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!

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC of this via NetGalley! That has not influenced my review and all opinions are my own.

Wow wow wow!!! This book is gripping, entertaining and mind bending. I love a thriller, and with this being dubbed as similar to The Silent Patient, I went into this with high expectations but this novel absolutely blew me out of the water.

Court room thrillers are incredibly hard to write; there are so many bits and pieces and medical/law jargon that we can sometimes have difficulty understanding but this was incredibly easy to read and digest. It takes the reader into the court room, and every time the page is turned we have more surprises and twists. There is a huuuuge plot twist in this book that I absolutely did not expect. This book gave me emotional whiplash (in a great way). I thought I had it figured out but then it changed direction rapidly.

It’s hard to write a spoiler free review for this book but I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved this book. I was so excited to finish it because I felt addicted, but now that I have finished it I feel like there’s a hole inside my soul!

The author does a really good job at making us feel emotions through different characters. I loved Jack and wanted to protect him with my life, and I absolutely despised Julian. The author has a great way of really dragging you into this story and making you feel like you’re living it as opposed to just reading it.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, and described it to my partner as being ‘a book that has baffled me and amazed me at the same time’. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes mystery, crime thrillers, court rooms/law, and just generally unhinged and twisty books!

Rating: 5/5 (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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.

Incredibly well written, this book is not what it seems until it is done. A married couple, both barristers find themselves on different sides of the courtroom in a book full of gross ego’s and complex riddles

Unputdownable.

This was an impressive debut by an author with a deep knowledge of the legal system.

The plot was satisfactorily complex with some twists and turns that truly shocked and surprised me.

The characters were well drawn and the book truly sizzled its way to its conclusion- another surprise there too!

All in all a book to relish and savour.

This is very, very good, and thrilled to have been reading it in July 2025, months before its release. Leila Reynolds is undertaking her first murder case as a barrister against a titan in the legal field. Who happens to be her husband and whom she met while as a legal pupil. Jack Millman, the defendant, only wants Leila as his brief, but is not exactly being co-operative. With her husband seeing the case as an easy win, Leila thinks differently: she knows she has to win over the jury, somehow. Will she be able to pull something from her sleeve to persuade them that Jack isn’t responsible for the murder of a well-respected judge? It is so cleverly written, beautifully plotted, the characterisation is excellent.

I completed this book in under 24 hours and found it to be a captivating experience. The courtroom drama was particularly engaging, and the legal concepts were presented in a very accessible manner.
The end left me so surprised, proper open-mouth moment! If you have also read this book, I would be interested in your perspective.
Beyond its addictive and fast-paced nature, the narrative effectively highlights the multifaceted nature of truth and how hard it is to determine if someone is guilty or not.

Wow this was a stunning courtroom / psychological mystery with a plot twist towards the end that knocked my socks off! The whole way the story was told and unravelled was very original and clever, and it also dealt with some quite disturbing themes of controlling, abusive behaviour as well as sexism in the workplace and some outdated practices in the legal industry – such as the elevated King’s Counsel barristers and pupilmaster relationships.

We meet Leila Reynolds, a lawyer in her 30s living in Durham, who has fought her way to where she is through determination and hard work. Now, she’s been personally requested by Jack Millman to defend him when he is accused of murdering high profile Judge Anton Smythe. There are two problems. One, Jack won’t tell her what really happened. And two, the prosecuting lawyer is Leila’s much more experienced lawyer husband, Julian.

Julian – like her – is determined to win the case. And he is more concerned about his reputation than his relationship with his wife and former pupil. His true colours come roaring to life. And soon Leila has another problem - messages from someone in her past threaten to reveal something she wants to keep hidden.

Most intriguing of all, are the chapters written by Witness X, who knows exactly what happened on the night Judge Smythe was killed.

This was so fiendishly well-written, clever and twisty beyond twisty! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, everything would be turned on its head once more!

An absolutely cracking novel. A legal crime drama with a massive twist. I certainly didn't see it coming. It's made up of very toxic people I wouldn't want to mix with but it's totally addictive. Do I think she is guilty, well you'll have to read and find out. All I'll say is that I understand a lot of it .