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LET'S KILL ALL THE LAWYERS - If You Prick Me, Do I Not Bleed?
A doctor and a lawyer. Both stressed by their work, and by personal demons. Thrown together by chance, but each needing the skills and guidance of the other. Each is challenged and threatened by the law, and the impersonal way it arbitrates on fault, responsibility, and guilt.
This story explores what it is like to be a good doctor whose professional competence is challenged, and how his lawyer does her best for him. It explores the way life and death decisions are made in hospitals, and how these have a consequence not only for patients, but also for those who have to make those decisions. And how, in making them, the main players can be torn apart or drawn together...
This story explores what it is like to be a good doctor whose professional competence is challenged, and how his lawyer does her best for him. It explores the way life and death decisions are made in hospitals, and how these have a consequence not only for patients, but also for those who have to make those decisions. And how, in making them, the main players can be torn apart or drawn together...
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Published October 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 28, 2021
When the doctor was accused of negligence, the first thing he did was find a lawyer.. hopefully a good one. Each of them will be challenged with the way the law sits in judgment on fault, responsibility, and guilt.
Being in the medical field for many years, I found this to be credible fictional look at many sides presented. Due to circumstances beyond his control, the doctor makes a house call on a patient. The patient had been discharged from the hospital without notifying the doctor. He does his best to convince the man that he must be re-admitted, but the man is firmly denying that is something he will do. The doctor diligently tries again and again, but the patient remains adamant. The doctor writes a note and refers him to a specialist ...not the hospital.
A few months later, he is served with papers. He is being sued for negligence.
The book takes a look at how life and death decisions are made in the hospital ... how what should be a simple case isn't ... how it affects the lawyer and her client, both personally and professionally. It's well written and hard to put down once started.
Many thanks to the author / Brown Dog Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this compelling story. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
December 3, 2021
“The High Court Writ lay on the desk in front of him, like an unexplored grenade…” A paralysing nightmare situation for any doctor - what do you do when a patient decides to sue you for negligence…?
Not normally the type of book I would read, the title (reminiscent of Dick the Butcher’s often misinterpreted line from Shakespeare’s Henry VI) really drew me in. Nick is a GP who, after his patient ignores his medical advice, is sued for negligence by said patient. He seeks help from Antonia, a solicitor battling her own personal demons.
Let’s Kill All The Lawyers is an intimate narrative between Nick and Antonia, and a compelling exploration of loss, grief, love and the sheer resilience of being human. The dichotomies of justice / fairness, prolonging death / prolonging life, and obligations / rights are intricately covered… One spilt decision can completely alter someone’s life.
I’ve always had a keen interest in law and this book offers the chance to understand a civil negligence case without any understanding of law or medicine. I felt the characters were written well - I invested in them fully - and the peripheral characters all played an important role (including Antonia’s absolute jerk of a husband haha).
Rather than a thriller, I feel the book is more an exploration of ourselves as human beings - our depth and our soul, and the impact our choices can have. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves an educational and entertaining read, which will resonate with you for some time after.
Thank you to LiterallyPr for a copy of the book. My review is voluntary and thoughts entirely my own.
Not normally the type of book I would read, the title (reminiscent of Dick the Butcher’s often misinterpreted line from Shakespeare’s Henry VI) really drew me in. Nick is a GP who, after his patient ignores his medical advice, is sued for negligence by said patient. He seeks help from Antonia, a solicitor battling her own personal demons.
Let’s Kill All The Lawyers is an intimate narrative between Nick and Antonia, and a compelling exploration of loss, grief, love and the sheer resilience of being human. The dichotomies of justice / fairness, prolonging death / prolonging life, and obligations / rights are intricately covered… One spilt decision can completely alter someone’s life.
I’ve always had a keen interest in law and this book offers the chance to understand a civil negligence case without any understanding of law or medicine. I felt the characters were written well - I invested in them fully - and the peripheral characters all played an important role (including Antonia’s absolute jerk of a husband haha).
Rather than a thriller, I feel the book is more an exploration of ourselves as human beings - our depth and our soul, and the impact our choices can have. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves an educational and entertaining read, which will resonate with you for some time after.
Thank you to LiterallyPr for a copy of the book. My review is voluntary and thoughts entirely my own.
November 18, 2021
It would be best if you didn’t judge a book by its cover, and this novel is precisely the reason why such sayings exist.
When I picked this title from NetGalley, I was expecting a classic piece of legal fiction with very little distinguishing it from other legal prose that’s written and read.
However, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Written in the narrative of a solicitor defending a GP in a clinical negligence case, it looks at whether medical wisdom is used to prolong death rather than preserve life, divorce, and the efficiency of a health service with unlimited demand coupled with limited supply.
The easy-read puts the happenings of a civil negligence trial in a light that anyone can understand, showing where advancements in civil justice have not kept up to the pace of criminal justice.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and an author I will be sure to keep a keen eye on.
Well worthy of 5 stars given its unique approach and style.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Brown Dog Books for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I picked this title from NetGalley, I was expecting a classic piece of legal fiction with very little distinguishing it from other legal prose that’s written and read.
However, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Written in the narrative of a solicitor defending a GP in a clinical negligence case, it looks at whether medical wisdom is used to prolong death rather than preserve life, divorce, and the efficiency of a health service with unlimited demand coupled with limited supply.
The easy-read puts the happenings of a civil negligence trial in a light that anyone can understand, showing where advancements in civil justice have not kept up to the pace of criminal justice.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and an author I will be sure to keep a keen eye on.
Well worthy of 5 stars given its unique approach and style.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Brown Dog Books for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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November 19, 2021I received a free ARC of “ Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” from the publisher through Net Galley. Thank to both for Giving me the opportunity of reading an interesting and different novel.
Why interesting ; why different? This novel has many levels. First, it is a courtroom drama not involving a criminal case but that of a complaint of negligence and unprofessional behavior by a simple GP in a private practice . The allegation, basically, is that doctor did not give good advise or care and did not ,in effect, pay attention to the patient’s needs. Second it is set in Great Britain, so the legal systems the medical services are different form the terrors of the US courts and laws. The book is also about his solicitor , a woman whose marriage is on the verge of collapse and , as we find mid-way through the book, whose elderly widowed mother is stricken with a fatal disease.
The reader, then becomes involved with an interesting legal case in which the plaintiff has an apparently strong case against a doctor with a good reputation as a caring , diligent physician.
Moreover, most of the physicians records of care seem to become lost in the vast bins of the Nation Health Care’s bureaucratic inefficiency. It is easy to care about the doctor and also about the solicitor. The author has written her character well: she is a good lawyer, highly regarded in her firm, but she is very stressed by her family problems. Her soon to be Ex is a self absorbed jerk who gives little support with the children or the stress of her very Mother’s sickness.
Then there is the growing attraction between the doctor and the solicitor.
“ Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” is an enjoyable book to settle in with for and evening or two. It is generally well plotted and smoothly executed, with one quibble on my part, namely, chapter 12. That chapter , entitled “ Intermezzo” if I recall correctly, is an abrupt diversion from drama. It begins with a somewhat strange discussion of how. the breaking of Spring must have seemed to ancient Man, hunkered in their dark caves, watching the earth come alive. In my opinion, it interrupted the flow of the book. Just my two cents.
Three sensitivity warnings: The terminal illness of the mother was hard for me to read, as I recalled my mother’s last, sad days in Hospice care.
Second: book contains a somewhat derailed discussion of problems of the British National Health System. It is probably not meant to, but it made me grateful for the US system, even though it is expensive.
Third: the book made me think that the British legal system is a lot better run than ours. Note: this is all my opinion.
My main opinion is that I recommend “ Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” it is worth your reading time and dollar.
Why interesting ; why different? This novel has many levels. First, it is a courtroom drama not involving a criminal case but that of a complaint of negligence and unprofessional behavior by a simple GP in a private practice . The allegation, basically, is that doctor did not give good advise or care and did not ,in effect, pay attention to the patient’s needs. Second it is set in Great Britain, so the legal systems the medical services are different form the terrors of the US courts and laws. The book is also about his solicitor , a woman whose marriage is on the verge of collapse and , as we find mid-way through the book, whose elderly widowed mother is stricken with a fatal disease.
