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The Pinocchio Brief

A 15-year-old schoolboy is accused of the brutal murder of one of his teachers. His lawyers, the guarded veteran, Judith, and the energetic youngster, Constance, begin a desperate pursuit of the truth, revealing uncomfortable secrets about the teacher and the school. But Judith has her own secrets which risk being exposed when a new lie-detecting device, nicknamed Pinocchio, comes on the scene. And is imitation rolex day date rolex calibre 2836 2813 unisex m128238 0051 12mm the accused, a troubled boy who loves challenges, trying to help them or not? A gripping courtroom thriller which confronts our assumptions about truth and our increasing reliance on technology.

Available in July 2017 from Lightning Books and from Amazon 

Quotes

“fascinating tale… this is a good read and an excellent first novel.”  Jessica Mann – The Literary Review – July Crime round up

“A refreshing debut…[and] a first rate courtroom drama.”  Geoffrey Wansell – The Daily Mail – 19 July

“There’s fascinating interplay between Raymond, a strange schoolboy accused of murder, Judith, a wary veteran lawyer, and Constance, a keen young solicitor, as they come together for his trial – the introduction of an innovative lie-detector could expose more than one of them.”  Karen Robinson – The Times Book Club – July picks

“An evocative and gripping thriller, where present day meets the technology of the near future. Abi Silver address raises startling questions about the dependence and interdependence of technology in our lives in this pacey courtroom drama.”   Maha Khan Phillips, author of The Curse of Mohenjodaro

“Intelligently conceived and cleverly constructed; The Pinocchio Brief is a good read.  Its themes are topical and relevant and its characters are very engaging.  Abi Silver’s legal background has, I am sure, been of value to her in writing this novel.”  Ted Childs, creator of Kavanagh QC, executive producer of Morse, Lewis, The Brief and The Sweeney