No Lawyers In Heaven by Henry Milner

 

This is the memoir of Henry Milner, the English criminal solicitor who was known as 'Mr. Big Of Criminal Briefs.'  I found this book fascinating with the inside look at English courts which are different from ours with different laws and procedures and with the self-depredating humor that is so typically English.  Milner starts with a brief look at his childhood and what inspired him to take up the law.

Then he gets into some of his more famous cases.  He was one of the solicitors for those accused of the Brinks-Mat robbery in which the robbers lucked into a treasure trove of gold bars then worth $26 million and it would be worth $290 million in today's markets.  Six men were arrested with one turning states' evidence but the gold was never recovered and not all of the six were found guilty.  He also handled murders, tax frauds and other crimes.  

The last part of the book lists those solicitors that he considered the best and then antidotes from his practice and life.  There is lots of talk of yachts, five-star restaurants and expensive wines and luxury vehicles.  He was the best and got paid accordingly.  Throughout it all, the tone remains one of reminiscence and light-hearted tone that plays well with the reader.  I listened to this title and the narrator did an excellent job as I loved the accent and imagined that Milner would sound much the same.  This book is recommended for readers of memoirs and those who are interested in true crime and the law.