The reader, then becomes involved with an interesting legal case in which the plaintiff has an apparently strong case against a doctor with a good reputation as a caring , diligent physician.
Moreover, most of the physicians records of care seem to become lost in the vast bins of the Nation Health Care’s bureaucratic inefficiency. It is easy to care about the doctor and also about the solicitor. The author has written her character well: she is a good lawyer, highly regarded in her firm, but she is very stressed by her family problems. Her soon to be Ex is a self absorbed jerk who gives little support with the children or the stress of her very Mother’s sickness.
Then there is the growing attraction between the doctor and the solicitor.
“ Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” is an enjoyable book to settle in with for and evening or two. It is generally well plotted and smoothly executed, with one quibble on my part, namely, chapter 12. That chapter , entitled “ Intermezzo” if I recall correctly, is an abrupt diversion from drama. It begins with a somewhat strange discussion of how. the breaking of Spring must have seemed to ancient Man, hunkered in their dark caves, watching the earth come alive. In my opinion, it interrupted the flow of the book. Just my two cents.
Three sensitivity warnings: The terminal illness of the mother was hard for me to read, as I recalled my mother’s last, sad days in Hospice care.
Second: book contains a somewhat derailed discussion of problems of the British National Health System. It is probably not meant to, but it made me grateful for the US system, even though it is expensive.
Third: the book made me think that the British legal system is a lot better run than ours. Note: this is all my opinion.
My main opinion is that I recommend “ Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” it is worth your reading time and dollar.
November 30, 2021
‘Let’s Kill All The Lawyers’ is an engaging, well researched thriller from debut author Tim Howard. A long serving GP, Howard uses his obvious medical knowledge to create a simmering pot of intrigue, highlighting how the lack of judgment and anger of a single patient can turn a GP’s life upside down.
Nick Melenkov, an agreeable and diligent GP is served with a writ from a patient who he feels he has served well over the years. At the beginning of the book the writ lies on his desk like an ‘unexploded bomb’. In his desperation he approaches Antonia Grey, an ambitious solicitor battling her own personal demons.
The thriller steps up a notch when the lives of the two begin to inadvertently interact. Peripheral characters include the plaintiff, Grey’s narcissistic husband, her long-suffering mother and the judges who are forced to make a decision on the case.
Each person has a role to play which changes the outcome of the beleaguered case, highlighting how the legalities of the law frequently outweigh life’s legalities.
By adding a further narrative thread that Nick’s marriage is dissolving following the trauma of losing his son, the author causes doubts to linger as to whether this grieving man might have made a mistake without realising. Sympathy for Nick is increased as is the reader’s desire to discover the guilty party.
The thriller definitely works on the premise that the public are always prone to protect the patient as the victim, but what if it was the other way round? Or even worse. What if you could understand both sides of the argument? As Howard states in his book, ‘Justice, fairness and the law. Each is a separate concept, and is governed by its own rules and standards. You mustn’t confuse them.’ What would the newspapers reactions be then? Would they even care? Or is it all about paparazzi circulation numbers?
The book refreshingly encompasses debates such as disability, divorce and cancer rather than just focussing on the one-dimensional glamorous lives of doctors and lawyers readers are often subjected to in thrillers of this type. It also touches on class issues by making derogatory comments about those attending Oxbridge.
The main conflict is one which will keep the reader entertained throughout, curious with the authors beliefs on the topic if nothing else. The twist is worth reading for and whether you enjoy the book will depend on those who like the subject matter. Having said that, it is undoubtedly a thriller which will appeal to those who enjoy reading about the law and medical world in detail.
Review written by Franziska Thomas, bestselling author of ‘Fits and Starts: A Memoir of Living with Epilepsy.’
Nick Melenkov, an agreeable and diligent GP is served with a writ from a patient who he feels he has served well over the years. At the beginning of the book the writ lies on his desk like an ‘unexploded bomb’. In his desperation he approaches Antonia Grey, an ambitious solicitor battling her own personal demons.
The thriller steps up a notch when the lives of the two begin to inadvertently interact. Peripheral characters include the plaintiff, Grey’s narcissistic husband, her long-suffering mother and the judges who are forced to make a decision on the case.
