Dissection of a Murder - by Jo Murray (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SECOND SEASON OF APPLE TV+'S PRESUMED INNOCENT, STARRING EMMY AWARD-WINNER RACHEL BROSNAHAN

Nothing is as it seems--and no one is telling the truth--in this page-turning thriller about a young lawyer forced to defend a man on trial for murder against the mentor who taught her everything: her husband.

When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she's shocked by the victim: a well-known, well-respected judge, whose death sent shockwaves through the legal community. She's also incredulous--she's nowhere near experienced enough to handle such a high-profile assignment--but the defendant is insistent: he wants her, and only her, to represent him.

Except he's refusing to talk. And if that wasn't complicated enough, Leila soon learns her opponent is the most ruthless prosecutor she's ever known: her husband.

It's an impossible situation, yet Leila is determined to sway the jury to her side--until she's blindsided once again by a shadowy figure from her past. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only for her client and marriage, but also to keep her own secrets buried. And if she has to rewrite the rules to win, so be it.

Review Quotes

Praise for Dissection of a Murder

"So gripping, so clever, so good. This brilliant book had me hooked from the beginning. An addictive page-turner and an exciting new voice in the genre."
―Alice Feeney, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ugly

"Brilliant. One of the most suspenseful and thought-provoking novels I've read in ages. I predict it will be massive."
―Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow South and former First Minister of Scotland

"Everything I wanted in a court room drama and more. Utterly compelling, razor-sharp tension and with whip-smart dialogue. It's Gone Girl meets The Silent Patient."
―John Marrs, author of You Killed Me First

"Combines the highwire courtroom melodrama of Scott Turow with the twistiness of a gripping suspense thriller. And with an absolute mindbender of a sting in the tail."
―Vaseem Khan, author of the Malabar House series, the Baby Ganesh Agency series, and upcoming Q series

"A fascinating thrill of a read, which had me gasping with its reveals. I stayed up way past bedtime to find out what was happening . . . I loved living out the courtroom experience through the eyes of a barrister. It's an immersive, shocking, deftly plotted debut, and fans of Grisham will find so much to love. What a writer to watch."
―Cesca Major, author of Reese Book Club pick Maybe Next Time

"Anatomy of a Scandal meets Gone Girl. A sexy, tense, scandalous legal thriller."
―Isabelle Broom, author of The French Guesthouse

"I couldn't drag myself away from the pages. Dissection of a Murder is a brilliant portrayal of a murder trial through the eyes of a barrister for whom the stakes couldn't be any higher. So deftly plotted with such clever twists and reveals―I absolutely loved it."
―Nikki Smith, author of They Had It Coming

About the Author

Jo Murray grew up in Teesside during the '90s, when working-class girls were told they probably shouldn't try to become barristers. Thankfully, she ignored everyone. After studying Classics at Newcastle University, she went to law school and was a criminal barrister before leaving the profession to look after her two children. She lives in North Yorkshire.