A Poisoned Mind by Natasha Cooper

I actually liked this book more than the last one I read below Gagged & Bound, the plot line somehow seemed to ring more true to me. Perhaps the one I read first wasn't a good one to start off with as I was under the illusion that these books were about both Trish Maguire, the lawyer and her friend Caro, the police office. This one focused on just Trish with only a couple of mentions of Caro and they did not seem to be as close as they were in the other book.

This one covers a case which Trish defends on behalf of a waste management company who are being sued by a woman who's husband died after one of their tanks exploded. Trish sees something fishy in the case from the start, and begins to think the tanks on the property were somehow sabotaged. She also has personal problems with her son who's new friend's misbehavior causes problems among the family, despite this Trish and her husband take the friend under their wing who is suffering physical abuse from his brother.

The reason this book seemed more believable was the role of the lawyer and her ethical stance leading her to uncover what was an unfair case against the company she is representing. I'm doing law and just from my viewpoint it seemed she took a far more lawyer-ish stance than in the last book I read by Cooper. She has also just received her 'silks' making her a QC and this book also covers her fight to be recognised in her firm after her senior is injured in an accident.

The criticism I would have of this book is it seems to involve crisis after crisis especially with the troubled friend of her son. It did seem realistic I guess but a bit too dramatic.

A good read either way if you are into crime novels, or thrillers I recommend it.
Next up: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Gagged & Bound by Natasha Cooper

I need to go to the library which I will do tomorrow, so have been reading my mother's murder mysteries. I was pleasantly surprised by this author. The two principal characters are a lawyer and a police officer which will always make for an interesting story. Their stories collide as they both tackle potentially extremely dangerous cases which threaten their lives as well as that of their families.

The writing itself in this book is not anything to rant and rave about, but it follows on well and makes sense. I found myself not wanting to put the book down in the way that only a good thriller can make you feel.

Some of the time I found myself exclaiming at the stupidity of one of the characters is particular who kept pursuing a dangerous road even when she knew her family were being put in danger from what she assumed were her actions. I can't quite believe anyone with intelligence would do the things she did after she had been warned of what she was dealing with.

This book does display many situations rather well though. In particular it shows the discrepancies between those who have grown up in the British upper class compared with the working class and how many people feel like once their status has risen they have something to prove, over and above people who have previously been their superiors.

This is a good read, good enough that the next book I read was by the same author. I definitely recommend it to fans of thrillers or crime novels.