Making it as a lawyer has always been a cutthroat business.
But now that a sadistic serial killer is on the loose the consequences could prove deadly… A killer is targeting former students of The Bloomsbury Academy of Law. The victims – all female – are gruesomely butchered according to a pattern corresponding with the legal syllabus. Even more disconcerting are riddles sent by the killer to investigating officer, Chief Inspector Jake Carver, offering clues as to who is next and where they will die.
Up-and-coming lawyer Madeline Kramer, a former classmate of a number of the slain, soon finds her life turned upside down by the savagery. And when she decides to help Carver track down the killer, she places herself in mortal danger. Can Maddy unscramble the complex riddles, and save her own life and those of others destined to die?
A. A. Chaudhuri’s Ripper-like mystery, The Scribe, throws down a challenge even hardened crime thriller fans will be unable to resist.
A. A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer. Once a highly ranked British junior tennis player, she went on to gain a degree in History at University College London, then trained as a solicitor and worked for several major London law firms before leaving law to pursue her passion for writing. In addition to books featuring the feisty Maddy Kramer, she has written four stand-alone novels, including racy thriller, Illicit Retainers, and political thriller, The Darker Side of White. She lives in Surrey with her family.
A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer turned thriller writer, born and raised in Portsmouth, but who now lives in Surrey with her family. Once a highly ranked British junior tennis player, competing in the national championships and a member of the national squad, she went on to tour the women’s professional satellite circuit as a teenager and achieved a world ranking of 650.
THE SCRIBE (republished in October 2024 as THE LAWYER) and THE ABDUCTION (republished in February 2025 as THE PARTNER), published by LUME BOOKS in July and December 2019, are her first crime book series, plunging readers into London’s glamorous legal world and featuring series’ heroine, Maddy Kramer, fiction’s first female City lawyer amateur sleuth, who teams up with charismatic DCI Jake Carver to solve a gruesome series of murders and a puzzling abduction. THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published as audio books by Isis Audio on 1st January and 1st March 2021, both read by David Thorpe.
She has also contributed an original short story THE ENCOUNTER to crime anthology GIVEN IN EVIDENCE published by LUME BOOKS in May 2020, has written many articles and short stories for The Crime Writers’ Association.
Her first psychological thriller with HERA BOOKS, SHE’S MINE, was published in e-book, paperback and audio in August 2021, the second, THE LOYAL FRIEND, was published in all three formats in June 2022 and published in the USA by Canelo US on 20th June 2023. Her third, THE FINAL PARTY, was published in e-book and paperback on May 25th 2023. and released in audiobook on 1st February 2024.
Her fourth psychological thriller - UNDER HER ROOF - was released in e-book, paperback and audio on 13th June 2024. THE SCHOOL GATES will be published on 5th June 2025.
Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!
All of Alex's books have achieved bestseller status on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Australia and Amazon Canada.
Twitter: A.A. Chaudhuri (@AAChaudhuri) / Twitter
Facebook: A.A. Chaudhuri | Facebook
Instagram: A.A. Chaudhuri (Author) (@a.a.chaudhuri) • Instagram photos and videos
Instagram: A.A. Chaudhuri (@aachaudhuri) • Instagram photos and videos
The book opens with the murder of young law student Sarah Morrell. Sarah converses with the killer and seems to know who he is, an ex-client of the law firm she is currently working at. The killer is out for some kind of revenge and carves the word ‘Contract’ into her abdomen.
DCI Jake Carver is in charge of the case and it’s not long before more law students are being killed. There is a serial killer on the loose and he seems to be targeting the students, but why?
With the help from lawyer Madeline (Maddie) Kramer, can the two solve the murders and bring the killer to justice?
The book began exceptionally strongly and I really thought that I was going to be enthralled and held to the pages, however, there were a few things within the first few chapters that made me roll my eyes. From DCI Carver making an off the cuff remark about a double murder before we are even told that a second person has been killed on the same night as Sarah was, to the police releasing details about the murders to the public within four hours of their bodies being found and giving the waiting journalist the names of the victims, where they were found, their professions and details of how one of them was killed – Would this really happen in real life?
