This is the story of Catherine Monsigny who is a young lawyer taking on her first big case with an African immigrant who is accused of poisoning her much older husband. I was given my copy courtesy of NetGalley. The book has been translated from the French but unlike some others, I didn't find the style any different to any other literary novel apart from one tiny section where I thought the language was a bit clunky.

There are two mysteries involved as the tale unfolds: one with the actual murder trial and one with Catherine's personal life which is triggered by where the crime occurred. They are skilfully woven together with the tension being sustained right up until the end. There are themes of loss, guilt and love as well as questions about what does it mean to be a parent and how does biology determine who we are.

I really enjoyed this book once I got into it which does a while. It is much more than a murder mystery and provides plenty of food for thought.

Catherine, a young and very able lawyer has an exciting legal future in front of her. That is she can survive the effects of her past. Her mother was murdered as she sat nearby in her stroller. Fragments of that day surface from time to time where she is not sure how much is fact and how much is fantasy. Her father has blotted out memories of her mother which increases her feelings of abandonment. There is a distance between father and daughter but both the distance between the two and the memories of that defining moment of her life threaten to flood her as she defends two clients in separate cases. The one where we first meet Catherine is in Paris and it involves a man who becomes her lover but is so much more. The second is a woman who is accused of murdering her husband in a small town in the French countryside. It turns out this is where the family lived when her mother was murdered allowing her to glue together pieces from information gleaned in the neighbourhood.
Without giving too much away, let me say, I did figure out two of the three twists including the true murderer of her mother. It did not spoil the book for me. In fact, I read through quickly so that I could confirm my suspicions.
The characters were well written and while perhaps not likeable, they were interesting. The story was well paced and stayed on target rather than meandering. As this is a translation, I am not sure how the French book might differ. It is a good read for the summertime.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the easily readable style and interesting plot, which kept the story rolling along at a cracking pace, especially towards the close with its genuinely surprising ending. The setting was credible and had a definite French flavour, although worked better in the rural scenes, I felt. I enjoyed the varied characters and the study of the protagonist was particularly well drawn. An exceptional, well executed thriller with some fascinating twists and turns and a clever ending.

Good read. Recommend this book.

An interesting book, well written with an excellent storyline. A good twist at the end. Would recommend it to friends for a good holiday read.