Based on the Olivier and Tony Award-winning play of the same name, Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie follows Tessa Ensler, a young barrister fighting to bring her rapist to justice.

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This is a story that provokes strong emotional reactions from the outset due to its subject matter. As Miller repeatedly reminds the reader, one in three women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Miller's writing is charged, presenting a compelling argument for change. She demonstrates considerable knowledge of the criminal justice system and the specific challenges it poses for victims of sexual offences. For that alone, and for the way the story effectively answers (and hopefully silences) the “Why didn’t you report it?” brigade, Prima Facie is well worth reading - there can never be too many intelligent and empathetic counter-arguments to misogyny and sexual violence. 

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However, despite its strength as a conversation starter, the novel suffers from uneven pacing, spending a disproportionate amount of time on the 'before', although I rather suspect this is a result of expanding the story from a screenplay to a novel.

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Additionally, Tessa’s soapbox moment towards the end feels contrived and unrealisitic in a courtroom setting. While undoubtedly powerful in the context of a one-woman play, in novel form, it lacks subtlety and feels heavy-handed, almost as if Miller feared the reader wouldn’t grasp the failings of the criminal justice system without being hit over the head with them. 

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Overall, this is a solid 3 star read, which I have bumped up to 4 stars thanks to Jodie Comer’s fantastic narration in the audiobook version I listened to and the strength of Miller’s argument, if not always its execution.

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