The other thing that bugged me was Maddie found out about the deaths at her workplace via the news on TV her first thought was how ruggedly handsome with a strong square jaw DCI Carver was and that she could imagine his deep gravelly voice. I don’t think anyone finding out one of their colleagues has just been killed would first think how gorgeous the DCI on the case was.
Whilst I do understand this is a work of fiction, in a thriller you have to keep it real to engage the reader and put them into a thrilling mood and make them believe that the story is real. At this point, I actually contemplated giving up reading the book but in the end, I decided to carry on and see where the rest of the plot took me.
I enjoyed the thrill of the chase and the handling of the cases and the riddles. The two main characters worked well together, although I couldn’t take to Maddie and was unsure why a DCI would need so much help from a lawyer on murder cases.
I found this book hit and miss. There were chapters I really enjoyed and then there were sections that I felt didn’t need to be there. Overall, looking back I did enjoy the plot and I was intrigued enough to keep reading, plus DCI Carver turned out to be a great character that I enjoyed getting to know and watch him work.
In her genre debut, A. A. Chaudhuri pens a sensational crime thriller that will have readers forging ahead late into the night to discover what drives a curious and cunning serial killer. When the body of a young lawyer and security guard are discovered at an elite London law firm, DCI Jake Carver and his team are baffled. Not only was the lawyer an up and coming star, but Sarah Morrell has had her torso inscribed with ‘Contract’. Who could have wanted to commit such a heinous act? Fellow lawyer Maddy Kramer is chilled to the bone, having attended law school with Sarah, even if they were not close. When a second lawyer is murdered and an equally chilling word carved into her chest, Mandy can no longer sit idly by. She approaches DCI Carver and offers some of her own insights, as well as providing some interesting information about one of her former law professors, who also happened to have had a sexual relationship with both victims. James Stirling has a long reputation for racking up the conquests, though he refuses to admit as much when the police come knocking. Soon, both Mandy and DCI Carver are contacted by the killer, offering insight into future kills, though it will take teamwork and determination to crack the code. As the kills mount and Stirling becomes the most likely suspect, a break in the case sends the investigation in new and troubling directions. Seven presumed victims, all tied together by one man, but could he have done all this without ever being detected? Chaudhuri does a masterful job in her writing and delivery of this stellar police procedural. Recommended to those who love fast-paced crime thrillers, as well as the reader who enjoys new and upcoming authors.
I stumbled upon this book and the dust jacket blurb alone was enough to pull me in. I wanted to try the book, though the fact that A. A. Chaudhuri was writing her first crime novel left me unsure of what to expect. From the opening pages, I was hooked, with a killer lurking in the shadows and slaying an unsuspecting young lawyer. From there, the story grew, allowing me to connect with both protagonists. DCI Jake Carver is a dedicated copper, whose time on the force has both helped him hone his skills and lose what little connection he has with his family. Trying to balance homicide work with being a dad to his son who seems to have turned away after the divorce, Carver can only hope that he is able to use what little downtime he has effectively. He’s in tune with his caseload and dedicated to finding answers, wherever they may be, though is not too proud to accept help. I am eager to see how his character grows in any follow-up novels. Carver is contrasted nicely with Maddy Kramer, a young lawyer whose backstory is full of pain. Orphaned at nine, Maddy learned how to grow up with her grandmother, though she is not beyond sacrificing others to make it in the world of the law. That said, she has a great deal of compassion and is determined not to let the killer in the novel get the upper hand. Working with Carver, they are able to develop a strategy to crack the code and save a number of victims from meeting an untimely fate. Other characters complement the narrative nicely and keep the reader affixed to the story at hand. As the book is listed as “#1”, I can only hope others will be published and some of the minor characters appear again, able to work more cases with equally disturbing killers. The story was as strong as I could have expected, more than I predicted this novel would bring. The narrative is full of impactful plots and races from one chapter to the next. A mix of longer and short chapters keep the reader on their toes and makes for a thrilling adventure, until the final page turn. This is one novel not to be missed by those who like the genre. A wonderful novel, no matter where the reader chooses to experience this book.
