Writing as S. J. Fleet, The Secret Barrister's first novel, The Cut Throat Trial, is available for pre-order now.____An anonymous barrister offers a shocking, darkly comic and very moving journey through the legal system – and explains how it's failing all of us.The Sunday Times number one bestseller.Winner of the Books are My Bag Non-Fiction AwardShortlisted for Waterstones Book of the YearShortlisted for Specsavers Non-Fiction Book of the YearYou may not wish to think about it, but one day you or someone you love will almost certainly appear in a criminal courtroom. You might be a juror, a victim, a witness or – perhaps through no fault of your own – a defendant. Whatever your role, you’d expect a fair trial.I’m a barrister. I work in the criminal justice system, and every day I see how fairness is not guaranteed. Too often the system fails those it is meant to protect. The innocent are wronged and the guilty are allowed to walk free.In The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken I want to share some stories from my daily life to show you how the system is broken, who broke it and why we should start caring before it’s too late.____‘Eye-opening, funny and horrifying’ – The Observer‘Everyone who has any interest in public life should read it’ – Daily Mail Read more

A brutal murder. A blighted investigation. The true story of five men damned by a crime they didn’t commit.On Valentine’s Day 1988, twenty-year-old Lynette White was brutally murdered in a dark corner of Cardiff’s world-famous, and infamous, Tiger Bay. Stigmatised by a bad reputation, the area was on the brink of major redevelopment which would change the historic community forever.South Wales Police launched its biggest murder hunt to date, and within weeks detectives released a photofit of a prime suspect seen outside the murder scene, his hands covered in blood. A white man. But as the months passed by and no arrest was made, the police came under inevitable pressure.Everyone knew John Actie. But he didn’t know Lynette White. Yet, almost a year after her death, he and four other innocent men were charged with killing her. None matched the description, and none were white. But they became the scapegoats in what some saw as a desperate attempt to close the case.Told predominantly through John Actie’s eyes, The Boy from Tiger Bay is an explosive true-crime narrative that exposes one of the UK’s most infamous murder investigations—a story of racial injustice and the enduring fight to bring the truth to light. Read more

Could the child once accused of murder really be innocent?'So good . . . Ballantyne makes it look easy' NEW YORK TIMES'Beautifully told' DAILY MAIL'Thought-provoking and unsettling' ALEX GRAY'A breathless thriller' WOMAN'S OWN'Had me turning the pages late into the night' C. J. COOPER________InnocentTen years ago, Sebastian Croll was found not guilty of murdering his playmate.Criminal solicitor Daniel Hunter defended the eleven-year-old in a trial that gripped the nation, but the past is unearthed when Daniel gets a call from his old client.Or guilty?Sebastian's university professor has been brutally murdered and everyone who knew her is in the frame. As Daniel steps in to represent Sebastian for the second time, rumour of his client's identity spreads like wildfire.The media swarm. Threats begin to arrive. And the question on everyone's lips:Could the child once accused of murder really be innocent?________What everyone is saying about Lisa Ballantyne's thrillers:'Gripping' CLARE MACKINTOSH'Sophisticated, suspenseful' LEE CHILD'Tense' SUNDAY TIMES'Unsettling and compulsive' ROSAMUND LUPTON'Moving' GUARDIAN'Emotionally intense' RICHARD AND JUDY BOOKCLUB'Grips like a vice' DAILY MAIL'Thought-provoking' GILLY MACMILLAN'Tense' RACHEL ABBOTT'A page-turner' DAILY EXPRESS'I couldn't get this book out of my head' JENNY COLGAN Read more

The 2025 edition of the bestselling Life in the UK Test: Handbook includes the complete testable materials from Life in the United Kingdom: A guide for new residents, the official Home Office materials.Passing the Life in the UK test is a compulsory requirement for anyone wanting to live permanently in Britain or become a British citizen. This practical study guide makes preparing for the test a lot easier.The new edition includes: Up-to-date advice on specific question formats and clear advice on how to avoid common mistakesFocus points to help target your studiesClear and easy to understand diagrams illustrating complex topicsHelpful advice from successful students and FAQs.The 2025 edition includes advice on what to study and unique study aids. Our updated appendices help students develop the comprehensive understanding they will need to pass the test. This book offers detailed advice on the types of questions you will be asked in the official test.Purchasers also get a free subscription to online practice tests at www.lifeintheuk.net, along with up-to-date news and information. This book provides students with everything required to help them pass their test with confidence. The latest official materialsExpert and independent study adviceA FREE subscription to online practice tests at www.lifeintheuk.net Read more

