A Rumpole Christmas

In January 2009, the literary world lost a shining star when English barrister and author John Mortimer passed away. He left behind a legacy of courtroom fiction featuring Horace Rumpole, the self-described "Old Bailey Hack" whose career defending criminals was chronicled not only in novels and short stories, but also in radio and television episodes in England and the United States. Rumpole was a staunch believer in the presumption of innocence, the "Golden Thread" that runs through Anglo-American law. He fought for his clients, even when all evidence pointed to guilt. Mortimer based many Rumpole tales on actual cases and often placed the barrister in ongoing quarrels of contemporary legal issues. A RUMPOLE CHRISTMAS finds Horace in a series of vignettes centered on holiday themes. Horace himself is rarely seized by the Christmas spirit. One ponders that he might be inclined to share a glass of his favorite wine, Chateau Thames Embankment, with Ebenezer Scrooge, who shares (albeit for different reasons) Rumpole's disdain for Christmas cheer. It is not that Horace is mean; rather, he dislikes the forced merriment of the holiday season. Rumpole is a man of fierce independence who enjoys such things as inexpensive wine and cigars, an unhealthy diet, and baiting judges at the Old Bailey. Thus, the joy of the holiday season, whether actual or obligatory, is not for Horace. In that spirit, the stories in this collection have a common structure. The joys of reading A RUMPOLE CHRISTMAS are twofold: the stories are humorous, entertaining and touch upon important legal issues, and they feature the traditional Rumpole characters who work in his chambers and in the Old Bailey. In "Rumpole and Father Christmas," Claude Erskine-Brown and his wife Phyllida, who has become a judge, organize a gathering for the children of the members of chambers. One of Horace's former acquaintances makes an appearance with some unforeseen consequences. "Rumpole's Slimmed-Down Christmas" finds Horace once again on a merry adventure organized by wife Hilda, affectionately referred to as "She Who Must Be Obeyed." Mrs. Rumpole has decided that the holiday is the perfect time for a visit to a health farm. Horace would as soon be a prosecutor as a resident of such an establishment. Hilda, unlike any Old Bailey Judge, will never allow Rumpole the final say. When murder occurs during their visit, Horace becomes both an attorney and investigator. "Rumpole and the Christmas Break" is the quintessential Mortimer story. Horace's client is a suspected terrorist. Several attorneys have declined to represent Hussein Khan, who is charged with the murder of Professor Honoria Glossop. Khan is alleged to have killed the professor for her views against supporters of Islam who preach violence. In Mortimer's hands, the theme of this story raises important and thoughtful questions about how freedom-loving societies face attacks on their dearly-held freedoms. In the world of courtroom fiction, H

The passing of an esteemed author is always sad but I felt a special loss earlier this year upon hearing of the death of Sir John Mortimer. His Rumpole stories have brought me so much pleasure, and when I learned he was gone I wished I'd just sat down and written a good old-fashioned fan letter to let him know what enjoyment his work had brought. This is surely belated but nonetheless sincere when I say that, for me, Mortimer's Rumpole is a legendary English detective, deserving a place by Sherlock Holmes and Jeeves. What a surprise to find A RUMPOLE CHRISTMAS, a collection of five Rumpole holiday stories now published in book form. We find the ever amusing, always insightful Horace Rumpole coming across all manner of skullduggery to relieve him of the usual yuletide tedium when he and his wife, Hilda, aka "She who must be obeyed" enjoy turkey, plum pudding and "a bottle or two of Pomeroy's Chateau Thames Embankment" following the exchange of a tie for him and a "ritual bottle of lavender water" for her. For starters there's a rather shifty eyed although plump Santa at Equity Court's Christmas party. This is followed by "Rumpole's Slimmed Down Christmas," a story in which Hilda presents him with a surprise gift - reservations for a stay at Minchingham Hall, a health farm where the food leaves much to be desired. For supper the main and only course "was a small portion of steamed spinach and a little diced carrot, enough, perhaps, to satisfy a small rodent but quite inadequate for a human." On the bright side, there was what appeared to be a murder in a steam room. And so it goes. As Hilda says crime does seem to follow Rumpole as does thoroughly enjoyable reading for us. - Enjoy! - Gail Cooke

The death early this year of John Mortimer, creator of the Rumpole stories, seemingly would have denied me one of the great pleasures of the holiday season--sitting down by the fire with the latest collection of Rumpole stories to savor. I found Mortimer's Rumpole stories to be among the most enjoyable and humorous pieces I had ever read (his satirical gifts were unmatched)--and I read them all going back many years. The only greater pleasure one could derive from Sir John was to hear him speaking in person, as I did in Washington a number of years ago. Not to worry, fellow Rumpole fans, there is one last collection available made up of Christmas-related stories. This collection consists of 5 short stories never before published in book form, the stories having appeared between 1997 and 2006 in various British publications. Of the stories, one is very short (the initial "Rumpole and Father Christmas"), two are fairly long (over 30 pages each), and the remaining stories fall in between. All the familiar elements of the Rumpole literature are present here. Wife Hilda forcing Rumpole to a "fat farm" for the holidays; continual run-ins (both official and social) with several of the "dear old darling" judges of which Rumpole is so fond; several challenging murders to untangle; some excellent Rumpole in court scenes; and forced visits again engineered by Hilda to various of her old school friends in remote and freezing locales to spend the holidays. I found the writing as crisp and well-constructed as other Rumpole stories. I was surprised, though, that the stories had relatively little to do with Christmas, which is the theme of the collection. You can whip through these last stories pretty quickly--I tried to ration myself and was not always successful. As much as one enjoys these further glimpses of Horace Rumpole at work and play, as I drew toward the end of the collection I experienced some sadness since no more stories (as far as we know) will be forthcoming. But there is plenty of enjoyment and fun to be had in these final 161 pages--but I do wish there could be more!

Classic, wonderful Rumpole. Reading the stories was bittersweet, knowing that there are no more to come. If you love Rumpole, don't miss this book.

I was saddened when Leo McKern died in 2002. I cannot think of Rumpole of the Bailey without envisioning McKern. But John Mortimer was still alive and still creating terrific Rumpole books and stories. That ended in January 2009 with Mortimer's death. My sadness was relieved somewhat when I came upon this group of stories that I had not read before. Previously published in the English press these Christmas-themed stories made for a great early holiday gift, one that I shall keep for myself. You won't find anything new in these stories. Rumpole does what he does best: he harrumphs here and there at Judges who seem not to understand the concept of innocent until proven guilty; he continues to find solace from the rigors of life as a barrister with a glass (or two or three) of his Pommeroy's Chateau Thames Embankment; and his wife Hilda continues to play the role of `she who must be obeyed'. But it seems to me that it is this very continuity that serves to make a Rumpole story the best sort of comfort food. Each story contains the sort of Rumpole remark that reminds me why I love reading them. Behind the gruff exterior and the somewhat shabby appearance beats the heart of someone fiercely devoted to the concepts of law and equity that took him (and Mortimer) to the profession in the first place. The bottom line for me is that I loved the stories not because they were particularly different or unusual or revealed something new about the characters known to all Rumpole fans. No, I loved the stories because they were just what I expected them to be. And for that I thank the esteemed Rumpole and the learned Mr. Mortimer. L. Fleisig