As always and excellent thriller from Hank Ryan. Exhilarating cat and mouse read that will leave you breathless at time and flipping pages throughout. Loved it!

I enjoyed this one, but was expecting a little more after reading some reviews. Other readers made it seem like it was going to be a fast-paced legal thriller with a lot of out-playing and out-maneuvering, but I didn't have that opinion. It was also really obvious who the bad guy was.

what a thrill ride this was my first book by this author I m happy to say I can t wait to read more all through the book I thought I knew where the story was going then boom out of no where I found that I didn t at all I loved the descripstions that were used I almost felt as if I were there racheal is a very complex character that you sorta feel bad for in the beginning the rivarlry between jack and martha was great as well

A legal cat and mouse thriller which had me guessing who was telling the truth, who had the hidden agenda and who was the real killer. Which side are you on? How do jury's come to their decisions? What dirty tactics do lawyers have up their sleeves? Can one really get away with murder?

This book goes back and forth through time from the past, when Rachel North worked on Beacon Hill and served on a jury which decided to convict a man for murder, to then return to her job and learn that one of her co-workers has been murdered. But wait there is more! In the present, Rachel is married to the defense attorney she watched every day in court when she served on that jury. He defended the man she found guilty - that must make for some interesting pillow talk. She is also a law student who has been chosen to be an intern for her husband's nemesis, a woman he refers to as "Satan in Pearls". Now it seems she is just asking for trouble...BIG TROUBLE.

Whew! Once I got over that fact that Rachel choose to work with her husband’s enemy after telling him, in the long run this will help them when they have a firm together. The old, I-will-learn-all-her-tactics-so-we-can-beat-her-in-the-future argument. This made things interesting, even more so when Martha Gardiner, her husband's nemesis decides to investigate the murder of Rachel's former co-worker. This makes things interesting and had me curious as to why and who would be found guilty.

I found this to be another solid book by Ryan. It's not my favorite book by hers (my favorite being Trust Me), but nonetheless, I found it to be enjoyable. I enjoyed the cat and mouse feel. For the beginning and the choices Rachel makes, I knew this was going to be a Topsy Turvy ride. There are some twists and turns along the way. As always, Ryan's books are intelligent, and her plots are layered. She manages to keep some cards to herself, so that when the ending comes, there is still some shock value. In the end everything makes sense and there is that "holy crap" wow factor. I did not see that one coming until it was almost over. I found this to be an engaging tale that had me thinking.


Thank you to Macmillan Tor/Forge publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a good one! Only four stars because the first 60% of the book didn’t feel like it was leading to a conclusion. However, the twist at the end is just what I’m looking for from books like this.

This just wasn't for me. The premise was interesting but as someone who does criminal defense work, I just couldn't get in the right mindset/suspension of belief for this story. Someone without a lawyer background would probably enjoy this more. Me problem not a book problem.

While I truly enjoyed this book, I did figure out who the guilty person was from fairly early on. To me it was obvious.

This book will keep you turning pages trying to find out the why and who of it all. I thought just from the title that the Murder list was a list of victims. Little did I know. I learned a lot reading this book about the law and how different lawyers do things.

The three main characters were all likable to me. Two lawyers and an up and coming lawyer still in college. At different times I detested them then felt sorry for them then liked them again. This book tells things that you don’t usually hear about. Like how angry the district attorney gets if she loses a case or how personal she may take it. How much she may hate the defense attorney for winning when she truly believes the person she is convicting is guilty and the lengths she may go to to prove it. Also the same can be said for the defense attorney. What they will do to get a person off even if they know in their heart that the person is guilty. The anger that stems from each. They don’t like to lose. But one has too. They can’t both win.

This is the story of a young woman who works for the President of the Senate as his secretary. The admiration she has for him. The feelings she thinks she has for him. It’s about a couple of trials at the same time and how losing affects the attorneys. The death of another young woman who works for the secretary to the President of the Senate. How they each got their jobs and what happens to one when she crosses a line that truly should not have been crossed at all. A cheating husband, a scorned wife, an angry woman who is delusional and two lawyers.

While I think this book was very well written and I found it very interesting, I hated that I was able to figure out who the guilty person was. I kept hoping I was wrong but to me it was kind of obvious. But still it was a very good book. The why of it and the way things happen are wonderful. It’s truly a very good book.

