Whether he is behind several pints of plonk at Pommeroy’s, or in front of a hostile jury at the Old Bailey, or under the nose of his wife Hilda at à côte de chez Rumpole, Horace Rumpole is irascible, irreverent, and exceedingly loveable. His frisky observations of lives lived on both sides of the law are guaranteed to make you chuckle and renew your faith in cranky curmudgeons.

This selection includes seven short stories: Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt; Rumpole and the Gentle Art of Blackmail; Rumpole and the Dear Departed; Rumpole and the Rotten Apple; Rumpole and the Expert Witness; Rumpole and the Spirit of Christmas; and Rumpole and the Boat People.