of creating thought-provoking technological based cases that in my opinion, the human race isn’t that far from seeing real life. I can not wait to see what she thinks of next!
July 15, 2019
The Cinderella Plan is utterly captivating. The first chapter literally drags you into a worst case scenario of a car accident. I could feel the horror and honestly, it gave me a little anxiety – which is not a criticism of this book at all. I love when a book brings up feelings. When it transports you into the story, then you know you are reading a really awesome book.
The legality of this situation is sometimes very technical which I think helped make this feel real. It felt as though I was reading about a real case. It helps that the characters are very raw. It’s clear Abi Silver did her research and was able to bring this story and characters to life. I’m really impressed!
I flew through this book! This is really thought-provoking and makes you think about the direction technology is taking us in. And it’s a little scary! This is my first read from Abi Silver and it most certainly won’t be my last. I’m really impressed and highly recommending this!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
The legality of this situation is sometimes very technical which I think helped make this feel real. It felt as though I was reading about a real case. It helps that the characters are very raw. It’s clear Abi Silver did her research and was able to bring this story and characters to life. I’m really impressed!
I flew through this book! This is really thought-provoking and makes you think about the direction technology is taking us in. And it’s a little scary! This is my first read from Abi Silver and it most certainly won’t be my last. I’m really impressed and highly recommending this!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
June 21, 2019
James heads up SEDA, a multinational company making driverless cars. There are test models currently on the roads being highly monitored by his team. James is doing his utmost to get the cars approved by the government to be given the go ahead for the future of autonomous vehicles. James gets in his car one day and instructs it to take him to the office and, a short 20 odd minute journey away. As the car drives James can get on with some work. When he glances up and sees a woman looking directly at him his world collapses. His car has killed two children and badly injured the mother. James has no memory of what happened at all due to concussion. Either James is at fault for which he could be prosecuted or the car is defective which put his whole company in jeopardy. James appears to be in a catch-22 situation.
This is the second book that I have read recently about autonomous vehicles. It is clearly a “thing” and something I knew nothing about. It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did it gripped me and I felt for James being between a rock and a hard place, albeit by his own making. We know how life can change in a split second and the tension is well written into the plot. Written by a lawyer this is well researched and I learnt more than a thing or two. A clever, very interesting read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickisbookblog
August 25, 2019
It is the third in the Burton and Lamb legal thriller series, but as someone who has not read 1 and 2 -yet!- then I can say not only is it completely accessible, it doesn't waste time establishing their relationships and past.They are both eminently relatable figures as they stand to defend James Salisbury. The CEO of SEDA car manufacturers is on trial for vehicular manslaughter but there are many intriguing issues to unpack from the horrific accident which opens the book.
Firstly, he is the CEO of a company that is marketing autonomous cars-technically, the vehicles should not be capable of an accident. There are many vested intetrests in seeing James' ideas crash and burn-the transport minister and insurance firms have grave concerns about multi million pound payouts, traffic control and how quickly this tech can be rolled out.
Secondly,rival manufacturers, and people even closer to home may have been responsible for sabotaging the vehicle-but could an accident have actually been just that, an accident?
How far are we, as humans, prepared to outsource our decision making to technology? Whose responsibility is it when it fails and a 'never event' such as happens here occurs? And can someone with amnesia, damaged in the crash be held accountable when they don't even remember what they have done?
‘You don’t need to play my conscience. It goes without saying that it’s an absolute
tragedy. That poor family. But two thousand fewer deaths per year, insurance premiums cut by eighty per cent.
That’s how driverless cars were sold to us, if I remember correctly. There must be some very red faces in high places right now. And the driver should not be held liable if he relinquished control. Even so, he’s going to need a good set of lawyers.'
An intriguing, occasionally terrifying (for a Luddite like myself) future glimpse into the crossover between AI and everyday life, the book is split into the accident, the roles of each of the key players before the accident and finally the courtcase. In doing this you are hit by the shock of the deaths,followed by a recreation of who the victims and their family were, deepening the emotional impact before the legal wrangling of responsibility, culpability and recompence.
With a heartbroken CEO, the public baying for blood, and shareholders snapping at their heel, the link between personal decision making and the development of autonomous cars to reduce human error, 'The Cinderella Plan' examines how far tech can go in the reduction of human error. The EDR (event data recorder) and its recovery could either damn or save James.
