Alison is an ambitious barrister. She’s worked tirelessly and sacrificed plenty over the years. To attain her goal. It’s the one thing she’s been working towards her whole legal career – to defend a murder case. To represent Madeleine, a well-heeled, immaculately presented woman who freely admits to repeatedly stabbing her husband to death with a kitchen knife.
Life should be good. But the reality is very different.
Read more: Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce“I push the papers to the back of the desk, straighten the photograph frame I’ve nudged out of line. Friday-night drinks. But I’m only going for one.
Tonight it’s going to go to plan.”
Alison appears to thrive on drama and is her own worst enemy. And because of this her marriage is floundering. She tries but often fails to be there for her primary-school-aged daughter. So instead, she drowns her insecurities in a glass or bottle of wine. And she’s having sex but it isn’t with her husband.
“ ‘We have to stop doing this, Patrick.’ I get off the desk and pull up my pants and tights, tugging my skirt neatly down to my knees. He’s doing his trousers back up, tucking his shirt in. I try to do up my shirt.
…
‘Alison, … You’re tired, You know you don’t want this to stop. Neither do I.’
…
Patrick leaves before I can argue anymore. I slump into the armchair in the corner. If only I didn’t get so drunk. I wipe the snot and tears away from my face with my jacket sleeve, until my head slumps on to my shoulder in oblivion.”
And Patrick is the very solicitor who has appointed Alison to represent Madeleine. Added to this, somebody is sending Alison anonymous texts.
“I know what ur doing …”
I was given this book by a friend with the caveat that she didn’t know whether she liked it or not. And I can see why you could think that.
Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce is a dark, disturbing domestic thriller set against the backdrop of London’s legal profession. It delves into the sordid, seedy underbelly of human behaviour. If you’re after a light-hearted escapist story, this is definitely not for you.
Alison is a seriously flawed character and to be truthful there were many times I really didn’t like her. I found myself exasperated by the woman’s inability to get her act together. I wanted to shout at her for being so unbelievably stupid. And to stand up and fight for what was important. But I was also caught up in her fears and hoped everything would turn out okay.
As the story progresses, we delve deeper into both Alison and Madeleine’s lives. There are similarities between the two and the revelations pull you along and the graphic scenes often make for uncomfortable reading.
Events go from bad to worse, as both women’s lives continue to fall apart. And the climactic scenes are truly shocking. From the comfort and safety of our sofas, this novel takes us where nobody would ever want to go.
Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce is a very impressive debut. You can certainly tell the author worked in the legal profession.