Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from a working-class background to be at the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. Her masterful line of questioning in the courtroom has netted Tessa win after win, freeing men accused of rape and sexual assault. As controversial as it is, this is her job - it's just about the facts and who can game the system.
Working late one night, Tessa falls into a casual relationship with Julian, a coworker, an attorney who comes from an elite, wealthy family. A light-hearted affair, with a man she admires. She begins to wonder if perhaps there is a future for the two of them.
One sickening night, though, Julian makes a choice and Tessa finds herself in a position countless women - one in three - have before her. And she's faced with a gut-wrenching, life-changing decision: will she take the stand to testify about her rape, with the full awareness that the system has not been built to protect her?
Drawn from the internationally acclaimed play, Prima Facie is a propulsive, raw look at the price victims pay for speaking out and the system that sets them up to fail. With breakneck prose and a devastating emotional intensity, this is a novel for our times, by one of Australia's most important writers.
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Perfect for fans of Law and Order and John Grisham, Prima Facie will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions as you explore the life of successful defence lawyer,Tessa, while she navigates her way through the judicial system. Speaking out about a colleague put her job in jeopardy, but will the courts rule in Tessa's favour? - Grace (QBD)
Guest, 03/10/2023
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Tessa is the best, a criminal defence lawyer who pokes holes in even her most straight forward cases.
But now she's a victim of her own assault, a victim whose witness statement has so many holes in it she can feel the win slipping away. Standing in as her own defence, Tessa must fight for her justice in a place she knows won't fight for her.
'A beautiful adaption of the play' - Tani (QBD)
Guest, 03/10/2023
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Prima Facie tells the story of a successful defence barrister who finds herself in the witness box after experiencing a sexual assault. A detailed, raw, and brutal comment on the legal system and its treatment of victims who have experienced trauma. The fact it's a monologue with the inner thought of a Barrister is captivating. If you're looking for a book that makes you think, this is it. - Dakoda (QBD)
Guest, 01/10/2023
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Originally a one woman play and soon to be a film, Prima Facie is now a truly gripping novel. The story follows Tessa, a barrister who represents men accused of sexual assault, but when she herself becomes a victim she struggles with being on the other side. An emotional story about the difficulties navigating a legal system that protects perpetrators over victims. A very worthwhile read. - Eliza (QBD)
Guest, 30/09/2023
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Tessa is a woman who finds power as a lawyer through her extensive knowledge of the law and impressive prowess in court. What will she do when that power is completely undermined by someone else's choice? How will she cope as a victim in the system she dominates? This is a compelling novel which forces us to question how just the justice system is when it comes to those who run it. - Imogen (QBD)
Guest, 30/09/2023
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With the HUGE success of the play back in 2018, the book community welcomes Prima Facie with open arms!
A court room drama, monologue of a woman lawyer fighting to bring her rapist to JUSTICE!!!! - Caisee (QBD)
Guest, 30/09/2023
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Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is the most important book you will read this year! Filled with raw, emotional scenes, relatable and honest characters, and a faced-paced story-line, this brilliant novel is one we will be talking about for a long time to come! - Chelsea (QBD)
Guest, 29/09/2023
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This book will define the unjust in the criminal justice system
Meet Tessa, a young barrister who had worked so hard to be at the top of her game and believes strongly in the legal system, until she finds herself on the other side, the victim.
She knows the odds of success are against her, and she will leave it all on the table as she questions everything she ever believed in. - Abbey (QBD)
Guest, 29/09/2023
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Based on the internationally acclaimed play Prima Facie, this novel follows criminal defence lawyer Tessa. She is well known for freeing men accused of rape and sexual assult but her life takes a tragic turn as a casual dalliance with her coworker lands her in the same position has the women she frquently coss examins. Will she have the courage to speak up in a system designed to blame the victim? - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 26/09/2023
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An eye opening, and at times confronting, look into some of the problems with today's legal system. Tessa is a top criminal defence barrister, defending & freeing men accused of rape & sexual assault. Her view of the "system" changes drastically after she is assaulted. The question is...will she take the stand to testify about her experience, knowing the system has not been built to protect her? - Andrew (QBD)
Guest, 25/09/2023