The conversation between the lawyers and VERA (the car's version of Siri/Alexa) is particularly thrilling as Judith tries to trick and outwit her and fails at every point,it reaffirms that the job of the functioning car is to preserve human life by acknowldegement and sensing of actual facts. There is no emotion attached to this whatsoever. It plants the seeds of doubt in the reader that James was responsible for the accident. However the guilty party is identified, 2 children have lost their lives so even in the event of Burton and Lamb winning their case, the effects of this accident are going to be lifelong as well as life altering. With the husband of an injured wife, and father of two dead children, Neil Layton, is trying to raise a social media petition to block the members bill going through Parliament to roll out the SEDA cars, up to now they have been trialled in secrecy.
Burton and Lamb not only have to establish the facts in the case, they need to juggle media and government level interference. And when they start examining safe places to cross the road, and it appears that a sleep deprived mother who has just returned to work was struggling to manage her 2 mobile children and a pram, things get very nasty indeed...
An absolute barnstormer of a thriller, I am totally in thrall to the talents of Abi Silver in creating such a moral minefield of a story , with such a shocking impact. I don't normally 'go for' legal thrillers as the legalese can often leave me lost, but I found this was straightforward to follow.
The Cinderella Plan is the scheme by which the SEDA cars were to be sold to the public as a solution to human fault in car accidents-however, instead of being the glass slipper which gives us a happy ending, it turned back into a pumpkin when the clock struck midnight.
A very highly recommended legal thriller for readers who like morally ambiguous thrillers that make you think further than establishing whodunnit. I am looking forward to following this up with 'The Pinocchio Brief'
Firstly, he is the CEO of a company that is marketing autonomous cars-technically, the vehicles should not be capable of an accident. There are many vested intetrests in seeing James' ideas crash and burn-the transport minister and insurance firms have grave concerns about multi million pound payouts, traffic control and how quickly this tech can be rolled out.
Secondly,rival manufacturers, and people even closer to home may have been responsible for sabotaging the vehicle-but could an accident have actually been just that, an accident?
How far are we, as humans, prepared to outsource our decision making to technology? Whose responsibility is it when it fails and a 'never event' such as happens here occurs? And can someone with amnesia, damaged in the crash be held accountable when they don't even remember what they have done?
‘You don’t need to play my conscience. It goes without saying that it’s an absolute
tragedy. That poor family. But two thousand fewer deaths per year, insurance premiums cut by eighty per cent.
That’s how driverless cars were sold to us, if I remember correctly. There must be some very red faces in high places right now. And the driver should not be held liable if he relinquished control. Even so, he’s going to need a good set of lawyers.'
An intriguing, occasionally terrifying (for a Luddite like myself) future glimpse into the crossover between AI and everyday life, the book is split into the accident, the roles of each of the key players before the accident and finally the courtcase. In doing this you are hit by the shock of the deaths,followed by a recreation of who the victims and their family were, deepening the emotional impact before the legal wrangling of responsibility, culpability and recompence.
With a heartbroken CEO, the public baying for blood, and shareholders snapping at their heel, the link between personal decision making and the development of autonomous cars to reduce human error, 'The Cinderella Plan' examines how far tech can go in the reduction of human error. The EDR (event data recorder) and its recovery could either damn or save James.
The conversation between the lawyers and VERA (the car's version of Siri/Alexa) is particularly thrilling as Judith tries to trick and outwit her and fails at every point,it reaffirms that the job of the functioning car is to preserve human life by acknowldegement and sensing of actual facts. There is no emotion attached to this whatsoever. It plants the seeds of doubt in the reader that James was responsible for the accident. However the guilty party is identified, 2 children have lost their lives so even in the event of Burton and Lamb winning their case, the effects of this accident are going to be lifelong as well as life altering. With the husband of an injured wife, and father of two dead children, Neil Layton, is trying to raise a social media petition to block the members bill going through Parliament to roll out the SEDA cars, up to now they have been trialled in secrecy.
Burton and Lamb not only have to establish the facts in the case, they need to juggle media and government level interference. And when they start examining safe places to cross the road, and it appears that a sleep deprived mother who has just returned to work was struggling to manage her 2 mobile children and a pram, things get very nasty indeed...
An absolute barnstormer of a thriller, I am totally in thrall to the talents of Abi Silver in creating such a moral minefield of a story , with such a shocking impact. I don't normally 'go for' legal thrillers as the legalese can often leave me lost, but I found this was straightforward to follow.
The Cinderella Plan is the scheme by which the SEDA cars were to be sold to the public as a solution to human fault in car accidents-however, instead of being the glass slipper which gives us a happy ending, it turned back into a pumpkin when the clock struck midnight.
