And Is There Honey Still For Tea?

The Third Ben Schroeder Novel

1965. The British Establishment is reeling after a series of defections and acts of treachery by high- ranking intelligence officers.

When Francis Hollander, an American academic, accuses Sir James Digby QC, a baronet and leader of the Bar, of being a Soviet spy, Digby retains Ben Schroeder and his head of Chambers to represent him.

At first, it seems to be a simple case of libel, but as evidence starts to emerge of Digby's association with the Cambridge spies, and as MI6 becomes involved, Ben can no longer be sure that he can save Digby from prosecution and ruin.

To obtain vital evidence, Ben will have to put his career at risk. But will it be enough?

'Gripping' Jo Hesslewood, Promoting Crime Fiction

'Intelligent' Marcel Berlins, Times

• Third story in the Ben Schroeder legal thriller series following A Higher Duty and A Matter for the Jury
• The legal world meets the world of espionage in this thrilling novel, for fans of John le Carré, Ian Fleming, John Buchan and Graham Greene
• Peter Murphy's extensive legal experience adds authenticity to his writing
• Interest in workings of British justice system increasing thanks to popularity of recent books such as The Secret Barrister which has earned £1.1M since publication and was the second highest selling autobiography in 2018, behind Michelle Obama

"And Is There Honey Still For Tea?" was written by Peter Murphy.

Born in 1946, Peter Murphy graduated from Cambridge University and pursued a career in the law in England, the United States and The Hague. He practised as a barrister in London for a decade, then took up a professorship at a law school in Texas, a position he held for more than twenty years. Towards the end of that period he returned to Europe as counsel at the Yugoslavian War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague for almost a decade. In 2007 he returned to England to take up an appointment as a judge of the Crown Court. He retired as Resident Judge and Honorary Recorder of Peterborough in 2015.

Peter started writing fiction more than twenty years ago, but following his retirement from the bench he became a full-time author, often drawing on the many experiences of his former career. Two political thrillers about the American presidency: Removal and Test of Resolve were followed by eight legal thrillers in the Ben Schroeder series about a barrister practising in London in the 1960s and 1970s. Alongside those he also penned the light-hearted series of short story collections featuring Judge Walden of Bermondsey in the ‘Rumpole' tradition, based in part on his own experiences as a lawyer and judge, and recently published A Statue for Jacob, based on the true story of Jacob de Haven.

Peter passed away in July 2022.

Yes, "And Is There Honey Still For Tea?" is part of the "A Ben Schroeder Legal Thriller" series. It's book 3 in the series.