The Ex audiobook

I'm biased about the insides but I give the cover art five stars.

Overdrive Library ebook. IT WAS PURE FUN FROM THE GET GO! I didn’t even realize how much I was in the mood for a book like this. The ‘writing’ gave me giggles at times...catchy sayings add lightness....while being suspenseful. Author Alafair Burke is playful with her writing throughout. Being arrested for a triple homicide, is no joke. Of course the accused - Jack Harris - looked fearful, tired, disheveled, and exhausted in the interrogation room with bad fluorescent lighting - “Don called it getting hit by custody’s ugly stick”. I laughed! Olivia Randal, Jack’s defense lawyer .... ( juicy past history together many moons ago)... dressed in classic expensive clothes and shoes - high maintenance type.Her natural expression could be intimidating. “The Internet called it RBT: resting Bitch Face”. I laughed again. Don’t get me wrong - this isn’t a comedy - some of it is actually depressing - but not a complete debbie-downer either. Nothing horribly graphic, either I liked the author’s witty writing style - it fits nicely with this genre. I don’t need heavy gritty violence. All the characters are flawed ....with distinct personalities. Page turning non stop legal-mystery thriller that I thought was totally entertaining.Can’t remember reading other reviews- details anyway - but this is not a new release book. I’m late to the party again. Now to read how other readers reacted. Great company while cycling on my stationary spinnaker bike. P. S. Who here remembers using those hotel keys like on the cover on this book? I do.Aging myself!

Still undecided on a rating. I was thoroughly sucked in, the pacing was good, but a bit forgettable in comparison to Burke's other work. Currently a 3.5 rounded to 4 because it's Alafair Burke and she's queen. Full review tomorrow.FULL REVIEW:Still feeling like a 3.5 star rating is accurate. This story has been done many times before but I still enjoyed reading it. I sure will be glad when 70% of all books stop trying to be "The Next Gone Girl or TGOTT". It seems all books with this blurb on it automatically put a bad taste in my mouth. The plot moved quickly enough and kept my attention throughout. This one was a bit short compared to most of Burke's other novels (came in at 283 pages), so it felt a tiny bit more rushed than usual. If you are a huge fan like I am, definitely read this one, but I would not suggest this as a first impression for her work. I'll still be looking forward to her next book!

4 Stars.One morning Olivia gets a frantic phone call from a girl named Buckley, the daughter of Jack, an old flame who Olivia often thought of as the one, and whose heart she broke. Buckley isn’t calling to reminisce. Her dad was taken into police custody and they need Olivia’s help. Olivia is a criminal defense attorney and she is Jack’s only hope and the truth is, she owes him. Three people were shot at a football field where Jack just happened to be that morning, and one ends up losing his life. All evidence points to Jack as the culprit. Olivia knows that Jack is innocent - he is the best man she has ever known - now she just has to prove it. Once the evidence starts mounting against him however, even Olivia begins to have her doubts. A gripping legal mystery/suspense from start to finish, my mind was racing with possibilities. The storyline is revealed layer by layer and is quite well done. Though I had things figured out fairly early on, I enjoyed “The Ex” and found it completely compelling. If you’re looking for a quick easy read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is it. Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 6.25.18.

