Prima Facie

From the Olivier award-winning playwright of Prima Facie Suzie Miller comes her first novel, where power, patriarchy and morality diverge.

‘This is not life. This is law.’

Tessa Ensler is a brilliant barrister who's forged her career in criminal defence through sheer determination. Since her days at Cambridge, she’s carefully disguised her working class roots in a male-dominated world where who you know is just as important as what you know. Driven by her belief in the right to a fair trial and a taste for victory, there’s nothing Tessa loves more than the thrill of getting her clients acquitted.

It seems like Tessa has it made when she is approached for a new job and nominated for the most prestigious award in her field. But when a date with a charismatic colleague goes horribly wrong, Tessa finds that the rules she’s always played by might not protect her, forcing her to question everything she's ever believed in . . .

Review

Prima Facie has already had a powerful impact outside the theatre, with copies of the original script included in training for new judges. If the novelisation gives it a greater reach, that can only be to the good; these are stories that need to be heard ― Observer

This nakedly powerful story of how even a successful articulate woman lawyer can herself become a victim of the system is still one worth telling and re-telling ― Daily Mail

An enthralling, biting story ― the i, 'Best Books to Read in March'

An engaging, thought-provoking novel . . . Miller braids the legal technicalities and courtroom procedures with Tessa’s personal story authentically, with great control of tension and pace -- Helen Cullen ― Irish Times

Bold, fearless, heartbreakingly timeless. Written with skill, humour, despair and hope, Prima Facie is a deeply rewarding, absolute must read -- Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of WE BEGIN AT THE END

Enthralling and sharp-witted . . . Highly recommended -- Karin Slaughter

Miller's star shines as brightly as a novelist as it does as a playwright. Prima Facie the novel gives us what novels do: the intimacy of interior life. A great read. -- Anna Funder, author of STASILAND

A fantastic read, page-turning and thought-provoking. The kind of story you can't stop thinking about, I loved it -- Jane Harper, author of THE DRY

Miller's novel is searing, vindicating and absolutely necessary both in the injustices it names and the emotions it evokes. I am grateful to her for writing it -- Sarah Krasnostein, author of THE BELIEVER

Gripping . . . [with] blistering points about class, power, the patriarchy and the law shaped by generations of men -- Alice O'Keeffe, Books Editor ― Bookseller

About the Author

Suzie Miller is an international playwright, librettist and screenwriter. She has a background in law, and has won numerous awards, including the Australian Writers' Guild, Kit Denton Fellowship for Writing with Courage and an Olivier Award. She lives in London and Sydney and is developing major theatre, film and television projects across the UK, USA and Australia.