Great characters. Great plot. Great plot twists and I really loved the ending, though I would have loved to known a bit more.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

I give this a 4 star and do highly recommend it.

This was my frist novel by this author however it's definitely not going to be my last.  Although I wasn't quite sure where the story was going at first, once they reintroduced the murder of Dani Zander, it started to make more sense.  Once that case was reopened and the DA started digging, things got crazy. 

What I found most interesting about this novel was the question of who was really on the side of justice?  Is it the defense or is it the prosecution?  Not something I ever thought about much, considering most police and court oriented shows and novels make the good guys out to be law enforcement and the prosecution.  The Murder List, however, definitely makes you want to see the defense as the good guys as well.  Jack Kirkland definitley believes in his mission. Enough so that he's convinced his wife of it as well.  Honestly, he had me convinced by the end, too.

The author does an amazing job of drawing you in, making you believe, and then pulling the rug out from under you.  I never saw the ending coming and it left me in shock.  Rachel is engaging and likable and a lot of the time she was the only thing keeping me reading because Jack can be a jerk at times and Martha can live up to Jack's nickname for her - Satan in pearls.  In the end, however, it all comes together and left me scratching my head, wondering how I never thought of it before.

Rachel North finds herself in a precarious situation, interning for Assistant DA Martha Gardiner, the nemesis of her defense lawyer husband Jack Kirkland, who warns his wife about the woman’s sketchy tactics to win at all costs. Gardiner in turn hints to Rachel of her husband’s ulterior motives, placing Rachel in a quandary as to whom she can trust. Gardiner then thrusts her into a cold case, the death of a young woman who worked under Rachel in her previous incarnation as a Senator’s Assistant. Alternating between the present and the past, Phillipi Ryan develops an intriguing, complex tale of trust, relationships, and marriage, and how a person’s breaking point can lead to murder. Fans of Andrea Bartz’ “The Lost Night” and Megan Goldin’s “The Escape Room” will appreciate the writing style and the wild ride to the finish. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy of this compelling murder mystery from the publisher through NetGalley.

My best friend @luckycharmedlovesbooks recommended that I read the latest from @hankpryan and I was not disappointed! Rachel left her former career working for a senator to go back to law school - with the intent to start a practice with her hotshot defense attorney husband. For her law school summer internship, however, she's been assigned to work with DA Martha Gardiner, her husband's biggest nemesis. Will this internship tear Rachel and her husband Jack apart? Or is Rachel going to get insider information that will help them to take down Martha together?? On another note, why is Martha dredging up a 6 year old unsolved murder case?
It was hard for me to decide what character I disliked the most while reading this book - and which ones I could trust. I liked the alternating timeline, and found myself reading faster and faster so I could figure out what in the world was going on! It was a fun read and I can't wait to pick up some more books by this author!

I don't like legal thrillers, but this was a suspense/mystery/thriller about lawyers, which I like just fine! Fast paced and deviously plotted, with Hank's characteristic wit and razor sharp dialogue. She's done it again! Another stellar read with a crafty twist!

Thanks to Hank's newsletter and Netgalley for the ARC! (If you like her books, sign up for her newsletter - it's fun and there are perks!)

Four out of five starts. Full of twists and turns and unreliable narrators, The Murder List will keep you guessing.

I truly was disappointed in this book. Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll just say I pretty much despised every character in this book, both for the defense and for the prosecution. These characters were all hateful. My father was an attorney and so is my daughter and I would bet neither of them have ever been this callous.I read about 60% of the book and then skimmed. My biggest regret is that I didn’t skim the whole thing. Ms Ryan may be a fine writer, but I for one will never read another of her books.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. At first I found the different points of view a bit confusing but once I settled into the rhythm of the story I had no problem following the plot line. I really enjoyed this book as it kept me guessing and I did not figure it out until near the end. I give this book a solid four stars.

This is a wonderful suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the end. As I read it, I'd think that I had it all figured out, only to find a few pages later that I was totally wrong. I love books that keep me guessing until the end.

This book has three main characters:
Martha -- She is the assistant DA and a ruthless attorney who always wants to be right and a winner.
Jack -- He is a defense attorney - one of the best in Boston. He is on the murder list - a group of attorneys who can handle murder cases. He also is ruthless and wants to win - whether his client is guilty or innocent.
Rachel -- She is caught in the middle between Martha and Jack. She is married to Jack and in law school. Her goal is to work with Jack at his law firm.

