Dissection of a Murder is sure to take the world by storm. This is a blistering debut that demands your full attention and leaves you desperate to discuss it.
Jo Murray is a fantastic new talent that you need to have on your radar immediately. Her writing is incisive and brilliantly leads you down one path, just to wrongfoot you. It is an utterly captivating story that you get caught up in. I found it difficult to bring myself back to reality while reading because I just needed to know what happened next. This is one of the sharpest legal thrillers I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
The characterisation is off the charts. Leila is a fascinating and flawed protagonist, brought into the case which feels like it might be way out of her league. Not only that, but she’s against her husband on the opposing counsel. Instantly, you have fascinating dynamics and fraught stakes in play but just you wait. This is a tangled knot of a book and Murray slowly unravels it to reveal new layers and elements that are complicating this case even further. Nothing is quite as it seems and Leila is at the eye of the storm. Her voice is arresting and layered as her character trajectory shifts and changes over the course of the book. She is a beguiling figure, shadowy and tricky to see in her entirety. I loved how three-dimensional and complex she was. She felt so real and raw, especially in this world that is reluctant to accept her.
Murray delves into the injustices of the justice system in depth and makes you wonder if she’s drawing on real-life experiences from her own legal background. It is a scathing indictment at times, full of rage and passion. We particularly explore issues around class and gender and how they can intersect in the legal system to create these stereotypes and biases. This system only really wants to accept those it can see as one of them, the familiar, rather than anyone different. You see this play out in the courts and outside of them too. I also really enjoyed the setting of Durham, somewhere I’m personally very familiar with. It added a new texture for me to read and recognise certain locations. It is richly imagined and also adds a new dynamic to the discussion around class and location, with certain associated tropes. Murray plays with these with a wry smirk at times, often in very interesting ways. I liked how immersed it felt in this place but also like a timeless story at the same time. It is a love letter to Durham and you can feel like you are right there.
This is a difficult book to discuss in its entirety because Murray has placed some of the most explosive and ingenious twists in this book. They are game-changers and truly flip the book on its head. They pair perfectly with the tight pacing and plotting of the story. Importantly, they also feel earned and believable in the context of the book. They have tangible consequences for both the characters and the readers. You feel unsettled in the best way, needing to know the truth. Murray is devious though and the story is packed full of twists right up until the final page. I am a lover of a final sting in the tale and here it is delivered perfectly.
Dissection of a Murder is a barnstormer of a debut with twists that will sear themselves into your brain. It introduces an exciting new voice whose career I cannot wait to see unfold.
Dissection of a Murder is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Waterstones.
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Synopsis
Breathlessly compulsive courtroom drama with expertly-crafted twists that you won’t see coming, Dissection of a Murder is the razor-sharp debut novel from Jo Murray.
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 . . .
