Double Justice - Maurice Fluxman
Robert Hale, £18.99

Rachel Rothwell



Charles Brook is a solicitor at a three-partner firm in the Brighton area. Fed up with his wife's ongoing Great Sulk ('The GS') and the separate bedrooms it entails, he is tempted to have an affair. To that end, he creates the fictitious character of Geoffrey Greenwood - a supposed affluent South African client of the firm - in order to rent out a flat.



However, when the owners of the apartment try to trick the Greenwood character into giving away his option to buy, Brook's legal instincts will not allow them to get away with it. He negotiates a sizeable payment for his 'client' - but piques the interest of his law firm partners when he deposits the generous sum in the client account. That is soon the least of Brook's worries, however, as the deception rapidly escalates beyond his control, and when he eventually finds himself on trial for the murder of the fictitious Greenwood, it will take all his legal skills to avoid the cells.



Maurice Fluxman tells an intriguing tale, replete with credible characters and plenty of twists and turns to hold the reader's interest. Lawyers will also enjoy the accuracy with which Mr Fluxman - a lawyer himself - portrays his solicitor character. There will be many elements that readers will recognise - such as the friction between law firm partners as Brook takes the view that he brings in more fee income than his colleagues.



Lawyer readers will also enjoy the thoroughness with which Mr Fluxman has researched the premise of his novel. The plot is not simply fantasy, but a legitimate exploration of how gaps in the law and the legal system can be manipulated to convert illusion into truth. Mr Fluxman consulted criminal and civil barristers, police detectives, and coroners in his research.



Double Justice is his first published work of fiction, and it is a promising start. Just like his main character, Mr Fluxman lives on the south coast of England, but in fact he spent much of his career practising in South Africa, where he has been senior partner in two large Johannesburg firms. He is also a former tax court judge and lecturer.