A few months ago, Rinder was touted as a potential Conservative London mayor. Is he going to stand? “I think it’s highly unlikely, don’t you?” he laughs. Is he a Conservative? “I’m not a member of a political party,” he says, not answering the question. He likes to remain impartial, not least because he is an occasional presenter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, but also, I suspect, because he is so conditioned to sifting the evidence before making a decision that he can’t be a political tribalist. Rob Rinder has been an academic inspiration to me since I took law as one of my A-Levels since there was nothing else that my sixth-form offered me that I had any interest in. Much to my parents telling me that I wasn't smart enough to even pass the course (I did and I am now (very proudly) in university law school). The evidence points to one man. Jimmy Knight has been convicted of multiple offences before and defending him will be no easy task. Not least because this is trainee barrister Adam Green's first case.

Oh, right, yes, that’s all sorted,’ said Adam. ‘I wrote in the card “Never again, darling” like you asked…’ I was interested to read this book as I've seen this author in a lot of things and have always liked him. We meet Adam who is a pupil barrister. Along with his pupil master, they are given a case of defending a murder suspect, but Adam finds himself doing most of the work, believing in his client's innocence. This was a first. The pupil master had generally shown next to zero interest in Adam’s progress in his ‘second six’, the period of six months during which a pupil was allowed to represent their own clients in court, rather than simply doing the pupil master’s donkey work. This is a new take on the legal thriller, through the eyes of a trainee barrister and Adam is an interesting character. Young, enthusiastic, determined and dedicated to the truth and justice, we follow Adam's journey through the courtcase and what Adam has to endure as someone who doesn't quite fit it.Adam has personal reasons for trying to clear Jimmy’s name despite his guilt seeming to be obvious and he works hard to find out the truth of the case before trial. He learns that the deceased was not quite as saintly as he first appeared. Well, I’d advise him to get someone other than me to apply for his bail,’ said Adam, chinking his bottle with Rupert’s. ‘I’ve had another stinker today.’ Rinder was 21 when he came out, “but I was meandering out at university. It wasn’t so much that I was worried about being gay, as much as doing something that would make my mum fearful for me. When I realised I was gay, HIV/Aids was a death sentence, a looming shadow. It was the time of section 28, where this was something dirty and furtive.” Also, he says: “There were so many complexities about disappointing my mum. We were the first divorced family [in her family], there was pressure on her as a single mum. At that time, being gay was cloaked in shame, and I was probably conscious about wanting to make sure my mum wouldn’t experience that.” He had also wanted to marry and have children. “That wasn’t part of the narrative for gay men then.” Accepting his sexuality “required a conscious loss”.

The only thing that's certain is that this is a trial which will push Adam - and the justice system itself - to the limit . . . Rinder, who specialised in international fraud but also took on wider cases – he represented British soldiers charged with manslaughter after the deaths of Iraqi detainees – would often be “the de facto decision-maker on an extremely important decision. Would there be moments where I’d be in that room thinking: ‘What are you asking me for?’ Of course.”

Really good. . . Nicely paced with characters that are fully formed, I hope there's more to come from Adam' Press Assocation

Green!’ The unmistakable reedy tones of Jonathan Taylor-Cameron, Adam’s pupil master, were drifting imperiously over from the other side of the room. I'm not a huge fan of "celebrity" books, but I do like Rob Rinder on TV and am partial to a legal thriller, especially written by someone who was a Criminal Barrister in his previous occupation. I’d love to read about Adam again, his character is excellent and I’d also enjoy seeing if his lovely mum gets any closer in her quest to get him wed! The Trial is Rob's debut novel and features Adam Green, a trainee barrister working under his pupil master. When he is assigned his first murder case, it is literally the most high profile case around. Tasked with defending the alledged murderer of Grant Cliveden, policeman/spokesman and all round supercop, who is the nations hero after saving the life of the Queen. Adam is determined to prove his clients innocence despite all the evidence against him and his pupil masters obvious feelings about the case.

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With its intricate plot, even pacing, and interesting cast of characters The Trial by criminal barrister and television personality Rob Rinder is a cleverly crafted courtroom drama/ murder mystery with plenty of twists and surprises along the way. The narrative flows well and the author also injects a healthy dose of humor into the narrative. Adam is a very likable protagonist and I loved how the author describes the dynamic he shares with his colleagues, the competitive work environment and his courtroom scenes. I also enjoyed the telephone conversations between Adam and his mother, who frets over her son’s well-being and is intent on finding him a girlfriend. Adam’s personal history and his motivation for helping Jimmy are skillfully woven into the narrative without compromising the pace or suspense. Though a few aspects of the mystery were not entirely hard to predict, this did not detract from the overall reading experience. The ending, though not entirely convincing, did come as a surprise, which is always a good thing! An engrossing read by someone who clearly knows their subject matter well. I didn't see the ending coming!" - Faith Martin

Whilst I accept that life at the Bar involves public school attitudes, stressful working relationships and mixing with the criminal world, I somehow thought Rinder would try and rise above this. It was already gone five, his bail application having been the last hearing of a typically busy day at the mags. Adam was exhausted and thought longingly of the IKEA bed at his grotty bedsit on Holloway Road. But that wasn’t an option, because the party – or networking event – organised at chambers by the chief clerk, Tony Jones, was a three-line whip. And at this rate, Adam was going to be late. Nevertheless, he does, and though I can’t quite say that good ultimately triumphs over evil, Adam gets his answers, though some of them are… improbable, to say the least. Adam opened his mouth to answer, but didn’t get the chance before their conversation was unceremoniously interrupted by Tony. The clerk’s previous fury seemed to have passed, replaced with a fizzing, malevolent excitement.There’s a moment where you realise that what you’re doing has the most profound value to uphold democracy under the rule of law’ … Rinder on ITV’s Judge Rinder. Photograph: ITV Rinder still practises law to the extent that he lectures, offers advice to some organisations and mentors young barristers. But he seems more keen to use his profile to highlight issues he cares about. “The reason I make documentaries is because I’m convinced, especially with social media, that political points of view have moved from the logical to the emotional hemisphere of the brain. That’s exacerbated by echo chambers.” People with an opposing view, he says, “interfere with your sense of identity and safety. So how can you have a conversation with goodwill?” He wants more listening, “to say: ‘I hear you’, and mean it. To say: ‘Let me tell you a story.’” Adam felt his shoulders relax as he followed his friend into the main lobby. Easy-going and good-natured, Rupert had the ability to put anyone at ease. As Stag Court’s newest tenant, he’d become an invaluable source of guidance, particularly as he had been in Adam’s shoes a year ago. It was Rupert who’d warned Adam not to follow chambers’ official advice to ‘ask any question, no matter how silly it sounds’. Rupert’s sage riposte was: ‘Only do that, mate, if you don’t mind the KCs all saying, “He asked me a really stupid question six months ago,” and deciding not to give you tenancy because of it.’ Rupert got a vote on Adam’s tenancy too, but he just wasn’t the type to keep a running tally of follies and faux pas. As such, he was the only person Adam could speak (relatively) freely around without worrying that what he said might count against him.