Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!



This was a good book!! This is such an empowering book and I highly recommend to everyone!! Check trigger warnings. The narrator did GREAT!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio.

Wow. Just wow. This book hurt.

"One in three women. Look to your left, look to your right, one of us.."

Is it weird to say I loved the book when I hate what happened in it? Would sell my left leg to see Jodie Comer perform this.

3.5 from me. Books that broach the topic of rape, well that is a sensitive topic and the take on this just seemed… not deep enough. It didn’t feel genuine. Victims of any sexual crime may not like this one because of that. Apart from that, the writing was good. I did like Tessa (MC). Beautiful narration. The dual timelines were easy to follow. Thank you net galley and publisher for the alc.

"Prima Facie" is a captivating read from start to finish, engaging and heavy in its narrative. The narrator brilliantly delivers the perfect emotional experience, making the difficult content of the story all the more engrossing. This is a story of redemption and survival after being raped by a person she trusted who happens to be her equal as a fellow barrister.
I finished listening to this story and my emotions were just all over the place - anger, sadness, intense longing for justice and revenge. I will definitely be finding a way to see this play, now as well. My goodness what a journey.

Thank you Netgalley, Suzie Miller, Jodie Comer, and Macmillan Audio for a chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook version of this amazing story, narrated by Jodi Comer, who won a Tony for her role in the Broadway production and also deserves awards for her brilliant performance in the audiobook.
I loved how the listener was immediately grabbed by being introduced to the story with the explanation of what her character, Tessa Ensler’s role was. As a highly skilled and respected criminal defense barrister who handled many sexual assault cases, she always truly believed in the system. Her job was to get her client acquitted. She was asked how could she defend those she knew were guilty? She said she didn’t need to know if they were innocent or guilty. “Our job is not to know . It’s to NOT know.” She would present the best version of her client’s story, the prosecutor, the best version of the police story, and the jury would decide which version of the story they liked better.

Everything suddenly changed for Tessa when she was raped by a coworker. Tessa struggled with trying to decide if she should even make the criminal charges, but she pursued because of how strongly she believed in the system. However, she soon realized the reality that the law was not written for victims. She found herself, a woman, subjected to history’s preconceived notions of how victims surely must have asked for it, being just another case of he said, she said.

This was so compelling to listen to, how every angle was explained, leaving this listener on edge.The story toggled back and forth between the “before” where she described the events of the night of her traumatic experience, to the “now,” where she explained the events during the trial. This story, so emotional, intense and intelligently written. Sometimes I had to pause and take deep breaths.
I absolutely loved listening to this and thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

Thank you Henry Holt & Co. for my free ARC of Prima Facie by Suzie Miller — available now!

Read this if you:
🫀 are alive in 2024
📊 that's really the only criterion?
🚨 everyone should read it, srsly

Tessa is a young, hotshot defense attorney who prides herself on her skillful maneuvering within the justice system in order to benefit her clients. She wholeheartedly believes in the system and in the law itself, putting the burden of proof on the prosecution — because everyone is innocent until proven guilty. When the tables turn, however, and Tessa finds herself the victim of sexual assault, she'll find out just how traumatizing and unfair her beloved system can be.

UGGGHHHHH just read this book please. Male, female, nonbinary, gender notwithstanding — just read it. It's an important topic and it's critical to be well-informed on it, especially if you have no firsthand experience (and I sincerely hope you don't, but, one in three...).

At first I found the book to be a little slow, detailing all of Tessa's daily experiences in defense. But then I realized that we were just building her a nice, strong foundation of trust and belief, in order to watch her get truly ripped apart by the later events. As a woman, some of her thought processes are so devastating to see spelled out on the page, because I can SEE how damaging they are but I can also see myself thinking the same things in her situation. Brutal.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was stellar. I wanted to see Prima Facie when it played on Broadway, but was unable to get tickets, so I was so excited to not only see that it was being adapted into a novel, but that I got approved for an advanced listen of the audiobook.

Jodie Comer is amazing as a narrator. Her familiarity with the material and the character of Tess makes her performance here truly great, more than just narration. While the subject matter is certainly tough (TW: sexual assault, rape), the portrayal of it is incredibly authentic and real - and that’s important to call out.

