Witty, clever and an utter delight, this outstanding thriller from barrister Guy Morpuss KC combines nail-biting courtroom drama with a Christie-esque locked room murder mystery

'Rather splendid' - FINANCIAL TIMES 'Admirably ingenious' - THE TIMES 'A delicious mystery' - DAILY MAIL A trial is rather like a play. We wear our costumes. We perform to the audience. And on a good day no-one gets murdered. Six nights a week the cast of the smash-hit play Daughter of the Revolution performs to a sold-out audience. A thrilling story of forbidden marriage and a secret love child, the critics say it'll run for years. That is until one night the third act ends not in applause but in death, when leading lady Alexandra Dyce is beheaded live on stage. Every cast member has a motive, but it is the dead woman's co-star - and ex-husband - Hollywood legend Leo Lusk who is charged with the crime. When defence barrister Charles Konig is brought in last minute, he knows this ought to be the case of a lifetime. But Charles would rather be on his holiday trekking up K2, and he isn't interested in celebrities, especially ones that seem to be mysteriously trying to derail their own defence. But as he and his co-counsel New York lawyer Yara Ortiz sift through the evidence, it becomes clear that clues may lie in the play itself. And that Charles's only chance of victory is to identify the real murderer... A delightfully clever legal mystery with as many layers as an onion. Perfect for readers of Janice Hallett, Tom Hindle, Rob Rinder and Richard Osman.

"Morpuss interlards his larksome tale with gobbets of the drama, extracts from a legal blog, WhatsApp messages, forensic reports and letters to The Times... The courtroom scenes, naturally, are the most fun and the solution to whodunnit is admirably ingenious" - The Times

"An intriguing plot that asks the reader to decide... A delicious mystery" - Daily Mail

"Not another novel by a barrister, I hear you groan? But wait! A Trial in Three Acts by Guy Morpuss is rather splendid, with the experienced barrister author channelling the tropes of both a tense courtroom drama and a classic locked-room mystery. Defence lawyer Charles Konig is a strongly drawn, complex protagonist" - Financial Times

"What a delight this was to read... A joy from start to a reluctant finish" - Belfast Telegraph

"Utterly authentic and sharp. It's thrilling, twisty, and surprisingly funny in places, which is rare and refreshing in a murder mystery. It's one of those stories that keeps you guessing right until the final page, and when the reveal comes, it's both shocking and satisfying" - iPaper

"Barrister Guy Morpuss describes with a light hand the splendours and absurdities of his profession in this novel about the murder of an actor during an intriguing historical play... The murder method is complicated and bloody and the legal machinations are highly ingenious" - Literary Review

"A clever and brilliantly plotted story... The way the narrative draws in literary history and tradition so skilfully is intriguing. There's a feeling of Agatha Christie [and] Charles Konig had more than a touch of Atticus Finch in his courtroom role... Innovative, entertaining and highly amusing" - My Weekly

"Innovates with tongue in cheek humour but also a healthy dash of realism and stylishly updates a classic genre... A charming blend of Richard Osman and John Grisham" - Crime Time

"A considerable achievement as a courtroom drama that works as a page-turner at once witty, well-observed and a pleasing fantasy... Definitely one to read" - The Critic