A curious construct set in the world of property law

A novel about a building surveyor has an unusual theme. This semi-autobiographical tale of an academic – from graduation to university lecturer, and then on to part-time professional practice – reminds me of other books set on campus, such as Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis and the novels of David Lodge.

In this story, the hero’s lecturing career gets off to a disastrous start, though he settles into his new profession. He goes to Africa to work on a joint academic venture and meets different types of students who are all keen on a career in the property business. But recession bites, and there are changes in practice and developments in technology.

The story is developed well in the final stages. The protagonist joins a property firm. His experiences as a court-appointed expert working in different types of disputes offer interesting insights into how professionals see lawyers, in respect of our ‘legalese’ and dress code. He assists clients threatened with huge fees and compensation claims, advises in rent reviews and planning appeals, and fights off dodgy landlords who are trying to force tenants to buy freeholds at inflated prices.

The author qualified as a chartered surveyor and chartered town planner. He worked for the Canadian government in Ottawa and then in local government. He went on to teach mainly contract and planning law to building, civil engineering and surveying students. He qualified as a solicitor, working as a tribunal judge for the devolved Welsh government. Since retiring as a tribunal judge, he has lectured in planning law, while working as a non-practising solicitor, chartered surveyor and town planner. He has co-written and edited seven textbooks on law and construction management and technology.

Unfortunately, his debut novel is occasionally let down by the odd typo and punctuation slips. But it is an interesting read, with insights into property law from an unusual perspective. 

David Pickup is a partner at Pickup & Scott Solicitors, Aylesbury