This was my first book my Chandler, but I'll keep an eye on this author in the future, Degrees of Guilt is a twisty, cleverly plotted novel that kept me guessing until the end. As soon as I thought I had it figured out, I'd be confronted with a new reveal. This book really kept me on my toes!

Degrees of Guilt by HS Chandler is a fantastic legal thriller that will keep you surprised until the very end. The story opens and you think you have it all worked out but the story twists and turns so many times you get dizzy!! If you think you know how it is going to end - believe me you don't! I love a book that keeps me interested all the way through and this was one of those books.

Maria is on trial for the attempted murder of her husband. She confessed to the crime and wants her husband dead. End of story right? Oh so not! Lottie is a mother and called up to jury duty. She quite enjoys is as it gets her out of the house and talking to adults again. She embarks on an affair with another member of the jury. The story is told from the points of view of both women, and Lottie realises that she can see herself in the accused at times. A great story and wonderful ending. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Orion Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Finally!!

I have been on a “thriller slump” with only one out of my last SEVEN thrillers earning a full 4 stars, and the others earning less.

This was the first thriller in awhile that I COULD NOT WAIT to get back to reading, every chance I got.

Mrs. Bloxham is on trial for attempted murder. She has not pled “guilty” even though she calmly called the police and confessed to the crime. She is hoping that a “jury of her peers” will acquit her.

Lottie has lost her self confidence, and now finds herself on the jury. She finds herself tempted to have an affair with a fellow juror, who is making her feel like more than a “wife and mum” for the first time in awhile.

She wonders “ how she could possibly be expected to decide something as critical as whether or not the defendant was guilty, and which mistake was worse- setting a guilty person free, or wrongly condemning an innocent one to prison?”

The story will be told from Maria Bloxham’s viewpoint, and from Lottie’s experience of spending twelve days as a juror, attending court and through deliberations.

If you enjoy Legal Thrillers or Mystery Thrillers, do yourself a favor and ADD this to your TBR list!! Available on May 16, 2019 so you can be reading this one next weekend!!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group-Trapeze and HS Chandler for providing a digital ARC in exchange for a candid review!

Set in Bristol, this is a court case and then some.

The first chapter opens and you think it's a slam dunk

But of course it's not

If you love a good court room drama with mainly female characters and some sizzling court room scenes then this is for you. There were a few sections which dragged slightly and the crossover from the two points of view changed at the wrong times for me - or maybe this was the point and the more you're rocked by revelations, the more unstable your reading experience becomes...very apt then.

It's mainly set inside the court room but for a locked-room feel to it, there's plenty of action. Did she didn't she indeed.

It's like trying to uncoil a snake to then be smacked in the face with its tongue at the end. Tense and it does get you second guessing.

Oh the twists! Oh the turns! I think parts of this book sounded familiar, but Ms. Chandler was able to present them in a fresh manner. The book includes two story lines, centered around two members of a jury and the actual crime that is being prosecuted. So throughout the entire book, the reader is wondering how both plots will conclude. And, waiting for the "other shoe" to drop in both of them. Yes, masterful combination! At parts I wanted to yell at characters for perceived traps they might be falling it or for avenues they weren't exploring that I felt should have been pursued. I might have liked a bit more character development for a few of the supporting characters, but then again I might have complained that they were taking up space when I wanted to keep the story moving forward. A great read and I can't wait to see what is next from Ms. Chandler.

Well, this was something a little different to what I was expecting and, you know what, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Although I did have a slight inking at something that was later proved right.
We start with Maria calling the police having killed her husband. Husband isn't quite dead but suffers life changing injuries. Although Maria confesses, she still pleads not-guilty so goes to trial.
We then switch focus to the jury as the trial plays out. Present is then interspersed with snippets from Maria's past. All builds up to the verdict... But then...
Oh my! This book was another of those books which I wish I started when I had a whole clear day to read. It sucked me in and I was powerless to put it down. And made me a bit grumpy when I had to go out to eat as, although I love the pub grub I was getting, I just wanted to get back to the story.
One thing I did have to do was to write a cast list of the Jury. Nothing against the author, I struggle when I get a bunch of characters all introduced together, as what happened here. But, with my list to hand, I managed easily with who was who.
It's hard to say much more specific as to do so would spoil the book for others. What I can say however is that it is very character driven. There are some complex relationships in play throughout, not just Maria's, and the author handles all these with great skill and weaves a very tight plot round them.
The tension ramps up along the way, through the court case and related shenanigans, leading up to the verdict. I'll say no more about that but I will say that the book has a very satisfying, albeit shocking, to me anyway, ending that left me completely sated. From the looks of things, it's a debut book which leaves me even more impressed and I can't wait to see what the author has in store for the follow up. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This was a very riveting read, which was very full of suspense and made sure to keep my mind spinning! I found it thrilling, chilling, and very suspenseful! Recommend to my fellow domestic drama/thriller lovers!
Will be recommending to chapter chatter pub!