Well-written and well-executed, I’m excited to see what the author has in store next after the success of the play, and hopefully this book/audiobook.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Henry Holt Books for the ALC!

Prima Facie by Susie Miller was such an emotional, stirring and powerful book. It was about Tessa Ensler, a woman who easily could have represented so many other women. Tessa was brought up by a single mother. Her family was poor but Tessa worked hard and became a top criminal defense barrister. She was a good barrister and fought hard for her clients if they pleaded not guilty. The one thing that Tessa believed in was the fairness of the legal system. All of that changed in a single night with a single incident. Tessa now found herself on the other side of the court. She was no longer the brilliant woman barrister she had worked so hard to become. Tessa was now on the witness stand. She was forced into defending herself and explaining how she was violated. From this vantage point, Tessa became acutely aware of how the law was and had always been dominated by a prejudiced male legal system when it came to matters of rape and sexual assault.

I listened to the audiobook that was brilliantly performed by Jodie Comer. I was never so moved by a performance like I was by the one that Jodie Comer gave. Prima Facie was about rape, sexual assault, the challenges and judgments women faced, ambition and family. Prima Facie was based on Suzie Miller’s Tony winning Broadway play that was performed by one woman. I have not seen the play but if this audiobook was any indication of what to expect I would be very lucky to see it. Suzie Miller’s writing was so impressive. The subject matter was both so timely and important. All my emotions were spent by the conclusion of this audiobook. I highly recommend this audiobook.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Prima Facie by Suzie Miller through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“‘One in three women.’ I feel my eyes prick with tears and hear myself say, ‘Look to your left. Look to your right. It’s one of us.’”

I had not previously heard of the play that this book is a novelization of, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s an extremely powerful piece. I was a wreck by the end of this novel. It is extraordinarily conveyed.

I rarely write reviews that rehash the synopsis, but I do think it’s important for you to know this much: Prima Facie is the story of rape and of one woman’s changing perspective in the legal system; the system she once wholeheartedly believed in as a criminal defense barrister. If you think, knowing this, that the content might be triggering, I think you are correct. I do not want to deter anyone from reading this, as it’s an extremely important story and does, essentially, remind the one in three that they are not alone while shining a light upon the heavily flawed legal system and the way the law is written for the benefit of men, but I also don’t want anyone going into this thinking it won’t hurt. If its content bears any resemblance to something you’ve experienced, please proceed with care.

Suzie Miller constructed a brilliant and realistic narrative. It’s a slow build, but everything we learn about Tessa before the rape is critical. Miller emphasized class divisions, and carefully illustrated how hard Tessa had to work to get where she is. As Tessa narrated her story, I came to understand why she chose to defend those accused of horrific crimes, including sexual assault, and her reasoning for this, as well as her trust (however deluded) in the system, did make sense. Her character is incredibly well developed, and likable, at that. I must admit that, upon reading the synopsis, I did not expect to like her. She is, I quickly realized, just human, and aren’t we all, at times, misguided?

Prima Facie made countless necessary, hard hitting points and aptly demonstrated how the system silences women; how it leads to many staying quiet because taking the stand ends up being a retraumatization that works against the victim. The author painted Tessa’s own trauma responses in a believable way. She forced readers to consider what part they’ve played in the silencing of women who have been assaulted (and I mean ALL readers, as she made an incredibly valid observation regarding the way women silence each other).

I could not stop relaying the details of this story to my husband, although I did so through tears. It is a novel that holds so much weight, and I will carry it with me for a long time.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio, Henry Holt Books, and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

i know it's only january, but i feel confident saying "prima facie" will be among my top reads of the year. i'm not sure i'll ever be able to truly express how much i adore this piece. the stage version lives rent-free in my brain and now the novelization will as well. suzie miller is an incredible writer and did a fantastic job with this adaptation. it's heart-wrenching, emotional, and inspirational all at once. i mean, tessa's testimony at the end literally had the same effect on me as america ferrera's "barbie" monologue.

and we absolutely can't ignore the magic of jodie comer. she captured something truly extraordinary as tessa on stage, and i am beyond thrilled that she was able to narrate the audiobook. her deep understanding of the material gave her the ability to perform in a way you rarely see in audiobooks. at the end of the day, i am so happy to see "prima facie" taking on different forms that will hopefully share it with a wider audience and add a new perspective to discussions about sexual assault.

