A book I enjoyed. The story was original and the suspense was there. The writing style was one I wasn’t used to so it took me a while to get into the book but around 50% through was when I started to really enjoy it.

I have no doubt that this book will be on a bestsellers list. It has a good hook, it’s well paced and the writing is good.

Personally, however, I found it tedious. The first half was good, but other than wanting to know the exact conclusion, I felt like there was nothing compelling me to finish it. I didn’t particularly care what happened to the characters and I felt like it just fell through, a little bit. I’ve read a lot of good thrillers and maybe it just simply doesn’t compare to those. The writing itself was good and the concept is pretty good - although that itself disappears pretty quick.

The book was so intense, gripping and unputdownable which portrayed lies, deception and hidden secrets by all the main characters with multiple twists. Just when I sort of figured the plot, there was a change in direction of the plot

The plot is brilliant with lots of twists with an unexpected ending. I love the story being told by each character referring to the past and present. Highly recommended

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review!

3.5 stars. Justine is a high flying lawyer until she is brought a case that sends her reeling, her ex boyfriend is charged with a double murder- Justine has to bring the case against him. But first, she needs answers.

This book was portrayed as a courtroom thriller but that is not the case, I personally would have enjoyed that but many other people will appreciate that. This is a multi-pov psychological thriller that focuses on family secrets and drama. Its full of really tense writing and the plot is paced well to convey that feeling in the reader. I think the POVs may be love it or hate it, but for me it really worked for the twists and pacing.

I really liked how the FMC was written and how her family comes into the narrative- she is exactly the kind of character that I love to read! It made the entire novel compelling and propulsive, readers and reviewers alike will love this!

The writing style was definitely comfortable and easy to binge, I read this in one sitting and will definitely be recommending this to people who love family drama.

Sometimes as a book reviewer a book comes along that really excites you , and for me these have included girl on the train,our house and now bad blood..
This is going to be absolutely huge.
Completely addictive and intoxicating this will have the reader hooked from page 1.
As a psychology student with an interest in forensic behaviour this is really interesting and as a reader it was just everything I needed .
Fascinating and complex characters that are relatable and flawed !
Families,secrets and lies all spill over into the present day and what happens when the two worlds crash ?
Unpredictable and well executed i really enjoyed this debut .
I look forward to reading more and thank you to hodder for my early. Access to review .

This is my first book by this author, so I didn't know what to expect at all. All I knew was I was drawn by the blurb and title.

A psychological crime thriller set in the U.K which introduces us to Justine. A woman with everything, she is a barrister with a doting husband and a beautiful home too. She is flying high in life...until the day she is given her first high profile criminal case.

Told from the present day and the past, this was a book which kept me guessing as the story unfolded. As well as flipping from past to present the story is told by various perspectives. I got to wrapped up in Justine's story I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it.

What seems like a case that could make Justine's career turns into her worst nightmare. The way the author has woven the multiple people's threads together created a tense and twisty plot. I thoroughly.enjoyed the twists in the tale. They made me sit up and take notice, that's for sure.

A debut author who had me glued to the Kindle from start to finish, with characters like Justine, that I could invest in. My heart broke in certain points for Justine and her brother Max.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my gifted widget to write my honest review.

This is the story of a barrister who ends up prosecuting a murder case involving her ex boyfriend from her teenage years. Rather than a court room drama, it's more about the past and is a multiple PoV story told in flashbacks.

I struggled to connect with the writer's style and voice and kept finding myself drifting away from the text. There were some major plausibility issues for me too, which made me lose interest in the story.

The story did have some pace and there were twists there but ultimately it felt quite generic.

Bad blood is more of a family drama thriller, than a court room crime mystery. A lot of secrets and lies that I personally didn’t like and were quite predictable to me. Also a “me problem” is the multiple POV’s, I’m not against it but I feel like it’s the easy way to confuse the reader and provide more twists. Nevertheless, as a debut this is very impressive so I would recommend to a mystery thriller readers. Also, I can see it being adapted for the big screen, it read as a movie script or as something written to become a movie at some point.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with the ARC.

Great fast passed thriller with twists and turns. Really liked the writing. Looking forward to the next book by the author.