Wow! I just loved this book. I don’t usually enjoy courtroom dramas because I find them a little boring at times, but this book was so well written, and the mystery and psychological aspects of the story kept me glued to its pages. The characters were well developed with Maria being my all time favorite. I rooted for her even though at time I had my doubts if she really was as innocent as she claimed to be. The lies, secrets, manipulations, and deceit made this story a guessing game for me, and till the end I was not sure where the truth really lied.

This is one of the best debut novels I have read lately. Captivating, brilliant legal thriller that will keep you on the edge of you seat with the drama and twist it holds within its pages. I highly recommend it to everyone.
Thank you NetGalley, Trapeze Publisher, and the author, H. S. Chandler, for giving me an opportunity to read this brilliant book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Orion Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review and feedback. This was a really good gripping court procedural mixed with a twisty psychological thriller. I normally avoid court based books as I find them dull but I was so eager to get to the end of this one and find out the ending.

3.5 stars. This was a page turner and I couldn't wait to find out how things turned out. This is a courtroom drama that features both the defendant, a woman who killed her husband, and a juror, who is feeling neglected in her own marriage and begins an affair with a man she meets on the jury. It's hard to say much without giving anything away, since there are multiple twists--I didn't find any of them especially surprising, but they were satisfying and overall I really enjoyed this. I don't think it'll be especially memorable, but definitely entertaining and I'd recommend it to anyone in the mood to get lost in a fast paced legal thriller.

Degrees of Guilt by HS Chandler is receiving rave reviews. I am currently reading it and am hooked. I really don’t know which direction its going to turn. I think I know, but judging from the reviews and the synopsis, I am probably wrong.

Once I read this plot, I KNEW I had to get my hands on the book:

When you read this book, you will think you know every twist in the tale.

Maria is on trial for attempted murder. She has confessed to the crime and wanted her husband dead. Lottie is on the jury, trying to decide her fate. She embarks on an illicit affair with a stranger, and her husband can never find out. You will think you know who is guilty and who is innocent. You will be wrong.

If you aren’t sure whether or not you want to read this book, here are just some of the ways readers have described it:

Shocking!

Emotional.

Gripping.

WOW.

Tense.

The reviews are coming in and they are glowing! Almost every reader has given it four or five stars, From what I can tell, only about 20% in, it’s written very well and is gripping, intriguing and I can’t wait to keep reading.

It’s due out on May 16, be sure to order it. If you order it on Kindle, it will show up on the day it’s published.

One of this year's best reads ! Hats off to HS Chandler !

A woman bludgeons her husband and then calmly calls 911..

This is just the beginning to a whirlwind court case - even the jurors are transfixed by the testimony so that it becomes their reality. Why did Maria strike down her husband, Edward? He was a successful biologist and prominent on media with wildlife and environmental concerns.

But that is just the beginning - this is a book that you will not be able to put down. A court case that is truly riveting! A sure 2019 winner !!!

HIGHLY recommend!

Many thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for an absolutely superb read.

4.5*
A new voice in the thriller genre!!

Maria is set to stand trial after a vicious attack on her husband. She’s admitted to the attack, even going so far as reporting it to the police and confessing. Surely there’s more to the story.

Bailiff, bring in the jury....

No one wants jury duty! But when it comes knocking, hopefully we all show up to do our duty. Begrudgingly perhaps, but necessary…for some more than others. Pathetic excuses are creatively concocted, as certain potential jurors hope to be released!

Yet strangely, for one jury member, this may her ticket to explore the world she so desperately misses.

Lottie feels her life has lost the shine and passion it once had. Married with a young son, she no longer works outside the house, rarely seeing her friends. Maybe this is just what the doctor ordered…an opportunity to step outside her comfort zone and recapture a bit of her ‘old self’.

Let justice prevail....

