Laurence Deegan, QC, had just won his latest case. At fifty, already a distinguished and famous barrister, he seemed set to become a judge at an early age. A few hours later Deegan ran the bath installed in his Chambers, got into it and slit the veins in both wrists. Why had he done it? His son, a Special Branch police officer, takes it upon himself to find out ... 'Underwood couldn't write a bad book if he tried' Oxford Mail

Richard Monk was on holiday in Japan. He didn't expect to get involved in the theft of £50,000, blackmail and murder ... But that was what happened when the good-looking young man came up to him on a Japanese mountainside and said: 'I'm in deep trouble, Mr Monk. Will you help me?'

John Farndon, a teacher at a public school, is bored with his French wife Monique and infatuated with the assistant matron Belinda. He plans to kill Monique, but from the moment John is about to pull the trigger the action jumps to a trial. But the trial is not John's - and Monique is still alive. John has been shot in the back of the head ... 'Neatly written, convincing' Financial Times

When Evelyn Henshaw comes to Rosa Epton's office demanding that in the event of her disappearance her husband be investigated for murder, Rosa is more than a little doubtful. Hesitant to take the woman on as a client, she is drawn in when Mr Henshaw subsequently arrives at her office claiming that his wife has disappeared. And when the young lodger living in the couple's home turns up dead, Rosa must unearth the skeletons of the couple's troubled marriage and fit together the pieces of a complicated puzzle.

Stephen Burley was standing trial for the theft of £20,000 in cash from his employers, Rickard's Motors. Detective Sergeant Nick Atwell, the investigating officer in charge of the enquiries, had become uneasy about the case. Burley had fainted in the dock when he was convicted, and Nick interpreted this as another sign of his innocence. Nick appeals to his young wife, Clare, for help, and on various pretences Clare embarks on some very tricky enquiries of her own ...

A chance sighting in a café in Amsterdam gives solicitor Rosa Epton an unwelcome shock. At a nearby table sits an ex-client who should be behind bars, having recently been sentenced to five years in prison. So what is Eddie Ruding doing in Amsterdam a few weeks later? On her return to England, Rosa makes a few discreet enquiries, only to draw a blank. But just as she has decided to try to put the matter out of her mind, a newspaper report shocks her into action. Eddie Ruding has been found dead, his crumpled body lying at the foot of the walls of Wandsworth Prison. Rosa, however, is not the only person on the dead man's trail. Everyone from inquisitive journalists to MI5 appears to be taking an interest - and none so much as the dead man's mother, a cockney matriarch with a score to settle.

When Mrs Sophie Easterberg is found dead on her bedroom floor in the picturesque village of Five Meadows, it is apparent she has been murdered. The obvious suspect is Dave Lucas, an ex-borstal boy recently employed by her, who has since disappeared. Detective-Superintendent Simon Manton of Scotland Yard is despatched to take charge of the case. He soon tracks Lucas down. But is he guilty? And, even if he is, would a jury convict him?

Joseph Berg was due to meet his 'contact' at a pub in London one rainy Friday evening. Unfortunately for Berg and the contact, someone got to the spy first and cut his throat - and Berg both witnessed the murder and became the chief suspect. In his desperation Berg approaches Richard Monk, a young solicitor with a taste for investigation, and Alan Scarby, a barrister who has his work cut out to defend Berg both at the Old Bailey and in Israel.

It is unfortunate that Jeremy Harper was the one to stumble upon the victim of an armed robbery. A young barrister, he is more used to holding court than being a witness. He also finds himself curiously linked to the man in the dock. It is a trial with deep undercurrents, and one that dramatically comes to a head when a strangled body is found in the town hall. Enter Detective-Superintendent Simon Manton of Scotland Yard, who will not rest until the final clue falls into place ...

Chris Laker is what you might call a layabout. He has drifted from job to job and when he's been out of work his loyal girlfriend Janey has supported him. Now Chris is in real trouble. He is on trial for the murder of a rich businessman - and the evidence is piled up against him. His Smith and Wesson has been used to kill Gheorge Dimitiu, and his fingerprint is on the gun. Chris swears he is innocent - but will the jury at the Old Bailey believe him? 'Solidly authentic' The Times