A very highly recommended legal thriller for readers who like morally ambiguous thrillers that make you think further than establishing whodunnit. I am looking forward to following this up with 'The Pinocchio Brief'
July 13, 2019
All my reviews can be found at http://jessicasreadingroom.com
~~~~
All science fiction is fiction until it becomes science fact and we are heading in the direction of autonomous/driverless cars. Though is novel is not exactly science fiction, it is more of a legal thriller, but The Cinderella Plan leaves you thinking about that future and the effects surrounding that society.
James Salisbury owns a British car manufacturer of autonomous vehicles and drives one himself. One day tragedy happens: James and the autonomous vehicle are involved in a deadly accident. Autonomous vehicles cannot have accidents….Or can they? This is the impasse that James faces as he has no memory of the accident: Was he responsible? If so, then he faces prison. If he was not responsible and the vehicle was to blame, there goes his business he has tirelessly worked for many years. For James, he loses no matter what the verdict is: guilty or not guilty.
From the start, I was pulled into the story as we experience the accident. The actual court case was a bit too technical for me, so it dragged at times. It is obvious that Silver did her research as she wrote this novel. There are also some unexpected twists that occur. Silver also mentions how autonomous vehicles effect everything, including laws and everyday business. The novel also shows what the positives and negatives of autonomous vehicles are. The Cinderella Plan does really make you think about the future with these vehicles:
Once I finished The Cinderella Plan I was thinking about how soon we might be 100% autonomous vehicles. I honestly do not seeing that happening in the immediate future as I live in a state where you need a vehicle to get where you need to go as public transportation is not readily available everywhere. In fact, there is a big stigma towards it. These cars would be expensive and the average driver in my state would not be able to afford one. Autonomous vehicles may be coming soon, but I think it will be a long time before we are using 100% autonomous vehicles.
~~~~
All science fiction is fiction until it becomes science fact and we are heading in the direction of autonomous/driverless cars. Though is novel is not exactly science fiction, it is more of a legal thriller, but The Cinderella Plan leaves you thinking about that future and the effects surrounding that society.
James Salisbury owns a British car manufacturer of autonomous vehicles and drives one himself. One day tragedy happens: James and the autonomous vehicle are involved in a deadly accident. Autonomous vehicles cannot have accidents….Or can they? This is the impasse that James faces as he has no memory of the accident: Was he responsible? If so, then he faces prison. If he was not responsible and the vehicle was to blame, there goes his business he has tirelessly worked for many years. For James, he loses no matter what the verdict is: guilty or not guilty.
From the start, I was pulled into the story as we experience the accident. The actual court case was a bit too technical for me, so it dragged at times. It is obvious that Silver did her research as she wrote this novel. There are also some unexpected twists that occur. Silver also mentions how autonomous vehicles effect everything, including laws and everyday business. The novel also shows what the positives and negatives of autonomous vehicles are. The Cinderella Plan does really make you think about the future with these vehicles:
Once I finished The Cinderella Plan I was thinking about how soon we might be 100% autonomous vehicles. I honestly do not seeing that happening in the immediate future as I live in a state where you need a vehicle to get where you need to go as public transportation is not readily available everywhere. In fact, there is a big stigma towards it. These cars would be expensive and the average driver in my state would not be able to afford one. Autonomous vehicles may be coming soon, but I think it will be a long time before we are using 100% autonomous vehicles.
July 14, 2019
The Cinderella plan is split into parts with the first part really introducing us to the characters and giving the background to the story and where everyone fits in. For me personally this part was slightly long but that’s only because I knew that the next part would involve the courtroom scenes which are my favourite and which I was dying to get to.
The author writes courtroom scenes brilliantly. Being a lawyer by profession she obviously really knows her stuff and her attention to detail and having the ability to write authentic court scenes is something that I really enjoyed in her last book and really enjoyed again here.
If you are looking for an authentic court room drama with some thrilling twists which raises some interesting questions then this book is for you. I really hope the author continues with this series and if she does then I will be first in line to read the next one!
The author writes courtroom scenes brilliantly. Being a lawyer by profession she obviously really knows her stuff and her attention to detail and having the ability to write authentic court scenes is something that I really enjoyed in her last book and really enjoyed again here.
If you are looking for an authentic court room drama with some thrilling twists which raises some interesting questions then this book is for you. I really hope the author continues with this series and if she does then I will be first in line to read the next one!
July 24, 2022
Loved it. Another thrilling book in the Burton and Lamb series. I hurtled through this in one weekend because I had to find out what was going on. I had my suspicions, some were right but I was very surprised by others. At times I suspected everybody!
This one was a bit different to the others in the series, in that the lawyers didn't really feature until a good way into the book. Even then, I didn't feel they were as much of a focus as usual. But I actually liked that. Really added meat to the bones for the other characters and helped you to form opinions. The duo are still fabulous of course and are still central.
