it was a well written triumph of a book. She tied in small town politics with some killer twists. I can't wait to see what she writes next. I will be reading more of her books.

This definitely had some crazy twists and turns! And while I wouldn't say this had me on the edge of my seat, I for sure was eager to continue every time I put this down.
I kind of saw the big final chapter plot twist coming, which was a bit of a bummer, but some of the others took me by surprise, so this is a hard one to rate.

As a mother myself, this book definitely spoke to me and had me wondering what I would and wouldn't do for my daughter. This also deals with some strong topics like physical and emotional abuse, so be warned!

Family secrets and a lot of drama in Bad Blood. This was a great debut novel, with plenty of shocking twists and turns that kept me guessing.

I never really warmed to any of the characters but that doesn’t mean that I it isn’t a great story. These were complicated characters, who had gone through a lot. We learn their stories from now and 18 years earlier when their lives changed forever.

I did fly through this book, needing to know what would happen next. Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for my early copy of this book to read. Due to be published on March 27th.

This books lures you in from the first page, however, I did get a feeling like the main character was an unreliable narator.
It did keep me interested, even though some passages were acting like brakes. I get it, you're working through things, but reading almost the same sentence every 2 paragraphs gets old quickly.

Justine Stone is given her first big case as lead barrister - only to find out she knows the accused. It is clear that Justine has many issues and has worked with a therapist for some years. She is married to Noah, has little to do with her mother but still is close to her brother Max. Having to relinquish the case Justine still wants to know why her first boyfriend is accused of a double murder and if he is guilty. How Justine looks into the case and what has gone before is drip fed to the reader via chapters marked Before!
There are twists and turns galore in this well written debut and as we learn about the past the reader forms opionions which prove to be wrong as the story unfolds.
Look forward to more from this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sarah Hornsley/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

My feelings about this book are quite mixed. As the main character, Justine Stone, is a barrister and the whole storyline is based on a double murder, I was expecting more of a legal thriller. However, the plot follows far more of Justine's personal life and events that have led her to the point she is forced to pass over the opportunity to really make a name for herself professionally.

Justine and her mum have an almost non-existent relationship following the events of "that night" - details of which were not disclosed until a substantial way through the book. The mid-section of the story felt quite repetitive regarding this - a bit like "the fishing trip" on the TV program Gavin & Stacey - its notoriety held in the fact that nobody actually knows what happened - but without the humour. I'll be honest, I was close to the point of not wanting to continue reading but then the book sparked into life once the facts of who was involved (far more wide-reaching than I'd expected) and why came tumbling out of the wardrobe.

Very few characters in this book are likeable. I usually enjoy loving to hate characters, but something this time didn't quite hit the spot. I understood them all by the end of the book, and the loose ends all tied up neatly, but I can't go so far as to say I enjoyed the read. I felt I'd gone round the houses multiple times before finally getting to the crux of the story. The second half is far stronger than the first and I wouldn't shy away from reading more of this author's work in future but sadly this one was missing the buzz that keeps me turning pages later than I should.

'Bad Blood' is not the courtroom drama I was expecting from the blurb. It's more of a family thriller complete with suspense,secrets and lies. Well written and told from various pov's with flashbacks it kept me guessing to the end. Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for an early read. Recommend it and look forward to more from Sarah Hornsley in the future.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book.

I felt the pacing was a bit all over the place, and I just wanted more from the murder trial itself. I understood how the trial was going to be more personal but I just wanted more from the trial perspective, but at this time it wasn’t keeping me fully engaged and intrigued about what happened and how it relates to the FMC.

I got to around 36% in and it just wasn’t gripping me unfortunately, sorry!!

Hooked from page 1!!!! I knew this book was going to be good, since many twists, turns and lies.

We follow Justine as she’s just been given her first huge murder case which could help her become barrister, the twist however - the accused is her first love, ex boyfriend Jake. She soon realises she cannot continue with the case so hands it over and returns to her home town to do her own investigation. A place she never wanted to return to.

Written across a dual timeline, with various POVs, each with their own twists. A web of lies, murders, deception and more twists than a rollercoaster, this storyline really delivered and more !!

