First, thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Hornsley for this ARC!

Again, my body is hating me for getting no sleep yet again because I had to continue reading! I am glad it was not exactly a courtroom thriller, I am not exactly into those usually. It is mostly told from the perspective of Justine, but we also hear her ex-boyfriend Jake telling his part of the story, along with some other people in the 'before' chapters.

I do often struggle with dual POV and multiple timeslines, but this one was thankfully an easy read, twisty and intense. I admit though, I made some notes about the people still, just so I do not accidentally mix anyone up.

I did not see the twists coming, yet again. But that is what a good thriller usually does to us, right? A very good debut overall, and I am surely looking forward to other things coming from this author!

Amazing edge of your seat story you won't be able to put down this is a thriller which will keep you turning the pages long into the night

What a mystery! I was expecting a more courtroom based thriller but what I got was a little courtroom and a cracking holiday read mystery! I am really looking forward to the next one - maybe make it clearer in the description what to expect though

"Bad Blood" by Sarah Hornsley is an engrossing tale of love, betrayal, and the ghosts of our pasts.

The story centers around Justine Stone, who has meticulously built a life far from her roots in Essex. Eighteen years later, she finds herself entangled in a chilling murder case involving her ex-boyfriend, Jake. This shocking turn forces Justine to confront not only Jake but also the unsettling possibility that she never truly knew him.

The novel's atmosphere brims with tension and nostalgia as Hornsley expertly weaves past and present. We shift from Justine's polished barrister life to the gritty realities of a murder trial, creating a stark contrast that raises the emotional stakes. Readers feel Justine's internal conflict as she grapples with memories of Jake, now marred by disturbing allegations. Her emotional turmoil is tangible; Hornsley captures Justine's confusion and heartbreak deftly.

Characterization shines in Hornsley's work. Justine is complex—ambitious yet vulnerable, fiercely loyal yet conflicted. Jake emerges as an enigmatic figure, gradually revealed through the investigation. Supporting characters like Justine's husband Noah add depth, reflecting various aspects of loyalty and betrayal.

Hornsley's writing is engaging and accessible, blending crisp dialogue with introspective passages inviting us into Justine's mind. The pacing is balanced; intense drama mingles with quieter reflections allowing character development and thematic exploration. While some elements may seem familiar—revisiting one's past—the execution remains fresh and compelling.

"Bad Blood" explores the idea that secrets inevitably resurface, often unexpectedly. Justine's journey reminds us that our pasts shape us profoundly, and running from them only postpones the inevitable reckoning.

This thought-provoking read balances emotional depth with suspenseful storytelling, making it a valuable addition to contemporary crime fiction.

This is an absolutely cracking debut from Sarah Hornsley. Following the life and career of newly qualified barrister Justine Stone, who has a seemingly perfect life with her dreamy husband Noah.

As the blurb tells us, all is peachy for Justine and Noah both at home and for Justine's career - she is flying high and headed for the big time until her first major case is against her childhood sweetheart, and she has to make the case against him.

I found myself annoyed at Justine at times as she made some questionable choices but in truth I was too drawn in by the story to care and just had to keep reading to see what the real truth was that lay buried in their shared past, and whether Justine would succeed in keeping it hidden.

This is a powerful message that we are none of us too far removed from our childhoods - scratch the surface and it is all still there. For some, this is good, and for others this is a consequence waiting to be metered out.

Overall this is a fast and exciting read and I think the author, NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book starts as if it is going to be a straightforward read. A young female KC has been given a significant career move by being assigned to an important case defending someone accused of multiple murders. The trouble is that when she looks through the paperwork she recognises the accused as a former significant boyfriend who has changed his name. The murders take her back to where she grew up, an area she rarely visits where here mother still lives. She is, of course, relieved of the case but that enables her to pursue the crimes in question because she doesn’t believe the accused can be guilty. She also has a past she does not want to revisit. The story unfolds with revelation after revelation. It is very well told without unnecessary description. Everything has to be read. The KC is married and she has to reluctantly explain her past to her husband. This is a story that keeps you reading. I strongly recommend it.

A fabulous book and easily one of my favourite reads recently. I started this book one night before going to bed, and it was that good, I was almost at the 50% mark by the time I fell asleep. It's been a long while since I've experienced that! I love it when a plot twist isn't what it's made out to be, and just when you think the story is over, bam, another one that shocks you more than the last.

I’ll be honest, brief and a little brutal for this one. I do try to be as kind as possible but sometimes there’s just no positives to be found.

It’s instantly forgettable. The storyline has an overused trope of ‘is it an accident or not?’
Throughout the whole book, it felt like the reasonings and actions were a little dumbed down.
It’s an instantly forgettable book with unlikable characters and moments of pure irrelevance.

