The American Spectator

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The point of this novel, the most political and most topical of the Rumpole stories, is to give Mortimer some space to vent on the steps New Labour has taken to protect the UK from terrorists, steps Mortimer feels tread unnecessarily on the rights English citizens have traditionally enjoyed. In previous stories Mortimer has given us gentle wit and satire, with Horace playing off against an ensemble cast of slightly off-plumb judges, prosecutors, and his colleagues in chambers at 4 Equity Court. (And of course Horace's formidable and worthy wife, Hilda, known to Rumpole as "She Who Must Be Obeyed.") These judicial short-rounds (an artilleryman's term -- think about it) are present in Reign of Terror, and amuse us as always. But they share a stage with some real names and real offices and real contemporary issues.

Though I was doubtful before I opened Reign, I found that Mortimer does indeed manage to pull off this tricky mix of the serious and the whimsical. Rumpole never betrays his fierce devotion to the defense of his client, but it's made clear that both Horace and his creator take the threat of terrorism seriously, more seriously than many on the left. Regular TAS readers might draw the line at a different place than Mortimer on this one, but it will be clear after this literary exercise that Mortimer has informed his emotion with some serious thought.

Regular Rumpole readers are familiar with Mortimer's habit of providing us with happy endings. Don't look for any changes here. I'll leave it up to those whom I've convinced to read the book to see how Horace moves Dr. Mahmood from a kangaroo court proceeding to a real trial. Suffice it to say that Mortimer is not above using some standard Rumpole trickery, even in a case involving issues of life and death.

topics:
Television, Satire, Law, Pakistan