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Trial and Retribution IV is one of Robin Blake's novelizations of the long-running British TV series created by Lynda La Plante, with the procedural focus on both the police investigation and the subsequent legal prosecution. The novelization handles the dual-track structure with care, and the Blake-authored prose carries the form well enough.
The murder case in this entry involves a child's death and the kind of community pressure on the investigators that the original TV series specialized in. Blake renders the British police procedure and the Crown Court material with serviceable detail.
Three stars. Recommended to fans of the TV series who want the novelization. New readers should watch the show first; the novelization is a complement rather than a standalone entry point.
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