The Courageous Witness by Oliver Richbell

Paperback: 65 pages                                                                                                 
Genre: Novella Nostalgia Series, Thriller,
Publisher:  City Fiction (28 Feb. 2019)
Source: The publishers and author, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentences: It was a size too big for her. That was why she was wearing it. Amanda wrapped the pink-flowered cheongsam around her naked body.
Main Characters: Amanda Buckingham, Sara Tomkins, 
Setting: London, England
My Opinion: This is the seventh volume in the Novella Nostalgia Series, which links cinema classics with modern stories, it is the second in the series to be written by Oliver Richbell. His last one 'Gloriana' is a very topical read, which I enjoyed, however I found this one to be more to my liking.
The protagonist, Amanda Buckingham first appeared very briefly in 'Twelve Troubled Jurors' so I was delighted to discover her character has been developed into one of the main characters for 'The Courageous Witness'. I think we may well hear more of this character in forthcoming publications, as the back of this novella includes a potted life history of Amanda Buckingham. Is she I wonder going to feature in the author's forthcoming novel? We will just have to wait and see, I personally hope so because as much as I am happy to read and review this series I much prefer to have longer stories to immerse myself in.
In my opinion ' The Courageous Witness' is a well written and engrossing legal novella which I devoured in one evening. An office party goes terribly wrong, leaving the female protagonist Sara accusing her colleagues of rape!
For those looking for quick reads, then I certainly recommend not just this title but the entire series, Novella Nostalgia is certainly a name to look out for as more titles are added to the collection.


Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

A rising star at The Bar, barrister, Amanda Buckingham is persuaded by the Head of Hartington Chambers to take on a case that she instinctively would have preferred not to. The defence counsel, as the Trial neared its denouement, had surely done enough to cast sufficient doubt in the minds of the jury. Amanda was hurtling towards a career defining loss. There was something though that Amanda just couldn’t reconcile – something she had forgotten in the evidence that had been put before the Court which had reopened memories of her own traumatic past. To turn an acquittal into a conviction Amanda needed to delve deep into her own personal nightmare as well as finding the key evidence before it was too late for her and Sarah.

Notes on The Story of  'The Accused' : From the Book 'The Courageous Witness'
This 1988 American drama was one of the first Hollyworld films to include a rape incident of unimaginable graphic realism.

The storyline of  The Accused was loosely based on the 1983 gang rape of Cheryl Araujo in New Bedford, Massachusetts and the resulting trial.
This film is set in Washington State but was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. Sarah Tobais (played by Jodie Foster is gang raped in a bar.
Assistant DA, Kathryn Murphy (played by Kellie McGillis), agrees a plea bargain with the legal representatives of the three men accused. They plead guilty to a charge of 'reckless endangerment' which carries a lesser prison sentence and the chance of parole. Sarah is incensed, not least because she was denied the opportunity to testify in court.

Kathryn opts to prosecute three witnesses identified by a friend of sarah. They are charged with criminal solicitation. The evidence in court is partly overlaid with a visual reproduction of the whole of the rape scene. Another bystander gives evidence and the three men are convicted. One consequence is that the perpetrators, now in prison, will serve longer sentences and not be eligible for parole.

The final scene is a display, by Sarah and Kathryn, of mutual respect as they go their separate ways.





Author Profile:

Oliver was born in 1977 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2007. He worked in London for a litigation and sports law practice before a brief stint in two regional firms. In 2010 he married in his sweetheart and in 2014 he became a father. in 2015 Oliver took a leap of faith and formed his own dispute resolution consultancy. Oliver loves to write and has now achieved one of his many ambitions in life in becoming a published author. His first work, Gloriana, was published in September 2018 and inspired by the movie Valkyrie, Gloriana tells a story of a band of conspirators intent on assassinating The Prime Minister in the aftermath of the Brexit Referendum. My review may be read here Oliver's first novel will be published later this year.


Photographs, Biographical Information and film details courtesy of the following sites.

IMDb - The Accused - Plot Summary   Wikipedia - The Accused 

Amazon Author Page - Oliver Richbell     Goodreads - Oliver Richbell

Gloriana by Oliver Richbell

Paperback:  90 pages                                                                                                
Genre: Novella Nostalgia Series, Thriller,
Publisher: City Fiction, September 2018
Source: The Publishers and author, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentence: The morning mist rose from the Thames like swirls of white candyfloss and as his jet-black chauffeur-driven car glided over Westminster Bridge, Sebastian Pennington was idly peering through the tinted windows watching the great unwashed shuffling along on the pavement.
Main Characters: Sir William Bretherinby, Clive Ferringsly QC, Brigadier General Xavier Llewellyn-Jones, Katherine MacStones, Philip Nicholson, Sebastian Pennington and Samantha Wyde.
Setting: London, England
My Opinion:Gloriana is the fifth title in the Novella Nostalgia series, the first four titles in the series were written by the author Tony Drury but 'Gloriana' which is inspired by the film 'Valkyrie' is a debut publication for Oliver Richbell.
I am not a fan of short stories or novellas and therefore rarely read or review any. However as Tony Drury and his colleagues have kindly sent the series to me for honest and unbiased reviews, I have read them! The series links iconic cinema classics with modern stories, though to be honest the former is rather wasted on me as though a fan of modern cinema I am not well up on the classics.

It may be coincidental that this title was published recently, but the timing is perfect as it is indeed very topical!

My opinion on novellas remains the same and although I enjoyed reading Gloriana I would have preferred it to be a full length novel. It just seemed to have got interesting to me when it ended! Still a worthwhile read, well written with good characterisation and despite only being ninety pages long it is an action packed roller coaster that feels dangerously realistic.

For those looking for quick reads, then of course I recommend not just this title but the entire series, Novella Nostalgia is certainly a name to look out for as more titles are added to the collection.


My reviews of the earlier titles in the series can be read here


Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

A change must be made
Permanently removing The PM is the only way

This was the conclusion drawn by a band of conspirators intent on reversing what they saw to be the devastating result of the Brexit Referendum.
With the Middle Eastern Trade Agreement being signed that night the time for decisive action had arrived.
The plan had been calculated with military precision and when its leader declared “we go tonight” the accomplices were prepared to activate the Gloriana paper and to wrestle back the United Kingdom’s place in the European Union by assassinating The Prime Minister.




Author Profile:

Oliver was born in 1977 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2007. He worked in London for a litigation and sports law practice before a brief stint in two regional firms. In 2010 he married in his sweetheart and in 2014 he became a father. in 2015 Oliver took a leap of faith and formed his own dispute resolution consultancy. Oliver loves to write and has now achieved one of his many ambitions in life in becoming a published author. His first work, Gloriana, was published in September 2018 and inspired by the movie Valkyrie, Gloriana tells a story of a band of conspirators intent on assassinating The Prime Minister in the aftermath of the Brexit Referendum. Oliver's next work will be out in early 2019 and his first novel will be out soon thereafter.


Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following site.

Amazon Author Page - Oliver Richbell

Novella Nostalgia Series by Tony Drury

       

Paperbacks:  Varying from 44-80 pages.                                                                               
Genre: Novellas
Publisher: City Fiction 2017-2018
Source: The author in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews.
My Opinion:
If you refer back to my first review of a Tony Drury novel in 2014, you will find my opinion was that his writing is fun to read. This still remains true four years later, as I have just finished reading the first four titles in his Novella Nostalgia series.

I am not a fan of short stories or novellas and therefore rarely read or review any. However Tony Drury kindly sent me the first four titles in the series to me for an honest and unbiased review, so I read them! The series links iconic cinema classics with modern stories, though to be honest the former is rather wasted on me as though a fan of modern cinema I am not well up on the classics.

As I have already said, these were fun to read, a successful and innovative idea that will appeal to a wide cross section of readers. My review is a general one of the series and I have not gone into the specifics of each story for that reason. In my opinion they were all fascinating reads, in different ways, which I definitely recommend to fans of the genre.


