A fantastic legal thriller that will have you gripped and turning the pages to find out how it’s all going to work out! Bravo!

Maria is on trial for hurting her husband who she claims was abusive and manipulating. He can’t say what truly happened or defend himself against her claims.

Lottie is in a more traditional marriage when she is called for jury duty, and is selected to be a juror in Maria’s trial. Lottie finds herself attracted to a fellow juror, and has quite the predicament unfold.

Overall, 5 stars for this great page turner. Life was busy when I started this book, but easily could have finished in a day or two if time allowed for it. Highly recommend!

Special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Degrees of Guilt is a page-turning courtroom drama set predominantly in Bristol Crown Court and focusing on two people involved in the Bloxham trial. Maria Bloxham is accused of the attempted murder of her celebrity husband of 18 years, Dr Edward Bloxham. Scratching under the surface reveals that their marriage may not have been quite as rosy as you might expect.

Charlotte 'Lottie' Hiraj is a juror assigned to the Bloxham trial. She feels immediate sympathy for Maria because her marriage is also on the rocks. Lottie feels that she is losing her sense of self since becoming a wife and a mother.

The book explores the darker unhealthier side of relationships, a particularly topical issue in light of the recent #MeToo movement. It also explores some emotive issues such as marital abuse and self-harming in a thought-provoking way. It explains how women can find themselves unable to leave an abusive relationship but also considers whether the situation is as clear-cut as suggested.

I love a good courtroom drama and one of the most fascinating parts of this story for me was the actions and group dynamics of the jury. The author has a background in law herself and she has cleverly not fallen into the trap of sensationalising the setting or the trial, bringing a real sense of authenticity to the book. Whilst we never really know what goes on in a jury room, it strikes me as somewhat illogical to allow such an important decision as someone's guilt or innocence to rest with a group of people who more often that not will have some preconceptions/bias and whom may be easily pressured to align their views with other members of the jury in order to bring their jury duty to an end. The criminal justice system really is shockingly vulnerable to human fallibilities and to those barristers who are happy to twist evidence in order to get the win. In Maria's case, the tension quickly ramps up as we wonder whether justice will prevail?

Chandler has produces a compulsive and shocking story, full of suspense and twists and turns. Just as you think you know where the story is heading, it will flip around and sprint off in another direction.

Degrees of Guilt is a gripping and entertaining read. Thoroughly recommended for fans of courtroom dramas, legal thrillers and psychological thrillers.

This is a taut legal courtroom thriller that is not at all what you believe it to be. At the outset we are told that Marie confesses to having bludgeoned her husband Edward to death (or so she thinks). The jurors that are seated in this case all have stories of their own-especially Lottie, a housewife and mother, who finds self respect and a feeling of importance beyond her daily life and Cameron, who can be best described as extremely good looking and well built but with his own agenda. The trial is slow moving at first-giving the jurors time to form alliances but picks up steadily until the verdict is read. From start to finish there are unexpected surprises and secrets that come to light but you’ll have to read it yourself-no spoilers here. A great read that really deserves 4-1/2 stars.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Degrees of Guilt is a courtroom thriller that will leave you guessing. Who is guilty? Who is innocent? It's difficult to NOT relate to the characters in this book in some way.

you need to read this. seriously.

What a fabulous courtroom thriller. This story takes place during a court case where Maria, is being tried for attempted murder of her husband. At the same time we follow the story of Lottie, one of the jurors called to jury service to help decide whether Maria is guilty or innocent, but who gets caught up in a drama of her own.

HS Chandler’s writing is gripping and kept me hooked from start to finish. The twists are unpredictable and each one caught me off guard and added to the complexity of the plot. All in all a compelling, satisfying read.

I’ll definitely be recommending this one, as well as looking forward to the author’s next book.

Slow burn, frustrating at times...

It really wasn’t at all as bad as it sounds for me. The writing is good and the characters were interesting but I wanted to shake Lottie at times! Her sections seemed to drag on but I think that this was because her choices frustrated me.

Maria’s sections were fascinating. The descriptions of her husband and their marriage were staggering.

The jury and trial was entertaining. There were some twists and surprises that I didn’t anticipate. But be forewarned that you are kept waiting for them until almost the bitter end. I think I was expecting more shocking and evil and instead I got more of a clever, well plotted story. I would recommend and read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orion Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for a review.

