Jane Gardam’s ‘Old Filth’ Series

I have never been one to read, much less enjoy, books about lawyers and judges. Of course, here I am writing at least a trilogy and probably more about a lawyer and his trials and triumphs so obviously, I can create an exception to my basic rule. It’s my laptop and I write what I want. ;)

I have found the Grisham genre and others like it formulaic and predictable and it does not take long for all of it to taste like stale cheese puffs. Sort of air gone gray. I have the same lack of inclination toward the Perry Mason, Michael Gresham, Scott Turow and so forth as well.

I admit I have always loved the late John Mortimer’s works with the memorable and intriguing ‘Rumpole of The Bailey’.

And now I will bring you another English star of Barristers and Judges.

These works are witty, funny, sad and full of insinuation and good language.

(Get your cell phone and its Safari Search ready-plenty of opportunities and requirements to define some here and there truly British and Continental patois and phrasing .

This was highly recommended to me by a dear friend and long-time Judge from North Carolina.

We traded. I told her about Mick Herron’s great SLOUGH HOUSE series (Seven volumes and climbing-read them in chronological order please!) and she directed me to Gardam.

Jane Gardam’s trilogy, beginning with OLD FILTH (Failed In London, Try Hong Kong) is magnificent and that is bald understatement.r

There is subtlety and sophistication and intrigue and well-reasoned plot structure here and all of it spans across the globe, back and forth from London to Hong Kong. The portrayals of places and cultures and mores is exquisite.

The characters are well and sharply drawn.

The protagonist and antagonist are perfectly paired, Sir Edward Feathers (Old Filth) and Q.C. Terry Veneering make for a wonderful mashup of antagonisms and rightly so.

And the supporting cast is woven in an out to great effect.

The two subsequent volumes, THE MAN IN THE WOODEN HAT and LAST FRIENDS are every bit as excellent too.

Filth’s wife Betty of forever shares center stage with him in WOODEN HAT and is a quiet and towering heroine.

The last volume, LAST FRIENDS, brings us to the end of an era, with terrific and touching explorations of aging and death.

These three books are SAARA…Set aside and read again.

Classics!

Magnificent.