Fatal Proof

Benson and De Vere #4

by John Fairfax

'Unputdownable...This writer gets better and better' A.N. Wilson

The Hither Green murder...

William Benson knows what it's like to be accused of something you didn't do - the fear, the vulnerability and the nightmare of watching your life unravel. Now he speaks on behalf of those who have no voice, defending anyone who claims to be innocent. This time, it's Karmen Naylor, estranged daughter of a south London crime boss, fighting a murder charge and desperate to be believed. But Benson becomes trapped into a grudge match between two rival clans, endangering himself and those he loves.

Tess de Vere is by Benson's side but she's keeping something from him. A stranger on the trail of a secret death squad operating in Northern Ireland during the Troubles brings a terrible secret into the heart of her own life. And he won't go away.

Can Tess and Will find their way through all the secrets and the lies? Should justice always be served - and if so, at what cost?

Praise for the Benson and de Vere series from

'Keeps you wondering throughout the book. Loved it' 5 stars

'I really enjoyed this book. It had a great plot and two very sympathetic and intriguing leading characters' 5 stars

'Keeps you guessing right to the end. Lots of lovely twists and turns' 5 stars

'This series is the best I've read in a long time' 5 stars

'Got completely immersed in this plot, just love Benson and Tess' 5 stars

Genres: Crime

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 2, 2023

About the author

John Fairfax is the pen name of William Brodrick who practised as a barrister before becoming a full-time novelist. Under his own name he is a previous winner of the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award and his first novel was a Richard and Judy selection.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Fairfax is back with another novel, mixing courtroom drama with some investigative work that is sure to keep the reader busy trying to process things. With a great burden lifted from William Benson’s shoulders, he can focus much of the attention on defending those who are accused of serious crimes but profess their innocence. His newest client is the daughter of a crime boss who has been accused of murdering her father’s fixer. While Benson knows little of the underworld, though he spent time in prison, he will defend Karmen Naylor as best he can. It will take finesse and some dedication, but Benson feels there could be a few ideas he can try for the jury. Meanwhile, Tess de Vere has been chasing a case of her own, which includes venturing into the long settled Britain-IRA skirmishes to look at some admissions a former soldier made about murderous raids during the height of the clash. Might there be some legal work to undercover there as well? Fairfax uses these two cases to fuel the momentum on his current novel, which does not seem to have the same edge or sharpness of the previous three, but there is something there worth grasping.

While William Benson has always said that he would help anyone in trouble with the law, he has one caveat; they must profess innocence. Much like what happened to him, Benson hopes to be able to help those who are unable to mount their own defence in a court system that is happy to eat the accused alive. Benson’s latest client is Karmen Naylor, who is the estranged daughter of a London crime boss with deep connections and enemies all over the place. Karmen is accused of killing her father’s fixer in order to stake out some of her own claim on the business. While Karmen is certain of her innocence, the world of gangs and underworld dealings is one that Benson will have to sift through in order to prepare a meaningful defence.

While Benson uses much of his time doing this, his legal partner, Tess de Vere, has been trying to process much of the news surrounding Benson’s definite innocence for a murder he was convicted of twenty years ago. The evidence and actual murderer came to light, leaving Benson free from any guilt. Tess must now process the feelings she has had for him during that time, free from the impediment that he may be guilty. This is not as easy as it may seem, which is why Tess is tossing herself into the case of a former solider’s admission to mass killing back in the 1970s, when the IRA-British clash was at its height, colloquially called The Troubles. Still, there is something going on that does not ring true for Tess, forcing her to turn over as many stones as she can to get to the honest truth. Should she be letting sleeping dogs lie or delve deeper to allow the truth to play out?

While Benson navigates through the trial, he’s tossed a wrench and a new charge, which must be defended before the jury can render its verdict. This is one case that can have no easy solution, particularly when Benson has been threatened to steer it in a certain direction. He works his magic while keeping his pride in check, hoping that it will also ensure he does not risk his life. All the while, Tess discovers something she did not expect and is left with shattered dreams that she must collect, in hopes of coming to terms with the truth. Fairfax packs a punch with this one, though the impact is less than I have seen in previous novels.

