Rumpole on Trial (Rumpole)

Rumpole on Trial (Rumpole)
In this collection of stories, the beloved barrister must fend off the advances of a mysterious young woman, face the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Council, and take on a group of devil worshippers. Reprint.
Customer Review: 7 short, comedic, courtroom stories
This volume is a collection of 7 Rumpole short stories. Rumpole is a practicing lawyer in London created by ex-lawyer John Mortimer. This is a long-running series of books that are still being written. An excellent BBC series starring the late Leo McKern is also available. Rumpole has become a classic character and Mortimer's books are compared favorably with Wodehouse and other such geniuses of light fiction. This is the 9th book in chronological order, though Mortimer reintroduces the characters at the beginning of his stories so you can start anywhere. There are 3 omnibus editions which each contain 3 books of short stories. However, this book is not in the omnibus editions and must be purchased individually. Rumpole stories are comedic accounts of Rumpole's cases (he only works for the defense) interspersed with the foibles of his fellow lawyers. The other characters in the books, from judges to petty criminals are wonderfully drawn. I have re-read this book several times. The part that most appeals to me is how Rumpole functions in a world that seems almost insanely bent on any pursuit but justice. The stories often comment on modern malaise and various hot-button issues from immigration to assaults on civil liberties. My favorite story in this collection is "Rumpole and the Children of the Devil", where a busybody social worker tries to take away a child who played dress-up with a mask and turned this into devil worship. Like most Rumpole stories, this story comments on current trends like government miscues regarding child welfare. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Seven more wonderful stories.
In "Rumpole on Trial" we have seven more wonderful Rumpole stories. I totally enjoyed each one. But as always, I will pick a favourite from this particular book, and it is "Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson". It was laugh-out-loud funny, and Rumpole was at his curmudgeonly best in it. The other stories were lots of fun too. In the story, "Rumpole on Trial" we have Rumpole sitting on a different side of the justice system, when he is on trial for unprofessional behaviour in the courtroom. That in itself is funny, since I don't know when Rumpole is ever professional in court. But, boy is he smart. Not much gets past him that's for sure. These stories are pure delight, and I can't wait to read another.