NetGalley Top Reviewer

NetGalley Top Reviewer
NetGalley Top Reviewer

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Ex by Alafair Burke


Oh publishers, please STOP comparing every thriller to GONE GIRL or GIRL ON THE TRAIN...you know that's not always a good hook anymore, and besides, most books are not going to "catch us out" as we are already anticipating a twist now.

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Legal thriller that asks the question -- how much can people change? And what do you owe someone if you think you ruined his life -- even if it was 20 years ago?

I like courtroom and legal dramas and this one started out well -- criminal defense attorney, 40 year-old Olivia Randall, is hired to help her ex-fiance beat a triple homicide rap. There are complications, however, and the case becomes more complex and convoluted the further she probes. Even though she initially was convinced that Jack Harris could NOT have possibly committed these murders, (certainly not the Jack Harris she was once supposed to marry) as the evidence piles up, she starts to have doubts. Even though she thinks she owes him this defense because she was hideous to him when they were engaged, she starts to feel that she is being used. Is all this obfuscation and his lies an elaborate hoax to cover up cold-blooded murder?

Although this was fast paced and started out extremely well, by the end I was left feeling cold and angry with the ending because I found it totally unbelievable. I could list out the problems I had with the conclusion, but that would constitute extreme spoilers so I will just let readers who want to delve into this find out for themselves. It was obvious that the author knows legal procedure and trial activity, but the characters she created were not very likable and I didn't connect with them. I want to write more, but again, anything I say would give it all away though I had it figured out pretty quickly -- just hoped I was wrong.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers for the e-book ARC to review. I'd definitely try another of this author's legal thrillers as I did enjoy the writing style and I like the genre.

 

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