Degrees of Guilt is, without doubt, one of the best thriller/ courtroom dramas I have ever read!
Having read all of Helen Fields’ previous works and knowing her background as a criminal barrister I had high hopes for this book and it exceeded my expectations.
The book centres around Maria, who is on trial for the attempted murder of her husband, and Lottie, who is one the 12 sitting on the jury.
Maria’s story starts with her saying she ‘killed her husband’ but he didn’t die, he was seriously injured.
Lottie is a mother who cares for her husband and her child full time. She believes there should be more in her her life than this, and is pleased when she is called for jury duty.
How will the two women progress over the course of the trial? How will their respective stories unfold? What will be the outcome of the trial? Will justice be done for Maria? How will Maria impact on this?
A truly gripping thriller/ courtroom drama so very well written as I have come to expect from Helen Fields. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Edge of your seat book! Lottie has a husband and child. She goes to jury duty. Maria is on trial for attention attempted murder of her husband. Lottie winds up having an affair with another juror. Degrees of Guilt is about morals and how far we can go.

"Degrees Of Guilt" is part psychological thriller, part courtroom drama. It's an engaging read with many twists in the tale. I liked that we got to find out a bit about the jurors and see things from their perspective. The book also illuminates the issue of coercive control, which feels timely.

The book synopsis had me hooked and the book did not disappoint. The book follows two woman involved in a attempted murder trial. Maria is on trial for the attempted murder of her husband and is pleading not guilty. Lottie is on the jury using it as an escape for her boring life a a housewife. When Lottie meets Cameron also on the jury a flirtation takes place. Is Maria guilty and will Lottie wreck her marriage?
The story is told in alternating chapters from both Lottie and Maria’s point of view. At times you’re not sure if the stories are going to collide or not but you’re emotionally invested in finding out. You also end up empathising with both women at points in the story and at other times feeling frustrated by their behaviour.
This was a one sitting book and I loved it. I will definitely pick up the next book from this writer.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#DegreesOfGuilt #NetGalley

"Guilt and innocence are such finite terms. Life rarely allows us to make such clean choices."

Dr. Edward Bloxham lies bludgeoned on the kitchen floor of the beautiful home in a nice post code. His wife, Maria, is on trial for attempted murder. Did she do it? She admits that she did, but there are some secrets that are about to come out in the courtroom.

Charlotte (Lottie) Hiraj is married with a 3-year-old son. She's a homemaker in a marriage that has grown a bit lackluster so she doesn't try very hard to get out of jury duty. And the gorgeous guy who is serving with her, Cameron Ellis, just might be a new friend -- or something more. The jurors are about to find out a bit more about their case and about each other.

As the liaison between Lottie and Cameron heats up, the pressure is grows more intense in the courtroom. The prosecutor thinks she has the verdict locked and the defendant is having some difficulty showing any reason why she shouldn't be found guilty and sent to prison. But there's a lot going on that none in that room could even have imagined. NO SPOILERS.

What a delicious drama and legal thriller! I devoured it in a single day racing through the pages to get to the end. The narrative shifts between Maria and Lottie and the change of pace makes for an addictive read as you get to know the characters and start relating to them. The story of Maria is a harrowing one and sometimes difficult to fathom. I think many will consider the domestic violence aspect as one that is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed. And remember, it's not always physical assault as one evaluates the toll of mental abuse. This would make for a very interesting discussion at book club. Well done HS Chandler (but are you really Helen Fields?).

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this e-book ARC to read and review.

I absolutely loved this book. I work in law and really enjoy courtroom dramas. This novel did make me question relationships and what i would have done if i was in the defendant's position. There were times, when i could relate to the novel and i felt so much sympathy for the defender. The juror's story also had me hooked. I was mad when she cheated on her husband and she gave in and really wanted her and her husband to work things out.

I love court room dramas and although i was sure that there was going to be a twist, i did not actually see the twist coming!!

i read this book over a couple of days and didnt want it to end.

i thoroughly enjoyed it.

A very well written and gripping courtroom drama. I loved the story behind the attempted murder and I really liked and sympathised with the main character. Highly recommended

Degrees of Guilt had me hooked from the very beginning of the book. How could it not when it starts with a husband on the floor of his kitchen, with his head cracked open, brains oozing out. His wife was standing above him, holding a bloody table leg, hair embedded in the blood, glad that her husband was dead. Maria then calls 999 to report that she killed her husband. Maria was terribly abused, in so many ways and she had been at the end of her rope, ready to give up, until this moment.