Defo be looking for more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley for this early ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley in exchange for an honest review. This is a twisted story of family drama, lies and secrets. The secrets are hinted at from the start and I enjoyed the way they were slowly revealed through multiple timelines.  As the lies are uncovered and memories come flooding back, our main character Justine unravels. She has to find a way to solve a string of murders whilst dealing with the secrets of her past. The many twists and turns kept me hooked!

A prosecutor investigates a double murder when she discovers that the accused is her childhood boyfriend. This shouldn't be pitched as a courtroom thriller as almost all of it takes place outside the courtroom in rural Essex. The characters are all quite unlikeable and while it's generally well-written with a good twist right at the end, it lacked any sort of punch and was fairly forgettable. Not one for me.

A uniquely compelling concept with a mixture of procedural drama, crime and several gut-punches worth of heartbreak and devastation.

Justine is a successful criminal lawyer, with a drop-dead gorgeous husband, a life of good champagne, white roses and luxury. But despite all the privilege and wealth, her narration shows a woman who is confused, doubtful, and has clearly got some demons in her mind. She tells the story with such a clear voice, one constantly full of thoughts, commenting on how she’s feeling, what she’s thinking about everything unfolding that really lets us connect with her even from the first chapter.

Split between now and before, we see Jake and Justine fall in love and piece together their ending, waiting for something to fill in the 18 year gap between the last time they saw each other and his arrest. The narration is intimate, personal and so engaging.

This is a story about stories. About how everyone can play multiple parts, how meaning changes depending on how you tell the story and about how the truth isn’t always what it seems.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of Bad Blood. I CONSUMED this book so quickly I swear. There were twists I didn't see coming and even down to the last couple of pages IT THREW ME. I wanted to know what really happened with Max - that man's story is something else. (IFKYK)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves this genre OR anyone who just wants something a bit different from their usual reads that needs to be gripped and invested within an inch of their life.

Bad Blood Sarah Hornsley

5 stars


This is a debut book by the author and I must say it is a brilliant start.

I enjoy books where we are in the present day but then go back to the past. Justine Hart is a successful criminal barrister happily married to Noah and her life seems set to continue upward.

However she is allocated a high-profile case defending Brad Finchley against what seems an indisputable murder charge. On beginning her investigation she discovers that Brad Finchley is, in fact, Jake Reynolds, the love of her life from 18 years ago. Shortly after Justine's father had died in a car accident, Brad had disappeared from the small town of Malden leaving Justine heartbroken.

Justine realises that she has to give up this case as she knows the accused but not before she has looked at the relevant information. This leads to her returning to her home town and re-establishing a relationship with her mother, Evelyn, and her brother Max. Justine's childhood had been dominated by her aggressive father and a mother who showed her no affection and despite her reluctance to return to the scene of her unhappy childhood she needs to find out the truth.

This was a fascinating story as we learn about what really happened to Justine's father, why Brad/Jake left Malden and the truth about long-ago events. The story is told from various viewpoints and built up to a crescendo with a twist that I had no idea was coming. It delves into the subject of what a mother will do for her children which I found particularly interesting.

I will definitely look out for any further books from this author. Highly recommended.




Karen Deborah
Reviewer Netgalley

This is no courtroom drama or real legal thriller as I was half expecting. The book centres around Justine. She is an upcoming barrister, thrilled to be given her first murder case to prosecute..

However, the first twist in this book (and there are many!) is that the accused is her first true love who is accused of a double murder. Even the names of the victims linger in Justine's mind.

After a short time she has to give the case up but the story continues apace with it spread across two timelines, eighteen years apart. Justine has to also cope with her own trauma, with links to the actual case.

My only bit of negativity concerned the number of multiple switches of characters in short punchy chapters, plus the two timelines. I am not a fan.

Saying that, the book sometimes shocks and with many twists, the ending is excellent.

Thanks to Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read and review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. I was not paid to review this book and all opinions are my own.

⭐⭐⭐.5

A double murder. A toxic past. A family secret. There's no law against keeping secrets...
My name is Justine Stone. I left home twelve years ago, never to return. Now my ex-boyfriend, Jake, has been accused of a double murder in the town where we grew up. It's my job as a barrister to make the case against him.
But to face the courts, I need to know the truth. The real truth about what happened when we were young - not just the story I'll spin the jury. To reach the heart of it, I must face up to the part my own family played. Even if it means risking my life.

Welcome to the Stone family where everyone is hiding something. I thought this book was well written, however, there were so many twists at the end. While I figured some of them out, some of them kinda felt like they were put in for shock value. I also really hated the conclusion of everything as well. It really annoyed me that's how she chose to end it

Thanks, @netgalley, for the ARC.

I've not read anything by this author before, and after reading the blurb about it, I was really looking forward to it and didn't disappoint! The only thing I will say is that I thought it was going to be more of a crime thriller, but it is more about secrets and families. It is told from multiple points of view that it does keep you on your toes guessing as well as the flashbacks, so I didn't want to put it down as I wanted to know what was happening.
The chapters were short and sharp, which helped in my opinion to keep your interest up!
It's definitely worth a read!

Sarah Hornsey's "Bad Blood" is a captivating novel that delves deep into the complexities of family ties, betrayal, and dark secrets.
The story centres around the protagonist, Justine Stone, an up and coming barrister that has just been given her first murder case. Justine’s life is turned upside down when she opens the file and sees the picture of someone she knows but hasn’t seen in the last 18 years.
Jake was her first love who suddenly and seeming without reason disappeared from her life. A conflict of interest, Justine should immediately recuse herself from this case. But in her quest to uncover the truth, she is drawn into a web of deceit and danger that threatens to unravel everything she holds dear.
At its core, "Bad Blood" is a mystery novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. It is a plot filled with twists and turns, ensuring that the truth remains just out of reach until the very end. Each chapter is meticulously crafted to build suspense, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.
The characters in "Bad Blood" are richly developed and multi-dimensional. Justine Strone emerges as a strong, determined heroine, whose vulnerability and tenacity make her both relatable and admirable. The supporting cast of family members, adds depth and complexity to the narrative
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Successful barrister Justine Hart is handed her first murder case defending Brad Finchley, a man accused of double murder. Reviewing the case notes she is shocked to discover that she knows the defendant as Jake Reynolds, her first love, who disappeared from her life eighteen years ago. Searching for answers Justine needs to return to her hometown and face the secret she has kept hidden for all of her adult life.

The dark cover, along with the blurb, was enough to draw me to Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley. The only thing better than a murder mystery is a murder mystery combined with a legal thriller. However, apart from Justine being a barrister, there is very little of the legal aspect to the story, but that does not detract from this dark and brooding psychological thriller in any way.

From the very beginning, you get the feeling that Justine is someone who is very restrained, almost emotionless. Being a barrister she needs to be dispassionate and able to compartmentalise her life in order to do her job successfully, but as we get deeper into the story we begin to learn that this is also a coping mechanism used to control her emotions and hide a dark secret from her past.

We discover that Jake/Brad disappeared from Justine's life unexpectedly, just after her father died in a tragic accident. Not long after the accident her mother shipped her off to live with relatives and she hasn't returned to her hometown of Maldon since. Justine always considered her mother to be disinterested in her and being sent away has only added to their strained relationship.

Upon returning to Maldon, secrets from the past begin to be revealed. We are given glimpses into Justine's emotional state, leaving us unsure if she's blocking memories because of trauma or because she doesn't want the past to taint her present. We also see how different characters play their part in covering up dark and twisted events, and the impact it has on them.

By digging into the past Justine slowly begins to piece together why Jake abandoned her. It felt as if pieces of a jigsaw were slowly being revealed, but it was a jigsaw without a picture. As more pieces are revealed you begin to form an idea of past events and an understanding of the motives behind each character. The author holds back one final piece until the very end, a piece that turns the story on its head and makes you rethink all of your assumptions.

Ups and downs of a family ridden with secrets.
It was an impressive first novel from Sarah Hornsley. She tells us the story of Justine Stone, now Hart, with a lot of looking back to shocking incidents eighteen years ago. She had left home immediately, first living with her aunt and cousin, and then went to university. She worked hard to build a successful career as a barrister.Recognising the defendant in a murder case she is due to represent as an ex-boyfriend forces her to go back to her family home and face up to her past.

This is a well written book laden with twists and turns as it speeds through the story. It kept me guessing right the way to a shocking conclusion that I found surprising.

This is well worth reading.