Justine, a barrister is thrilled to take on her first murder case only to find that the defendant is her first love, who disappeared without a trace. She knows she should step back but cannot believe that Jake is guilty; she also wants to know why Jake left her. As a result, her work-life starts to fall apart and even when her brother dies she cannot stop. Will she solve the crime or will she get more than she bargained for? This was a thrilling and suspenseful read with a cleverly woven plot.

This was a great twisty thriller with elements of courtroom drama which I love, thank you for the opportunity to read this arc! It was a good story told from multiple points of view, not too long so perfect to binge read. I would recommend this book!

2* Wow this 'heroine' gives barristers a bad name.

I couldn't divorce this book from the 'heroine' not recusing herself when she discovered that the case she'd be taking on was that of her ex-boyfriend she'd spent years searching for. An out-and-out dishonest barrister who could've not only damaged her reputation but that of her firm. Wouldn't happen IRL and I need a touch more believability in this type of novel, which in fact has very little to do with the law, and more going through the 'heroine's past deeds/actions/darkness.

Thank you to net gallery and the author for this arc copy. Sadly I struggled to read this book as there was far to many povs for me to get my head around and I lost track of which pov was been spoken about sadly. I am really unsure of this cover as it doesn’t really go with what the books about it seems so random and unrealistic. found this to be a very slow pace book to read and if I am been totally honest dragged in most parts for me. I was a fan of many of the characters as well as they seemed to be very similar to one another in my opinion. There were a couple of twists in this book but not many. Sadly not the book for me but I did enjoy my time reading it xx

Thank you @netgalley for the preview of this book inexchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bad Blood. After reading the description I expected this to be a book about a court case but it was actually a story told from multiple POV and through flashbacks. There were many twists along the way and seeds of doubt were constantly being lain along the way. I would recommend this book and think it will be very successful when published next year.

I thought this was heading for a nice, straightforward and easy 4 star rating...until the final forty minutes or so pulled me in and snatched that final star!

It reads as if it will be courtroom drama based, however quickly transpires to be the unravelling of family secrets, murder and lies, and the spiral of destruction caused. I like a book I can read through from start to finish without having to go back and forth looking for answers I may have missed, and this book does that perfectly.

The POV of the 'before' parts as told by multi characters gave extra depth and the character development was great. I enjoyed this one..I thought the ends were tied and answers wee given as we were reaching the end of the book and then a whole new loop was formed throwing everything up in the air!

And can we just mention the cover...it is absolutely stunning and one to admire on the bookshelves! Definitely one to recommend

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC Ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A barrister is challenged with setting up a case against her ex boyfriend who is charged with murder.
Told in different POVs and timelines which I found a little confusing to follow at times. The main POV is that of the banister exposing her past, her secrets, her lies etc. How toxicity of the past impacts on the present.

I found this to be a very slow pace read, that if I am honest dragged in parts. Parts of the plot were good and I did like the ending, but I found it overall a little too predictable for my liking.

If you’re a fan of thrillers with a twist though I would definitely give it a go.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

WOW! One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a LONG time!

Short, snappy chapters kept me engaged.

I really felt that the flashbacks from different POVs kept the momentum going - I was eager to keep reading to see how it fitted into the puzzle.

One thing I would change is the blurb - I think it’s slightly misleading given how the story pans out.

This novel is definitely not a courtroom drama and actually secrets amongst friends and family resurfacing.

From the outset I did not find the main character endearing in any way despite her portrayal as a victim .

The chapters are told from different characters viewpoints in relation to the past but any chapters relating to the main character seemed to drag and interrupt the momentum.

Despite this, it is definitely a plot with many twists, which makes for a page turner and the ending is not how you'd expect such stories to conclude

I've been dying to read a juicy courtroom thriller after finishing Apple's Presumed Innocent - and this delivered on all fronts! Can't wait to read what the author writes next.

The book is intense, gripping and unputdownable. Justine’s father was killed and her ex boyfriend Jake was being accused of double murder. While there were dark and unsettling family secrets. After all the unthinkable things happened, Justine started fresh and became a barrister while to get the bottom of the double murder mystery, Justine must revisit the past to get the answers of the unanswered questions. The revelation at the end was shocking. The ending was so unexpected.


Thanks to the Publisher and Author.