Blood Orange

October 22, 2018
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.).

December 1, 2018
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.

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Narrator Julie Teal delivers Tyce's debut thriller with precise depictions and authentic expression. She smoothly takes on the role of Alison, a solicitor, whose life becomes chaotic as she deals with her marriage, an affair, and her first murder case. Teal communicates Alison's thoughts and emotions with credibility and finesse. Her husband and lover are polar opposites of each other, and Teal ensures that listeners observe their differences. Yet she doesn't give away the big reveal that is related to them. Demonstrating her narration expertise at every turn, Teal captures the essence of each character's destructive behavior, enhancing this complex story. D.Z. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine