Review: The Burden of Lies by Richard Beasley

The Burden of Lies by Richard Beasley

Released: 1st December 2017

Published by: Simon and Schuster Australia

Genre: Legal thriller

Source: Publisher

Pages: 277

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Cocaine. Construction. Corruption. The unholy trinity of Sydney.

Self-made property mogul Tina Leonard has already lost her business, her home and custody of her children because South East Banking Corporation left her bankrupt. Now it appears she is being framed for the murder of her banker Oliver Randall, a senior executive of the corporation. Her motive? Revenge for ruining her life and her business. When maverick lawyer Peter Tanner is brought in to represent Tina, he bends the law to learn the truth. Was the real killer employed by the bank to silence Randall, who knew too much about their corrupt clientele and business dealings?

Tanner digs deeper the truth is harder and harder to find. Drug dealers and dodgy cops are a breed apart from corrupt corporate bankers, who’ll do anything to keep their names in the clear. Who really silenced Randall? Tanner gets more than he bargained for as he tangles with craven bent banks and a client who can't talk, and danger lurks far too close to home. Bestseller Richard Beasley's latest sharp-edged, gritty Peter Tanner thriller.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I do love a good thriller, though I haven't read many like this which focus specifically on the legal drama behind the crime. In The Burden of Lies, Beasley has brought corporate and financial crime to the fore, with a side of high-rollers and corrupt millionaires in the drug trade. Add into the mix a maverick lawyer in the form of our protagonist Peter Tanner and you get a story which explores all the seedy characters and their connections to a murder itching to be solved. 

This book is full of legal jargon, but that's to be expected from this genre. It makes the set-up of the plot all the more realistic, and relevant also with the mention of all the corporate scandals and banking cover-ups which we hear about in the news on a regular basis. Beasley hit home with references to Sydney, making this a true Australian legal crime novel that people who live in the city can find some familiarity with. 

Tanner as a character cut through the technical side of solving the crime with his unconventional methods and real passion for justice. While he didn't always go about things 'by the book', sticking by his own ethics and always having a witty quip on hand made him a somewhat endearing character who at the end of the day just wanted to spend more time with his family. It was good to see both sides of his personality in and outside of his work. My one issue with the story was that there was a lot of unnecessary 'telling' instead of 'showing', making getting to the point of a chapter or particular plot point more tedious than it perhaps needed to be. But, once we got there it was clear to see that there will be room for the next book in the series where Tanner's unique legal problem-solving skills will make another appearance. 

In all, if you're a fan of John Grisham or Michael Connelly, it's definitely worth giving Richard Beasley's books a try.