In The Trial, John Mayer masterfully recreates the atmosphere of Edinburgh’s old streets and halls as the backdrop to a gripping whodunnit. With short fast paced chapters, a glossary of legal terms and a plethora of characters with back stories the reader should be forgiven if their head is spinning by the end of part two but it is worth persevering. Using a cast of characters where class and honour are not necessarily related, truths, half truths and down right lies are woven together to keep the reader’s attention right to the end. Mayer’s characters have a tendency to be less than completely forthcoming and transparent in their encounters; this slightly pessimistic, though not necessarily unrealistic, portrayal of the human condition certainly keeps things interesting. Elements of the story are at the same time utterly unbelievable and entirely plausible which allows the reader to draw on their own preconceptions and stereotypes. Only as the story develops will you find out if what you think you know and what you actually know are even loosely related. All in all, The Trial is an enjoyable read and I would recommend giving it a go. Three stars.

J.A.Warnock

When Glaswegian Brogan McLane completes many years of university education and legal training he crosses that great divide from Glasgow to Edinburgh. ‘Called’ to the Bar of the Scottish Supreme Court, he becomes a member of the most prestigious club in Scotland; The Faculty of Advocates in Parliament House.

When High Court Judge, Lord Aldounhill, is found dead after a transvestite party in his sumptuous home, those who know the killer close ranks and need a scapegoat – who better than ‘outsider’ Brogan McLane?

Out on bail with his career on hold, McLane and his band of blood brothers in the Calton Bar in Glasgow need to get ahead of their enemies or McLane will go down for life after Trial. But every time they discover a piece of evidence, it seems there is a mirror image to contradict it.

Through the murky world of Russian controlled transvestite hotels and with some unexpected police and judicial help, McLane battles against ‘Low Life in High Places in the Old Town’ until the killer is found.

But well protected and knowing all the tricks, will the killer ever stand trial in Parliament House

Purchase your copy here ~ Amazon UK

About John Mayer 

John Mayer (b. 1952) was born in Glasgow, Scotland at a time of post-WW2 austerity. But in 1963 when he heard The Beatles on Radio Caroline, his life path was set. Aged 14 he walked out of school because, in his opinion, he wasn’t being well taught. Every day for the next year, in all weathers, he cycled 9 miles to and 9 miles from the Mitchell Library in central Glasgow where he devoured books of all kinds.
While still an apprentice engineer he was soon teaching men two and three times his age.
But in the 1970s he ‘dived off a cliff’ and set out to become a Record Producer. He built his own record company trading in 14 countries. After a court battle with global giants, he went to the University of Edinburgh and became an Advocate in the Supreme Courts of Scotland. He acted for the downtrodden and desperate as well as Greenpeace International. His specialism was in fighting international child abduction.
As an author, John has written non-fiction, legal texts and articles; broadcasting to tens of millions of people on US and UK radio, TV and print media.
The Trial is the first novel in his Parliament House Books series. Set in Edinburgh, it’s an homage to Franz Kafka’s book of the same title. The Trial sees crusading Scottish Advocate, Brogan McLane, fight injustice casually delivered by Low Life in High Places in the Old Town. Source: Author Page ~ Amazon UK