Absolutely wonderful !!!
This brilliant read brought out such strong emotions in me that at times I had to put my kindle down as I felt such anger at a certain character in the story. Geez what a book this is and so hard to describe without giving anything away but suffice it to say I loved it from the first page to the last and Maria was such a well written character in this courtroom drama that has so much more than you expect when you first start to read. An illicit encounter between Lottie who is a jury member and another who is also on the jury poses a lot of problems and the revelations of Maria about her life and what led her to want to kill her husband are shocking and this makes the book a compulsive read that is heartbreaking and riveting at the same time. It’s a stunning book with a fabulous twist at the end so please don’t miss this as it’s much much more than just a book it’s about the reality of what happens in life and how we deal with it.
Many thanks to the brilliant HS Chandler for this 5 stars and more read and I look forward to reading more from them in the future.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group / Trapeze for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

An astonishingly good court room thriller and sooooo much more. Dealing with a sensitive subject with care and precision - beautifully written with tremendous insight. I was hooked from start to finish and highly recommend this book.

Wow I loved this book, it was a real page turner and I read it every spare moment that I had. The characters were brilliant and just when you thought you had it all worked out the author threw in a curveball to change your opinion. I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book, I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

This was a very interesting novel that really touched on some moral dilemmas our society faces on an everyday basis. Obviously, those were accentuated to create interest and the writer was extremely successful in doing so.

This is the riveting debut psychological thriller from HS Chandler, an author with a background in law that informs the courtroom drama that unfolds, although liberties are taken that deviate from standard law practices. It is a highly pertinent read in our contemporary world of #MeToo, crawling beneath the surface of ostensibly normal marriages and relationships, to lay bare the murky darkness that lies underneath. The narrative revolves around the working group dynamics of a serving jury on the Bristol trial of Maria Bloxham, married for 18 years to the celebrated Dr Edward Bloxham, charged with the attempted murder of her husband.

Making life changing judgements, the slippery nature of legal justice, and the problematic process of arriving at a decision on whether to convict or not, the entire process is mired by human nature and frailties, and the relationships that develop within the jury. People are not always what they appear to be at first, and ambitious barristers are intent on winning, which drives how they conduct themselves and the interpretations they cast on the evidence presented. As Lottie Hiraj, a juror, is to discover, it is very easy to make errors of judgement about people that can have catastrophic consequences, providing parallels with the circumstances in which Maria found herself as she married Edward. Lottie is married to Zain, a stay at home mother to their young son, Daniyal. Her marriage has become lacklustre and stale, her life humdrum, and she is feeling underappreciated, so the attentions of an attractive fellow juror has her leaping headlong into an exciting and illicit affair. Maria makes no attempt to hide her hatred of Edward, taking obvious comfort from the fact that he will never be able to live a normal life again. As the story unfolds, it seems clear that the odds are stacked against Maria, the prosecution have all the cards and the evidence appears to be incontrovertible, and Maria's claim of self defence has no evidence to support it, there is only her word. Can the jury trust her? Will justice prevail?

Chandler writes a twisted and compulsive story, full of suspense and tension, which appears to be heading in a clear direction, only to shift and change, time and time again. The character of Maria showcases just how women can find themselves in abusive relationships and marriages, but is she telling the whole truth? Could she be a heartless manipulator? Lottie comes to eventually understand how a woman can find herself unable to leave a abusive relationship, but do these eye opening insights come at too heavy a cost? This is a fantastic and thrilling read, where no-one and nothing is as it seems. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

I really really loved this book, a right old proper page turner that not only deals with some currently relevant and emotional topics but was also genuinely unpredictable- a novel in which almost any outcome would be surprising.

There are two sides to this story- on one side Maria, on trial for murder, already an admitted killer but can she persuade the jury she had no choice? On the other side of the courtroom sits Lottie, judging Maria and herself at the same time, whilst possibly about to make a huge mistake..

The coin flips as you go, revealing different levels with every passing chapter. Beautifully plotted and immersively written it is completely gripping and utterly compelling.

I found myself nodding along, having been on jury service myself, the author captures the boredom and the momentary fluster of activity perfectly, as well as the nuances of a group of strangers thrown together who somehow have to come to an agreement. The characters are authentic and intriguing and it is a twisty tale indeed.

One to watch this year, you’ll devour it in record time, once you start it’s almost impossible to stop. Clever, layered storytelling with a thought provoking premise and a razor sharp execution.

Recommended.