The Rapunzel Act - Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Lightening Books 

Publishing Date: 15th April 2021

Genre: Thriller 

Kindly sent by the publishing team for the tour 

Synopsis

When breakfast TV host and nation's darling Rosie Harper is found brutally murdered at home, suspicion falls on her spouse, formerly international football star, Danny 'walks on water' Mallard, now living out of the public eye as trans woman, Debbie. Not only must Debbie challenge the hard evidence against her, including her blood-drenched glove at the scene of the crime, she must also contend with the world's prejudices, as the trial is broadcast live. For someone trying to live their life without judgment, it might be too much to bear. Legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb feel the pressure of public scrutiny as they strive to defend their most famous client yet. Another thought-provoking courtroom drama from the acclaimed author of the Burton & Lamb series.

Rating: ★★★★

Review 

This was my first time reading a creation by Abi Silver and I need to revisit the previous books as I thoroughly enjoyed the Rapunzel act. As always in a series some elements make more sense having read the series from the start, so I will be doing so to learn more about the consistent characters and how they have developed by book 4.

It was interesting to read about Debbie and her transition and fears and the common misconceptions society makes towards a community. It almost felt like Debbie was on trial for two things 1: suspected of murdering her ex-wife and 2: choosing to transition from man to woman.  But if Debbie was not guilty, why did she flee on her motorcycle moments after the police told her about the death of Rosie, that then led into a police chase. 

 It was enchanting to read about the dynamics between Judith and Constance and how they work together. As Constance is a solicitor her role was to gather all the information that was pertinent to the case and this allowed Judith to cross examine in the courtroom as she is the solicitor. The pair had many pressures when they agreed to the case: high profiled case and it was going to be televised which was a first for a UK court room. the courtroom scene with Judith's is exceptional as she makes some compelling arguments.

The more I delved into the book the more I realised the similarities it had to the OJ Simpson case and the more questions it raised. Also, if it wasn't Debbie who else could it be, Ellis, Caroline, Nickie and even Jason become strong contender for me at some point during the whole process. I found myself feeling sorry for Debbie and Rosies two children; Ben and Laura but did they know more than what they share, as they were the ones that really know how well their parents got along. 

I did like the concept of the book being into two halves almost, with the gathering of all in the information and then the trial. At times you had a few plot lines emerging, but they soon tie together, and it starts to make sense. Also, the televised courtroom drama raises its own questions and scrutiny, one hand it helps with education and a case being more transparent but on the other hand the ethical concerns and does it raise a bias for the case. This was an element I never had really considered before but it definitely got me thinking about the pros and cons for this technique. 

I loved the intricacy in the description about what was happening, the environment etc and I instantly felt like I was portaled into that scene and could see and feel everything I was reading.