The Murder List Is full of twists, turns, confusion, and intricate characters who have a shared history. Two stories are told, one in the present, and one from before. Hank Philippi Ryan is the master of duel stories, and she even exceeded herself. Her characters are not warm nor loving, yet their realism is perfect for the thriller she has written. In a story that nothing is what you expect, and surprises come in many forms, I was still totally blindsided at the final twist in an unforgettable book. Ryan has outdone herself this time!

Thank you to both the publisher (Macmillan-Tor/Forge) and Net Galley for allowing me to read The Murder List in exchange for my honest review.
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I haven't read anything by this author yet and I really enjoyed it! I will be looking for more to read for sure. I really liked the bond between legal and psychological thriller in this book. I'm normally not a legal thriller type but the author has effortlessly married the two seamlessly together and created a twisty, intriguing story you won't want to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is well written and grabs you from the first page. With solid characters, it will keep you reading well into the night to get to the end to realize that you didn't know the ending until the shock twist end is read. This is the book to read if you want a story that holds you all thru the book and doesn't let you stop till it's done.

I would have never believed this ending -
Racheal, a law student gets and internship in Boston's DA office - and hoping for success.
Sometimes the past can rear is ugly face - and who do you trust?
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review

The Murder List is a “can't put it down” mystery thriller. Hank Philippi Ryan has cranked it up to an “eleven” here.

Our primary point of view is Rachel North - a young woman who worked in state government but now is at Harvard law school and married to defense attorney Jack Kirkland, She also has just been assigned her senior internship in the DA's office under Martha Gardiner, Jack's arch enemy.

We get chapters along the way from Jack's point of view and Martha's as well. We also switch from the present day back to when Rachel was working for Senator Tom Rafferty. It takes great skill and a deft hand to shift both points of view and time periods, but it is very well handled here. This also serves to heighten the tension because they are all, in one way or another, unreliable narrators, very caught in in their perceptions of the truth and right and wrong, and it serves to ratchet up the tension and keep the reader guessing as to where this wild ride is actually going to end up.

This novel also gives you great insights into the inner workings of both sides of our criminal justice system, as well as where things can get corrupted or go off the rails. Anyone who loves legal thrillers like Grisham or Turow will love this.

Rachel North, Harvard law student, is married to Jack Kirkland, a Boston hotshot criminal defense lawyer. During her summer break, she is assigned a legal internship with Jack’s arch-rival assistant DA. Martha Gardiner. A few years ago, Jack handed Martha a humiliating defeat that cost her job. Martha wants to things: to get even and get back on top.
Rachel is smart and hard-working but she has a flaw. She tends to fall into the wake of the biggest dog in the room. At home, that’s her husband. In her former job with the Massachusetts Senate, that was her boss. At work, that’s her husband’s enemy.
I’ve practiced law for nearly forty years and so much of this was spot-on, I was blown away that layperson would not only pick up on it but also depict it in such a compelling manner. For instance, attorneys really do acquire arch-rivals. Contests between them becomes personal, each believing that they are white knights fighting for truth and justice while their opponents are devil spawn. Another spot-on aspect of this book was a murder trial in which Rachel was a juror. The author nailed the procedure, what could go wrong, how it goes wrong.
The legal thriller is beautifully written. Each scene is taut. The story flows from scene to scene effortlessly. It’s unputdownable.

Rachel North is a law student, married to Jack Kirkland, a VERY successful defense attorney.

Martha Gardinier is a top prosecutor, who rarely loses...but who has lost to Jack.

Jack and Martha HATE each other, as only two rivals can.

So, why would Martha choose Rachel to be her summer apprentice?

And, why would Rachel accept this position?

WHO is playing WHO in this novel of suspense?
WHO has NO BOUNDARIES when it comes to winning?

Told from the alternating timelines of the present, and BEFORE, you learn how all of their lives have continually intersected over the years. For me, just as one narrative was getting interesting the story would switch to the other, losing momentum, and bringing down my rating a bit. It was causing me to want to skim to get back to where the other narrative left off.

Some have called this a legal thriller, but not much occurred in the courtroom...it’s more of a story of these three characters, with careers in laws, and the challenges they have faced while practicing.

