For anyone looking for a hard hitting, twisty legal thriller - look no further.

This was a really impressive novel from Alexandra Wilson which tells the story of Emmett, a young mixed-race boy arrested and charged with the murder of a white man in a local park.

Emmett maintains his innocence however admits he was there in the park, and can offer no explanation as to why.

Being a young mixed race woman, his barrister, Rosa, is determined to ensure a not guilty verdict however with a client unwilling to divulge any information, she is really up against it.

As well as being a sharp legal thriller, there is a clear racial message coming through this book which is incredibly powerful. I definitely found myself frustrated with Emmett's continued defiant silence in the face of life imprisonment however I think that speaks more to my own ignorance of the issues facing young men of colour.

A really impressive novel and I would really enjoy seeing this turned into a series featuring Rosa as she navigates the legal system.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Not usually my genre,but having read a couple of really good books by Lia Middleton I really fancied the premise of this one and another delve into the legal world. Slow to start as we get to grips with the characters and Rosa’s background. I liked the character of Rosa but I did find Nana a complete distraction and skimmed most of the scenes with her as I struggled with the way the author had written her speech. The tension and pace really starts to ramp up once the court case gets going and the latter part of the book had me on the edge of my seat. Good twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. This could develop quite nicely into a series of books. A well written, thought out debut

Personal politics are cleverly blended into this astute legal thriller that reflects the knowledge of an insider to the justice system - one who is familiar with how often real justice is denied to those who are disadvantaged in some way because of the beliefs and prejudices we all carry within ourselves.

Rosa's client is a young black man who has been arrested for murder, a charge supported by witness statements that put him standing over the body with a knife in his hands.

But as Tamir Rice's case so tragically proved, things are often not as they seem and witnesses can be reluctant or unreliable. Rosa suspects that this might be the case here. The problem is, her digging into the matter is likely to lead to - in the words of a cultural proverb in Bengal - digging for a worm only to discover a snake...

This is an intriguing read from a promising new voice. Worth checking out for those who enjoy legal thrillers with a sociocultural slant.