Law and Disorder

Tim Kevan's first novel was Law and Disorder (Bloomsbury) (originally called BabyBarista and the Art of War) . It is based on the BabyBarista Blog which previously appeared on The Times for three years and is now with The Guardian. For reviews of the book, see below and to order a copy on amazon click here. For details of his other writing, click here.

REVIEWS

"With every turn of the page, my eyebrows moved slightly further up my forehead. There was me, assuming the junior bar was crammed with the serious and the high-minded, where the only trace of ambition is the politest nudge ... BabyBarista shows the eagles and eaglets with their talons out and their feathers up. It is a wonderful, racing read - well-drawn, smartly plotted and laugh out loud - and we all just have to pray that none of it is true. You'll never look at a young lawyer in the same way again." Jeremy Vine, broadcaster and journalist

Newspapers and magazines

"...a cross between The Talented Mr Ripley, Rumpole and Bridget Jones's Diary...The plot burns up the pages and the characters that range within are all highly observed and coloured with Kevan's acerbic wit...Ultimately, the book is a gallop of a read. It is a clever legal romp, a comedy mixed with ruminations about life, liberally peppered with black humour and layered in farce." Kirsty Brimelow, The Times, 6/8/2009

"This is "The Legal Apprentice", a high-concept TV show disguised as a smart book" with "relentlessly racy, rumbustiously Rumpolean humour... [BabyBarista] comes across as a spirited student of Sun-Tzu, Machiavelli and The Artful Dodger." Iain Finlayson, The Times, Books, 24/8/2009

"For all those aspiring advocates who believe they are entering a glamorous or even principled profession, this book is essential reading." Robert Verkaik, The Independent newspaper, 4/9/2009

"If this is a fictional account it is genius" The Lawyer Magazine (about the blog)

"Tim Kevan's blistering romp through chambers depicts a world of vanity, pomposity and recklessness...In-ever more wicked and devilishly funny ways...BabyBarista tumbles down the slippery slope from eager competitiveness to underhand racketeering faster than you can say: "Objection your honour."" Steven MacKenzie, The Big Issue (Scotland) 6/8/2009 and (Wales) 10/8/09

"So what's so funny about being a barrister? The answer is here, in Tim Kevan's hilarious account of the life of the fight for supremacy among pupil barristers in a London chambers...his characters...are all deliciously ghastly." Sarah Pitt, Western Morning News, 1/8/2009

"fascinating, subversive and pretty much impossible to put down" Edinburgh Evening News, 22/8/09

"BabyBarista is part of a long-standing tradition of legal fiction, and it is inevitable that comparisons will be drawn with Rumpole...BabyBarista has certainly earned the right to stand there alongside Rumpole in the pantheon of legal fiction. Genuinely funny, BabyBarista deserves to become compulsory reading for prospective pupils and pupilmasters alike." Thom Dyke, Counsel Magazine, September 2009

"Written in a lively and engaging style, BabyBarista has more than enough laughs to keep the reader on the right side of the dubious ethical path plotted by the central protagonist...Whilst Kevan may not present life at the Bar in the rosiest light, he clearly has a genuine affection for the profession." Legal Week, 4/8/2009

"Possibly the funniest blog-turned-book to hit the shelves this year" The Northern Echo, 29/8/09 and repeated in Western Daily Press 3/10/09

"very funny...a well-rounded and sharply observed comedy" Richard Beasley, author of 'Hell Has Harbour Views' in 'Bar News', New South Wales Bar Association, Summer 2009/2010

"[Kevan] gets the details right and provides an authentic flavour of chambers life, with its combination of abstruse drudgery and camp theatricals, with its rituals, and heirachies and often petty absurdities." Weekly Law Reports, Student Edition Autumn/Christmas 2009

"the novel recounts the hilarious upward struggle of a pupil barrister...a good yarn..." Devon Life, 12/09

"In the great tradition of A P Herbert and John Mortimer (barristers - practising or otherwise - blessed with a gifted pen) comes Tim Kevan" Magdalene College, Cambridge University's 'Magdalene Matters' Magazine

"Tim Kevan - AKA Times Online legal blogger BabyBarista - is the lawyer-turned-writer of the moment." Alex Aldridge, Legal Week, 2/7/09

"Likely to appeal to Geraint Anderson's Cityboy market." The Bookseller's top title for Commercial Fiction, 1/5/2009

"...takes a wickedly funny look at the absurdities and dirty tricks of the legal profession..." The Bookseller's Choice for August, 8/5/2009

