I have behind me another meeting with the lawyer Mikael Brenne from the book "In one's own right" by Chris Tvedt.

The story starts a year after the affairs from "Justified doubt". Mikael Brenne, now a well-known and recognised attorney, takes on the defence of a murder suspect. It seems that this case is impossible to win. At the dock sits a strange man charged with raping, mutilating and brutally murdering a teenage girl. His guilt is almost without question, but a coincidence means that the public is surprised by the judge's sentence. The lawyer feels that he will regret his decision to take the case, and all this may be a difficult point on his career path.

After around hundred pages the case is closed, leaving however more questions than answers. Feeling cheated, Mikael's growing concern leads him to commit further actions that far exceed the standard activities of a lawyer. Once again his sometimes thoughtless behaviour leads him into trouble and endangers his close relatives and friends. His next client is surprisingly closely connected to his former case.

"In one's own right", similar to the previous volume, is a very good read. Despite being a criminal story taking place in court, nobody can be bored. Fast flowing action, coincidences, witnesses appearing at the least expected moment mean that right until the end nobody knows whether the killer is the gardener or the butler. The balance between courtroom hearings and criminal action is perfectly worked out.

It is the main hero that distinguishes this Scandinavian criminal story from others. For me this aspect is both a strength and weakness of the book. We would probably all like all lawyers to have the same doubts and moral dilemmas when defending clients with dubious reputations. We would like them to reach out for the truth and put at stake their professional careers by making difficult choices. On the other hand, I have less and less sympathy for Mikael as a person. His depressive personality and never-ending headache make him unlikeable and bitter. He is not able to enjoy anything. You would think he should get a new job when neither his salary nor the work gives him satisfaction. He has established social rank, a good job, money and a beloved woman at his side. It would seem that a human being requires no more to be happy. Unfortunately, you could say everything about Mikael except that he is happy. Even the weather seems to adapt itself to his mood. On every page it is snowing, raining or pouring down. In between you may observe windstorms and blizzards. The sunbeams are as rare as Mikael's smiles. In the long term it is very exhausting. A little touch of humour or the occasional joke would not destroy this story, and the gloomy mood of the attorney doesn't bode well for the future.

Despite all of the above, I hope to read more books from the Mikael Brenne series. I am waiting for the next good story for a summer evening or autumn afternoon with a cup of hot tea.

I do recommend it.