Kudos, Madam Chaudhuri, for a stunning series debut. I cannot wait to see what else you have in story for readers.
A pacey crime story, I completed this book in 24 hours! Desperate to know if the killer known as 'The Scribe' would be caught once and for all, I was engaged with the plot's twists and turns. The ending threw me off completely and I wasn't disappointed at how quickly I had consumed this read. It deserved my undivided attention and I felt like I was experiencing the same countdown as Kramer and Carver.
This is obviously the beginning of a series. I say 'obviously', without being patronising! Yes, it is listed as the start of a series in its title, but, as an opening, it did not feel like it was trying too hard. The characters were well-established and there was enough excitement that it did not read as if the writer was trying to lay the foundations for future novels in the series, rather than the current one I had my hands on. The ending is clearly left open for further investigations involving Carver and Kramer; there is no indication how their professional relationship will develop (will there be more than this?!) and the conclusion was appropriate without it dragging on and on.
Plot wise, I found this interesting and intriguing. At times, I found the description of the murders a little graphic but, Chaudhuri handles this expertly without it being too gruesome. Afterall, you need a little bloodshed when its a crime book following a murderer, right? I liked the uncertainty about who would be the next victim of 'The Scribe'. Chaudhuri makes it clear that there is a character being framed yet, it remains ambiguous for most of the novel who is the real perpetrator. The idea of a cheating, scumbag university lecturer, being framed for the murder of previous, female students, is cleverly explored, as it soon becomes clear that the Professor has many enemies. Chaudhuri switches between present day and the past as readers learn about the Professor's many relationships. It leaves the plot open to guessing who is the enemy with the biggest grudge? One thing I found difficult to handle was how inept the police force are portrayed in this novel. They immediately run to Kramer's assistance, simply because they do not seem to be able to decode the legal clues that are being provided about 'The Scribe's' next victim. I found this element a little unbelievable because it felt like Kramer was doing all the work - yet she is not part of the police force! Her career as a lawyer was put to the back of my mind as I read this book; I would have found it more believable if she was a police officer in training and this detail of Kramer's was something quite forgettable and ineffective. Furthermore, Detective Carver was a well-used stereotype of the alcoholic with the broken family: separated from his wife, drinking, living poorly and rarely seeing his son. Whilst characterisation was generally pretty good in this novel, I feel that the author could have created a more interesting backstory for Carver; something that isn't so obvious in these detective reads.
I enjoyed this entertaining novel and would be keen to read the next in the series. At this stage, I found the book refreshing and gripping. The red-herrings added to the entertainment and the immersive element of the story and I would be interested to see if Chaudhuri can maintain this later down the line.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an engaging crime thriller that moved along at a good clip. There is a seres of murders, quite yucky some of them. The victims are all female and killed with a particular element of the law syllabus in mind. It was about the punishment fitting the crime.
Maddie Carver is a former classmate of some of the victims and notes a pattern in the killings. She starts to work with Chief Inspector Jake Carver to try and identify who might be next and what, apart from having studied law, links the victims.
The character development was very good and the story was gripping. There seemed to be no shortage of suspects so the brain cells get a workout as you try and solve the thing along with Jake and Maddie. Good pacing meant the story never never lagged and the conclusion was satisfying. I would certainly read a follow-up. I received this book free in exchange for an unbiased review from Endeavour press.
As potent as potassium cyanide, The Scribe is a wildly entertaining, one-of-a-kind, legal-serial-killer-thriller, sure-fire smash hit. Maddy Kramer is an inspired creation, an original heroine whose moral compass is as sharp as her intellect and drive, and the story cracks along at an electric pace. Chaudhuri pulls us into darkness and obsession with a deft assurance, before drawing events and perspectives from both past and present to a completely shocking yet wholly satisfying conclusion. Excellent.
