Alison is a successful criminal law barrister who seems hell-bent on pressing that self-destruct button. Outwardly she has a home life to envy with an adorable young daughter, a husband who takes care of the house and childcare whilst she works and she has just been given her first murder case, a big step up the ladder in her career. She also has a drink problem and a lack of self-control – one drink is never enough and inevitably she ends up making a fool of herself in front of friends and colleagues and worse, making decisions that she would regret. In this category, falls her continuing affair with a colleague. She knows that she should stop it but she just can’t bring herself to actually do it …and mean it.
When I first started reading this I really struggled to feel any empathy for Alison because of her reckless behaviour. Even though her drunken binges didn’t seem to adversely affect the way she did her job, I didn’t like the way she neglected her family when she didn’t have to and whilst her love for her daughter was never in doubt, she was too easily side-tracked by the thought of another drink or another illicit meeting with the sometimes charming but rather quite odious Patrick. However as the story went on, with more tantalising disclosures together with reading between the lines, my opinion of her slowly changed and the more I began to understand, the more I was on her side.
The story is not just about Alison although she is the main character and the story is told from her perspective. The client she has been asked to defend has been accused of murdering her husband. At first sight it looks a straightforward case but as the defence case is prepared, it becomes clear that there are unsettling parallels between the lives of Alison and her client Madeleine.
It’s really difficult to review this in detail without giving away spoilers. Blood Orange is a both a domestic and legal thriller, with adult content, and a dark and disturbing storyline involving control and manipulation. Just when you think you know which way the story is heading, the author throws a curveball and you’re left blindsided. There were one or two aspects that I had guessed, but nothing could prepare me for the conclusion.
Blood Orange is the author’s debut novel and it is an absolute cracker. Tyce was a barrister for 10 years so the legal aspects are totally realistic. It is so cleverly structured and the characterisations are superbly done – any author who can bring their characters to life and make you feel such strong emotion, whether it be dislike or sympathy, has done their job well.
This is another sure-fire contender for my top books of the year. I loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. It makes for very uncomfortable reading at times and there are parts that may shock but its actually a very topical read and just so compelling.
It has just been announced that Blood Orange has been optioned for a TV series by World Productions. This is excellent news but no surprise – it would make an excellent TV drama and I can’t wait.
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Popular highlights in this book
She and I have both let our husbands tell us how to feel bad about ourselves, carrying all the guilt for failures that belong to them too.Highlighted by 188 Kindle readers- Madeleine used the phrase as a mother. It’s never a phrase that goes anywhere good, usually crowbarred in to justify some particularly conservative or repressive piece of thinking.Highlighted by 116 Kindle readers
- On the upside, I’m not on bail for Carl’s murder so maybe things could be worse.Highlighted by 84 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
About the author
Dark and deviously good!
Blood Orange was one of those books I picked up off of Amazon back when I started this account because it was on sale. No real thought went into purchasing other than "Oh a thriller on offer". Fast forward almost two years and I've finally read it! And I'll be honest, I'm kicking myself I didn't pick it up as soon as it arrived on my doorstep! And it's a debut?! What a book to start out with! A dark and twisted psychological thriller that had me enthralled from beginning to end. It's gritty and graphic so be prepared and there is a very long list of trigger warnings so please look them up prior to reading! The story itself though was very good! Allison is a barrister, wife and mother who seems to be on a downward spiral. She works too much, parties too hard, is having an affair with her co-worker and seems to be neglectful to her family. This is the basis of Tyce's toxic, domestic thriller. The main men in this novel were hands down the most horrid creatures. Reading certain parts had me so angry I needed to take little breaks. I thought the parallel between Alison and Madelines' lives was very clever as it isn't blatantly obvious at first, I just thought I was reading too much into it! As the story progresses, the intensity rises and the ending... SO good but also WTF! I was in no way expecting it until it was right in front of me. If you're a fan of psychological, domestic with aspects of a legal thriller, this'll be one for you but please remember to check any TWs!
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2019
Top reviews from other countries
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- Emily HelalReviewed in Egypt on 28 August 2024
An utterly irresistible psychological thriller