Unsurpassed in authority, reliability and accuracy; Blackstone's Statutes, trusted by students for over 30 years.Celebrating over 30 years as the market-leading series, Blackstone's Statutes have an unrivalled tradition of trust and quality. With a rock-solid reputation for accuracy, reliability and authority, they remain first-choice for students and lecturers, providing a careful selection of all up-to-date legislation for exams and course use.- Clear and easy-to-use, helping you find what you need instantly- Edited by experts and covering all the key legislation needed for Employment Law courses, so you can use alongside your textbook to ensure you approach your assessments with confidence- Unannotated legislation - perfect for exam use- Also available as an e-book with functionality and navigation features Read more

Edition 2025 of the best-selling study guide.Complete set containing the official handbook, revision notes and practice exams.Why buy 3 books for over £20 when you can get a complete set for under a tenner?This unique all-in-one book contains all the official and up-to-date learning material for the test in a clear, simple and easy to understand language. It covers everything you need to pass the test and become a British Citizen or permanent resident.With the addition of revision notes, this is the most comprehensive book on the market. Remember, the Life In The UK test will not ask you any questions outside the official course, so there's no need to buy many books, they all contain the same text.This complete book gives you the confidence to pass the Life In The UK test first-time and soon become a British citizen.Inside this meticulously crafted guide, you will find:The official course, fully updated. Gain a deep understanding of the British way of life, traditions, history, and social customs. The course, developed by the Home Office for the citizenship exam, is complete and up to date.Historical milestones. The book provides a list of key dates and events that shaped the country in a practical format. It will strengthen your understanding and knowledge of the country’s past.Practice exams. 12 complete official style tests. The questions come from people who have passed the test; they are real questions.Illustrations. A large collection of pictures, graphs, and photos to accompany your learning throughout.Practical advice. Tailored guide to help you prepare and practise the Life in the UK test written by someone who went though it himself.This book is also available in Audio and eBook formats to maximise your chances of first-time success. Read more

* BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK * LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA'S ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION AWARD *---'Impressive at every level' - Jeremy Vine'Poignant, funny, engrossing' - Jo Brand'A sensitive and immersive voyage through the career of a forensic psychiatrist' - Kerry Daynes'A beautifully balanced and compassionately written memoir... This is a fascinating account of a fascinating journey' - Dr Richard ShepherdMeet Dr Ben Cave. For over thirty years he has worked in prisons and secure hospitals diagnosing and treating some of the most troubled men and women in society. A lifetime of care takes us from delusional disorders to schizophrenia, steroid abuse to drug dependency, personality disorders to paedophilia, and depression so severe a mother can kill her own baby.These are the human stories behind the headlines. The reality of a life spent working with patients with the severest mental health disorders. The tragic and often frightening truth about what happens behind closed doors.Dr Ben Cave takes us on a journey to the heart of this highly emotive environment, putting himself under the microscope as well as his patients. In the process, he allows us to share what they have taught each other, and how it has changed them. To share the psychological battle scars that come with a career on the frontline of our health service. To learn about the brilliant mental health nurses for whom physical injury and verbal abuse are a daily hazard. To learn about ourselves, and what we fear most.---Thoughtful, revealing, often haunting and always enlightening, if you liked Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd, Do No Harm by Henry Marsh and This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay this book is for you. Read more

Unsurpassed in authority, reliability and accuracy; Blackstone's Statutes, trusted by students for over 30 years.Blackstone's Statutes on Contract, Tort & Restitution is edited and designed to help you succeed in your law studies. With a reputation for accuracy and authority spanning over 30 years, Blackstone's Statutes remain first-choice for students and lecturers, providing a careful selection of updated legislation needed for exam/course use.Clear and easy-to-use, helping you find what you need instantlyEdited by experts and covering all the key legislation needed for contract and tort courses, so you can use alongside your textbook to ensure you approach your assessments with confidenceUnannotated legislation - perfect for exam useAlso available as an e-book with functionality and navigation features Read more