In all my years of reading, I have come to understand that authors are human beings as well. As such, they have good days and bad, which is to be expected. John Fairfax has had three stunning novels, all full of tense legal drama and wonderful multi-pronged storytelling, but this novel came up a little short for me. It would seem that all the drama outside the courtroom (Benson’s guilt for a 1999 murder, the politician who sought to strip him of access to the Bar, and his mentor’s secret) being resolved has made for less impactful periphery storytelling, which left all eyes on the courtroom. When Fairfax presented readers with a strong legal matter, it was to be expected that the case would sizzle and the plot would thicken from there. However, there were moments of plain neutrality throughout. Fairfax does well with the narrative approach, leading the reader through the matters of a murder and a woman falsely accused. However, things did not ramp up from there, but rather took a sideways approach. Crime bosses and criminal enterprises have the potential to be stellar, but this one seems to have fallen flat. Add to that, the narrative approach fro Tess de Vere’s storyline, which was decent at the outset, but lost its thread as well. Decent characters and some understated plot lines kept readers cruising towards the end, awaiting the monumental twist that would create a legal surge. It did not come for me, though I sought it out. I can only wonder if all the spark ended too soon in the last novel, meaning there was nothing to buoy the mediocre case throughout the entire reading experience. We all have our off days and I am eager to see how John Fairfax will bounce back, as William Benson has a lot more to give and series fans can surely handle more courtroom drama!

Kudos, Mr. Fairfax, for a decent addition to the series. I look forward for your return to form soon!

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

[Sara Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much was good about this latest instalment BUT Tess’ story was unnecessary and really irritating.
It’s a brilliant legal thriller with a great double triple twist plot and some fabulous characters; the moral/ethical quandaries are interesting and not trite.
But Tess was given too much attention over a side issue that seemed to appear from nowhere and was both boring and contrived.
Hand-ringing angst doesn’t fit with the tone of previous books and lovelorn yearning should be included very sparingly, if at all.
But brilliant narration, as always, by Daniel Weyman.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Zoe Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. I really liked this one in particular, largely because there was a lot of Tess and Will as well as the main drama. The narration is also great. I wish there were more decent British legal thrillers like this!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOLLOWING TWO CASES

I'll never understand why the Italian publisher Piemme decided not to translate the other books from the "Benson and De Vere" series after the first one - they're simply brilliant! John Fairfax may well be the only author I know who is capable of following two completely different cases and managing not only to avoid confusion but also to bring out great twists in both.
The first investigation is always the main one, the one which is brought to court by Will and Tess and thus takes up the most space. It involves an impressive number of characters and suspects, a lot of red herrings and unforeseen connections, and of course a breathtaking solution. I won't lie to you: these legal thrillers are not an easy reading, as a great deal of politics, criminal organizations and police work are involved too. In short, there is a lot to keep track of. Yet it's the desire to piece everything together, along with the fast-paced plot and the suspenseful atmosphere of the courtroom, that propels you to read at a tremendous speed, lest you miss some crucial evidence. Not even such degree of attention, however, guarantees that nothing will escape you and that you'll be able to guess the intrigue.
On the other hand, the second investigation directly concerns William and Tess, dealing with Paul Harbeton's murder (book #2 and #3) and the Lomax files (book #4). These secondary storylines were essential to gain a deeper understanding of the protagonists I had already grown fond of in the first instalment of the series, as well as being vital for allowing both characters to face their demons, mature, and open themselves up to better things in their lives.

***

As regards the single books, "Blind defence" was my least favorite one. Something didn't quite work here: Diane Heybridge's case was unnecessarily complicated and the ending wasn't entirely satisfactory, as the murderer (Will's defendant) eventually escaped justice, even a metaphorical one. Moreover, with Tess's and Sandy's inquiry into Will's past still in its early stage here, the reader couldn't yet grasp the full picture.

