#BookshelfSpotlight-‘The Aladdin Trial’ by Abi Silver

About the book…

When an elderly artist plunges one hundred feet to her death at a London hospital, the police sense foul play.

The hospital cleaner, a Syrian refugee, is arrested for her murder. He protests his innocence, but why has he given the woman the story of Aladdin to read, and why does he shake uncontrollably in times of stress?

Judith Burton and Constance Lamb reunite to defend a man the media has already convicted. In a spellbinding courtroom confrontation in which they once more grapple with all-too-possible developments in artificial intelligence, they uncover not only the cleaner’s secrets, but also those of the artist’s family, her lawyer and the hospital.

A new Burton and Lamb legal thriller with an AI twist from the author of the acclaimed ‘The Pinocchio Brief’.

The second in the Burton and Lamb series,’‘The Aladdin Trial’ by Abi Silver is published by Lightning Books in paperback.

*Just a couple more days to take advantage of the 30% discount on Eye and Lightning Books when using code RACHELREADIT*

So here I am , at the end of reading all of Abi Silver’s books, finishing in the middle with ‘The Aladdin Trial’ .And what a finale!
This is probably my favourite of the series as we glimpse further into the personal lives of Burton and Lamb as they defend a Syrian refugee accused of murder.

It is a very timely and harrowing read, reagrding the misuse of information and the lack of culpability in the emdia for creating, and maintaing, stereotypes about immigrants, refugees and the ‘Muslim as terrorist’ approach. All they do is entrench the fear of ‘The Other’ in the public conscience so that by the time Ahmad takes the stand, he has been found guilty in the damning court of popular opinion.

Barbara Hennessey has fallen from the 11th story external stairs in a hospital, the day after a bunion operation. She has been talking to cleaner, Ahmad, over the course of her 3 day stay in the private end of the ward, because her family have not visited and she was lonely. DNA represented by Ahmad’s hair on her nightgown button and fingerprints on the door to the staffroom through which Barbra accessed the stairs seem to damn Ahmad. Added to this is the copy of ‘Arabian Nights’ that she asked him to buy her, after trying to understand the story of Aladdin,and Barbara’s 2 rings which were found in a search of Ahmad’s house.

But…

Barbara’s 2 children who always thought their sparse existence courtesy of theirr eccentric artist mother meant she had limited means, are shocked at the contents of her will. Even more shocking are the stipulations that are left in order for them to inherit 50% of her 1.9 million pound fortune. And with a vicious, manipulative lawyer who seems to have more than a vested interest in Barbra lurking in the background, there seems like way more than one opportunist who could’ve killed her.

The surgeons are panicking as technically her death is on their mortality figures and there is the little case of the missing page from Barbra’s notes, the page that gives consent for an optional robotic surgical procedure rather than a human surgeon-freeing up more time for surgeons to tackle their waiting list backlog. A robotic procedure called ‘The Aladdin Trial’…

So many twists and turns lead up to a stunning court room climax, it is a moving and very timely story and I defy anyone reading not to be moved to anger by the racial abuse suffered by Ahmad and also the hopsital consultant, Hani, for being a person of colour wearing a backpack. The narrative which is from the perspective of Ahmad’s daughter ,Shaza, intersperses the interviewing of suspects , the gathering of evidence and the desperate race of Joe and Tracy(Barbara’s children)to claim their inheritence, really brings you down to earth with a bump. Between school, where she is racially abused and home, where she lives with her essentially mute mother, Aisha, her determination to work out what is happening in her small world by talking it through with her toys , is heartbreaking and so poignant.

I absolutely loved it and can thoroughly recommend this very satisfying court room drama to anyone who loves mysteries, feuding families, scheming lawyers and social justice.#

As the ladies themselves say-

”It’s just like the best Agatha Christie,’ Judith muttered to Constance gleefully.’How do you mean?”Everyone is here.All the suspects in one place.All we need now is some natural disaster.a snowstorm,to force us all to remain here for a few hours to allow ma and you to solve the murder.If no one else gets bumped off before then, that is.’

Roll on Burton and Lamb book 4!

About the author…

”I cannot remember a time when I was not writing stories. Growing up with a house full of books (my parents were teachers), I was inspired from an early age to believe I could join the ranks of my heroes.
I grew up in Leeds and studied in Cambridge before settling down to a legal career in London. I travelled extensively through Asia, South America and Australia and lived in Israel. Being an ‘outsider’ (as you frequently are when you travel or live overseas) makes you a wonderful people-watcher and it certainly informed my writing. I now live in Hertfordshire with my husband and three sons. ”
‘The Cinderella Plan‘ is the third in the Burton & Lamb legal thriller series,following ‘The Pinocchio Brief’ and ‘The Aladdin Trial’.