The EX by Alafair Burke is a 2016 Harper publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The legal thriller has gone through many adjustments, especially over the last five or six years. Courtroom dramas appear to be dead in the water as fewer attorneys actually step foot into a courtroom anymore. Now, so called legal thrillers have lawyers doing all the crime solving, making them more like amateur sleuths than attorneys. No one ever sits on the stand, there are no judges or juries and the nuances of criminal court trials have disappeared entirely. But, that is not the case with this book and for that reason alone, I intended to give the book a solid rating, but as it turns out this was a very compelling read that went beyond the legal wrangling. Olivia had a five- year relationship with Jack, but the two were incompatible and she wound up hurting Jack very badly by making some very bad decisions. She hasn’t seen Jack in many years, but she knows he eventually married and has a daughter. However, his happiness was short lived due to the tragic shooting death of his wife. Now the man Jack holds responsible for the shooting has been shot and killed and of course Jack is suspect number one. Olivia agrees to take his case, despite the obvious conflict of interest, mainly due to her feelings of guilt about how things ended between her and Jack. Olivia is positive Jack could never do what he is accused of, but the more evidence that pours in, the more people who come forward with tales of Jack’s dark side, the more Olivia begins to suspect her client is guilty. I was riveted to this story from the get go. The plotting and planning is very rich in details, with several breathtaking twists and turns along the way. I have read many legal thrillers in my day, and I have to admit I had suspected what the outcome would be, but I was never over confident about that, always having a reasonable doubt about what really happened. Olivia is a character I couldn’t help but like, despite some things she did in her past that were really terrible. She still has some morally questionable traits when it comes to relationship choices and she drinks a lot, beats herself up over how she treated Jack, something I suspect has left her unsettled for many years, but she does her job exceptionally well. She grows as a person throughout this case, and I think maybe she was able to put some lingering demons to rest at last. This case is perhaps a little bit of a cautionary tale, proving cause and effect. One person’s actions can cause a chain reaction that not only affects their lives but many others. Despite what one might think, at the end of the day, the outcome really gave me something to think about. Of course, I can’t expound on that here without giving anything away, but I think this story has some deeper messages beyond what appears on the surface. The atmosphere was heavy and tense from the beginning and the conclusion is creepy, and left me feeling as though Olivia will have to deal with the fallout of this case for a long time to come and that someday another shoe will drop and when it does, it won’t be pretty. But, until then, I think Olivia came out of the situation a much more balanced person with a more settled life and at long last has put the past in its proper perspective and place. I wouldn’t mind seeing her in action again someday. Overall this one gets 4.5 stars.

I love discovering a new author and I am clearly late for the party. WOW, this book did not disappoint. This story was fast paced and I couldn't put it down. You are guessing until the very end, and the ending was a shocker. I am a new fan to this author and look forward to more.

4.5★I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their entanglements in each other’s past and the complications that have led to today.Olivia Randall is a girl-about-town NY lawyer who is awakened from sleeping off a hangover when her phone rings just before noon. She takes the details from her office about some kid who keeps calling her, then prods her bed partner, reminding him his wife’s plane is due to land. She’s that kind of girl . . . a 43-year-old girl.The desperate young girl calling her is the 16-year-old daughter of her ex. Back in her university days, she and Jack Harris, now a noted author were a couple. He was the nice guy, she was the naughty girl, and eventually the novelty wore off for Olivia, but not until after she’d accepted Jack’s engagement ring. Then she she slept her way through a series of fellows. She couldn't bear to break it off and hurt Jack’s feelings, so she kept pushing and testing his patience until he finally caught her and sent her packing (as if THAT wouldn’t hurt?). And now he needs a lawyer who believes in him. His ex.She’s experienced, knows how to dress to impress when necessary, does so (hangover and all), and fronts up to the desk sergeant at the police station looking for Jack.“ ‘He’s a man of some significance in New York City. If he’s here, I assume you have an explanation.’Police like to say that they’re straight shooters, all about the justice, color blind, fair and balanced, yada yada. But the truth is that they’re used to both victims and perpetrators who are poor and powerless. When someone rich and powerful collides with the criminal justice system, it’s a big fucking deal. No harm in flashing your feathers early and often.”This is not a thriller or a courtroom drama or even a police procedural. It’s more a gradual uncovering of many layers of the past, both Jack’s and Olivia’s, and the current situation. She’s single, Jack’s now a widower whose wife was murdered, and he and Buckley (the aforementioned daughter) have been managing ever since then with excellent support from his gorgeous, wealthy best friend, Charlotte, who runs a popular gossip website and is an avowed lesbian, lest you get any ideas about her and Jack.There are cops, a dead brother, and all kinds of intrigue that I found believable and engaging. Great story, great gradual discoveries and piecing together several scenarios of what might have happened in order to cast a doubt on mostly circumstantial evidence. And there is doubt. It comes and goes, but there is doubt. Many thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for an advanced review copy. I look forward to reading more of Alafair Burke's work.

