Assumes new identity
The Secret Barrister has confirmed they are in the process of writing a series of new legal thrillers.
The anonymous lawyer is perhaps best known for offering his/her unfiltered insights into the crumbling world of criminal justice and already has several top selling books to their name. We reviewed their first effort from 2018 here.
But SB confirmed this week that they are taking on a new writing challenge in the form of The Murderer’s Dilemma, the first in a series of new thrillers due for release in September 2025.
The story opens in the early hours of New Year’s Day when police discover the mutilated body of an elderly man lying in the street. Three teenagers are subsequently charged with his murder and tell their own stories through their barristers.
🚨So. I have news.
I’m writing a novel. A series, in fact, of legal thrillers.
They are dark and uncomfortable and (I hope) authentic, and I really hope you like them.
Oh, and I’m writing them under a new identity. Meet @SJFleetAuthor.
Because one pseudonym is just not enough pic.twitter.com/9p1fP1yJpe
— The Secret Barrister (@BarristerSecret) October 16, 2023
“I’m writing a novel. A series, in fact, of legal thrillers,” SB wrote on X. “They are dark and uncomfortable and (I hope) authentic, and I really hope you like them.”
Intriguingly, SB also unveiled a new pseudonym, ‘SJ Fleet‘, as part of their venture into creative writing.
Commenting on the upcoming novel, SB said: “I am thrilled to be joining hands once again with the incredible team at Picador, and have been overwhelmed by the passion and enthusiasm for The Murderer’s Dilemma. My mild terror at crossing the bridge into fiction is assuaged by the knowledge that I could not be in safer editorial hands, and I cannot wait to share this story with the world.”