There is a serial killer on the loose in London targeting former students of The Bloomsbury Academy of Law. Their deaths are brutal and no one can figure out why these particular women are being murdered. Chief Inspector Jake Carver is assigned the case putting together all of the clues before another woman is murdered. Carver gets help from a former student of the academy, Madeline “Maddy” Cramer. Maddy has ties with one of the murdered victims and now this case just became personal for her. But, Maddy has also caught the killer’s eye. Will Maddy and carver be able to solve the case or will Maddy find herself the final victim?
A.A. Chaudhuri has written an edge of your seat legal thriller that just grips you from the first page. I was absolutely hooked right from the start! Chaudhuri is so descriptive in her writing and so detailed where I felt like every paragraph just jumped off the page where I can see everything happening right in front of me. I do have to say that I don’t see this kind of writing very often. I felt totally immersed into the story as I tried putting all of the pieces together. Chaudhuri inserts a lot of red herrings and just when you think you may have all the answers she slaps you in the face with another turn of events. I definitely had a hard time figuring out who was behind it all.
Jake Carver is one of the best at solving hard cases. He lives for his job and works diligently to solve each case. While everything on the work front is in order, his home life is anything but. Divorced with a young son, Jake is finding it increasingly difficult to make time for his kid. We really get to see little snippets of his life outside of his work through his own thoughts about his failed marriage and the love he has for his son and wanting to be a good father amidst a demanding career.
Maddy Cramer is definitely the star of this story for me. Raised by her grandmother after the tragic death of her parents, Maddy is closed off to letting people in, especially men who are interested in her and want a deeper kind of relationship. She buries herself in her work at the law firm and is content with the few friends she has. When one of her friend’s has the misfortune of being a victim to a sadistic serial killer it draws Maddy right into the case with Jake Carver and brings them closer together. I am really hoping there might be a little romance in the works for these two? I can only hope so!
The Scribe is exhilarating, gripping and so refreshing in the thriller genre. This story encompasses everything I love about this genre. I am also in love with Jake and Maddy as a team and definitely can’t wait to see more of them in future books in the series.
This book started out with so much promise but rapidly declined with implausible plots, inept police who didn't follow procedures and women, for the most part, portrayed as vain, shallow, cruel, desperate and stupid.
I was lucky enough to read The Scribe via the Pigeonhole and I enjoyed it. There were quite a few comments from my fellow pigeons about the fact that chief inspector Carver enlists Maddy Kramer's help, so I feel it's something I should address. First of all, the lead investigator seeking civilian assistance is not uncommon in fiction, it's a trope I've come across rather often, and it's probably quite rare in real life investigations, but this is fiction, and it's not like I had to suspend disbelief all that much: Maddy is clever and she belongs to the niche where the murders are being committed. Moreover, Carver's dealing with a serial killer and he's on a deadline, I can see how he would just grab any help he can get, because bringing in external resources would take too long. Again, most likely not the way things are done in actual police investigations but frankly, I didn't give two hoots! When it's 30 degrees Celsius out and you're reading in the garden, you don't want your novel to be hyperrealistic, you want to be entertained. And that I most certainly was! A lot of red herrings here, most I saw through, but Chaudhuri did manage to surprise me with one of the reveals. One to read and simply enjoy, not analyse.
Young lawyer Maddy Kramer is shocked when a colleague is murdered in her firm's building. What brings it even closer to home is that, years earlier, Maddy had studied law with the victim. When a second victim turns up, and she's also a lawyer and former classmate, Maddy really begins to get worried. A serial killer is targeting people just like her. She becomes determined to help Chief Inspector Jake Carver figure out the killer's taunting clues and prevent any more deaths.
THE SCRIBE is a clever, pacey thriller that doesn't waste any time getting into the action. I really enjoyed following both Maddy and Carver. The partnership that develops between them is an unusual dynamic, pairing a police officer with an amateur sleuth to great effect. There is also one incredibly sleazy character who you'll love to hate! A great read.
