Read May 2019. Published 16th May 2019.
Maria is trapped in an appalling marriage, with a man who controls her every move, and almost her every thought. Little by little, her life has shrunk to an existence which is confined to her home and garden - her beautiful home and garden that her husband insists she should be grateful for. To outside eyes, her husband, Edward is a well respected campaigner for animal and environmental rights. Only Maria knows the truth behind Edward's public persona.
Then one day....a fateful call to the police..."I've killed my husband".
Maria now finds herself on trial for the attempted murder of her monster of a husband. How can she make a jury believe that the violence inflicted upon Edward was justified?
Lottie has found herself a member of the jury called to pass judgement on Maria. Lottie is lacking in confidence since the birth of her child, and feel herself confined to the role of wife and mother. She feels unqualified to make the decision that will affect another human being's freedom.
Excited at the prospect of a break from motherhood, Lottie finds herself drawn to another member of the jury and becomes entangled in a situation that proves to be far more complicated that she imagined.
Who are the guilty and who are the innocent?
This book is brilliant! It is so easy to call a thriller unputdownable these days, but believe me when I say that this one is a genuine page turner. I actually could not put this down until I had reached the climax and found out the truth - which hits you exactly like Edward was hit with the chair leg!
The plot pays out as the court case progresses, until the truth unfolds right at the end of the book. The tension during the trial is palpable and builds beautifully. You can almost feel yourself sitting in the court room, listening to the judge, barristers and witnesses.
There are a couple of superb twists, that you will genuinely not see coming. You may even find yourself using a juicy swearword out loud when you find out what actually happened - I know I did (fortunately within the privacy of my own kitchen!).
There has been quite a lot in the press recently about coercive abuse within a relationship, so this debut is particularly well timed. Some of the moments described here are quite difficult to read, but I think it is important to be aware that this type of abuse is real.
This book is a first class debut and I am looking forward to more from H.S. Chandler.
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