A toxic marriage, a murder trial, and questions about who is and who isn't a good mother are at the center of Tyce's debut domestic thriller.After 15 years on the job, Alison Wood, a London barrister, is handed her first murder case. Her task is to defend Madeleine Smith, who was found with her clothes covered in blood next to the body of her husband, Edwin. Alison's excited about her case, but she's distracted by excessive drinking with her colleagues and rough and dirty sex with Patrick Saunders, a legendary philanderer and her instructing solicitor in the murder case. Madeleine confesses that she stabbed Edwin, but Alison isn't sure Madeleine's telling the truth. In addition to being an alcoholic, Alison is an unfaithful wife to her husband, Carl Bailey, and a neglectful mother to their 6-year-old daughter, Matilda. When Alison receives a series of anonymous, vulgar, and accusatory text messages, she falls deeper into her toxic habits of using alcohol and sex to avoid dealing with her issues. Carl, a part-time psychotherapist, seems stubbornly determined to ignore the fact that his wife needs help. Some late-breaking revelations almost make Alison slightly sympathetic, but not in time to overcome how dislikable she is. The rushed ending isn't entirely credible or satisfying, as Alison's unethical choices enable her to easily resolve all her problems.Readers who enjoy wallowing in other people's misery will relish this disturbing story. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Rising London criminal defense lawyer Alison Wood, the complex and deeply flawed narrator of British author Tyce's promising debut, welcomes her first murder case-something she has worked toward for 15 years. Her client, Madeline Smith, who was arrested for stabbing her husband to death, wants to plead guilty. But Alison tries to persuade Madeline to consider other options. Meanwhile, Alison's personal life is in shambles. She must deal with a failing marriage and a nearly abusive affair with another lawyer. To make matters worse, she begins receiving threatening texts, tied to her affair, from an unknown source. Soon, her husband wants a divorce, and custody of her six-year-old daughter is at stake. As Alison prepares for Madeline's case, she begins to see disturbing similarities between her client's life and her own. This gritty psychological thriller has a predictable twist, bit it's still a page-turner that drives to a shocking and satisfying ending. Readers will eagerly await Tyce's next. Agent: Veronique Baxter, David Higham Assocs. (U.K.). (Feb.) c Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

*Starred Review* Alison Bailey's life is veering out of control. As a barrister in London, she's the main financial support for her husband, Carl, a househusband building his therapy practice, and their six-year-old daughter, Matilda. As Alison's career ascends she has landed her first murder trial the signs of trouble grow: she's drinking too much, working hours that keep her from her family, and carrying on an affair with her senior legal partner, Patrick Saunders, about which an anonymous person has started sending her insulting texts. Things come to a head at home when she loses Matilda in a hide-and-seek game in a park, causing Carl to take severe action. And then Patrick, finding himself in serious legal trouble, turns to Alison. Details of the murder case in which the wife of a corporate executive, accused of repeatedly stabbing her abusive husband, wants to plead guilty are interspersed with the personal drama, as the narrative races toward Alison's discovery of the dark sides of both of the men in her life. This debut novel by a former barrister displays the pacing skills and smooth prose of a seasoned author, as suspense builds to a stunning climax. Keep your eyes on Tyce.--Michele Leber Copyright 2018 Booklist