I’m sorry to say I don’t recommend this one at all.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed reading Bad Blood. It's a really quite intense look at a family and the secrets and lies they hold, and the lengths that people will go to to keep things hidden. Justine is a barrister who has just been given her first lead on a murder case but she recognises the accused's face and it's her first love who she hasn't seen in years. The novel then takes her back to her childhood home, where she grew up in a dysfunctional family and feels no bond to her mother. Interspersed with Justine's investigation we get snippets of story from the main characters in the book from various points in time, which really add to things. This is a novel of slow reveals, and each one makes perfect sense and yet was not predictable. I felt all the sadness, the anguish and the pain as Justine navigates the reality that the past isn't necessarily laid to rest, and that things she thought she knew might not be true at all! This was such an absorbing and engrossing read and it's one I'll definitely be recommending to everyone!

This is put forward as a courtroom thriller but is actually a tightly plotted story of small town family secrets which makes you feel on edge as you get deeper in. Justine is a barrister who has taken on a murder case and must confront her own history in order to solve it. Some twists and turns I didn't see coming. A great debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I really did enjoy this book but unfortunately life was just a bit on top of me while I was reading it so it ended up taking me much longer than normal to read.

Justine Stone has just been given her first big case that could really make her as a barrister there's just one little problem, the accused murderer is her first boyfriend who disappeared from her life twelve years ago. Determined to find out the truth, Justine heads back to her old home & a past she hoped never to return to.

I'm usually quite good at predicting twists & while I did see some coming, there were some good twists that really did sneak up on me.

Flitting back to her teenage years and her memories of her first love, upto now when her life seems perfect, until said first love pops up in a criminal case she's been given. Soon she's back to her hometown, digging around and not liking what she's finding out. Quite good!

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑

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Okay I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked all the way through, and would definitely recommend this book to any mystery, thriller, crime readers out there. As a debut this is very impressive and will definitely be buying for my shelf when released 🤩

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Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Hornsley for the ARC 🫶🏼
Publication date 27th March 2025.

This is my first book by Sarah and I liked the way she writes, she allowed me to get fully engaged with the main character, really sympathising with her and her past. I’m not usually a crime thriller reader, but this book caught my eye and I’m glad I gave it a read. Highly recommended for those who like a steady paced crime thriller

The plot twists throughout were outstanding!
I personally really quite enjoyed the multiple POV’s, and found this gave a little ‘something else’ to the plot. I couldn’t specifically relate to any of the characters and actually found them quite unlikeable - this in itself however, is quite unheard of (for me), and yet I still was throughly engaged for the entirety of the book. I do think the blurb differs from the storyline itself, it is more of a “family drama” than a thriller / murder mystery.
Would recommend!

Bad Blood - Sarah Hornsley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“I’ve always found the scariest feeling in the world to be happiness. If you’re happy, it just shows how much you have to lose.”

Bad Blood follows Justine who, free from her home town, has everything going for her - she has a wonderful husband, a beautiful home and she is about to take on her first big murder case as a barrister. That is all until she recognises the supposed murderer as her childhood sweetheart. Did Justine never know him at all? Does she even know herself?

Wow. What an impressive debut novel! Bad Blood is told through a few perspectives, across a dual timeline. There aren’t too many characters, so this isn’t confusing, and I was so hooked by everyone’s intensity that I found it easy to follow the characters as well as the plot. Speaking of which, the plot was like a spider web! Intricately and meticulously crafted, planned and spun to create a web of deception, secrets and twists that was ultimately beautiful in its finished product.

The book promised a triple twist - and it delivered! I was throughly gripped throughout and I loved the cleverness of the rewrite at the ending. This book has some difficult themes but it is written exceptionally well to portray them in a tense but appropriate way.

I will definitely be buying this one for the beautiful cover, and recommending it for the rest. I loved this one - and that is truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth😉👀

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Hornsley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending this advanced copy of Bad Blood in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
📍This book is out March 2025.

Thank you Netgalley for gifting this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't what I was expecting at all, the plot went back and forth from present day to past with elements of recovering from trauma underpinning it all which added depth.

I felt the book didn't need to be so long and I skimmed in places, but the twists I did not see coming!

It wasn't the ending I wanted but it was wrapped up nicely, some thrillers have a dump of information at the end as a reveal which I find really frustrating. Bad blood drip fed you the information throughout

A very well-plotted, twisty debut novel. I was immersed in the plot and was blindsided by the many twists. Eminently readable.

More of a family drama than a murder mistery type book. Interesting in its own right but not normally my preferred genre. I found the characters very unlikable, couldn't relate with any, and, by the end, was wishing everyone only bad things.
The plot twists, though interesting, were missing a wow moment, was more of oh yes that makes sense.
Everyone's personalities were quite flawed, the best people had the worst of it, and the really bad actions seemed to be justified by previous trauma, which I found quite distasteful.
I also didn't particularly enjoy the writing style, I found myself quite bored and just wishing for things to move along so I can finish the book.
If you're into family drama, maybe you'll enjoy this one. Check trigger warnings.

Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley and Publishers for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

And what a read that was, it was an emotional rollercoaster start to finish, I devoured this in a day just wanting to get to the bottom of it. And felt angry by the end of it, not wanting to put any spoilers out there. But if you're looking for a fast-paced crime, this is the one, the multiple POV's, and just small snippets of the past incorporating the definitive ending. It's really not what you think when you first start. I, for one, will be buying a copy when it releases March 2025 and think this will be a hit! Looking forward to any other books Sarah brings out.