Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley #BadBlood @HodderBooks #NetGalley

 

Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 27th March 2025

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book via Netgalley

Book Description:

A FAMILY FULL OF SECRETS

Justine Stone left her small, claustrophobic hometown in Essex eighteen years ago, turning her back on her family and what happened that terrible night.

A HOUSE FULL OF LIES

But when her childhood sweetheart, Jake, is accused of a horrific double murder, Justine's world begins to crumble. And when her brother disappears in the wake of the deaths, Justine is forced to open the door to the past again - a door that she's kept shut for years.

A NIGHT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

What has her mother been hiding all this time? Why does nobody ever talk about the death of her father? And what did her brother know about the couple Jake is accused of killing?

WHEN EVERYONE HAS A REASON TO LIE, HOW DO YOU UNCOVER THE TRUTH?

My Thoughts:

My feelings about this book are quite mixed. As the main character, Justine Stone, is a barrister and the whole storyline is based on a double murder, I was expecting more of a legal thriller. However the plot follows far more of Justine's personal life and events that have led her to the point she is forced to pass over the opportunity to really make a name for herself professionally.

Justine and her mum have an almost non-existent relationship following the events of "that night" - details of which were not disclosed until a substantial way through the book. The mid-section of the story felt quite repetitive regarding this - a bit like "the fishing trip" on the TV program Gavin & Stacey - it's notoriety held in the fact that nobody actually knows what happened - but without the humour. I'll be honest, I was close to the point of not wanting to continue reading but then the book sparked into life once the facts of who was involved (far more wide-reaching than I'd expected) and why came tumbling out of the wardrobe.

Very few characters in this book are likeable. I usually enjoy loving to hate characters, but something this time didn't quite hit the spot. I understood them all by the end of the book, and the loose ends all tied up neatly but I can't go so far as to say I enjoyed the read. I felt I'd gone round the houses multiple times before finally getting to the crux of the story. The second half is far stronger than the first and I wouldn't shy away from reading more of this author's work in future but sadly this one was missing the buzz that keeps me turning pages later than I should. 

About the Author:

Sarah Hornsley works as a literary agent at PFD. After graduating from Durham University with a First Class Honours in History, Sarah worked at a publishing house followed by a short stint in script development before becoming a Literary Agent in 2015. She was named a Rising Star in The Bookseller in 2019. She lives in Essex with her husband and daughters.