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beccac8's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
AMAZING! Have been looking for similar reads ever since reading. Fully recommend all Harriet Tyce books, they are all great but nothing will ever top this! Such a twist and so unexpected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Alcohol
percervall's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Alcohol
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, and Suicide
beckyniner's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Rape
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence
meganmullally's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Rape
vicb40's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A friend recommended this to me because she loved it. It was ok. No one was likeable, I didn't feel pulled in and I felt like moments that were meant to be shocking and should take time were over in a few pages. I commend the authors ambition, but it never quite got to somewhere fulfilling. Check the trigger warnings!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
els420's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
laceydmr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Suicide
shropgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Blood Orange is Harriet Tyce’s debut novel and on the whole I really enjoyed reading it. Tyce practised as a criminal barrister in London for many years and her heroine, Alison is also a barrister primarily a defence laywer. Written in the first person we only know things from Alison’s perspective.
Married to Carl, a house husband with one daughter, Matilda, Harriet is the main money earner for the family in spite of Carl setting up as a self employed counsellor. As a mother she has feeling of guilt but she is also extremely motivated to succeed in her career. She also drinks too much.
Harriet is also having an affair with Patrick, a solicitor and he has just handed Alison her first murder case. Madeline Smith has murdered her husband, Edwin while he was asleep. She admits that she killed him and that she has sent her son back to boarding school in order to protect him from the publicity.
This book has three plot lines, the gathering of information and evidence to present a credible defence for the murder case; the affair with Patrick which appears to be purely physical rather than a relationship; and the failing relationship with her husband and child, her drinking being a contributory factor.
There are some graphic sex scenes, some of which could be deemed as abusive and certainly towards the end of the novel there are descriptions of rape.
I found it interesting to learn how a defence team went about gathering the information from the defendant and how they would present the case to the court despite Madeline telling the police that she had committed the murder. I am not sure that a murderer would have been granted bail as is the case here but as there was a large amount of money involved I suppose it is possible.
I had an inkling as to how the plot would develop as regard the murder case. I also guessed certain aspects about the person responsible for the threats that Alison received.
What I didn’t expect was the conclusion to the story and I am not sure that I found it completely satisfying. However, as a first novel I thought the writing was good, the pace was maintained throughout and this was a quick and easy read. I shall be interested to read Harriet Tyce’s second novel whenever that occurs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Toxic relationship
kezplatt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
thought i didn’t like it after reading it, but honestly it was so good. very dark and creepy and makes you think a lot of people around you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Suicide, and Murder
pearljanecatmama's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence