Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray review: The 2026 Legal Thriller Behind Presumed Innocent Season 2

About The Book

Book: Dissection of a Murder
Author: Jo Murray
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Publication Date (UK): 7th May 2026

🔍Standout Read. Awarded to books I highly recommend.

My Review

Dissection of a Murder may be Murray’s debut legal thriller, but it’s not her first novel, having  previously written women’s fiction under the name Roxie Cooper. What connects both genres is the thread of law running through them.

Murray grew up in the 90s when working class girls were told they shouldn’t try to be barristers. She proved them wrong and that lived experience shines through in her writing. The novel depicts the barriers that women face from sexist chamber nicknames (the women are given ones after pop and film stars in the book compared to their male counterparts) to the pressure to water down a strong Northern, in this case Geordie, accent.

The plot centres on the murder of a Crown Court judge. Jack Millman, a previously convicted criminal, is on trial for the killing. Something he denies but refuses to give a defence statement for. Representing him is barrister Leila. Who certainly has her work cut out for her, as not only is it her first murder trial but her King’s Counsel husband is prosecuting!

The opening chapters delve deep into legal detail, even beginning with a glossary of terminology. There is a lot of talk of wigs, clerks, chambers, jurors and procedures but I mean this is after all a legal thriller. I found once the story was in full swing that I was truly gripped by the courtroom drama and case at hand. The narrative unfolds with sections from the perspectives of Leila, Jack and a mysterious Witness X.

The characters are brilliantly written, the case is intriguing and the story is full of shocks! In fact, I may have had to fire off a DM to the author regarding one… The story is going to be the basis of the second season of Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent and the casting is looking fantastic with Rachel Brosnahan, Fiona Shaw and Jack Reynor. It is due to air in September 2026, whilst Dissection of a Murder will be published in May.

I hereby declare this review closed and book duly appointed as a hit!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the party invite during Theakstons Crime, where I received a proof of the book.