Book description
Evelyn is a young woman who has defied convention to become one of the
country's pioneer female lawyers. Living at home with her mother, aunt,
and grandmother, Evelyn is still haunted by the death of her younger
brother James in the First World War. Therefore when the doorbell rings
late one night and a woman appears, claiming to have mothered James's
child, her world is turned upside down. Evelyn distrusts Meredith at
first, but also finds that this new arrival challenges her work-obsessed
lifestyle. So far her legal career has not set the world alight. But
then two cases arise that make Evelyn realise perhaps she can make a
difference. The first concerns woman called Leah Marchant whose children
have been taken away from her simply because she is poor. The second,
Stephen Wheeler - a former acquaintance of Daniel Breen, her boss - has
been charged with murdering his own wife. It is clear to Breen and
Evelyn that Wheeler is innocent but he won't talk. After being
humiliated in court, Evelyn is approached by a dashing lawyer called
Nicholas Thorne. She is needled by his privileged background and
old-fashioned attitudes, but despite being engaged, he cannot seem to
resist sparring with this feisty young female. In the meantime, Meredith
makes an earth-shattering accusation about James. With the Wheeler case
coming to a head, and her heart in limbo, Evelyn takes matters into her
own hands. Katharine McMahon is the author of five novels. She has
taught in secondary schools, performed in local theatre and worked as a
Royal Literary Fund fellow teaching writing skills at the Universities
of Hertfordshire and Warwick. She lives in Hertfordshire.
