Dissection of a Murder - Jo Murray

DISSECTION OF A MURDER

JO MURRAY

*****

A dead judge. A silent defendant. And a courtroom full of liars.

When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked at how high-profile it is: the murder of a well-respected, well-known judge. This shouldn’t be the kind of case she’s leading; it’s way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, Jack Millman, is clear. He wants her, and only her.

To make things worse, he’s refusing to talk. How is she supposed to prove herself on what appears to be an unwinnable case?

Losing is not an option. She must find the most persuasive argument. Trials aren’t won by convincing judges or fellow barristers – they’re all about convincing a jury.

Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only to keep Jack out of prison, but also to keep her own secrets buried.

It’s true what they say – there are two sides to every story.

Guilty or not guilty?

You decide . . .

MY REVIEW

*****

I enjoy reading courtroom thrillers and so I was excited to request to read Dissection of a Murder.

Leila is defending her first murder case, but not only is she up against her husband, who is prosecuting, her client is refusing to talk which is making it impossible to work on her defence. Can she work out what happened and win the case?

The first thing that struck me when reading Dissection of a Murder was that author Jo Murray must have lived-in experience of the UK criminal justice system. I was correct on this assumption – she has previously worked as a criminal barrister. This is apparent in the writing which feels realistic and well-rounded, but Murray is quick to put the reader at ease with explanations of systems and terminology that may not be instantly familiar. The novel shows the less glamourous side of UK courtroom life where sexism, hierarchy and outdated pomp and circumstance run rife. The added dynamic of Leila’s character wanting to fight against sexism, but also getting perks from her husband being senior in the hierarchy was a nice addition.

It is hard to believe that this is Murray’s debut novel – it’s well paced and plotted with twists and turns at every junction. The narrative partially alternates between main character Leila and Witness X, whose identity the reader is kept in the dark about until the very last minute. Their chapters begin with explanation about their childhood and upbringing and slowly start to reveal how they are linked to the case.

The case itself is twisty, and there’s a lot of moving parts, but nothing felt confusing and everything felt realistic. Sometimes courtroom dramas can feel a little slow, but this is a fast-paced read which I could not put down. I don’t want to give anything away, but I absolutely loved the outcome and the reveal at the end and think it was the perfect twist to the story.

Overall, Dissection of a Murder is a twisty courtroom thriller grounded in the gritty reality of the UK court system – a Kindig Gem for 2026. Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LINKS TO BUY

Amazon UK

Waterstones