Jack and Martha are enemies and often on the same cases - on different sides, of course. When Martha hires Rachel as a 3 month intern, Jack is totally against it and thinks that Martha has an ulterior motive. Rachel wants to go ahead and learn how Martha does her job so that she can feed information to Jack to help him win cases. But is Rachel really in the middle or does she have her own ulterior motives? The answer to this question will have you turning pages way past your bedtime to decide what her ultimate plan really is. In this cat and mouse game--the battle for justice becomes a battle for survival. I loved the suspense!

Law student Rachel North has an internship with Assistant District Attorney Martha Gardiner, a driven and successful top prosecutor.
She is also married to Jack Kirkland, a famous defense attorney who has butted heads with his rival Martha Gardiner many times. There is no love lost between them.
But Rachel wants to apprentice with Martha to learn all her secrets and then she will join Jack as a partner, where they can defend clients from the murder list, the accused who cannot afford an attorney.
Martha also has an agenda. She opens a cold case from six years ago, the murder of a woman on the staff of Senator Tom Rafferty, who Rachel just happened to work for at the time..
This suspenseful game of cat and mouse between them will have your head spinning!
A legal thriller/mystery with many twists.
The characters were not very likable, but they were well developed personalities.
The tension increased as I read, and I never would have guessed the ending!
An exciting, entertaining story.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

This is brilliantly engaging read that kept me turning pages to the end. I loved the charcters, the courtroom drama and the unique personalities throughout this book. Hank Phillippi Ryan is a favorite writer of mine and I was pleased to read this for review. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My opinion is my own.

This is a plot of compelling suspense of lawyer against lawyer set in the State House in Boston, MA. It is suspenseful and interesting as the author builds the suspense within the court case. Her characters are so well written to the story, one is evil and the other quite cunning. The lawyers are defined perfectly each with a style that showed them ruthless as well as compassionate to the end. It was a deft turn of events that i could not stop reading.. The plot is so suspenseful and I found it intriguing . The conclusion was pleasing and very surprising ! I loved this book and highly recommend it for your reading enjoyment. Cross posted to Amazon and Good Reads.

I really enjoyed this book. I need to come down from my book high before I can write my review. Another homerun for Hank! 4.5 stars

I was extremely excited for The Murder List by Hank Phillippi Ryan. It must have been that excitment that made it fall so hard for me. It wasn't a bad story but it fell a bit flat. If it wasn't for the flawless creative writing and narration, I probably would have stopped listening around 50%. Really, this had the ability to be the thrilling ride reviewers have called The Murder List for me. I liked, disliking most of the characters. Miss Ryan did a fabulous job of getting me to doubt and question each and every main character. She did a great job building the mystery of who was what and who had done what.

I missed the drama, the suspenseful feeling though. My heartrate never accelerated. I never wanted to speed up the book to hear it more, to hear it faster. My biggest let down was feeling like the best part of the book was the last 20%. However, looking at other reviews, I'm definitely the minority in this feeling. I fully believe that not every book will work for every person so I always give books a chance knowing this.

The narrator Angela Dawe has a pleasant voice to listen too. She has a unique sounding voice. You hear it but it doesn't make you stop and dissect it. However, using multiple narrators and ones with more emotions in their voice could have really helped this story during that first 80% of The Murder List when it was slower in action.

Jack is a defense attorney in Boston. As an experienced litigator, he is on The Murder List. The list is a list of attorneys from which the state picks the person to defend accused murderers.

Rachel is married to Jack. She is also a third-year law student scheduled to intern with Jack’s arch-nemesis, Assistant District Attorney, Martha Gardiner. Rachel’s first day begins with a murder case. The victim, Tassie, is found dead under her kitchen table with no obvious wounds.

In alternating chapters, Rachel’s previous career working for Senator Rafferty is described in flashback. Unfortunately, I wasn’t captivated by the flashbacks and skimmed most of them to get back to the “meat” of the story. Until the surprising twist in the story, which forced me to go back and read them more carefully.

The Murder List is crafted carefully to fool the reader and fool me it did. And I love that! All the clues were hidden in plain sight. Only my assumptions prevented me from seeing them. Because of the excellent twist—hiding just slightly under my radar, the originality of the plot, and the clear tying up of all the loose ends in the final chapters, I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars! It is highly recommended for all thriller readers.

Thank you to Forge Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.