An interesting read although I thought the protagonist could have used a bit more work ( )

I liked "In the Court's Hands". I liked how the author flipped from present to past which kept me interested, however I did feel bored at times. I think the main character, Beatrice, could have used a bit more character. I found her hard to follow at times. ( )

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Beatrice Barrington is a stenographer working in the Irish criminal court system, trying to escape a tragic incident in her past. During a particularly newsworthy case, she is outside eating lunch when she sees the defendant in that case meeting with one of the jurors. Knowing how important this case is Beatrice contemplates if she should say something or not. Before she can make a final decision the juror turns up dead in what appears to be suicide. But Beatrice is so not so sure so she enlists the help of retired Detective Graham Ingram to help her find out the truth. Graham and Beatrice have a complex past together but he is the only person she can trust. The closer they get to the truth the more danger Beatrice is. Can they find out the truth before it is too late? And what does Beatrice's past have to do with this case?

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is full of twists and turns that kept me invested in the story. The narrative alternates between modern events and events of Beatrice's past. I did find the character of Beatrice to be slightly dislikeable. She could be both the smartest person in the room and the most oblivious person. That being said, I would recommend this book for readers that like a good mystery. ( )

I received this book free through the Early Reviewer scheme.

This was an interesting investigation book from the point of view that the court recorder was the one doing the investigation. I liked the dual story lines and how they intertwined and the twist was very good. However, I didn't find Beatrice that likeable and as someone else mentioned she was capable of missing something very obvious whilst at the same time making some very large leaps of intuition. ( )

Stenographer Beatrice and a retired Garda Gabriel unravel the mystery of a murdered woman. Throughout the story, the tragic past of Beatrice revisits her. I was impressed with the author’s writing style and character development. My only critique of the book was how Beatrice could at times act with brilliant insight, and then at other times overlook the obvious - but maybe that is a true reflection of each one of us.