Thank you to Hank Phillippi Ryan, who graciously offered a digital ARC in exchange for a candid review, through Netgalley. This title will be released on Aug. 20th, 2019.

really enjoyed the unraveling of the story, while i guessed at the who midway through, how we got that was very intriguing. What story are we actually reading, there are multiple overlapping stories. . knowing what i know now, i would like to go back and read it all again

Rachel thinks she has it all. But does she? Does she know what she really has? I was just going to flip through this before I started on my errands but 6 hours and no errands later I finished this amazing, twisty thrill ride of a story! Hank does it again with a strong female character, plenty of red herrings and surprises and an ending you won’t see coming. Without a doubt this will be the ultimate summer read well into Fall, Winter, Spring and summers to come. Thank you Hank and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy to review.

If you have a Hank Phillippi Ryan novel in your hand you're in for a fast moving, complex story you won't want to put down!

Law student Rachel North, 36, is playing both sides of the fence. She is married to Jack Kirkland, the top murder-defense lawyer, and is doing a summer internship with ADA Martha Gardiner, Jack's nemesis.

Rachel's first career in the state senators' office came crashing down when a young staffer's death exposed the senator's infidelities.

Rachel meets Jack when she is on a jury where Jack is squaring off against Martha. Some strange things happen to jurors on this case, leaving Rachel to make a ethical decision she later regrets.

The plot twists kept coming and I didn't know how naive Rachel was able to handle all of the double dealing situations.

The ending was a complete surprise, though looking back, it all makes sense!

I volunteered to read an ARC through Net Galley and I am so glad I did.

Great mystery. Quick reading. Always enjoy Hanks books.. Love the characters. and the settings.. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Hank is a master at crafting characters—the descriptions and personality traits that she developed are amazing and are key movements in this book. For instance, I was SO irritated with how Jack treated Rachel that I found myself just hating him. Hank is an excellent storyteller and really does an excellent job of describing being on a jury and the behind the scenes of being in a court room. This book is very fast paced and Hank just keeps getting better and better at writing. She is one of my absolute favorites

This is the second book I've read by Hank Phillippi Ryan and I liked this one as much as the first. She writes complex stories that capture and sustain my interest throughout the book Using past and present to tell a story without giving anything away demonstrates a writer's storytelling ability. This also requires the reader to pay close attention. It gives a certain amount of background information that explains the characters motives and makes the story richer.

For those of you wondering about the title, the murder list consists of experienced lawyers who are appointed to represent accused murderers who can't pay for their defense. Jack Kirkland is one of those lawyers. He has a strong sense of duty to give his clients the most rigorous defense possible and he seldom looses. One of the few prosecutors who has ever triumphed over Jack is ADA Martha Gardiner. Their dislike for one another is intense. The third main character is Rachel North. She is married to Jack and at 36 years old is in law school. Rachel is assigned a summer internship with ADA Martha Gardiner. Can you imagine the kind of conflict this will produce?

Ms Ryan weaves an exciting story and some of her descriptions stay with me after the book is finished. One such example is Rachel thinking to herself, "I've felt so invisible, even I almost forgot I was here."

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheMurderList #NetGalley

Wow, what a twisty ride! I literally read this in two sittings, only because I fell asleep. I woke up and read until the end. It has a twisted and completely unexpected ending. I strongly recommend this very well written book.

The Murder List is another good read from Ms Ryan. As others have noted, once you get into the novel you can’t put it down. Her characters are memorable and her plot twist, well, surprising. Readers won’t be disappointed.

I’m a huge fan of this author and this was by far her best book. There was a twist I never saw coming at all! The book was told through different perspectives and timelines and I needed to really pay attention so as not to get confused but the ending made it all worth it.

I was so excited to read The Murder List and it did not disappoint! The novel is wonderfully twisty and suspenseful. The story is told from several points of view, including passionate district attorney Martha, ardent defense attorney Jack, and law student Rachel who is a new intern for Martha but plans to practice law with Jack once she’s licensed. On top of that Jack and Rachel are married.

The novel pulls at the question of truth – what is true, how do you determine it and how do you prove it? And that epilogue gave me chills. If you enjoy suspense I recommend The Murder List!

I read an ARC copy. Thank you NetGalley and Forge Books! The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

The Murder List is a must read for all Hank fans. It's a page turner with lots of twists that will keep you glued to your seat until the end. The characters play mind games with everyone. You'll find yourself wondering who to believe and who to trust. A tangled web of deceit.

I had a tough time getting into the story because the author jumped back and forth between the present day and events that happened six years earlier. I felt like I kept getting jarred out of the story. The plot had plenty of twists and an ending I wasn’t expecting so if that style isn’t something that bothers you then I’d recommend reading The Murder List.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.