Much to Maria's dismay, her husband wasn't dead although it wasn't possible to say if he even knew he was alive. Maria is on trial for the attempted murder of her husband and we join the court proceedings as the twelve jurors are sworn in. We meet Lottie, whose point of view we follow, along with Marie's. throughout the rest of the book. Lottie is a twenty seven year old housewife and mother, very bored and jaded about her life and her self worth. She had been used to gliding through life, being noticed for her looks and body and now she was feeling that no one noticed her, that she was doomed to motherhood and housework, never to enjoy life again.

Another juror, Cameron, is a good looking, fit, macho guy, not much older than Lottie and it doesn't take long for him to show interest in her and Lottie is thrilled to be noticed again, knowing she should ignore Cameron but even more, wanting to feel young and special again. Tabitha is the jury foreman and most of the older members of the pool hang around with her and seem to plan to vote as she votes so Lottie and Cameron call them "The Tabithas". Trying not to get kicked off the jury is a challenge with Cameron being none to subtle with his flirting and groping of Lottie, while Lottie also has to deal with the guilt she feels for betraying her husband.

I enjoy court room drama as we get to learn why Maria wanted her publicly respected and lauded husband dead. Behind closed doors her husband was vile, cruel, abusive, a monster but the prosecutor has her claws in Maria and isn't about to let her get away with the murder. There are several twists, turns and surprises to the very end.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. I had to keep reading until I found out whether or not the main character Maria was guilty of attempted murder. I was very surprised by the ending as I never saw it coming. I will definitely have to read more by this author.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a courtroom drama/thriller that had my head swinging in so many different directions. This had a bit of a slow start but if you can make it past the first couple of chapters I promise you will not be disappointed. These characters are complex with multiple layers to each of their stories. I love how well thought-out the plot was and how perfectly it all came together. Well Done!

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review

An extraordinary legal thriller so well written Inwas drawn right in.A book that kept me guessing till the end characters that come alive and tense courtroom scenes .Going on my best of the year list. #netgalley #orionbooks

I loved this book! I felt like I was watching the perfect crime show I love. There were many twists and turns and I couldn’t figure out who did it which makes it a million times better. I’m glad this book has gotten so many good reviews because it deserves it!!

When I spied an excellent review for this book on Chocolate'n'Waffles blog, I knew I had to get a copy to read for myself. Now I have to confess I haven’t read any of the author’s books written under the name Helen Fields although I do have the first book in Human Remains, the first in the DI Callanach series on my kindle. But like any dedicated bookworm, I know what I like and right near the top of the list is books set in a courtroom and not far behind are ones that pose a moral dilemma.
Maria is in the dock. No shades of grey are instantly apparent, her husband the eminent ecologist Edward Bloxham is dead. She called the police and greeted them on the front drive holding the weapon, a broken chair leg.
Lottie Hiraj is on the jury she’s a young mother and deep down the chance to do something other than keep house for a while is a little bit appealing. But can casting judgement on another person’s life be something that you can do without it changing you?
The majority of the book is set in Bristol Crown Court either in the court itself or in the jury room where the twelve selected members of the public are sequestered while they wait for the next act and ultimately go to make their judgement. What happens in between is both insightful with hefty dashes of surprise as the author.
I loved the entire premise as much as I hoped I would. This courtroom drama was spot on even though the author took the more difficult route by giving us an opening where we see the immediate aftermath of Edward's murder. The peek into the life of Maria and Edward is fascinating and disturbing in equal measures. This book was written after some recent changes to the law and therefore hopefully a shift in society’s awareness of the issues. The characters are well drawn, mainly multi-layered and fairly diverse in their backgrounds– just what the jury system is supposed to deliver? Of course the perpetrator and the jury aren’t the only main players we also have the barristers, a psychologist and the police making their point, bringing their own thoughts into the courtroom to be held up for inspection. Interestingly the author borrows from the court system to tell her story but doesn’t get too hung up on all the legalities to make the story work, those who are sticklers for true representation may find this hard to take.
What I didn’t expect was that the book was far less straightforward than I expected, parallels are subtlety drawn between Maria’s life with Edward and Lottie’s with her husband Zain which made me feel quite uncomfortable at times but fear not this isn’t a book which depends upon something quite so obvious, there is far more to this story than you might think! In fact this is the first book in an absolute age that I didn’t want to be parted from, and while that may be partly down to timing, I can’t deny that biggest reason is because it is a gripping tale.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for Degrees of Guilt from the publishers Trapeze, this unbiased review is my thanks to them, and the author - be assured I will be reading Perfect Remains before too long!