I like the discussions in this series about technology and ethics. Makes you think, about this, what it means to be human, what is right... And the fact that this isn't black and white. Ever.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
This one was a bit different to the others in the series, in that the lawyers didn't really feature until a good way into the book. Even then, I didn't feel they were as much of a focus as usual. But I actually liked that. Really added meat to the bones for the other characters and helped you to form opinions. The duo are still fabulous of course and are still central.
I like the discussions in this series about technology and ethics. Makes you think, about this, what it means to be human, what is right... And the fact that this isn't black and white. Ever.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
July 20, 2019
Wow, I know that technology is taking over our day to day lives, but autonomous cars? How could I sit in the drivers seat not actually in control of the car? Imagine finding yourself in a situation where either you are sent to prison or the business you have spent the last 11 years building goes under! How could you even begin to comprehend that? This is a really scary premise for what is to come in our not so distant future.
You can find the rest of my review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/20...
You can find the rest of my review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/20...
October 14, 2021
What can I say, I am really enjoying these Burton and Lamb lawyer books. This is my latest read and it was the Cinderella Plan. A man who is CEO of a self-driving car manufactory killed two small children and left their mother with life changing injuries. We don't get to the trial until half way through the book as ms silver is an expert in building up tension. The book is complicated, as this series always is! However it comes to rest with a conclusion which is not quite resolved, we see the last chapter giving more evidence than was heard in the trial. This is how all ms silver's books ends, and as always it is a gem.
May 20, 2020
As with all Abi Silver stories-this is a really good read. It is part of the Burton and Lamb Series, all titled after fairy tales and all legal thrillers. A sure bet to help you pass some much needed down time. I have read them all. And recommend them all. The author says they want their books to be "like cocktails - with imaginative and quirky twist to surprise readers"- they have succeeded.
October 13, 2019
Another superb legal thriller by the brilliant Abi Silver. As with her previous books, Abi weaves an intricate plot combining legal drama and modern technology, this time driverless cars.
The courtroom scenes are gripping and very true to life, as you would expect from an experienced lawyer turned author.
Looking forward to the fourth in the series. Highly recommended.
The courtroom scenes are gripping and very true to life, as you would expect from an experienced lawyer turned author.
Looking forward to the fourth in the series. Highly recommended.
April 20, 2025
finished book . is well written but just not my cup of tea more all the court room drama. so for me was a bit or a drag to finish. read last 60 pages to end just to finish it in one go. found it a drag to get thought from half way point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2019
A very intriguing book. More on the tour.
Read
September 24, 2019An entertaining read about a topical subject.
February 15, 2020
This was my least favourite of the series so far as I had a feeling early on about what had happened. The technology parts were interesting, though.
November 22, 2020
Twist at the end is good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2022
A very modern issue is considered in this book. A fascinating read.
August 25, 2024
The story is good and gripping a couple of spelling errors put me off!
June 25, 2020
Before we move onto the actual review I just have to say that I am reviewing this book as part of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources . This isn’t the first blog tour I’ve taken part in and you can check out the others by clicking here, here, here, here and here. Anyways, even though this is part of an official promotional tour, you can still expect it to be as honest, unbiased and fair as any other review on my site.
Okay next up, let me introduce you to the author real quick, The Cinderella Plan was written by Abi Silver, a lawyer and author who lives in Hertfordshire, but is originally from Yorkshire. This will be her third published book featuring Judith Burton and Constance Lamb. You can find out more about the author by checking out her site, and support the author by following her on Facebook and Twitter.
Now a quick bit about the book before we get on to the review properly, It’s called The Cinderella Plan, and as I mentioned above it’s the third installment in a series featuring a legal representatives, Judith Burton and Constance Lamb. They previously featured in The Pinocchio Brief (which was published in 2017) and The Aladdin Trial (which was published in 2018). The Cinderella Plan follows an entrepreneur who is on trial after the self driving car designed by his company crashes into a young family, he is on trial and he risks either losing his personal freedom or his company that he worked so hard for. Burton and Lamb are called in to defend him, and work our fact from fiction, and even manage to discuss issues regarding technologies impact in our lives.
Let’s hope that sounds appealing, but now on to the actual review, first off even though this is the third standalone book in the Burton and Lamb series, it’s my first time reading it, but by this point, I can already tell that the author is becoming more polished in regards to style and character. It’s also worth noting that as a Lawyer herself the author can provide a much needed realism to the proceedings, but as an author, she can also pick and choose when you digress from reality for a better story. It’s pretty much what I like about police procedurals except this more closely follows the court aspect of the crime, which is different from what I usually read but was very interesting nonetheless.