Brilliant!! This book was such a great read from start to finish. It was exciting, fast paced and kept me guessing right the way through to the end. I was surprised by who did it that I had to reread the sentence to make sure I had read it right the first time. I do hope that there will be more to come from this author.
What a great whodunnit murder thriller. It’s well written with well developed and interesting characters. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Highly recommended.
I just finished reading The Scribe, and it's one of the best crime debuts in recent years. I really enjoyed the complexity of the characters especially the dynamic between Maddy and Carver! It's such a refreshing change from the same old crime fiction being churned out year in and year out! It almost reads like an Agatha Christie's novel. There's a great deal of mystery surrounding everything, and if you're one of those people who prefers not to be able to guess the twist until the very end, then you're in for a treat! A.A.Chaudhuri delivers and then some more! I'd highly recommend it! It's a memorable debut and I can't wait read more from this brilliant new author!
I read this book via Pigeonhole and thought it was an outstanding psychological thriller. The characters and the storyline were excellent and it was an extremely accomplished and well written book. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed reading this book with all its twists and turns. I liked the partnership of Carver and Drake and also the maybe blossoming relationship of Carver and Maddie. I am looking forward to reading more in the future.
Thank you to both A A Choudhuri and Pigeonhole for this read.
I enjoyed this thriller. It has a gripping start and some very interesting characters. Some aspects of the police investigation seemed a little implausible, but I enjoyed guessing who the killer might be. I was lucky enough to read this via the Pigeonhole App, a Stave a day over ten days and I looked forward to receiving each one. I would be interested to read a sequel.
I don't listen to many audiobooks as I find that my attention drifts and I end up missing vital parts of the story but this was definitely not the case with The Scribe, narrated by David Thorpe. The plot is exceptional, the narration is outstanding and my attention was held for every single minute of the 13 hours and 26 minutes of the book.
I love legal thrillers and A. A. Chaudhuri has written something so completely different to anything I have ever read before by teaming up a young lawyer with a Chief Inspector, leaving the courtroom behind and creating more of a police procedural. There's a killer in London and all of the victims are not only former students of a law academy, they are former lovers of the philandering professor, which makes him the prime suspect.
Young lawyer, Maddy Kramer finds herself helping the police when she sees connections between the victims and has an idea where the killer may strike next. It might be putting her own life in danger but she is determined to stop the killer and she also quite fancies the Chief Inspector, Jake Carver. The plot focuses on the killings so there's not really any sexual tension between Kramer and Carver, it's more of a growing admiration and I'm looking forward to seeing how this relationship develops throughout the series.
David Thorpe's narration left me speechless; every character has a different voice so it really does give the impression that there is more than one narrator. The whole story is brought to life through David Thorpe's dulcet tones and it not only held my attention but kept me fully engaged. I had only planned to listen to the audiobook while exercising but I found that I snuck in a few extra chapters whenever possible as I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
I think the narration may be a bit too good as it caused me to be suspicious of a particular character; even though I had guessed partly right, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story as this wasn't the only twist to be revealed. I even thought I was completely wrong at one point as the storyline shot off in a different direction and just when I thought all had become clear, there are still some shocks and surprises in store.
Fast-paced and hugely entertaining, The Scribe is a sharply plotted, highly addictive legal thriller and police procedural rolled into one. I absolutely loved it and I already have book 2, The Abduction, lined up to play next.
Many thanks to the author for arranging the audio files to be sent to me from Isis Audio for the purpose of review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
I think the first line of The Scribe is a good place to begin… ‘Her sixth sense told her she was not alone.’ The book begins with a woman, Sarah, heading into the kitchen of her office building. It’s just after 2am and apart from the security guard she expects to be alone. She isn’t. Soon Sarah becomes the first victim of a serial killer. To read the rest of my review visit my blog here: https://christiepenscrime.blogspot.co...
After reading and enjoying She's mine by the same author I decided to give this one a read and enjoyed it just as much. I loved how the plot stayed interesting throughout. I thought I had guessed the killer early on then was torn between two, then changed my mind again. I love thrillers that do that and keep you guessing until the end. I will now be reading the second in the series The abduction.