After a bit of a slow start, the characters really starting coming to life and I was all in! The courtroom drama had me intrigued as the lawyers laid out their strategies.
When Maria takes the stand it’s as though you’re seated beside her in the courtroom. Unconsciously holding your breath, waiting for her to tell her story.

A rare, up-close look inside the jury room, as sides are formed. Watching those with stronger personalities prevail. What exactly goes on behind those closed doors?
HS Chandler writes a suspenseful and unputdownable psychological thriller. Did I mention this is a debut!?

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group - Trapeze and HS Chandler for an ARC to read and review.

Omigahhhhh....this book is the definition of a twisty-turny thriller.

You think you know but you don't, so you start theorizing and feeling smug and then you get slapped into place by the ending. So.much.fun!

Degrees of Guilt tells the story of Maria, on trial for murdering her jerk husband and Lottie, a juror who pulls some jerk moves of her own. No one is perfect, everyone is keeping secrets, everyone is telling their own versions of the truth and everyone is playing fast and loose with ethics.

It's a completely entertaining read, except that neither attorney is awesome at voir dire.

Thank you to HS Chandler, Orion Publishing Group, Trapeze and NetGalley for giving me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When you read this book, you will think you know every twist in the tale.

Maria is on trial for attempted murder.

She has confessed to the crime and wanted her husband dead.

Lottie is on the jury, trying to decide her fate.

She embarks on an illicit affair with a stranger, and her husband can never find out.

You will think you know who is guilty and who is innocent.

You will be wrong.

A MUST READ. Brilliantly written. A great he said, she said.

This fabulous little courtroom thriller jumps straight into the action with Maria Bloxham standing over her Husband’s dead body, murder weapon in hand, after calmly washing her tea-cup she dials 999 and tells them she has just killed her husband.

She waits for them to arrive, and gets into the back of the police car after they arrest her.

We are then shot forward to her court case and the 12 people that are going to decide her fate.

We meet each one of jury, but the story focuses only on a few of them. one of them being Lottie.

Lottie is married, and a mother to a young child, she loves her husband, but the relationship has started to go a little stale, and she is feeling a little unappreciated, he doesn’t look at her like the young sexy Cameron does when she is sitting next to him in the courtroom……..and while the cat’s away!!

I loved the characters, especially the Tabithas, and how the “pack mentality”

I loved the way that the author describes just how bloody boring it is being on jury service, I remember doing it years ago, and I think I spent more time reading my book in the special room than I did actually sitting on the jury!

All in all I really enjoyed this book and i would definitely add it to your TBR if you like a twisty courtroom drama.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I really wasn’t expecting such a nuanced exploration of psychological abuse inside a legal thriller. Top of the line and makes some gusty feminist arguments about the everyday life of many women. Five plus

WONDERFUL READ! I spent my weekend with these characters and a comfy pillow and couldn't have been happier. I love a nice book set in the courtroom, and this one delivered and then some with great twists I didn't see coming. I was very surprised by the ending. Loved this one.

Wow. What a terrific read. This is the story of Maria on trial for trying to kill her husband. Her biggest regret is that he didn't die. As we learn about Maria, we find out what a horrific life she led behind closed doors at the hands of her husband.
As the trial gets underway, we become familiar with the jurors who will decide her fate. Lottie has been unhappy in her marriage and really takes the case to heart. When she becomes involved with another juror an entirely new type of "guilt" is surrounding the trial and her personal life.
Not all is what it seems. Everyone has degrees of guilt in this story and you don't know who is guilty and who is innocent until the end. A real page turner.
Thank you netgalley for the advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion.

Let me just start by saying that I'm not sure if this was a case of a right book at the right time or if it was something I was in the mood for that I didn't even realize I needed. All I know is that I loved this book. I was completely captivated by this court room drama from first page until last.

The problem is that I can't really say much about it because this book relies heavily on secrets, lies and slow revelations and as you read you are constantly trying to figure out who and what to believe. This is one of those books that when I put it down I was constantly thinking about it.

We have Maria who is on trial for nearly killing her husband and leaving him in a vegetative state but the problem is she has willingly admitted to doing it even calling 911 herself. We unravel their history to see exactly what would cause such rot and decay in a marriage that would lead to attempted murder. Then we have Lottie, a stay at home (bored) housewife, who serves on the jury and begins an illicit affair with fellow juror, Cameron, and that is all I'm willing to say. Trust me, this one is worth reading to find out all the other juicy details. ALL THE STARS!

"Is he breathing? the operator asked. "I split his head open," Maria replied. "So no."

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.