After finishing this book, I watched American Nightmare on Netflix without knowing what exactly it was about. I think two of these #metoo stories one after another were too much for a night. Because guess what, for a second I thought this must be the punishment for being a woman. I thought men can simply do whatever they want but they won't be punished. I thought if you don't have another woman in your court, fighting for you, for justice, not for stupid technicalities, you have nothing. No case, no credibility, nothing

No consent is valid whether you go on that date willingly or he is your husband. It is still a rape, if you show even slightest bit of discomfort or unwillingness. If you are not jumping with joy when idea was presented, you are not consenting. You can be the attorney protecting rights of assaulted women or saving skin of those vile men and same thing could happen to you where you freeze, you forgot all the things you should be doing to prove that it happened.

Tessa was one of the three like many of the women when we look left and right of us. You are lucky if you are the one. She went on a date willingly, but she didn't want what happened to her. She took a shower to feel clean but forgetting her body can be an evidence. She still went to police to report it and went a trial where she was cross examined, even though she knew, as a defense attorney, the guy would walk free

A powerful, confronting story told in the language and environment of 2024. It's not pretty - but rape, sexual assault and the male dominated, prejudiced legal process women have to navigate isn't pretty and this book which is an expanded version of the highly acclaimed play tells it the way it is. What do you do when you’re a lawyer and then are on the other side of the table as the victim for cases that you normally try in court. Men and women of all ages should read this.

As a survivor of Sexual Assault myself this book really resonated - the system is so male driven women have such little hope and its not wonder so many rape victims don’t report it.

On stage, Suzie Miller's PRIMA FACIE has won Tony and Olivier awards starring Jodie Comer. It has sold out several seasons and is produced in different countries and languages. A film version, penned by Miller and starring Cynthia Erivo, is coming.

PRIMA FACIE is now adapted into a compelling and moving debut novel about a sexual assault defense-barrister-turned-complainant who tries to get justice for her own rape, out Jan 30, 2024.

Set in London, Tessa Ensler loves her life as a successful criminal defense barrister (attorney). She had a rough childhood, growing up in a trailer park with a single mom after her mom's horrible boyfriends. Tess is a survivor and resilient with a full scholarship to Cambridge. She loves her life and her career.

She usually wins, and there are many men (her defendants who have often walked free). Her job is to offer a fair representation, regardless of whether they are guilty.

Then, the unthinkable occurs. A friend and colleague rape her—now she is on the other side of the courtroom, powerless, having to relive the pain and horror for the world to see and judge—from the physical and emotional traumas of sexual assault.

Determined to have her day in court (two years later), Tessa is forced to confront the stark reality that the law was not written for victims and that she is the one on trial with emotional turmoil. She perseveres,, even as her evidence is manipulated to make her look like she is not telling the truth while retraumatized on the stand.

In the novel, the author explores Tessa’s upbringing and family and flashbacks to Tessa’s law school years, where we learn more about her as an outsider and insider.

Can a system built by and for wealthy white men do right by anyone who doesn’t fit that mold?

A stellar and critical novel, exposing a broken system with a call to action for change to help women. Miller does a fabulous job of exploring what it takes to report an assault, the legal system, the fallout, and what victims experience by coming forward and, even then, may not receive justice in our broken legal system.

Prima Facie is bold, powerful, timely, sharp-witted, raw, visceral, and essential! From insights and imperfections to the shortcomings of the legal system.

One in three women will be raped or sexually assaulted; one in ten will report it to the police; of that, just over 1% or 1 in every hundred will secure a conviction for the perpetrator. When will laws change to protect the innocent?

AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook read by the fabulously talented Jodie Comer, an Emmy, Tony, and Olivier Award-winning actor, and her performance in the smash hit one-woman play Prima Facie on Broadway. It was an outstanding, stellar audio performance; I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the pleasure of listening to an early audio review copy for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 30, 2024
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Electrifying and expertly narrated. Readers coming into this book from the play will appreciate the fleshing out of Tessa's family and friends, while those new to Tessa's story will get to experience a glimpse of what the play was like thanks to Comer's narration.