A Waterstones Best History Book 2024'Compulsively readable' – Times Literary Supplement'An outstanding work' – Philippa Gregory'A powerful narrative told with frankness and sensitivity' Helen Fry, historian and author of Women In Intelligence'A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more they are beaten, the better they’ll be.'So went the proverb quoted by a prominent MP in the Houses of Parliament in 1853. His words – intended ironically in a debate about a rise in attacks on women – summed up the prevailing attitude of the day, in which violence against women was waved away as a part and parcel of modern living – a chilling seam of misogyny that had polluted both parliament and the law. But were things about to change?In this vivid and essential work of historical non-fiction, Kate Morgan explores the legal campaigns, test cases and individual injustices of the Victorian and Edwardian eras which fundamentally re-shaped the status of women under British law. These are seen through the untold stories of women whose cases became cornerstones of our modern legal system and shine a light on the historical inequalities of the law.We hear of the uniquely abusive marriage which culminated in the dramatic story of the ‘Clitheroe wife abduction’; of the domestic tragedies which changed the law on domestic violence; the controversies surrounding the Contagious Diseases Act and the women who campaigned to abolish it; and the real courtroom stories behind notorious murder cases such as the ‘Camden Town Murder’.Exploring the 19th- and early 20th Century legal history that influenced the modern-day stances on issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence and divorce, The Walnut Treelifts the lid on the shocking history of women under British law – and what it means for women today. Read more

Now a major new stage play 'Punch' by James Graham★★★★★ The Times★★★★★ What's On Stage★★★★ Guardian★★★★ Telegraph★★★★ Financial Times★★★★ The StageIn 2011 Jacob Dunne threw a single punch that ended another man’s life. Sentenced to prison for manslaughter, he served fourteen months of a custodial sentence. On his release, he found himself homeless, unemployed and struggling to find a sense of purpose. But with the help of others, and with the encouragement of his victim’s parents, he managed to get his life back on track.Right From Wrong follows the course of Jacob’s life, beginning on a council estate in Nottingham. Beset by problems at home and at school, Jacob drifted into drug-related gang culture, drinking heavily and fighting for fun before a fateful night changed the course of his life. Unflinching in its account of Jacob’s guilt and shame, this book will reveal how Jacob used the experience to turn things around. He has been actively involved with Restorative Justice programmes including the Forgiveness Project, has reconciled with those he has hurt, has earned a first-class degree in Criminology and become a husband and father.Jacob’s story is in some ways unique, but it is also reflective of the experiences of young working-class men and boys across the country. By reflecting on his story, he hopes he might help people to avoid the kind of mistakes he made. In the process he points to the societal reforms needed in order to avoid an endless cycle of criminality and hopelessness.Right From Wrong is a deeply humane and honest book, and an unflinching look at men’s mental health and emotions at a time when our awareness of these things is of crucial importance. Read more

How does a democracy die? What can we do to save our own? What lessons does history teach us? In the twenty-first century democracy is threatened like never before. Drawing insightful lessons from across history - from Pinochet's murderous Chilean regime to Erdogan's quiet dismantling in Turkey - Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt explain why democracies fail, how leaders like Trump subvert them today and what each of us can do to protect our democratic rights.'Anyone who is concerned about the future of democracy should read this brisk, accessible book. Anyone who is not concerned should definitely read it' Daron Acemoglu, co-author of Why Nations Fail'A must-read' Andrew Marr, Sunday Times'Provocative, timely. One of my favourite reads this year' Elif Shafak, author of The Bastard of Istanbul'A lucid and essential guide to what can happen' Jennifer Szalai, New York Times Read more

‘A brilliant book’ Alastair Campbell, The Rest is Politics'The essential, must-read insider account of the West’s cat and mouse economic warfare against Russia and how it is changing the face of global trade. Magisterial and gripping’ Catherine Belton‘A brilliant, engagingly written and timely book’ Owen Matthews‘A very good book’ Mark GaleottiUndeterred by eight years of timid US sanctions, Vladimir Putin ordered his full-scale assault on Ukraine on 24 February 2022. In the hours that followed, Western leaders weaponized economic tools in a world-changing financial experiment. The goal was to sap the strength of Putin’s war machine by damaging its economy, without risking a global recession in the process.In Punishing Putin, veteran journalist Stephanie Baker uncovers how this furious financial war has unfolded, from seizing superyachts to manipulating the global price of oil to blocking the sale of military technology. Baker reveals how the West mobilized an army of white-collar-crime investigators to crack down on illicit Russian money, targeting oligarchs and their enablers for sanctions evasion.Filled with propulsive, fly-on-the-wall details, Punishing Putin takes us into the frantic backroom deliberations that led to a whole new era of economic statecraft and radically rearranged global alliances, influencing world order for generations to come. Read more

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER‘A lasting work of social history’ THE TIMES‘A genuinely new history of our nation’ DAN JONES‘This celebration of women is a triumph of popular history’ SPECTATORFROM THE MULTI-MILLION BESTSELLING HISTORICAL NOVELIST COMES THE CULMINATION OF HER LIFE’S WORKDid you know that there are more penises than women in the Bayeux Tapestry?That the Peasant’s Revolt was started and propelled by women, protesting a tax on women?Or that celebrated naturalist Charles Darwin believed not just that women were naturally inferior to men but that they’d evolve to become ever more inferior?These are just a few of the startling findings you will learn from reading Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women. In this ambitious and ground-breaking book, she tells the story of our nation over 900 years, but for the very first time women – some fifty per cent of the population – are no longer invisible in this history of England, but are at its beating heart.Using research skills honed in her work as one of our foremost historical novelists, Gregory trawled through court records to find highway women, beggars and shepherdesses, through newspapers and diaries to find murderers and brides, housewives and pirates, female husbands and hermits. The ‘normal women’ you will meet in her pages went to war, ploughed the fields, campaigned, wrote, and loved. They rode in jousts, flew Spitfires, issued their own currency and built ships, corn mills and houses as part of their everyday lives They committed crimes, or treason, worshipped many gods, cooked and nursed, invented things and rioted. A lot. They built our society to be as diverse and varied as the women themselves. They are there in the archives – if you look – and they made our history.‘You’ll lose count of the number of things you learn about women and their skewed place in history as you read Philippa Gregory’s stunning Normal Women … the book reframes the past … an essential read’ INDEPENDENT, FIVE-STAR REVIEWPhilippa Gregory's book 'Normal Women' was a No.2 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-09-30. Read more

'A gem of a book ... Inspiring and timely. Everyone should read it' Independent'The Rule of Law' is a phrase much used but little examined. The idea of the rule of law as the foundation of modern states and civilisations has recently become even more talismanic than that of democracy, but what does it actually consist of? In this brilliant short book, Britain's former senior law lord, and one of the world's most acute legal minds, examines what the idea actually means. He makes clear that the rule of law is not an arid legal doctrine but is the foundation of a fair and just society, is a guarantee of responsible government, is an important contribution to economic growth and offers the best means yet devised for securing peace and co-operation. He briefly examines the historical origins of the rule, and then advances eight conditions which capture its essence as understood in western democracies today. He also discusses the strains imposed on the rule of law by the threat and experience of international terrorism. The book will be influential in many different fields and should become a key text for anyone interested in politics, society and the state of our world. Read more

THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERWhen he receives an invitation to deliver a lecture in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, international lawyer Philippe Sands begins a journey on the trail of his family's secret history. In doing so, he uncovers an astonishing series of coincidences that lead him halfway across the world, to the origins of international law at the Nuremberg trial. Interweaving the stories of the two Nuremberg prosecutors (Hersch Lauterpacht and Rafael Lemkin) who invented the crimes or genocide and crimes against humanity, the Nazi governor responsible for the murder of thousands in and around Lviv (Hans Frank), and incredible acts of wartime bravery, EAST WEST STREET is an unforgettable blend of memoir and historical detective story, and a powerful meditation on the way memory, crime and guilt leave scars across generations.* * * * * 'A monumental achievement: profoundly personal, told with love, anger and great precision' John le Carré'One of the most gripping and powerful books imaginable' SUNDAY TIMESWinner:Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fictionJQ-Wingate Literary PrizeHay Festival Medal for Prose Read more

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERAs seen on This MorningBack in the day, I was Governor of Security and Operations for HMP Wormwood Scrubs. If you’re easily shocked or offended, you best look away now…Having worked for 16 years in a high-security women’s prison dealing with the likes of Rosemary West and Myra Hindley, Vanessa Frake thought she’d seen it all. That was until she was transferred to the notorious Wormwood Scrubs.Thrust into a ‘man’s world’, her no-nonsense approach and fearless attitude saw her swiftly rise through the ranks. From dealing with celebrity criminals and busting drug rings, to recruiting informers and being subject to violent attacks, this hard-hitting but often humorous memoir reveals all about life behind bars in unflinching detail.Now, for one last time, The Gov opens the prison gates. Prepare for the madness and horror of daily life with the UK’s most ruthless criminals. Read more

FRED & ROSE IS THE DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THIS INFAMOUS TRUE CRIME CASE - NOW UPDATED WITH A POSTSCRIPT FROM THE AUTHOR. AS FEATURED ON TV, AND IN THE PODCAST SERIES, UNHEARD: THE FRED & ROSE WEST TAPESFred and Rose West are virtually unique in British criminal history: a husband and wife who loved and killed together.During their long relationship, the Wests murdered a series of young women, burying the remains of nine victims under their home at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, including those of their daughter. What was left of Fred West's eight-year-old stepdaughter was dug up from under the Wests' previous Gloucester home; his first wife and nanny were buried in open country. Most victims had been decapitated and dismembered, their remains showing signs of sexual torture. These twelve are just the ones police found when the Wests were arrested in 1994. There may be more whose bones have not been located . . . Howard Sounes broke the first major story about the Wests as a journalist, and covered the murder trial of Rosemary West, before writing Fred & Rose, the definitive account of this infamous case. Beginning with Fred's and Rose's bizarre childhoods, Sounes charts their lives and crimes in forensic detail, creating a fascinating and truly frightening account of a marriage soaked in blood. Read more

Shortlisted for the True Crime Awards 2023 Best New True Crime Author The murder of Sarah Payne, Adam the Thames Torso, the London bombings, the Night Stalker and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko... The solving of all these cases can be linked to one man: Ray Fysh, a beer-swigging Charlton Athletic fan from Woolwich, a natural raconteur and also one of the finest forensic detectives the country has ever seen.Ray began work for the Met Police in the 1970s when forensic investigation was seen as little more than a geeky side show, only in existence to confirm or eliminate evidence. But by the mid 90s Ray and his team had made huge progress in their field, contributing to the UK becoming a world-leading innovator in forensic techniques, with Ray himself being named as Special Adviser to the Forensic Science Service. As the SA, Ray worked alongside Senior Investigating Officers from day one of a case, directing his team to identify forensic opportunities and harvest case-cracking clues.As Ray looks back over his career at the cases he worked on, the reader is given unparalleled insight into the highs and lows of an astonishing career, the historic classist snobbery of the Met and the stunning realities of crime and forensics Read more

A sequel to A TIME TO KILLHe will make them pay . . .Jake Brigance has never met Seth Hubbard, or even heard of him, until the old man's suicide note names him attorney for his estate. The will is dynamite. Seth has left ninety per cent of his vast, secret fortune to his housemaid.The vultures are circling even before the body is cold: the only subject more incendiary than money in Ford County is race, and this case has both.AS the relatives contest the will, and unscrupulous lawyers hasten to benefit, Jake searches for answers to the many questions left by Seth Hubbard's death:What made him write that last-minute will leaving everything to a poor black woman named Lettie Lang?Why did he choose to kill himself on the desolate piece of land known as Sycamore Row?And what was it that Seth and his brother witnessed as children that, in his words, 'no human should ever see'?Praise for SYCAMORE ROW'A gripping read' - Literary Review'A fantastic book' - 5 STAR reader review'Just as good [as A Time To Kill] . . . an excellent climax' - 5 STAR reader review'Grisham at his best'- 5 STAR reader review 350+ million copies, 45 languages, 9 blockbuster films:NO ONE WRITES DRAMA LIKE JOHN GRISHAM Read more