Published May 7th, 2026 by Pan Macmillan
Legal Thriller, Crime Fiction, Courtroom Drama
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Breathlessly compulsive courtroom drama with expertly-crafted twists that you won’t see coming, Dissection of a Murder is the razor-sharp debut novel from 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 . . .
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MY REIVEW:
Guilty or not guilty? You decide…
That is the question asked by this outstanding debut thriller And days after finishing it, I’m still reeling.
The story follows lawyer Leila Reynolds who is defending her first murder case. She was shocked to be chosen because a judge has been murdered and this is a high profile case. But the defendant, Jack Millman, makes it clear he wants her to defend him. Things are made even harder because Jack is refusing to talk and says he’ll only reveal what really happened on the stand. How can she win the case without knowing his defence? But losing isn’t an option. Especially with her husband prosecuting the case. She just needs to find an argument that will convince the jury there’s reasonable doubt. But as the case goes on, Leila’s own secrets threaten to surface, and suddenly she’s fighting not only for Jack’s freedom, but to keep her life from falling apart.
Holy freaking twists! I was not prepared for how much of a nail-biting rollercoaster ride this was going to be. Atmospheric, urgent, compulsive, and heart-poundingly tense, this had me on a knife-edge from start to finish. It is a story of secrets, lies, revenge and murder. A sophisticated and twisty Courtroom drama that you will find impossible to put down once you’ve started. Jo Murray showcases herself as an author to watch with this exquisitely written and expertly crafted debut, delivering an intoxicating combination of malice-ridden prose, red herrings and clever twists. As she drip-fed the clues I was hoodwinked by her misdirections multiple times, and my jaw hit the floor when she delivered that triple-bluff ending that I still can’t get over. I listened to the audiobook and Joanne Froggart’s superb narration elevated the story to another level, pulling me into the story and making me feel like I living every moment alongside the characters.
The story is filled with a cast of deeply flawed but compelling characters who were so much fun to read. Protagonist Leila was easy to like and root for but also feels like an enigma as there are hints of secrets and a hidden past. There is a lot of focus on Leila’s marriage as her husband, Julian, is the prosecutor in the case. I couldn’t stand Julian and had no idea why Leila was with him. All the same, I enjoyed the added tension that having a married couple on opposing sides of the same case brought to the story. But my favourite character was the enigmatic Witness X. This character narrates regular chapters where they take us through their rules for life and terrible backstory. I had a few candidates for who this character might be and loved that Jo kept me guessing who they were right up until the big reveal.
This phenomenal thriller is a must-read for all thriller thriller lovers.
Rating: 👩🏼⚖️👩🏼⚖️👩🏼⚖️👩🏼⚖️👩🏼⚖️
Thank you Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jo Murray grew up in Teesside during the 1990s when working-class girls were told they probably shouldn’t try to become barristers. Thankfully, she ignored everyone. After studying Classics at Newcastle University, she went to law school and was a criminal barrister before leaving the profession to look after her two children.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx
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