Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley

 

Successful barrister Justine Hart is handed her first murder case defending Brad Finchley, a man accused of double murder. Reviewing the case notes she is shocked to discover that she knows the defendant as Jake Reynolds, her first love, who disappeared from her life eighteen years ago. Searching for answers Justine needs to return to her hometown and face the secret she has kept hidden for all of her adult life.

The dark cover, along with the blurb, was enough to draw me to Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley. The only thing better than a murder mystery is a murder mystery combined with a legal thriller. However, apart from Justine being a barrister, there is very little of the legal aspect to the story, but that does not detract from this dark and brooding psychological thriller in any way.

From the very beginning, you get the feeling that Justine is someone who is very restrained, almost emotionless. Being a barrister she needs to be dispassionate and able to compartmentalise her life in order to do her job successfully, but as we get deeper into the story we begin to learn that this is also a coping mechanism used to control her emotions and hide a dark secret from her past.

We discover that Jake/Brad disappeared from Justine's life unexpectedly, just after her father died in a tragic accident. Not long after the accident her mother shipped her off to live with relatives and she hasn't returned to her hometown of Maldon since. Justine always considered her mother to be disinterested in her and being sent away has only added to their strained relationship.

Upon returning to Maldon, secrets from the past begin to be revealed. We are given glimpses into Justine's emotional state, leaving us unsure if she's blocking memories because of trauma or because she doesn't want the past to taint her present. We also see how different characters play their part in covering up dark and twisted events, and the impact it has on them.

By digging into the past Justine slowly begins to piece together why Jake abandoned her. It felt as if pieces of a jigsaw were slowly being revealed, but it was a jigsaw without a picture. As more pieces are revealed you begin to form an idea of past events and an understanding of the motives behind each character. The author holds back one final piece until the very end, a piece that turns the story on its head and makes you rethink all of your assumptions.

Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley will be published on 27th March 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for a review copy.