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    Final Witness
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    Final Witness
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    Final Witness
    Audiobook10 hours

    Final Witness

    Written by Simon Tolkien

    Narrated by Simon Tolkien

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    A gripping courtroom drama combining psychological suspense and political intrigue from the pen of ex-barrister-turned-crime novelist Simon Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien.

    It’s the trial - and scandal - of the decade: Greta Grahame, the beautiful young wife of Minister of defence Sir Peter Robinson, is accused of conspiring to murder her predecessor, Peter’s first wife, Anne.

    The prosecution case depends heavily on the evidence of one witness - Greta’s sixteen-year-old stepson, Thomas.

    A dreamy, bookish boy, Thomas was present but hidden on the night two men broke into their ancestral home, The House of the Four Winds, and killed his mother. His testimony steadfastly links Greta to the hitmen.

    But the boy’s motives are unclear. Is he so crazed by grief that he would frame his stepmother for murder? Or are his feelings toward Greta more complicated than anyone realizes? Might he actually be jealous of his father, jealous enough to destroy what remains of his own family? Or is he telling the truth - that this cunning young woman will stop at nothing in her pursuit of wealth and status?

    Simon Tolkien combines compelling courtroom drama and classic psychological suspense in this sharply etched page-turner.

    Previously published in 2003 as The Stepmother.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9780007449583
    Unavailable
    Final Witness
    Author

    Simon Tolkien

    Simon Tolkien was a successful Criminal Justice barrister in London specializing in serious crimes before moving to California with his wife and two children to take up writing full time. He has been acclaimed as a naturally gifted storyteller with a terrific command of language and a unique perception into the darker sides of human nature. The grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, with whom he had a very special relationship, Simon Tolkien’s writing is set firmly in this world.

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    Reviews for Final Witness

    3.5/5

    50 ratings3 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is a well written book, I enjoyed reading it. Interesting story until the end.Even when they were no Hobbits around :-)
    • 5/5
      I picked this book up for the reason, I believe, most people would. Simon Tolkien's grandfather is JRR Tolkien of the Lord of the Rings fame. Couple that with the fact that murder mystery is my favourite genre, and this book was a must pickup by me.In the book, Lady Robinson is murdered by two men who break into her house, The house of the four winds, while her son hiding views it all. Through the evidence supplied through Thomas, the son, Greta Grahame his step mother is indicted on the crime. However to many, including his dad, Thomas's evidence seems fabricated to get back at Greta Grahame. This leads the book to it's main premise the courtcase of Greta Grahame. While this is going on, we cut to narratives of different people around the event, building up a linear story of what went on.I wasn't expecting this book to be as good as it was. It really drew me in, and I found it really hard to put it down. The pace of this book is brilliant, and Tolkien keeps you second guessing yourself on who to believe. All in all a brilliant piece of narrative. I will be picking up anything more Simon Tolkien releases.
    • 4/5
      Thomas' mother is killed. He's hiding behind a secret door when she's shot dead. From what he overhears he claims that it's his father's new wife who organised it. She claims innocence. She also claims that it's jealousy motivating him. Who can his father believe. Who does his father want to believe.The story flips between past and present, between the court case and events that led up to the murder. It shows the complications rife in the story. Powerful and compelling it makes you think about motives and families.