So I touched on the character above, being dropped in the middle of things in the third book in a series, standalone or otherwise, can be a little daunting but to be honest you still get a strong grasp of who the characters are. Additionally, the character of James, the defendant in the case comes across so real, you really connect with the central human conflict of this story, he’s truly stuck between a rock and a hard place and you engage with his dilemma because not only is it understandable but also it’s riveting because you can feel what he is feeling.
I also mentioned above that I don’t usually read courtroom thrillers, no particular reason why, and it’s strange as I love crime fiction in general. Perhaps because what I enjoy most is the story unravelling and being solved, whereas by the time it comes to court that should already have been wrapped up. Perhaps this is just a fallacy though, but I can say that Abi Silver;s novel has certainly opened my eyes to the appeal of a courtroom thriller, particularly one as engaging and well researched as this one. So I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more books Silver in the future, and will also be more open to reading courtroom thrillers as well.
I don’t want to spoil this book by revealing too much but honestly this is such an engaging story, it has real world applications regarding technology and self-driving cars, self-responsibility vs corporate responsibility and even ruminations on right and wrong seen through the veil of law, and defending someone who might want to go to jail, innocent or not to protect their greater legacy.
So with all that in mind I can recommend you check out this book, it’s honestly a must read and I give it a solid 5/5.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
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Okay next up, let me introduce you to the author real quick, The Cinderella Plan was written by Abi Silver, a lawyer and author who lives in Hertfordshire, but is originally from Yorkshire. This will be her third published book featuring Judith Burton and Constance Lamb. You can find out more about the author by checking out her site, and support the author by following her on Facebook and Twitter.
Now a quick bit about the book before we get on to the review properly, It’s called The Cinderella Plan, and as I mentioned above it’s the third installment in a series featuring a legal representatives, Judith Burton and Constance Lamb. They previously featured in The Pinocchio Brief (which was published in 2017) and The Aladdin Trial (which was published in 2018). The Cinderella Plan follows an entrepreneur who is on trial after the self driving car designed by his company crashes into a young family, he is on trial and he risks either losing his personal freedom or his company that he worked so hard for. Burton and Lamb are called in to defend him, and work our fact from fiction, and even manage to discuss issues regarding technologies impact in our lives.
Let’s hope that sounds appealing, but now on to the actual review, first off even though this is the third standalone book in the Burton and Lamb series, it’s my first time reading it, but by this point, I can already tell that the author is becoming more polished in regards to style and character. It’s also worth noting that as a Lawyer herself the author can provide a much needed realism to the proceedings, but as an author, she can also pick and choose when you digress from reality for a better story. It’s pretty much what I like about police procedurals except this more closely follows the court aspect of the crime, which is different from what I usually read but was very interesting nonetheless.
So I touched on the character above, being dropped in the middle of things in the third book in a series, standalone or otherwise, can be a little daunting but to be honest you still get a strong grasp of who the characters are. Additionally, the character of James, the defendant in the case comes across so real, you really connect with the central human conflict of this story, he’s truly stuck between a rock and a hard place and you engage with his dilemma because not only is it understandable but also it’s riveting because you can feel what he is feeling.
I also mentioned above that I don’t usually read courtroom thrillers, no particular reason why, and it’s strange as I love crime fiction in general. Perhaps because what I enjoy most is the story unravelling and being solved, whereas by the time it comes to court that should already have been wrapped up. Perhaps this is just a fallacy though, but I can say that Abi Silver;s novel has certainly opened my eyes to the appeal of a courtroom thriller, particularly one as engaging and well researched as this one. So I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more books Silver in the future, and will also be more open to reading courtroom thrillers as well.
I don’t want to spoil this book by revealing too much but honestly this is such an engaging story, it has real world applications regarding technology and self-driving cars, self-responsibility vs corporate responsibility and even ruminations on right and wrong seen through the veil of law, and defending someone who might want to go to jail, innocent or not to protect their greater legacy.
So with all that in mind I can recommend you check out this book, it’s honestly a must read and I give it a solid 5/5.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
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October 7, 2019
4.5* rounded up.
These are just so good, with their combination of courtroom drama and cutting-edge technology. I'm deducting the half-star because I thought it was a bit slow to get going, and because I didn't really warm to any of the characters apart from the recurring ones, Constance and Judith.
These are just so good, with their combination of courtroom drama and cutting-edge technology. I'm deducting the half-star because I thought it was a bit slow to get going, and because I didn't really warm to any of the characters apart from the recurring ones, Constance and Judith.
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