A. A. Chaudhuri’s The Scribe is a first class legal thriller which will keep you turning the page well in to the dark hours. A superbly crafted novel with an intriguing core premise which the author keeps you guessing about until the very end. In fact, the denouement when it comes is multi-facet, so don’t relax for a moment as further twists and turns appear leading to an ending which will sate the most diehard of thriller fans. I can’t wait to find out where the author takes Kramer and Carver next, and whether they ever become more than professional toward each other. Chaudhuri has left that question hanging deliciously in the air, ensuring that you have to read the next instatement when it comes. Procedurals take great skill in constructing so that they don’t become manuals with lots of instructive narrative. Chaudhuri gets it just right, weaving it into the story where needed, but keeping the story about the characters and what they do and say, not a lesson in their chosen professions. Great job, and highly recommended.
I was lulled into a dark twisty storyline after a female is murdered at her place of work; Sarah is an ex-student of The Bloomsbury Academy of Law. Immediately, as a reader, you’re set up to expect the unexpected in a world of conspiracy where everyone is a suspect and everyone could be selected as the sadistic serial killers next victim. We have increased jealousy amongst peers, as they fight for not only the chance of their dream career, but to turn the eye of the attractive and highly intelligent law professor, James Stirling.
The Scribe ties together a multitude of dialogues from various characters, including the professor, Chief Inspector Jake Carver and an upcoming lawyer Madeline Kramer, who is also a previous peer of those individual’s who have fallen victim to frenzied blood lust. Together they must race against time to find the answers to the murderers riddles that lead to the next victim, I found this to be an unexpected addition that got my pulse racing! Be prepared to buckle your reader’s seatbelt because this novel is anything but a walk in the park. What always impresses me, although obviously thriller writers research, is the extent to which they do – A.A Chaudhuri has clearly immersed herself into the workings of not only police procedures and law around crimes, such as murder, but it is also clear that she has been mindful to include a great deal of forensic elements. In this case I would describe it as a legal crime thriller and that is one of the main reasons that I was so bloody engrossed!
What an attention grabbing warped mind A. A Chaudhuri has! She’s managed to pen a devious serial killer with a distorted taste for murder inscribing female victims with their law specialities! How brutally, yet deliciously sick is that?! The killer’s complete identity is hidden completely, no personal details are given away so you’re completely and utterly kept in the dark, gripped until it’s time for the big reveal. I felt that The scribe was the perfect balance of thrill and blood – it was packed to the brim with action, jealousy, revenge, i and murderous escapades, don’t miss the beginnings of this cracking thriller series!
The storyline is written in such way that is free flowing without major complexity, with taut events occurring, heart racing breaks in the case are constantly thrown at you. Each chapter is time and date labelled which allows the reader to follow the chronological events unfolding. A.A’s attention to detail is phenomenal, in terms of visualisation and character building / portrayal. I absolutely adore both Carver and Kramer, I think they are most definitely a quality crime fighting duo!
I loved this rollercoaster thriller, it is most definitely one for the diehard thriller fans! I loved the exitement of the chase, with Maddy and Carver racing against a death clock to save the victims. If you’re a reader like me, who can’t help but fully commit to a crime thriller series, this is the one for you and… the second instalment is due to be published this Christmas!
A serial murderer is out there, with a predilection for young legal aces. Carver is the lead detective, who looks to a young lawyer Maddie Kramer to aid his investigation.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The story was well told and at times extremely tense.
A great first novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
An intriguing psychological thriller that had guessing who the killer was right till the very end. Looking forward to reading more in this series and by this author. Recommended!!
I really don’t like to give bad reviews but with the number of books out there that really are not up to standard, it becoming harder to look at positives. I really want to read honesty, I don’t want to buy anything that is mediocre. This book started well, I thought maybe it was going to be a Jackie Collins of the legal genre but alas it was a mediocre and although the legal aspect was clever the murder plot was predictable. The Detective Jake Carver was weak and lacked charisma his parenting skills were nil and every time there was a crisis it sent him running to Maddie Kramer, a legal worker for help. This was an attempt to build up a relationship because I note there will be further books. There was no chemistry at all, it just left me disappointed on ever level. It was not feasible and normally as long as the story is good, I don’t mind lack of political correctness. This may appeal to those who like Mills and Boon, and are interested in a potential budding romance although it seemed cold. I read this as part of a book club and three staves from the end I lost patience after a great big ‘no, no’ was committed in the narrative that upset a lot of the readers. The added fact that ‘60’ year olds are classed as old people and brainless where technology is mentioned aggravated a few readers. When I review, I want people to enjoy and not waste money, I don’t want to bad mouth authors, I want to find positives but this was bad even for my good intentions. Better books out there.
A sadistic serial killer seems to be targeting young professional women in the city of London, and the killer's modus operandi seems to fit an unusual, and rather gruesome pattern, however, keeping one step ahead of this devious and dangerous perpetrator keeps Chief Inspector Jake Carver and his investigative team on their toes. When Carver makes the acquaintance of Madeline Kramer, herself a lawyer in the city, and a former class-mate of some of the murdered women, they forge a bond which will prove to be extremely useful to the way the investigation proceeds.
I thought that this was a clever crime/thriller which doesn't focus too much on the police procedural aspect, although, of course, it does form a big part of the story but which rather gives us more of an insight into the characters who make up the main cast of the novel. There are some interesting people in the story, and as any one of them could be the killer I had great fun trying to see if I could guess who was responsible for some pretty heinous crimes. I didn't work out whodunit until just before the big reveal and then it was like a light-bulb moment with everything then falling into place.
This is the first book in the Kramer and Carver series and together they make an interesting combination, there is a spark of attraction between them but each have their complications and it will be fascinating to see just how their association plays out in future novels. That the series has huge potential is not in doubt as the writer has huge scope to take Madeleine Kramer and Jake Carver on many more intricate adventures and I look forward to meeting up with them again before too long.
The Scribe is a well-constructed, gripping murder mystery with an intriguing legal twist. With multiple murders and several suspects – all working within the legal profession – it’s a daunting and complex investigation. A sadistic serial killer is murdering former female students from the same law academy that the protagonist, Maddy Kramer, a young litigation associate at a City law firm, attended. When a colleague’s body is found brutally murdered at Maddy’s law firm with the word ‘contract’ branded on her chest, DCI Jake Carver is called in to investigate. No sooner has the investigation got under way than another murder occurs with a similar message inscribed on the victim’s chest; she’s an ex-student from the law academy and a friend of Maddy’s. No one knows who will be next and Maddy fears that it may be her. With the investigation stalling due to the lack of forensic evidence, Maddy realises that there is a pattern to the murders and informs DCI Carver of her theory. She also provides him with valuable information about former academy students and their former professor. As new lines of enquiry lead to the discovery of a new suspect and a plausible motive, another murder with the same MO stretches police resources to the limit.
AA Chaudhuri cleverly manages all the divergent threads of the plotline, weaving them together seamlessly and keeping the reader guessing right up to the dramatic denouement at the end. It’s an excellent debut. I can’t wait to read the sequel and discover what Kramer and Carver have in store for us next.
“A killer is targeting former students of The Bloomsbury Academy of Law. The victims – all female – are gruesomely butchered according to a pattern corresponding with the legal syllabus. Even more disconcerting are riddles sent by the killer to investigating officer, Chief Inspector Jake Carver, offering clues as to who is next and where they will die.
Up-and-coming lawyer Madeline Kramer, a former classmate of a number of the slain, soon finds her life turned upside down by the savagery. And when she decides to help Carver track down the killer, she places herself in mortal danger. Can Maddy and Carver unscramble the complex riddles and save the lives of those destined to die?"