This is a good legal thriller that you will find difficult to put down. The plot is revealed steadily throughout and keeps the reader intrigued. Olivia Randall is one of New York City’s best criminal defence lawyers. When she gets a phone call informing her that her former fiancee has been arrested for a triple homicide there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is who would go to such great lengths to frame him, and why? Olivia wants to represent Jack but the more evidence she discovers against him the more she is forced to face her doubts.A good solid read by an author I plan to read a lot more of.

RATING: 4 STARSI really enjoyed this suspense novel! This is my second book by Burke and I am have officially put it on my "put it on hold/grab it for request ASAP" list. This book, and Burke's writing, reminds me of Harlan Coben's standalone books where the realism is the true suspense. It is every day people getting into sticky situations (of their making or not). Olivia, a defense attorney, is hired by her ex-fiance's teenage daughter when he is accused of murdering his wife's killer and two bystanders. She cannot believe the man she once loved could do anything like this. She sets out to prove his innocence, and figure out who would frame him. The twists in this book were great and nothing major or showy. I would recommend this to any fans of suspense.My Novelesque Blog

**3.5 stars**Now I'm a sucker for a decent legal drama and to be honest there are not that many around at the moment that really hit the spot for me - but I should have known I could rely on Alafair Burke to give good courtroom and that is absolutely what happened here. I was immediately on board with Olivia Randall, a strong and independant female lead, as she agrees to help an ex boyfriend navigate a triple murder charge - years ago Olivia disposed of her relationship with Jack Harris in a very brutal and definitive way, sending him into a downward spiral and making Olivia truly regret her actions. Now, 20 years later, Jack is a widower, in the wrong place at the wrong time when the wrong victim died, he is caught up in a system determined to convict him. Olivia believes that he is incapable of such action but how well does she really know him?There was a beautiful flow to this one and a great storyline - the author drip feeds the information, we discover as Olivia does and the legal wranglings are brilliantly addictive and really keep you engaged. Is Jack a cold blooded murderer? Or can Olivia's original instinct be trusted...these questions are explored within a gripping and twisted narrative that keeps you unsure until the very final chapters - a true "whodunnit" with a legal battle focus and a bunch of intuitively placed and intriguing characters. Overall excellent reading. Character driven, great psychological depth and some top lawyerly face off's I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.Happy Reading Folks!

I had the lovely pleasure of meeting Alafair Burke this month, at a book signing about an hour away from my home. She was completely hilarious, and it inspired me to finally get to reading some of her books that have been sitting on my TBR list for a while. I started with “The Ex”. When Jack Harris is arrested for murder, he immediately calls on defense attorney Olivia Randall. Jack swears his innocence and is the ideal portrait of a “good citizen”- a devoted single father, trying to put the pieces of his life back together after a shooter took the life of his loving, teacher wife. Although reluctant- Olivia takes the case. As Jack’s ex-fiancee Olivia feels that not only does she owe him, but she is the only one who can defend his innocence- because she actually believes it herself. However, as the pieces of the case begin to unfold, even Olivia begins to doubt Jack’s innocence. Every part of the puzzle points to him as the suspect- is it possible that Jack is nowhere near the person Olivia thought she knew? In typical legal drama fashion, Burke tells a gripping whodunit story, full of legalese and courtroom drama. However, Burke also lets a reader investigate a little more into the personal and private lives of both lawyer and suspect, and we get a bit more of an understanding of Jack and Olivia’s underlying characters. Unlike similar legal-drama writers, Ms. Burke tells the story from other settings besides the courtroom. This cements the character development and allows a reader to fully invest in the plot. The story was told well, and Jack and Olivia are both characters that are not only honest, but completely relatable in their flaws. Their past relationship complicates manners as the legal drama unfolds. Perhaps I have read too many of these novels but I guessed the ending by the second chapter. This was disappointing, but it helped to have this ending in my head as I continued to read through the novel, to see just how accurate I was and identify cues the other characters had (easily) missed. A legal drama on all accounts, Ms. Burke lets her criminal defense knowledge shine through honest characters, and a gripping storyline.