My Previous Reviews for Tony Drury's Novels:

Megan's Game   The Deal   Cholesterol   

I have also read, but have yet to publish a full review for,  A Flash of Lightning  


NOVELLA NOSTALGIA SERIES by TONY DRURY

Lunch With Harry

The first of five publications which form part of the Novella Nostalgia series linking iconic cinema classics with modern stories.

Is it possible that Audrey Hepburn was in Regent Street, London in 2016?

Perhaps not. But her memory is recreated in the desirable shape of Dr Ella van Houten who accidentally stood on Harry’s foot outside Hamleys, the world’s oldest toy shop. Ella was imagining that she was Holly Golightly, the character that Hepburn played in one of the greatest ever romantic films: Breakfast at Tiffany’s’.

This riveting novella tells how they begin a relationship which is dominated by two features: Ella’s reprise of Holly’s quirky and insecure nature and Harry’s guilt over the loss of his wife. There is also the impending death of Ella’s brother which bizarrely leads them chasing a figurine of the Mexican general Santa Anna who won the battle for ‘the Alamo’.

Their differing personalities dominate this fast moving story which takes in London, Europe and lunches with Harry. The ending produces a moment of pure cinema as Ella and Harry fight against the one obstacle which threatens their future together.


Twelve Troubled Jurors

Twelve Troubled Jurors is the second publication forming part of the Novella Nostalgia series linking iconic cinema classics with modern stories.

Is it possible that one person can change the opinion of eleven others in a criminal trial?

The Judge requires a unanimous verdict. It is Friday and, increasingly, there are compelling reasons why several of the jury members need to be released from service. The foreman, a local business women, struggles to hold on to her authority.

The first vote results in a count of eleven for ‘not guilty’ and one saying ‘guilty’. As the discussions proceed, and the drab, secured jury room produces additional pressures, the jurors begin to clash. This leads to an extraordinary outcome as the justice system is tested to its limits.


Forever On Thursdays

The third publication forming part of the Novella Nostalgia series linking iconic cinema classics with modern stories.

Is it possible that two people can meet on a railway station and fall in love?

Carey Ryan is the victim of an assault on Platform B of St Pancras International station in London. She is rescued by a stranger called Mark who takes her for a coffee. He rushes off to meet a rich widow but asks to see her again. Soon, they are meeting every Thursday.

Carey is fighting to sort out her loveless marriage and aimless life. She employs the crazy Jonathan to teach her to write a book. He becomes her mentor as they explore the world of novella construction. Slowly, her growing love for Mark becomes intertwined with the romantic odyssey that she and Jonathan are progressing.

Then their consciences cause them both to hesitate. A brief encounter with Mark having a romantic outcome is perhaps a cinematic indulgence. That is until Jonathan intervenes and tells Carey why she holds the key to their future.



The Man Who Hated

The fourth in the Novella Nostalgia series is inspired by the Michael Douglas film ‘Falling Down’. Does Milton Grant, an evil, vindictive ex-police officer, reflect the hatred that lies within modern society?

Milton has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Divorced, and with an estranged daughter, he feels he has nothing to live for – and nothing to lose. He begins a self-imposed mission to ‘correct’ what he believes are some of the main faults of his fellow human beings. In his way is a fumbling old lady at the supermarket checkout, an inconsiderate driver, selfish users of mobile phones, and self-satisfied chief executive Ray, who boasts about tax avoidance.

Milton’s acts of corrections get more extreme and violent as the novella progresses. He is spiralling out of control. In the meantime, two police officers, Lucy and Dave Smith, are close to exposing Milton. In the explosive finale Lucy finds herself facing him, as he points a gun at her head. She is alone, and has no backup. Dave is four minutes away.

Will Milton kill Lucy? Or will good triumph over evil?



Author Profile

       Tony has an about page on his website which I refer you to for biographical information.


       Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.


City Fiction Publishing - FB     City Fiction Publishing - Website    Tony Drury on Twitter

Tony Drury - Amazon Author Page     Author's Official Website      Goodreads Profile