Whether a series will work or not so often depends on the pairing and Chaudhuri has given herself the best chance possible by introducing us to Kramer and Carver. Kramer is bright, independent, and pretty strong willed (especially when standing up to a killer). Carver could be very stereotypical – he is divorced and is married to the job. Yet Chaudhuri pulls it back by introducing a son, who he cares a lot about. The amount of punches thrown by Carver (in the gym, totally legit.) also seem to outweigh the amount of whiskeys he sinks. Add a sniff of attraction between the two and you have for a very interesting, evenly matched pairing.
I also liked Drake, Carver’s number 2. So often in a series like this the pairing would feature around these two, yet Chaudhuri again defies convention which gives Drake’s character a whole new spin. It was refreshing to read.
There’s no getting away from the fact that there are some pretty grisly deaths in The Scribe with the violence all being directed at women. Main suspect Stirling was a total sleaze bag. The lengths some of the women were prepared to go to for him was astounding! I did feel a little deflated about his ending, but I won’t go in to detail as I don’t want to spoil the plot for you.
The plot definitely keeps you guessing. Is it Professor Stirling? It must be! Is it his wife? No, it’s got to be Stirling! I did have an inkling about half way through the book who it was going to be but didn’t totally get it right which I quite liked.
Overall Chaudhuri is off to a cracking start with her duo. There is definitely romance on the cards for Kramer and Carver which I for one would like to see. It will also be interesting seeing how they plausibly collaborate again in the future.
Maddy Kramer is a young 20 something lawyer working in the city at a respectable law firm. In this book though, law is not the only skill she will need to draw on. When other female lawyers who coincidentally also attended the same law school Maddy did during training, suddenly start turning up murdered, she finds herself trying to solve the riddles the killer leaves.
Maddy is a great female lead. She is strong and determined and despite warnings from the killer that she needs to back off she continues to assist the police regardless and I really liked her tenacity. I enjoyed reading about her blossoming relationship with the chief inspector Jake Carver. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see where the author takes this relationship. I get the sense it won’t necessarily be easy going for the two of them but I have a feeling it will be good reading!
I love when you read the first book in a new series and know that you still have more to come and I can’t wait to read the next in this particular series.
I've seen a few reviews of this book make comments around accuracy concerning the police procedure and the rules of investigations etc. but I really wanted to say that when I read a fiction book or watch a film, I'm aware that they don't follow rules and regulations and procedures and that things are added in to enhance the narrative and excitement. When I read a novel, I'm looking for thrills and shock, not accuracy in police procedures and this novel gave me just what I like.
The first chapter begins darkly and it didn't stop there. This novel is definitely a crime thriller with a more disturbing edge. The plot itself deals with much more than just a random killer. It's a clever and well-thought out twisted plot of revenge. As a reader you are given the story narrated form a variety of perspectives, which leads to having multiple suspects. If you are a fan of who dun it? but like your books a lot darker then this is the perfect combination.
The Scribe is the first in a new series of books that features a police officer and a lawyer. They start to work together when women that Maddy knows are found dead with differing messages carved onto their bodies.
It was a fascinating and gripping novel to read. I certainly read a lot of crime fiction but I can’t remember reading one where you get to know the victim just before their death. I found it created empathy and gave me a connection with them. Rather than just seeing them after their death. The flashbacks are also interesting, they don’t always work but they do so here. They gave a brief insight into the victims and their tutor. As they progress you do see the more unlikeable side to a few of them.
Carver and Maddy are strong characters and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. You see glimpses of their family lives but it doesn’t overpower the main storyline. I liked both of them and the other officer, Drake a lot. James and Elizabeth Stirling I absolutely detested, and I always admire an author who makes me feel that way about a character. They were amongst many that I suspected of being the killer.
This is a series I will definitely follow in the future. I want to know what happens next for both of them.
This book had been on my TBR to read for awhile but I had not got close to starting it. When I did, bam! The plot and characters sweep you up and before you know it, you are annoyed at having to put the book down. Highly recommended, I cannot wait to read the next book in the series and more from A. A. Chaudhuri.