The Interpreter

Starred review from July 31, 2023
In this stellar debut thriller from playwright Robinson, London-based interpreter Revelle Lee considers the consequences of sabotaging a murder investigation. Revelle, who speaks several languages, has made a career translating for trials and criminal investigations. One afternoon, six-year-old Elliott—whom Revelle is fostering and planning to adopt—is sent home sick from school, and she leaves him in the care of a security guard outside the Old Bailey while she finishes interpreting for a murder trial. When she goes to collect Elliott, she learns the guard has passed him off to Sandra Ramos, a servant of the accused, and Revelle strikes up a conversation with Ramos before taking Elliott home. A short time later, Ramos is murdered, and Revelle is assigned to her case. Invested in taking down the prime suspect, Revelle deliberately mistranslates his alibi to make him look guilty, and he’s arrested. Then she starts receiving threatening messages from someone who claims to know not only what she did, but also a secret from her past that could jeopardize her chances of adopting Elliott. Robinson is marvelous at mining the moral murk of Revelle’s choices, and chapters from the perspective of her stalker ratchet up the suspense. Minnette Walters fans will be delighted. Agent: Katie Greenstreet, Paper Literary.

August 1, 2023
Robinson's thought-provoking debut provides a unique spin on the courtroom drama by focusing on the ethics and morality of a language interpreter. Revelle Lee is foster mother to six-year-old Elliot and a freelance courtroom interpreter in London. Revelle knows she can easily abuse the system by misinterpreting her clients' words, determining whether someone will be found guilty or innocent, a power that renders her the most dangerous person in the courtroom. She wants nothing more than to adopt Elliot, be a good mother, and make up for her past mistakes, but when she receives threatening packages and messages, secrets from her past that might negatively impact her future begin to bubble to the surface. Risking the adoption and her career, Revelle purposely mistranslates a client's alibi and sends spiraling into motion events that threaten her family's safety. Someone knows what she has done and seems determined to make sure she suffers the consequences. By blurring the lines between lies and truth, this book will make readers question whether justice is served.

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April 18, 2023
Revelle Lee is a court interpreter in London. She spends her days translating the words of victims, criminals and witnesses. It’s her job to inhabit them, wear their skin and communicate their experiences without embellishment. She is not supposed to have an opinion on the cases she works on and she is not supposed to get emotionally involved. But when she believes she’s spotted a lie, a lie that will see a guilty man walk free, she decides to twist her translation. The crime thriller genre is full of stories told through the eyes of detectives, so debut author Brooke Robinson’s decision to explore the perspective of a court interpreter is a refreshing and interesting take. Revelle is an absorbing character. On top of the complexities in her professional life, she is hoping to adopt six-year-old Elliott. She is determined to provide him with a stable, loving childhood­­—everything her own childhood was not. When someone learns about Revelle’s mistranslation, her future as an interpreter and as a mother to Elliott are on the line. This is a gripping thriller that explores the intricacies of language and the tension between truth and justice. It would be an excellent book-club pick and will appeal to readers of Alex Michaelides, A J Finn and Sarah Vaughan.