Blood Orange

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. [em]Agent: Veronique Baxter, David Higham Assocs. (U.K.). (Feb.) [/em]