Similar to what Fatal Attraction did to potential philandering husbands , this book will deter any lawyer repesenting a client in court when their spouse is in opposition. Indeed it could well put anyone off becoming a barrister. What a nasty bunch.
Leila and her husband Julian are both barristers who end up in opposition when Jack, a bouncer at an exclusive club, is accused of murdering a high court judge. But who is Witness X who has regular POV chapters throughout the book. There are a great bunch of well filled out characters as well as titbits of Witness X and an anonymous female .
One one hand the book is a courtroom battle and on the other hand it describes the history of two very disturbed people who came together at some time in the past. And there is also the mystery of the anonymous female. Plenty to interest everyone.
I am not usually a fan of courtroom dramas but I was absolutely hooked on this as well as trying to work out the identities of the unnamed characters.
And the major twist at the end took me completely by surprise and although it is slightly naughty how it was hidden , this is in keeping with the way in which this character views their life. I should not have finished this book last thing in the evening as I could not get to sleep thinking things over. Really looking forward to more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

This debut completely blindsided me. I went in for the legal drama and stayed for the brilliantly drawn characters and an ending that left me stunned. A judge is found dead in his chambers, and Jack, a law student, is arrested. It looks like an open and shut case, except Jack refuses to say anything about what happened until he is on the stand. From there, the courtroom tension ratchets up in all the right ways.

What makes this book stand out is the added emotional complexity, the prosecuting barrister and the defence lawyer are married, and Jo Murray handles the moral conflict this creates with real finesse. Drawing on her own experience as a barrister, Murray brings an authentic, quietly gripping realism to the courtroom scenes and legal arguments.

The pacing is tight, without being rushed, the character development feels thoughtful and grounded, and I loved the insight into how high profile cases can ripple through personal and professional lives. A standout debut and an absolute must read for anyone who enjoys intelligent legal thrillers with emotional depth and a sharp twist you will not see coming.

This was a fast-paced mystery that had me hooked from the very first page! I love this author’s writing style. The plot was twisty, suspenseful with likeable characters, and a great showdown in the way of a courtroom drama!

I became enthralled with the story and it became a riddle to solve. If you are looking for your next obsession this is definitely it! What a wild ride this book was!

Just when you think you know who did it, here comes the plot twist! The twists and turns are so masterfully woven into this story that you will be blindsided! A must read and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!