Each person has a role to play which changes the outcome of the beleaguered case, highlighting how the legalities of the law frequently outweigh life’s legalities.
By adding a further narrative thread that Nick’s marriage is dissolving following the trauma of losing his son, the author causes doubts to linger as to whether this grieving man might have made a mistake without realising. Sympathy for Nick is increased as is the reader’s desire to discover the guilty party.
The thriller definitely works on the premise that the public are always prone to protect the patient as the victim, but what if it was the other way round? Or even worse. What if you could understand both sides of the argument? As Howard states in his book, ‘Justice, fairness and the law. Each is a separate concept, and is governed by its own rules and standards. You mustn’t confuse them.’ What would the newspapers reactions be then? Would they even care? Or is it all about paparazzi circulation numbers?
The book refreshingly encompasses debates such as disability, divorce and cancer rather than just focussing on the one-dimensional glamorous lives of doctors and lawyers readers are often subjected to in thrillers of this type. It also touches on class issues by making derogatory comments about those attending Oxbridge.
The main conflict is one which will keep the reader entertained throughout, curious with the authors beliefs on the topic if nothing else. The twist is worth reading for and whether you enjoy the book will depend on those who like the subject matter. Having said that, it is undoubtedly a thriller which will appeal to those who enjoy reading about the law and medical world in detail.
Review written by Franziska Thomas, bestselling author of ‘Fits and Starts: A Memoir of Living with Epilepsy.’
October 27, 2021
When I picked this from Netgalley, I thought it was going to be a thriller but it’s not! The title is quite misleading. Luckily for me, I actually enjoyed reading this. I have no knowledge in law so this is quite an interesting read as it focuses on medical negligence and what the consequences are in court.
This story follows Antonia, a solicitor who is trying to defend her client, Nick, a GP doctor who is being sued for professional negligence by one of his patients, Keith. Nick is known to be a good doctor and follows through with all of his patients as best as he can so he doesn’t understand where this is coming from. However, Keith thinks otherwise. He blamed Nick for not caring enough and not being firm enough with his decisions which had caused Keith’s health to deteriorate. Although he has done his best for Keith, he somehow didn’t have proof of this and it is not putting Nick in a good light. Who is right and who is wrong? How can one determine that the doctor hasn’t made the best decision for the patient in that split moment? What can a doctor do when a patient refuses to listen to you but wants you to bear the consequences?
This story explores the difference between law, justice and fairness. One split decision can affect a person’s life is greatly changed. Nick was just an ordinary doctor doing his best can. Being sued for negligence is a very serious issue for a doctor and it can cause him to lose his licence and reputation that he has worked so hard for.
Although Antonia specialises in medical law, she learned alot more about what it’s like to be a doctor through Nick and also while caring for her mother who is becoming very ill. Antonia then has to decide if she should prolong her mother’s life through treatments and draw out periods of dependence and poor quality living or just let her live out the remaining of her life happily and with dignity? This one really got me thinking. If I were Antonia, I would be so torn between those choices and I am sure many of us may have to make difficult choices like this one day.
Thank you Netgalley and Brown Book Dogs for the arc! This one is coming out on 28/10/2021 if anyone is interested in picking this up.
This story follows Antonia, a solicitor who is trying to defend her client, Nick, a GP doctor who is being sued for professional negligence by one of his patients, Keith. Nick is known to be a good doctor and follows through with all of his patients as best as he can so he doesn’t understand where this is coming from. However, Keith thinks otherwise. He blamed Nick for not caring enough and not being firm enough with his decisions which had caused Keith’s health to deteriorate. Although he has done his best for Keith, he somehow didn’t have proof of this and it is not putting Nick in a good light. Who is right and who is wrong? How can one determine that the doctor hasn’t made the best decision for the patient in that split moment? What can a doctor do when a patient refuses to listen to you but wants you to bear the consequences?
This story explores the difference between law, justice and fairness. One split decision can affect a person’s life is greatly changed. Nick was just an ordinary doctor doing his best can. Being sued for negligence is a very serious issue for a doctor and it can cause him to lose his licence and reputation that he has worked so hard for.
Although Antonia specialises in medical law, she learned alot more about what it’s like to be a doctor through Nick and also while caring for her mother who is becoming very ill. Antonia then has to decide if she should prolong her mother’s life through treatments and draw out periods of dependence and poor quality living or just let her live out the remaining of her life happily and with dignity? This one really got me thinking. If I were Antonia, I would be so torn between those choices and I am sure many of us may have to make difficult choices like this one day.
Thank you Netgalley and Brown Book Dogs for the arc! This one is coming out on 28/10/2021 if anyone is interested in picking this up.
November 3, 2021
Tim Howard's novel is a moving portrayal of a doctor, Nick, who is wrongly accused of negligence, and the solicitor who defends him, Antonia. It is about finding the truth, and attacks the large questions of how good is our legal system and how can the NHS continue to care for a growing, aging population, with a razor-sharp scalpel.
The writing unleashes Nick's and Antonia's vulnerabilities in a remarkably intimate narrative that is a compelling exploration of love, loyalty, loss and the resilience of the human spirit to survive grief, guilt and adversity.
The characters are honest and observant and take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. A story that has depth and soul and will linger long in my heart and mind.
The writing unleashes Nick's and Antonia's vulnerabilities in a remarkably intimate narrative that is a compelling exploration of love, loyalty, loss and the resilience of the human spirit to survive grief, guilt and adversity.
The characters are honest and observant and take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. A story that has depth and soul and will linger long in my heart and mind.
November 24, 2021
For university I took a medical law and ethics module, where I learnt a lot about the patient and their importance, but what is largely ignored is the doctor who is often left with difficult decisions. Let’s kill all the lawyers was an insightful read, that has certainly opened my eyes the realities of being a doctor in an age where medical negligence can destroy one’s career.
We follow Nick, an honest and hardworking doctor, who is infuriated to find a patient whom he has done his absolute best for has done the unthinkable; he has filed a complaint of medical negligence. Nick seeks out the help of a specialist medical solicitor, Antonia Grey, and together they work to get justice.
Medical ethics is certainly a key theme of this book, whether that be through Nick’s treatment of the plaintiff or with Antonia’s decisions she makes with her mother in her last moments of living. But another ethical theme we are drawn to is judges being swayed by ulterior motives; a sin in the legal world, but nevertheless something that still occurs. I really enjoy when books help us reflect on our world, and the many many issues within it.
I also really enjoyed how this book branches out further than simply medical law. We get to see a glimpse into Antonia’s life while she juggles the pressures of being a solicitor and a looming divorce. We also get narrations from other characters in the book, I really enjoyed it showing different perspectives and not confining to simply Nick’s storyline.
However, the book is posed as a ‘thriller’, but I didn’t think this was the case at all. Whilst the story was fairly paced, it lacked many of the elements that make an engaging thriller. But nevertheless it was a great read, that was both educational and entertaining, and I would certainly recommend.
We follow Nick, an honest and hardworking doctor, who is infuriated to find a patient whom he has done his absolute best for has done the unthinkable; he has filed a complaint of medical negligence. Nick seeks out the help of a specialist medical solicitor, Antonia Grey, and together they work to get justice.
Medical ethics is certainly a key theme of this book, whether that be through Nick’s treatment of the plaintiff or with Antonia’s decisions she makes with her mother in her last moments of living. But another ethical theme we are drawn to is judges being swayed by ulterior motives; a sin in the legal world, but nevertheless something that still occurs. I really enjoy when books help us reflect on our world, and the many many issues within it.
I also really enjoyed how this book branches out further than simply medical law. We get to see a glimpse into Antonia’s life while she juggles the pressures of being a solicitor and a looming divorce. We also get narrations from other characters in the book, I really enjoyed it showing different perspectives and not confining to simply Nick’s storyline.
However, the book is posed as a ‘thriller’, but I didn’t think this was the case at all. Whilst the story was fairly paced, it lacked many of the elements that make an engaging thriller. But nevertheless it was a great read, that was both educational and entertaining, and I would certainly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2021
What’s right? What’s fair? What’s just? Was it an accident? Was it negligence? Whose fault is it? These are questions that are asked all the time, and sometimes they don’t have satisfactory answers. An interesting approach to examine these questions. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews