Dissection of a Murder

A respected judge is dead. The man accused of killing him won't say a word in his own defence - except to insist on one particular barrister. Leila Reynolds never expected her first murder trial to be this high-profile, or this personal: the prosecution is being led by her own former mentor, who also happens to be her husband. As the case unfolds, Leila realises that winning in court means far more than presenting the facts - it means understanding exactly how a jury thinks, and how easily the truth can be twisted by people who are very good at lying. Debut author and former barrister Jo Murray brings genuine courtroom expertise to this tightly wound legal thriller, layering in class, power and the messy politics of a marriage under strain alongside the central whodunit. Readers who enjoy character-driven mystery novels with a ticking-clock trial at their centre, in the vein of Anatomy of a Scandal or Gone Girl, will find plenty to keep them guessing here. It's a compulsive read for thriller fans, courtroom drama lovers and anyone who enjoys a story that keeps its final twist genuinely hidden until the last page.