Death At Friar’s Inn

Dinner at an Inn of Court takes an unusual turn when a corpse falls onto the Benchers’ Table.  A battleaxe and a rubber glove are found at the scene.  A trophy has been stolen.  But who could have wanted the Porter dead – and why?

Aspiring barristers Tom and Becca set out to investigate.  But another murder isn’t far away...

. . .

This is my first novel for adults - a fun murder mystery based around a legal community in London. It draws on my own experiences training as a barrister.

Published in eBook by Matador Books (Troubador Publishing Ltd), 11 March 2022.

…

‘Who doesn't love a good mystery? Whether it's Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie, the best mystery writers present complicated characters and intricate webs of unravelling deception in atmospheric settings. And we love them for it.

Rob Keeley's Death at Friar's Inn checks all those boxes: a murder mystery set at a historic inn, featuring a cast of characters who all have something to hide…

It's funny, well-paced, and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Just about every character fell under suspicion at some point, which is just how I like it…

[W]ould I recommend this as a stimulating, slightly spooky but not too scary mystery? Absolutely.’

- The Wood Between the Worlds blog

‘This was a really fun murder mystery!

There were some very good red herrings in there to distract, which worked very well, although as I’m a suspicious person by nature I did have an inkling as to who the murderer was. However I had absolutely no idea as to the motive! I was very pleasantly surprised when the big reveal came!

Recommended if you enjoy murder mysteries, especially set in a legal setting.’
- Secret Library Book Blog

‘Considering this is only 107 pages long, I'm shocked at just how much was packed into this gripping little crime mystery! It was one of those stories that I found to be immediately appealing with the action and mystery happening from the get go!

There are enough red herrings and twists to throw you off track as a reader as to the identity of the killer and I really loved how well that worked as the more that evidence was piled up, the more you began to doubt even your own conclusions! The reveal shocked me that's for sure!!’
- Karen Mace, blogger.

’This is a standalone eBook and Rob Keeley's first novel for adults - it's perfect for anyone who enjoys a good courtroom drama or a classic whodunnit! Influenced in part by Rob's own experiences training as a barrister in the early 2000s, it clearly demonstrates his love of crime fiction. It's quick-witted and cleverly written, with characters you feel invested in throughout. All in all, a fantastic first foray into adult fiction from Rob Keeley!’
- Publisher's promotional review

‘Nat Webber and Tom Barton were in the finals of the Moots to take place at The Honourable Society of Friar's Inn. For aspiring barristers, moots test the participants' knowledge of several areas of law as well as their advocacy skills: it's a great way of getting invaluable practice and of getting yourself noticed. Tom and Nat are from 'a provincial university' and they're almost looked down on because of this. The other contestants - Becca Decker-Hamilton and Lucia 'Mouse' Dawes have no such disadvantage and Becca has an abundance of confidence. Tom's £30 supermarket suit doesn't make him feel any better.

Nat and Tom were late getting to Friar's Inn Walk and they didn't have gowns and wigs. It was all downhill and it didn't come as a surprise to anyone when they lost. Then there was the dinner and the presentation of the trophy - but a body fell from the minstrel's gallery. Lewes, the porter, had been murdered. He had been going to reveal some secrets after the dinner but it seems that someone has stepped in to stop him before he had the opportunity.

Rob Keeley trained as a barrister in another life so the story is based on very solid foundations. You're going to feel that you're there in the Inns of Court. I loved the description of a Lord Chief Justice:

‘Langbourne's voice sounded as if it had been maturing in a very good wine cellar for several decades.’

You know the man, don't you? Without any description, you have a picture in your mind. Then there's Giles Hyde-Ridley who has done much to advance the careers of many young women in his chambers. Not that this was anything other than altruism, obviously. He took an interest in Becca Decker-Hamilton. So did Tom Barton and I couldn't help but worry that she could eat him for breakfast. Tom's the sort of man whom I often thought of as poor Tom: he's a splendid creation of Keeley's. I worried that he was getting into dangerous situations and he's stayed with me long after I turned the final page.'

The location is perfectly evoked: it felt very real but it's the plot you'd like to know about, isn't it? Well, I had someone pencilled in as the murderer and I was about to complain that the case had been made far too easy for me. Then everything changed and made perfect sense. All the clues were there.

It's a short read: I finished Death at Friar's Inn in one sitting. It would be perfect for a train journey or an indulgent evening at home.’
- Sue Magee, The Bookbag

‘Death at Friar's Inn is a pleasant, generally well-paced read with interesting, likeable characters. I didn't guess the identity of the killer, which I consider a win for the author.’
- yourbookgroup.com

‘I would recommend this if you’re looking for a very quick crime/mystery read, that takes place in Britain, and leaves you with a bit of shock at the end. The book only has 10 chapters; though they are longer chapters, the reading was fast-paced. I had my suspicions of “who’d done it” fairly early on, but I didn’t zero in on my suspect or theory until the final chapters (and even then, my theory of the murderer’s motivations were beyond wrong). I thought the author did a good job at giving us just enough clues to come up with a working theory, while making enough characters suspects to keep us on our toes. Finally, I was NOT expecting a bomb to be dropped (literally and figuratively speaking)!’

- Saadé Iyanna, BookTube. See also her video review below!