140: The Secret Barrister: The Cut Throat Trial, a Gripping Legal Thriller – But Who Are They Really?

This week on In My Good Books, I’m joined by The Secret Barrister to talk about their first novel, The Cut Throat Trial, now out in paperback. But who is The Secret Barrister?Despite selling more than a million books, appearing regularly in the media and becoming one of the best-known voices on the British criminal justice system, the identity of The Secret Barrister remains one of publishing’s best-kept secrets.Drawing on years spent working inside the criminal justice system, The Secret Barrister takes us behind the scenes of a murder trial, showing not only what happens in front of the jury but the legal arguments, tactical decisions and private conversations happening when the jury isn’t in the room.We talk about why The Secret Barrister decided to move from bestselling nonfiction into fiction, why a cut-throat trial offered the perfect structure for a novel, creating multiple narrators with very different versions of the same events and the challenge of keeping the reader guessing about who – if anyone – is telling the truth.Books recommended by The Secret Barrister:You Don’t Know Me by Imran MahmoodBased on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan