A collection of rediscovered works celebrating Black Britain curated by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo

Without Prejudice

'Impressive and unique. As relevant today as it was over two decades ago' Bernardine Evaristo, from the Introduction 
 
A gripping, propulsive courtroom thriller following barrister Lee Mitchell as she uncovers the dark secrets of London's obscenely rich 
 
Lee Mitchell is a thirty-year-old barrister from a working-class Caribbean background: in the cut-throat environment of the courtroom, everything is stacked against her. 
 
After she takes on the high-profile case of notorious millionaire playboy Clive Omartian - arrested along with his father and stepbrother for eye-wateringly exorbitant fraud - the line between her personal and professional life becomes dangerously blurred. 
Spiralling further into Clive's trail of debauchery and corruption, she finds herself in alarmingly deep waters. 
 
Can she survive her case, let alone win it? 
 
Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books depicting black Britain that remap the nation.

An exciting legal thriller . . . [Williams] interweaves a textured social commentary

Nicola Williams (Author) 
Nicola Williams started her career as a barrister in private practice, specialising in Criminal Law, including three successful Commonwealth death penalty appeals before the House of Lords sitting as the Privy Council. She was a legal expert on BBC World for the OJ Simpson trial verdict in 1995 and a member of the first Independent Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police Service (following recommendations arising from the Stephen Lawrence Report [1999]). She has been a part-time Crown Court Judge since 2010. A former winner of Cosmopolitan magazine Woman of Achievement Award, she is an active volunteer for the Speakers for Schools programme, a charity which encourages young people from disadvantaged and under-represented communities to enter the professions. 
 
Bernardine Evaristo (Introducer) 
Bernardine Evaristo, MBE, is the award-winning author of eight books of fiction and verse fiction that explore aspects of the African diaspora. Her novel Girl, Woman, Other made her the first black woman to win the Booker Prize in 2019, as well winning the Fiction Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards in 2020, where she also won Author of the Year, and the Indie Book Award. She also became the first woman of colour and black British writer to reach No.1 in the UK paperback fiction chart in 2020.

Lee Mitchell is a thirty-year-old barrister from a working-class Caribbean background: in the cut-throat environment of the courtroom, everything is stacked against her. 
 
After she takes on the high-profile case of notorious millionaire playboy Clive Omartian - arrested along with his father and stepbrother for eye-wateringly exorbitant fraud - the line between her personal and professional life becomes dangerously blurred. 
Spiralling further into Clive's trail of debauchery and corruption, she finds herself in alarmingly deep waters. 
 
Can she survive her case, let alone win it?

Killer Instinct

THE GRIPPING, TWISTY NEW LEGAL THRILLER STARRING UNDERDOG BARRISTER LEE MITCHELL IN A CASE THAT STRIKES AT THE HEART OF HER CHAMBERS 
 
‘British crime fiction has a dazzling new voice in Nicola Williams’ Tony Parsons 
 
When the Head Clerk at her Chambers is murdered, Lee Mitchell doesn’t know who she can trust. 
 
One of the last people to see him alive, the crime is pinned on Junior Clerk Dean who ‘seems like the type’. Working-class and still living on the estate where he grew up, he has the most to gain from Tom’s death. 
 
But Lee knows how easily prejudices can snowball into convictions – and steps in to defend him. As the trial progresses, people Lee has worked with for years become suspects as her Chambers crumble into a world of chaos and deceit. 
 
And, what of the diary, whispered about by those at Chambers? The one Tom used to blackmail Lee’s friends and enemies alike to do his bidding? The one containing secrets some might kill to keep hidden? 
 
Maybe finding it will be the key to solving his murder. Or maybe some secrets are better left buried . . . 
 
‘An authentic thought-provoking new voice in crime fiction’ Kate Ellis

Nicola Williams started her career as a barrister in private practice, specialising in Criminal Law. She was a member of the first Independent Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police Service (following recommendations arising from the Stephen Lawrence Report [1999]). She has been a part-time Crown Court Judge since 2010. She is an active volunteer for the Speakers for Schools programme, a charity which encourages young people from disadvantaged and under-represented communities to achieve their full career potential.

When the Head Clerk at her Chambers is murdered, Lee Mitchell doesn’t know who she can trust. 
 
One of the last people to see him alive, the crime is pinned on Junior Clerk Dean who ‘seems like the type’. Working-class and still living on the estate where he grew up, he has the most to gain from Tom’s death. 
 
But Lee knows how easily prejudices can snowball into convictions – and steps in to defend him. As the trial progresses, people Lee has worked with for years become suspects as her Chambers crumble into a world of chaos and deceit. 
 
And, what of the diary, whispered about by those at Chambers? The one Tom used to blackmail Lee’s friends and enemies alike to do his bidding? The one containing secrets some might kill to keep hidden? 
 
Maybe finding it will be the key to solving his murder. Or maybe some secrets are better left buried . . .

Nicola Williams

Penning a blend of legal and psychological thriller would be enough for most authors, but Williams, a barrister, deftly adds a layer of social realism. Her book teems with memorable characters from the law and the black community

Williams has used her experience as a Crown Court judge to craft a twisting legal thriller of real moral complexity

A brilliant and tense drama about legal justice that propels us well beyond the courtroom and right into the heart of a troubled community and its people

A great twisty, gritty investigation with wonderful characters culminating in an explosive courtroom drama!

Until Proven Innocent is a legal thriller with heart and soul

An authentic thought-provoking new voice in crime fiction

Compelling, smart, staggeringly relevant . . . Williams' insightful novel is pitch perfect. Outstanding

A brilliantly taut, gritty and authentic page turner that takes you on a thrilling road from the streets of London to the courtroom

Until Proven Innocent is nothing short of an astounding, brilliantly engaging book! Nicola has created one of the most daringly complex, intellectually and emotionally evocative crime stories I've read in quite some time

The gripping new courtroom thriller will hook you in

Lee Mitchell is out for justice. 
 
A young barrister from a working-class Caribbean background, everything is stacked against her in the cut-throat environment of the courtroom. 
 
When the fifteen-year-old son of the pastor at the local Black church is shot near her home in South London, the community is shattered. All evidence is pointing to the notoriously corrupt, racist officer Sergeant Jack Lambert. Even his own boss is certain he is guilty - but he swears his innocence. 
 
Against her will, Lee is strong-armed into defending him. With protests echoing in the streets, Lee is at the centre of the turmoil as lies, anger and mistrust spiral out of control. With the line between her personal and professional life blurring, Lee keeps asking herself the same question: 
 
How can she defend the indefensible?

Nicola Williams

Praise for Until Proven Innocent

Penning a blend of legal and psychological thriller would be enough for most authors, but Williams, a barrister, deftly adds a layer of social realism. Her book teems with memorable characters from the law and the b ...

Williams has used her experience as a Crown Court judge to craft a twisting legal thriller of real moral complexity

A brilliant and tense drama about legal justice that propels us well beyond the courtroom and right into the heart of a troubled community and its people

Penning a blend of legal and psychological thriller would be enough for most authors, but Williams, a barrister, deftly adds a layer of social realism. Her book teems with memorable characters from the law and the b ...

Williams has used her experience as a Crown Court judge to craft a twisting legal thriller of real moral complexity

A brilliant and tense drama about legal justice that propels us well beyond the courtroom and right into the heart of a troubled community and its people

Penning a blend of legal and psychological thriller would be enough for most authors, but Williams, a barrister, deftly adds a layer of social realism. Her book teems with memorable characters from the law and the b ...

Williams has used her experience as a Crown Court judge to craft a twisting legal thriller of real moral complexity

A brilliant and tense drama about legal justice that propels us well beyond the courtroom and right into the heart of a troubled community and its people

Books by Nicola Williams

Series by Nicola Williams

Lee Mitchell

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter