Book Review: Degrees of Guilt, by H S Chandler.

Thank you very much to the Author H S Chandler, the publisher Trapeze and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Degrees of Guilt. I am a sucker for most legal thrillers and was excited to read Degrees of Guilt. Also it has been recommended highly by other brilliant book bloggers, in particular Meggy where you can find her brilliant review HERE!

Description:

When you read this book, you will think you know every twist in the tale.

Maria is on trial for attempted murder.
She has confessed to the crime and wanted her husband dead.
Lottie is on the jury, trying to decide her fate.
She embarks on an illicit affair with a stranger, and her husband can never find out.
You will think you know who is guilty and who is innocent.
You will be wrong.

Published May 16th 2019 by Trapeze

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My Thoughts:

Degrees of Guilt is my first book by this author but certainly not my last.

At first I contemplated Maria’s plea of not guilty, but admittance to killing her husband! As the trial went on and we hear from both lawyers and the behind the court room door private discussions between the jurors, I wondered what if my fate lay in the minds of regular people, some I found so single minded and some so selfish. And then after having been part of a jury myself recently, the lawyers themselves! They can twist the evidence they have using clever words and phrases. I didn’t know until the jury decided themselves which way Maria’s fate lay.

How unfair it seemed sometimes, but this is our legal system and whether it’s down to clever lawyers or manipulative jurors, there are 12 people, 2 lawyers, a judge and whatever witnesses ( if any) to decide whether someone is innocent or guilty.

The author did an amazing job of portraying the courtroom, the jurors room and the characters. I felt like I was in the courtroom watching and then anonymously and quietly in the jurors room watching.

The main juror that the author focuses on is Lottie who has problems of her own. Although I felt for Lottie in her own marital situation, I didn’t agree with a lot of her decisions. She is a great character to get to know and her strength of character developed throughout the book.

This book drew me into Maria’s world, Lottie’s world and allowed me to consider what would I have done in Maria’s world and what would I have done if I were on that jury.

A thought provoking fabulous courtroom drama with a twist of thriller and domestic noir. Just grippingly fantastic.

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Twitter/@HSCinkpen

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