Prima Facie

'Compelling and human . . . a political rallying cry'
New York Times

'Bold, fearless and heartbreaking'
Elle Magazine

‘My hope is that it will reach the widest number of people’
Jodie Comer

'Bold, fearless, heartbreakingly timeless. . . . A deeply rewarding, absolute must read'
Chris Whitaker

'Enthralling and sharp-witted . . . Highly recommended'
Karin Slaughter

'Prima Facie the novel gives us what novels do: the intimacy of interior life. A great read'
Anna Funder

From the Olivier award-winning playwright of Prima Facie Suzie Miller comes her first novel, where power, patriarchy and morality diverge.

‘This is not life. This is law.’

Tessa Ensler is a brilliant barrister who's forged her career in criminal defence through sheer determination. Since her days at Cambridge, she’s carefully disguised her working class roots in a male-dominated world where who you know is just as important as what you know. Driven by her belief in the right to a fair trial and a taste for victory, there’s nothing Tessa loves more than the thrill of getting her clients acquitted.

It seems like Tessa has it made when she is approached for a new job and nominated for the most prestigious award in her field. But when a date with a charismatic colleague goes horribly wrong, Tessa finds that the rules she’s always played by might not protect her, forcing her to question everything she's ever believed in . . .