Writers/celebrities

"If you thought This Life, North Square or Sydney Carton gave barristers a bad name, you ain't seen nothing yet. Baby Barista is a worm's-eye view of the profession, and the angle is far from flattering. It is also sharp, acerbic, and almost illegally funny. There's the usual disclaimer about it being a work of fiction, but if you believe that, you should be a juror." Boris Starling, author of Messiah, Storm, Vodka and Visibility

"Tim Kevan is a masterful manipulator" David Wolstencroft, creator of BAFTA-winning TV series Spooks and author of Good News, Bad News and Contact Zero

"If you wanted reassurance that the gentlemen and ladies of the Bar were exactly that .. then prepare for a highly entertaining disappointment. Tim Kevan's Babybarista is hardly a hero .. but he's very clever, very funny, and his double dealing antics had me gripped. They also made me sincerely hope I never need the services of a junior barrister." Katie Derham, Newsreader and broadcaster.

"BabyBarista provides an entertaining and highly amusing insight into the mysterious world of wigs and gowns. Right from the start the gloves are off and the fight for tenancy is no less dramatic than a top class boxing match. It's a terrific read which makes you both laugh and keep the pages turning. It also confirms what I've always suspected - that the courtroom is not so different from the boxing ring." Barry McGuigan MBE, former World Featherweight Boxing Champion

"BabyBarista is a classic British comedy set in a world of vanity, egos and cut-throat ambition that puts even the acting profession into the shade. It's sassy, sexy and hilariously funny." Actress Denise Welch of Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Loose Women

"Tim Kevan gets the whole legal eagle (and especially eaglet) scene bang to rights. His Machiavellian 'Chambers' makes many an opium den and sado-masochistic brothel look like a vicars' tea party. Half-Darwinian struggle for power, half-dangerous liaisons - beyond any reasonable doubt fast, funny, and furious". Andy Martin, author of Stealing the Wave.

"In Baby Barista, author Tim Kevan has deployed extreme wit to commit a libelous assault on the body of English legal practice. Clearly, his only defenses are truth and the redeeming social value of very-well-honed satire." Thomas Farber, author of Face of the Deep

Websites and blogs

"hilariously funny...a tale of ambition and greed, all narrated in a humorous vein that is well mildly put- British Humour at its Pristine Best. Highly, highly recommended." Leading U.S. Book review website, Rebecca's Reads

"If you are looking for a light hearted entertaining holiday read, then you may wish to purchase a copy of Tim Kevan's book BabyBarister and the Art of War...Tim follows in a tradition of barristers writing legal comedy including Henry Cecil, Clive Coleman and the great John Mortimer and his famous Rumpole of the Bailey series." The General Council of the Bar

"Tim Kevan...has created a marvellously mendacious manipulating monster for the 21st Century in the form of BabyBarista who plots, lies, and manipulates his way through the twelve months of pupillage to try and defeat TopFirst, TheWorrier, BusyBody and late entrant ThirdSix to gain the coveted tenancy...BabyBarista is a Hogarthian romp, a parody, a satire with edge and I have no hesitation in finding for Tim Kevan and recommending it to you. Tim Kevan...has done the business...and that...is my legion d'honneur...my highest accolade.. and it made me laugh...out loud..." Leading blogger Charon QC

"The Art of War is a hilarious parody of the profession and an engaging reprise of all the old cliches about us barristers...The Art of War was a side-splitting read that Geeklawyer couldn't put down: it gets his A+ recommendation...Tim Kevan, the recently outed ex-anonymous barrister behind BabyB, deserves a pat on the back for a great first novel. Geeklawyer hopes the second will arrive soon." Leading blogger Geeklawyer

"This is a book worth reading; it's entertaining and insightful...well worth your time...I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a copy for a friend rather than part with my own. I can't think of higher praise to offer than that. Kevan is a witty and observant writer, skills he's honed at his formerly-anonymous blog. While many other blogs have had decidedly mixed results in translating what worked online into dead-tree success, Kevan shows a keen appreciation of his online audience's tastes. He keeps his pacing brisk without being too choppy; he adds to the roles played by secondary and incidental characters without losing focus on BabyBarista and his circle of friends and rivals; he offers insight into the arcane and insular world of the barrister without playing-down dark satire...[I] greatly enjoyed BabyBarista and The Art of War and recommend[] it highly" Infamy or Praise, top American blog written by Colin Samuels

