Back in Session

Resident judge Charlie Walden is back, to preside over five new cases from the Bermondsey Crown Court. Retired resident judge Peter Murphy takes us back to the world of criminal trials in South London, with Charlie keeping the peace between his fellow judges--Marjorie, "Legless" and Hubert--while fighting off attacks of the Grey Smoothies, the civil servants who seem intent on reducing the court's dwindling resources to vanishing point in the name of "business cases" and "value for money." Fortunately, he has Jeanie and Elsie's lattes and ham and cheese baps, and newspaper vendor George's witty banter, to sustain him in the mornings; and in the evenings, the Delights of the Raj, or La Bella Napoli, to enjoy with the Reverend Mrs. Walden.