An incredibly eye-opening but heartbreaking story told through the eyes of a sexual assault survivor. A novelization of the Tony-winning one-woman play by Suzie Miller, it follows Tessa, a young lawyer who has risen to the top, often defending the suspects accused of violent crimes like sexual assault. When she is sexually assaulted by a colleague, the tables are turned and Tessa finds herself fighting against the very legal system she once had faith in, often designed to vilify the victim and protect the perpetrator.
I highly recommend the audiobook version, which is narrated by Jodie Comer, herself – the actress who won the Tony for leading the play version. It's a heartbreaking and hard story to read but incredibly insightful into what so many experience.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tessa Ensler is a criminal defense barrister. She’s worked hard to earn her place at the bar, and even though she often has to defend distasteful characters, she knows it’s all part of her job to give them a voice in the justice system. But after Tessa is date-raped by a coworker, she finds the system looks much different from the victim’s perspective.

Prima Facie is an extremely powerful story. Based on the author’s award-winning one-woman play, the direct and dramatic writing style is reminiscent of a screenplay. The crisp and raw narrative packs a punch, evoking many complicated emotions in the reader. Tessa’s character arc is masterfully written as she discovers how the criminal justice system denigrates and revictimizes sexual assault survivors. Although an emotionally difficult read at times, the message is a critically important one and I highly recommend this profound story.

I both read and listened to this one, and I’m glad I did both because they both bring something unique to the experience. Jodie Comer, who starred in the West End and Broadway productions of the play, does a superb job of narrating the audiobook. She infuses Tessa’s experience with so much emotion and anguish. Her impassioned delivery of Tessa’s court testimony is exceptional.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Prima Facie (literally meaning "at first sight") was adapted from the award-winning play into this novel. I normally avoid books that focus on rape as a central theme because SO many writers get it wrong or handle it too casually, but Miller did such a phenomenal job. She emphasized the confusion, alienation, and powerlessness that victims are forced to contend with. Most importantly, she shined a light on how backwards the current legal system is and that even the wealthiest, most educated victims stand little chance at receiving justice.

Within this book, Tessa Ensler loves her life as a top criminal defense barrister. She respects the law and is respected in turn by her colleagues. She's accustomed to winning and letting her defendants - often men accused of sexual assault - walk free. She doesn't think too hard about whether her clients committed a crime; afer all, her job is to give everyone fair representation regardless. Her life is thrown into disarray when she is raped by a coworker. Suddenly, she's on the other side of the courtroom, and it is another experience entirely.

Jodie Comer nailed the narration, which makes me really want to see her perform the Broadway version. She effortlessly showcased all the feelings Tessa had throughout the book in a believable, compelling way.

Overall, the book was a gut punch, but an honest one. Definitely recommended!

👩🏻‍⚖️ Prima Facie - Suzie Miller

5 ⭐️ - proceed with caution. I need to now see Jodie Comer perform Prima Facie as a one woman show! This book (play) is shockingly raw and real. It touches on a tough, but very important subject matter. If you can read it, please do.

Tess Ensler loves her job. She’s worked her way up to be the top criminal defense barrister and fights to defend those pleading not guilty. Tessa believes in the law and the system. But when Tessa is raped by a coworker, she struggles to find the strength to bring him to justice and fight the system she once believed in.

Like I said, tough but necessary topic to be discussed. The way this book (Tony award winning play!) tells this story is strong, honest, heartfelt and real. Suzie Miller’s writing is beautiful, even when the subject matter isn’t. She includes important factual information that everyone should do. The court drama, the thrilling pace of the story, the characters… made it easy to love a heartbreaking story.

This was achingly honest. As an American lawyer I greatly appreciated all the time spent discussing her “law school” experience and then her experience as a lawyer prior to her rape. It was fascinating to see the similarities and differences of law in the UK. As for her actual story about the rape, everything was achingly accurate. I am only sad I had never seen this actually performed. It must have been superb!

Tessa Ensler loves the law. She has worked extremely hard to become a top barrister and she feels like the law always works in favor of justice. Defense barristers have no control over which defendants they get but Tessa is always determined to do the best she can for them knowing justice will prevail. That is, until she is raped by a coworker. Tessa finds out the hard way that the law doesn't really work in favor of the victims. The is a story based on an Olivier-award winning play of the same name. Jodie Comer is the narrator and what a performance she gives!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this e-arc.*