"I was expecting a fun story...and I got it...[BabyBarista] models his behavior after the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu (plus tactics from the movie Wall Street, with a dash of the mischief and romance of Ferris Bueller)...Kevan gives the major figures enough depth to allow us to sympathize with some, loathe others (while also seeing their humanity), and recognize many of them from our own lives."David Giacalone at leading U.S. blog Overlaywered.com

"...with...Machiavellian intrigues bursting out of every page. It is an incredibly funny satire of life as a pupil barrister...Tim Kevan's view of the Bar is far more worldly than that of John Mortimer or Caro Fraser. This is no whimsical portrayal of a collection of eccentric individuals. Rather, the author describes a world of individuals motivated by ambition and money living side-by-side with the more traditional, honourable barrister most frequently seen in fiction. This book deserves to be on every bookseller's Top 10 list - it is screamingly funny, bitterly satirical and hugely informative about the problems of life during pupillage, told by a man with great love for, and knowledge of, his profession." Barrister Daniel Barnett

"...we are regularly treated to brief interludes that have little or nothing to do with the main story, but are amongst the most amusing parts of the book. I hesitate to use the cliche, but some of these are genuinely laugh-out-loud...So, what is one to make of BabyBarista and The Art of War? It is obviously well thought-out and cleverly written, but was it Kevan's intention to 'blow the lid' on the profession? I think not...The aim is unabashed amusement, the main players are intentionally caricatures and the plot lines are unashamedly exaggerated. The result is pure comedy: no more, no less. Did I enjoy reading the book? You bet I did, and any lawyer who doesn't is taking themselves too seriously. But this book is not just for lawyers - I would recommend it to anyone seeking an entertaining read this summer." John Bolch, Family Lore blog

"I have long been a fan of the blog describing its style elsewhere as Henry Cecil on speed...[the book is a] hugely enjoyable debunking of the world of the Bar. But is Baby Barista really as Machiavellian as he is made out to be? Most of his victims are odious and richly deserve what they get. He has far too soft a spot for OldRuin...He loves his mother despite her embarrassing appearance at the chambers' tea party bearing cake...And then there is the fragrant Claire for whom he is clearly destined so long as she doesn't find out the full extent of his shenanigans. If there is a moral to this amoral story perhaps it is that inside every barrister is a nice person trying to get out?" Family Law Week blog

"Barrister-turned-writer Kevan seems to have secured more plaudits than a Nobel prize winner with his first novel, a romp through London's Inns of Court. Baby Barista is fast, furious and effervescent, a Bucks Fizz-meets-Machiavelli of a book." Swordplay blog, 11/12/09

"I really enjoyed BabyBarista...Think of a legal Belle Du Jour, without the sex, but with wigs...a well crafted, highly enjoyable chambers based comedy." CaseCheck

"I was very impressed with the author and his style of writing, as it was imaginative and very captivating" University of Kent's 'The Argument', 3/12/09

"Tim Kevan...has now branched out into a extremely funny exposure of what it is like to be a pupil barrister...The book...is very funny...I thoroughly enjoyed it...If you need a little light reading for the summer, or alternatively a present for your mother or other dear one who is not quite sure what you do, then go for it." Delia Venables, legal information website

"...a fine book...which I have had the great good fortune to read before it hits the shelves in August and found to be a fine and ROLLOCKING yarn related to Baby B's Quest for Tenancy; it is a book which I urge you, Dear BlogWatchers, in the strongest possible terms, to place at the top of your Summer Reading List. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down once you've started!!!" Law Minx blog

"The book is a "rollicking read" and it to my mind exceeds the hype on the cover. Personally I thought the story a promising hybrid between the great works of John Mortimer (Rumpole) infused with a feel of James Herriot. When finished I wanted to read the next instalment and I hope one arrives darn soon!...By the first chapter I was hooked and a few chapters in chuckling out loud expecially where some of the exchanges between the senior barristers and the Judges took place...Its a veritable bargin and worth every penny. I hope the author reads this and whats more some television producer does too because I could see this as a TV program I really could." Lee McIlwaine, Lee Solicitors blog

"It's a thoroughly amusing read and should be required reading for anyone contemplating a career at the Bar...The characters are all vividly drawn and credible; the situations the characters find themselves in all give a real flavour of litigation from the side of the practitioner. There's plenty to amuse both lawyers and non-lawyers alike...a good holiday read..." blogger Michael Scutt, partner, Dale Langley & Co solicitors