BLOOD DEFENSE by Marcia Clark

Published May 1st 2016 by Thomas & Mercer
Read: May 2016
How I Got It: Ebook (approximately 400 pages) from NetGalley 
Series: Samantha Brinkman (subsequent book to be released Nov. 2016)

Samantha Brinkman is a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles. She doesn’t get many paying clients, she’s behind on her bills, and her office is in gang territory. So when a high profile case comes her way, she can’t turn it down. An LAPD officer has been accused of killing a Hollywood starlet and her roommate. The case soon becomes more personal than Sam could’ve imagined though, and she becomes a crime investigator more than a lawyer. Sam is unsure of the innocence of her client, but she has to prove reasonable doubt- for her client and for herself.

Marcia Clark has experience in the courtroom; she’s best known for her role in the OJ Simpson trial. Clark uses that experience to create a well-timed and believable fictional crime story. The main trial is interspersed with other smaller cases that allowed the reader to really see Sam in action. Also there were just enough personal details spread throughout to keep the reader caring about the characters and the outcomes. However, the reader is kept guessing. There were many twists and turns and a new surprise every few pages. Clark kept the story unpredictable, and the ending is shocking enough to leave the reader craving the sequel. 

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with  an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. 

THE MAY QUEEN MURDERS by Sarah Jude

Published May 3rd 2016 by Harcourt Brace and Company 
Read: May 2016
How I Got It: Ebook (approximately 288 pages) from NetGalley 

Rowan’s Glen is an isolated farming town that lives by its own traditions. Ivy Templeton loves living in the Glen despite its shady past and its secrets. The May Queen, of the May Day celebration, was murdered many years ago, and legend has it her murderer, Birch Markle, still lurks in the woods. When animals are found all around the Glen brutally slaughtered, the Glen folk believe Markle may be back. When Ivy suspects her cousin, who is also her best friend, Heather, is sneaking around after dark, she becomes worried. Her worry escalates when Heather is crowned the new May Queen, and then subsequently disappears. The town goes on hunts for Markle, but it's Ivy who will find out what really happened to Heather. 

The plot of the May Queen Murders is fresh and intriguing, however the execution is lacking. The dialogue is inconsistent as some dialogue is well articulated but other parts are presented in broken slang and stuttering. Readers will cringe with every stutter or mention of the word “a’int”; these character choices by the author do not add to the story but instead serve to distract the reader. Also, the story is rather slow moving until the reveal in the last several pages. The ending is almost worth working through reading the whole book, but readers would better off skipping this one. Or perhaps, they should watch M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, the story line isn’t the same at all, but Rowan’s Glen certainly brings that vibe to mind.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with  an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.