"Forced confessions", on the contrary, was hands-down the best. Not only did we finally get the truth about Harbeton's case, but the main one was equally intricate, compelling and mind-blowing. As regards the former, Annette Merrington covered for her daughter-in-law Pamela (the driver who caused Paul Harbeton's death) and was helped in this by Helen Camberley, Will's defense attorney and Annette's daughter.
The latter unexpectedly turned from a passionate crime dictated by jealousy into a case of child trafficking. But the best twists here were Mr Graynor (Dr Menderez's supposed friend) being the fixer behind the entire operation, and Lucia deciding not to shatter Simon's world by revealing to him she's his true mother. While even there criminals were acquitted, there was still a sense of poetic justice when Simon discovered the truth and chose to leave the Lynwoods to reunite with Lucia.

Family values somehow prevailed in "Fatal proof" as well, where the jaw-dropping ending brought to light Hudson's plan to fake his own death in order to escape the clutches of Naylor’s criminal organization and protect his new family from them.
It was this emphasis on morality that made this series such a remarkable work, combining the engaging narrative typical of thrillers with an unexpected depth that offered insight into the complex world of barristers, a world full of ethical dilemmas and unspoken truths.

"Succeding at the Bar isn't just about winning, Mr Benson. It's about making people trust you, even if they hate you. You can win the jury and the public and still lose the case."

"Fighting a case according to the evidence without worrying about the truth is a sure way to lose."

"A trial is a strange thing [...]. Each side fights for a version of events that might have nothing to do with the truth. But somehow or other, nine times out of ten, the truth emerges."

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy this series about an ex-con (wrongly convicted of murder) turned barrister who is a whiz in the courtroom. Benson's defendant and her case were less interesting than in the previous novels, but the trial itself and the aftermath were very well done. And yes there's plenty of personal-life stuff too, but it's a lot less obnoxious than in another English series I could name. And I will say, it helps to have an ex-attorney as the novelist. I'll never get up to speed on English law, but Fairfax's works are still an excellent crash course.

[Lovegood Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, though I like Benson and Tess, I'm disappointed. I can clearly see the inadequate in writing, lack of depth and details. The case isn't interesting at all and court sessions are far less intelligent than previous. And such abrupt and incoherent developments between Benson and Tess. Let alone the hasty end. And I waited three years after the beautiful end in Forced Confession.

Hope next one will be good because Will and Tess deserve a good story.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Gripping and entertaining, I love Benson and De Vere series. I love that it always ask difficult question about the law, the justice, the system and our judgement and the decision we made.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

with a 1/2...
A more than competent and engaging court drama.
Why is that lawyers just love this genre ????
JF's writing ably captures the level of tension evident in criminal trials.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the machinations of the murder case, the book felt overly drawn out and increasingly unbelievable. Happy with the ending though.

[John Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillant

[Marylou · Rating 5 out of 5]

#4 book in the Benson and DeVere series. Excellent crime / thriller. You never know what is going to happen next. I hope there is a #5!

[Paul Feeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent

Nearer 4 than 31/2 so I rounded up

[Ar. Shubham Rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐ I truly appreciate the courtroom drama—it's sharp, immersive, and tightly written. The legal sequences are where Fairfax shines, and those were easily the highlights of the book for me.

However, the case itself felt lacklustre and not particularly engaging. It lacked the depth or emotional stakes to really draw me in. The parallel storyline involving De Vere and her past felt rushed and, frankly, a bit irrelevant. It didn’t add weight to the main plot, and I found myself losing interest whenever the narrative shifted to her arc.

Also, I want to be fair—I haven’t finished the earlier books yet, so maybe there’s more character development I’ve missed. But as it stands, I feel absolutely zero chemistry between Benson and De Vere. Their relationship feels cold, formal, and devoid of emotional tension or connection.

As for the resolution—it didn’t land for me. The reveal in the final pages, where the female character essentially solves everything with all the answers, felt like a cop-out. It would have been far more satisfying if subtle clues had been laid out earlier in the story, allowing readers to have those “aha!” moments in retrospect. As it is, the ending felt too convenient and too clean.

That said, I’m sure in a week I’ll forgive the story. It wasn’t a bad read—just one that promised more than it delivered.