The Bellamy Trial

Originally published in 1927, Frances Noyes Hart's The Bellamy Trial is one of the first legal thrillers. While it shows the prejudices and attitudes (all women are girls, unless they are elderly, for example) of the time, the central plot and premise hold up well. There are blustering lawyers, surprise witnesses, reversals, betting on the jury's verdict, and all the trimmings. Readers who like to take a dip into the early works of a genre will get a kick out of this fast read... (Annie)