Review | THE MURDER LIST by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Genre: Psychological/Legal Thriller
Published by MacMillan/Forge
Publication Date: August 20, 2019
ASIN: B07GV9B15X
Pages: 352
Review Copy From: Macmillan/Forge via NetGalley
Edition: eBook
My Rating: 5
Synopsis (via GR)
Law student Rachel North will tell you, without hesitation, what she knows to be true. She’s smart, she’s a hard worker, she does the right thing, she’s successfully married to a faithful and devoted husband, a lion of Boston’s defense bar, and her internship with the Boston DA’s office is her ticket to a successful future.
Problem is–she’s wrong.
And in this cat and mouse game–the battle for justice becomes a battle for survival.
The Murder List is a new standalone suspense novel in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and B. A. Paris from award-winning author and reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan.
My Thoughts
Rachel North, the wife of Jack Kirkland, high profile defense attorney, has decided to also study law and when she graduates they plan are becoming partners in his law practice. He is also a member of the Committee for Public Counsel Services or aka The Murder List, where defense attorneys do pro bono cases for indigents that have committed murder. But he isn’t too happy that she will be interning under the Assistant District Attorney, Martha Gardiner. As a prosecutor, Gardiner feels that she lost the biggest case of her career against Jack and that loss cost her total embarrassment and possibly a chance to become the next D.A. However, Rachel feels that this internship will help her down the road and an honor since Ms. Gardiner chose her because of the potential, she saw in Rachel.
The story alternates between the present and 6 years earlier when Rachel worked as the Chief of Staff for Senate President Thomas Rafferty. Also during this time she had jury duty and ironically it was a case where Jack Kirkland was defending a person from The Murder List and Martha Gardiner was the prosecutor, which she won.
After this case, Rachel receives a note from Jack asking her to meet him as he would like to get a grasp on what went wrong, what was the jurors’ opinions and the reason for the loss. She decides to meet him for coffee and while at the coffee shop, she receives a frantic call from Senator Rafferty, who is also a friend of Jack’s, that one of their coworkers has been found murdered and that the police need to talk to her. But this leads to the case that Jack and Martha again go head to head and she loses.
Now 6 years later, while Rachel is interning, Martha Gardiner reopens the case. And then the cat and mouse game begins. Who is manipulating whom? Who really killed Dani? And who is lying about the evidence in this case and who has the most to lose?
This is the first book I read by this author but I have been wanting to for a very long time. And after finishing this book, I am wondering why did I wait so long?
The suspense anxiety is palpable. I kept going back and forth between characters as to who was the biggest conspirator and who was controlling the situation.
This was a white knuckle read at warp speed. A riveting read!! With an ending that was mind-blowing.
Highly, highly recommend! And trust me, I will never put off reading another book by this amazing and esteemed author!
Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗
I loved this book too. Great review
The ending was not expected!!
Oooooo….sounds amazing.
It is coming up in my TBR soon.
Great review…thanks.
Enjoy!! It was such a great read!
Yet another author I need to try. I need more time to read!
Kathy: I hear you. Too bad we didn’t need sleep or the responsibilities of RL