Published By: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 384
Released On: 07/05/2026
A dead judge. A silent defendant. And a courtroom full of liars.
When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked at how high-profile it is: the murder of a well-respected, well-known judge. This shouldn’t be the kind of case she’s leading; it’s way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, Jack Millman, is clear. He wants her, and only her.
To make things worse, he’s refusing to talk. How is she supposed to prove herself on what appears to be an unwinnable case?
Losing is not an option. She must find the most persuasive argument. Trials aren’t won by convincing judges or fellow barristers – they’re all about convincing a jury.
Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only to keep Jack out of prison, but also to keep her own secrets buried.
It’s true what they say – there are two sides to every story.
Guilty or not guilty?
You decide . . .
*****
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review. I went to the launch event of this book at the Harrogate Crime Festival 2025 at an invite-only party (sorry…I’ve always wanted to say I’ve been to an invite-only party) and so I’ve been looking forward to reading this for months!
There’s over 70 chapters which makes each one roughly 5 pages, some shorter and some longer. I am a lover of short chapters, especially in a thriller as it adds to the fast-paced, snappiness of it.
It really starts with a bang and you’re instantly hooked and it doesn’t let up until the end, and yet it never feels overwhelming. Yes it’s a lot and full-on but it’s manageable.
The characters are interesting. Some are good and some are bad but no-one is 100% goodie or baddie. I’m not sure anyone was reliable or trustworthy and you question everyone and everything. There’s only a handful of main characters and they’re so well written and work well in their own story and overall. The background characters aid the story too.
It flits between the present case, flashbacks of previous cases, and anonymous witness statements. This sounds like it would be ever so confusing, keeping on top of it all, but it was really well managed and the perfect way to tell the story.
You can tell Jo has experience in the world of law. I mean, I know very little about it and so cannot say for certain that what she’s written is true, but you can just feel it is.
Yes it’s a thriller about a murder and crime and legalities and whatnot. But there’s more. It’s about relationships, trust, secrets, passion, lies, desire, ambition.
I mean, I am famously terrible at working out whodunnits and whatnot so this isn’t a hugely surprising statement, but I had no idea where it was going. I tried really hard to figure it out but it’s so cleverly worked together.
What I’m going to say now is going to sound like a negative, but I don’t mean it in that way. There’s not much to the plot. It’s a simple plot at first. A murder takes place and two barristers have to try and win the trial. And yet she’s managed to fill it with so many layers, so much depth that it feels chock-a-block with goings-on. Never once do you feel like it’s going a bit slow or have time to stop.
I go to bed often between 8-9. Not necessarily to sleep but to read, but sometimes to sleep. But my point is, I’m an early-to-bed girl. But this had me reading until the early hours it was so addictive.
This is a wonderful debut that promises a fabulous career.
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