Oh my my.... what did I just read? Review follows now that my heart rate has returned to normal. This book delivered quite the visceral punch.
On a hot morning in London, Leila Syed agrees to help out her desperate brother-in-law by picking up 3-year-old Max and taking him to nursery. Unfortunately, Max doesn't make it to school. Leila has forgotten that he was strapped in the back seat and Max is found dead, inside the vehicle, in the parking lot of her office building several hours later. What happens next?
The book is divided into 3 different parts and focuses on the crime, the trial, and the aftermath. It is quite gripping and tense though the characters were so unlikable that I was sometimes unable to elicit any empathy for them. I was so torn in my emotions as various details were revealed and the narrative really kept me guessing.
What a great story as long as you can suspend disbelief and go with all the twists and turns. It's definitely more a domestic drama than a legal thriller as, even though I know next to nothing about the British legal system, I think the courtroom scenes were unrealistic. Something that was totally missing was extended interaction between Leila and her attorney. There was no trial prep and it all just seemed that was not the focus of the book. But, whoa, the drama!
In any event, I enjoyed this one and have also really liked two other books I've read by this author. She has a knack of finding some very timely issues and writing great stories about them. I definitely feel that this novel will invite some lively discussion about several different aspects of the legal case and the nature of family and female ambition. The less you know going into the book, the better.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I am looking forward to the author's next book.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - marketed as legal thriller but really more of a domestic drama
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