Dissection of a Murder

Before the big reveal, did you find Leila to be a sympathetic protagonist, or was she hard to root for?

The murder weapon - a 10 kilogram kettlebell - was wiped clean and returned to its spot as a doorstep. Did this strike you as a panicked mistake, or a calculated move when you first read it?

Julian claims he took on the case to help both his and Leila’s careers. Do you think he ever actually cared about Leila’s success, or was he always trying to undermine her?

The book shifts between the wood-paneled courts of Durham and Newcastle. Did the descriptions of the legal hierarchy make the trial feel more or less intimidating to you? Why is this?

How did the Witness X interludes affect your reading experience? Did you suspect Leila was the narrator from the start, or were you searching for another culprit?

Leila’s first murder was an act of survival. Can her subsequent murders be viewed through that same lens, or has she now become a predator?

Throughout the book we see Leila’s Rules for survival. Which of these do you think was the most instrumental in Leila’s success, and which ultimately led to her downfall?

What was your reaction when Leila used the secret CCTV footage to catch Quinn in a lie on the witness stand?

Out of the secondary characters, (the eccentric head of chambers Chester Vernon, or the formidable solicitor Davina) who was your favourite and why? What did they add to the story?

Leila changes her name from Delilah to Lilah, and finally to Leila to disguise her past. Which version of her did you find to be the most real, the successful barrister, of the ruthless survivor?

If you were a member of the jury in the final chapter, would you find Leila guilty or not guilty? What would influence your decision?