A Case of Mice and Murder
'A delight from first page to last' Sunday Times
Published on 24. April 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-1-5266-6872-1 (ISBN)
Description
*WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME & THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2026*
'An absolute delight' JANICE HALLETT
'A triumph of ingenuity' DAILY MAIL
'I loved it! ... A whiff of Shardlake and a pinch of Rumpole ... a joy' S.J. BENNETT
'A guaranteed page-turner with secrets, twists and turns throughout' WOMAN & HOME
When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms one sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case - the disputed authorship of bestselling children's book Millie the Temple Church Mouse - that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep.
But even he cannot fail to notice the judge's dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart of London's legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now...
As the police have no authority in the Temple, who better to investigate than a man who has dedicated his life to the law? But Gabriel soon discovers that murder is much messier outside the courtroom - and that behind the Temple's heavy oak doors are stranger secrets than he could ever imagine.
Gabriel Ward returns in A CASE OF LIFE AND LIMB - available now!
'A cunning and delightful mystery with rich, wonderful characters and period detail so vivid, you can touch it' IAN MOORE, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS
'Sir Gabriel Ward KC is endearingly eccentric. Intriguing, engaging, and thoroughly satisfying' T.E. KINSEY, author of A QUIET LIFE IN THE COUNTRY
'A total delight! ... Intelligent, insightful mystery ... all skilfully woven together with a poignant, human story. I devoured it in one sitting!' SARAH YARWOOD-LOVETT, author of A MURDER OF CROWS
'An absolute delight' JANICE HALLETT
'A triumph of ingenuity' DAILY MAIL
'I loved it! ... A whiff of Shardlake and a pinch of Rumpole ... a joy' S.J. BENNETT
'A guaranteed page-turner with secrets, twists and turns throughout' WOMAN & HOME
When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms one sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case - the disputed authorship of bestselling children's book Millie the Temple Church Mouse - that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep.
But even he cannot fail to notice the judge's dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart of London's legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now...
As the police have no authority in the Temple, who better to investigate than a man who has dedicated his life to the law? But Gabriel soon discovers that murder is much messier outside the courtroom - and that behind the Temple's heavy oak doors are stranger secrets than he could ever imagine.
Gabriel Ward returns in A CASE OF LIFE AND LIMB - available now!
'A cunning and delightful mystery with rich, wonderful characters and period detail so vivid, you can touch it' IAN MOORE, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS
'Sir Gabriel Ward KC is endearingly eccentric. Intriguing, engaging, and thoroughly satisfying' T.E. KINSEY, author of A QUIET LIFE IN THE COUNTRY
'A total delight! ... Intelligent, insightful mystery ... all skilfully woven together with a poignant, human story. I devoured it in one sitting!' SARAH YARWOOD-LOVETT, author of A MURDER OF CROWS
Reviews / Votes
A charming mix between Agatha Christie and Rumpole of the Bailey . . . [which] exquisitely opens the door for readers on the history and traditions of the Inns and legal world * The Times * It is rare that an original protagonist appears in historical crime fiction but Sally Smith has created one in Gabriel Ward ... a delight from first page to last * Sunday Times * Whip-smart whodunnit ... a guaranteed page-turner with secrets, twists and turns throughout * Woman & Home * This cosy whodunnit, which has humour and a human story at its heart, is now available in paperback, making it the ideal summer read * Law Society Gazette * This five-star debut novel is entirely convincing in detail and characterisation * Daily Mail, Christmas Gift Guide * A triumph of ingenuity * Daily Mail * An absolute delight -- Janice Hallett Veteran British barrister Smith uses her knowledge of London's centuries-old legal establishment, the Inns of Court, to create a delightfully old-fashioned mystery introducing a reluctant sleuth, barrister Sir Gabriel Ward! * Wall Street Journal * A guaranteed page-turner with secrets, twists and turns throughout * Woman's Weekly * I loved it! ... A whiff of Shardlake and a pinch of Rumpole. The plotting is brilliant and it's a joy for any lover of literature ... or justice -- SJ Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot A cunning and delightful mystery with rich, wonderful characters and period detail so vivid, you can touch it -- Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants The world of barristers living and working in the Temple in 1901 is perfectly evoked, and Sir Gabriel Ward KC is endearingly eccentric. Intriguing, engaging, and thoroughly satisfying -- T.E. Kinsey, author of the Lady Hardcastle series This was a total delight! An intriguing, intelligent, insightful mystery, giving a glimpse of a secretive society in the heart of London, all skilfully woven together with a poignant, human story. I devoured this in one sitting! -- Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of the Dr Nell Ward Mysteries Such a clever and well-constructed plot, so beautifully written and an absolute delight to slip into and be carried into the world of the Inner Temple and all the characters within. I adore Sir Gabriel Ward KC -- Fliss Chester, author of the Lady Cressida Fawcett Mysteries Obligatory legal warning: this delightfully quirky historical murder mystery, featuring an endearing KC turned sleuth to solve a most intriguing crime, is highly addictive. Five stars -- Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates I liked this book from the start; on page 55, I fell in love with it. Sally Smith has achieved something much more than a murder mystery ... a novel to warm the soul -- Oskar Jensen, author of Helle and Death In A Case Of Mice and Murder Sally Smith has created a charmingly eccentric golden age sleuth, and a compelling murder mystery. An excellent work of historic fiction which I thoroughly enjoyed! -- Guy Morpuss KC, author of Five Minds Delicious, gaslit murder. I loved it -- MAUREEN JOHNSON, author of YOUR GUIDE TO NOT GETTING MURDERED IN A QUAINT ENGLISH VILLAGE This irresistible novel is written with wit and elegance, as well as deep knowledge of the law and its practice * Literary Review * Intriguing . . . a promising start for a new crime fiction series * Set the Tape * Sally Smith's narration in A Case of Mice and Murder flows smoothly with distracting red herrings and dashes of humour. A few of the characters given starring roles in this comedy/drama deserve sympathy; others, the most interesting ones, are diabolical -- Clive Hodges * Good Reading, Australia *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
252 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-6872-1 (9781526668721)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
07/2024
1st Edition
Raven Books
€9.49
Available for download
Person
Sally Smith spent all her working life as a barrister and later King's Counsel in the Inner Temple. After writing a biography of the famous Edwardian barrister, Sir Edward Marshall Hall KC, she retired from the bar to write full time. A Case of Mice and Murder, her first novel, was inspired by the historic surroundings of the Inner Temple in which she still lives and works and by the rich history contained in the Inner Temple archives. A Case of Mice and Murder is the first in a series starring the reluctant sleuth Sir Gabriel Ward KC.