The Retainer

The Retainer is an intriguing tale of betrayal, blackmail and lust set in 1970s London when life was more innocent - or was it?

It’s 1972 and Geoff Wilkinson, a Watford solicitor, leads a mundane life. Still living with his mother and working for a measly wage he feels trapped in a life that he never wanted to lead, that is until Jack Shepherd walked into his office. Shepherd, a rogue, a pro of the criminal underworld, offers Geoff £1000 to become his retainer. In Shepherd he sees a glimpse of the freedom he craves which is compacted when he runs across his childhood friend, Tom, a pot dealing hippy that resides on a barge. Geoff finds himself questioning his life. Feeling unsettled and confused, he receives a 2am phone call and is summoned to Aylesbury police station on Jack Shepherd’s behalf.
“He was impressed by the unruffled calm of the man and his apparent mastery of the situation. A professional indeed.”
Geoff suddenly finds himself not only trapped in his profession, but by Jack Shepherd. Guilty of taking dirty money and lying to the police, Geoff finds his life and business now at the mercy of Jack Shepherd. Geoff finds himself sliding deeper and deeper into the darkness of the criminal underworld.
“Now thanks to his own stupidity, he had slipped into a worse position of not just familiarity but downright criminality.”
Can Geoff Wilkinson, a man who has spent his career upholding the law and looking down on those of his profession that fall into the criminal classes, survive the trap that his own naivety and rash actions have created for himself?