Skip the scrolling - your perfect summer escape is right here in The Protest by Rob Rinder. 

A glamorous exhibition opening turns deadly when the artist is sprayed with poisoned blue paint. Young barrister Adam Green must defend the prime suspect - but is the case as clear-cut as it seems? A clever courtroom drama meets gripping whodunnit, with fame, secrets and scandal woven through every chapter. 

About the author 

Rob Rinder is a barrister turned broadcaster and Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. Called to the bar in 2001, Rob went on to specialise in cases involving murder, international fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime, while working in media to make law more accessible.

He started his broadcast career with Judge Rinder for ITV, and is now a regular host on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the co-host of BBC Two’s Amazing Hotels series, and recently appeared in a new show about art and travel with Rylan, The Grand Tour, which won the pair a BAFTA. He has also presented and curated notable documentaries on a range of topics including The Holocaust, My Family and Me, which aired to wide critical acclaim. In 2020, Rob was awarded an MBE for his services to Holocaust education and an honorary doctorate for his legal work.

Reviews 

'Hugely enjoyable!' - Steve Cavanagh 

'Ridiculously entertaining' - Tom Hindle 

'I did not want it to end' - Heidi Perks 

Craving your next summer escape between the pages now? We've got you covered! Dive into another sizzling Penguin pick right here... 

WIN with Penguin Books! 

Dreaming of lounging in the sun, lost in a great book? Thanks to our fantastic partnership with Penguin Books, one lucky reader will win a family Jet2holiday to one of six incredible destinations and a Penguin book bundle worth £200! Choose from Morocco, Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Greece or Majorca and take your brand-new holiday reads along for the ride. 

Want in? Enter here! 

Start by diving into a free extract, then grab your copy over on the Penguin Books website! 

Read on for Rob Rinder’s Q&A!   

Tell us about your fabulous new book, The Protest? The Protest is my new legal mystery, this time, set in the glittering art world. When a world-famous artist is killed at the height of his career, it seems obvious who did it – but were there others who wanted him dead? Adam Green once again has the impossible task of defending the suspect, while also trying to balance the busy demands of life as a junior barrister.  

Where do you find your inspiration for your stories? I wanted this series to feel realistic and believable, and to help to educate the reader about the legal system – while also being a great read. The books are inspired by my own career as a barrister, and even some of the real-life cases I was involved in.   

What has been your favourite moment to date as an author? Meeting and hearing from readers - it’s been so rewarding to see the response to The Trial and The Suspect. 

If you could have a conversation with any literary figure, past or present, in their home country, who would it be and why? Oscar Wilde, naturally — preferably in Paris, over absinthe and scandal. He understood human frailty better than any therapist, and dressed better than most barristers. We’d exchange barbs until one of us got quoted, or arrested. 

Where do you go to recharge your batteries? Somewhere that involves actual exertion. I run, box, hike — anything that makes me too breathless to check my emails or argue with strangers online. By the third hill, my internal monologue goes quiet, which frankly is a holiday in itself. 

In what ways do you research destinations for your books, especially places you haven't visited? I go to court physically, spiritually, and occasionally just to people-watch. I return to chambers, art galleries, old libraries anywhere with dust, drama, and good lighting. You can tell a lot about a place by how it smells at 6am and who’s still lying at noon. 

What role do you believe literature plays in encouraging people to explore new places? A great book doesn’t just transport you — it seduces you into wanting to go somewhere, then makes you believe you were born there all along. 

Do you prefer to write about real locations or create entirely fictional settings? Why? Real places dressed in fictional overcoats. Stag Court and Adam’s Chambers may not appear on Google Maps, but anyone who’s ever been to Temple will know exactly where they are. Fiction needs reality to feel true — even if the postcodes are changed to protect the litigious. 

Which 3 people would make up your dream travel companions and why? Leonard Bernstein — for the music, the gossip, and the guarantee that even the airport lounge would have a soundtrack. 

Dorothy Parker — the only woman alive (or dead) who could order a martini, start a feud, and write a haiku simultaneously. 

Jennie Godfrey — clever, clear-eyed, and able to cut through nonsense with one sentence. The kind of person you want in your corner and in your car. 

Tell us something about yourself that we likely don’t know! The more obscure the better! I once attempted a silent retreat. I was politely asked to leave after three hours for “facial expressions unbecoming of stillness.” Apparently raising an eyebrow during meditation is “disruptive.” 

Which profession do you look at and think: “I’d love to be able to do that?” An artisan cheesemaker in the Alps. Solitude, science, a mildly eccentric hat — and no inbox. 

Quick fire round 

Beach Holiday or City Break? City break — sand is for hourglasses, not trousers. 

Hotel or Villa? Villa. Fewer people, more secrets. 

What’s your favourite book, ever? The Gulag Archipelago. A light summer read if you define 'light' as 700 pages of moral reckoning and despair. I do. 

What are you reading right now? The List of Suspicious Things. Brutally elegant. Makes you laugh, and reflect on your childhood. 

What are 3 words to describe yourself? Curious. Impatient. Kind. 

What is the one thing you always travel with? A pen that looks expensive and writes like a dream. 

Bookmark or dog-eared pages? Bookmark. I can tolerate many things. Maiming books isn’t one of them. 

Kindle or paperback while outside? Paperback. If it’s not heavy enough to bruise a handbag, is it even literature? 

Do you like to write while away or is a holiday a holiday? I write. Then I complain I didn’t rest. It’s a process. 

Sample adventurous local food or stick to what you know? Adventurous. If I can’t pronounce it, I’ll probably love it. 

Window or aisle seat? Window. For introspection and judging cloud formations. 

Sun lounger with your name on it or a fun-packed itinerary? Itinerary. I panic when I sit still for too long — it feels like I’m wasting time and my spine. 

Do you pack your books or bulk buy in the airport? Both. Then act surprised when my bag weighs more than a toddler. 

Solo trip or time with the family Family. They tell the truth, bring the snacks, and know when I’m pretending to like the hotel. 

What will be your Summer Read/s? Something involving glamour, guilt, and a murder in a house no one can afford. Preferably with footnotes.