The Witness

THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY MURDER. A young black man is arrested for murder. The case against him is strong - a mum and a teacher saw him standing over a body in a park, a knife still in hand. But his up-and-coming barrister Rosa knows how people prejudge, but most of all, she suspects something is amiss. This boy comes from her neighbourhood. From a good family. So she begins to dig... As Rosa discovers secret upon terrible secret, she moves closer to finding a testimony that could win the case - or bring the whole establishment down on her. The Witness is a frightening thriller about a young lawyer who will do anything to set her defendant free. 'This is exactly what it's like to be a criminal barrister at the sharp end of Legal Aid work, and an important corrective to the cliché that all barristers are posh, white and loaded. An authentic, tense legal thriller from an author who knows what she's talking about' HARRIET TYCE 'Her striking debut shows she is expert at using the form to highlight aspects of everyday ethnic minority experience: the drip-drip of countless micro-aggressions, and Rosa's daunting disadvantages when facing white middle-class opponents in court' SUNDAY TIMES 'A gripping insight into the intricacies of the British legal system and the assumptions that are made. The Witness is a compelling story, told by an original new voice, with a breathtaking conclusion' ROBERT GOLD 'A powerful and authentic legal thriller . . . a tense, twisty read that highlights just how frightening the legal and penal system can be when your future depends upon who the jury believes' JO CALLAGHAN 'Fresh, eye-opening, rage-inducing, humane. A coruscating indictment of a legal system held together by Gaffer tape and bias' TAMAR COHEN 'Alexandra Wilson's tense and very twisty crime thriller is a powerful page-turner about the importance of family, the burden of guilt, and the racism that pervades our legal systems. A superb and timely debut!' ASHLEY TATE 'A twisty courtroom thriller that is destined to become a TV drama' I PAPER

Alexandra Wilson is a barrister in England and Wales, and an attorney in New York State. She grew up on the border of East London and Essex and is the eldest of four children. Her mother is white British, her father is Black British and her paternal grandparents were born in Jamaica and came to England as part of the Windrush generation. In 2020, Alexandra published her debut book, In Black and White: A Young Barrister's Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System. Since she was called to the Bar in 2018, she's been a fierce advocate for greater diversity in the legal profession. She's won numerous awards and has gained international recognition for her work. Alexandra studied PPE at the University of Oxford; law at BPP University; and recently graduated from Columbia University in New York, with a second masters degree in law. Since her undergraduate degree she's focused her research on racial disparities in the criminal justice system in both the UK and the U.S. Alexandra has received three prestigious scholarships and fellowships. Alongside her paid legal work, Alexandra helps to facilitate access to justice by providing legal representation for disenfranchised minorities and others on a pro-bono basis.