Judgement Day by Mali Waugh

Publisher's Synopsis

Family law judge Kaye Bailey is found murdered in her chambers. Is this the work of a disgruntled complainant? Or an inside job by a jealous colleague? Or is there something even more insidious at the heart of this brutal act?

Detective Jillian Basset is just back from maternity leave, struggling with new motherhood as she tackles the biggest case of her career. As her work and home lives get messier and messier, though, something's going to give.

Exploring the murky underworld of the justice system and setting a cracking pace, Judgement Day is a gripping thriller from a fresh and compelling new Australian voice.

My Review of Judgement Day by Mali Waugh

The debut murder mystery novel by Mali Waugh, Judgement Day starts out appearing as though it’s a legal thriller but it’s not. Instead this is a police procedural combined with the heartbreak of dealing with postnatal depression. While the murder case is the primary focus of the book, the more important storyline revolves around the main character’s mental health.

Family law court judge Kaye Bailey is murdered in her chambers one night after a party in which she was named to be the next Chief Judge. The night also coincided with the impending release of a much anticipated (and high profile) judgement. Although Bailey was a very good judge, she also stepped on the toes of quite a few people, thus widening the list of people who may have wanted to kill her.

Who could the murderer be? Could it be someone who hates the entire family law system? Or someone who hates Bailey herself after appearing before her? Or maybe it’s a jealous judge? And who had access to the offices in the first place? Clearly the police have their work cut out for them, never mind the fact that some of the suspects are high-ranking judiciaries. 

Investigating the case is police detective Jillian Bassett who has just returned to service after being on maternity leave. She is struggling with personal demons but is also completely committed to her job, almost too committed actually. She’s wracked with guilt over the fact that she enjoys being away from home and away from her new baby. From Jillian’s experience we are given a deeper understanding of some of the difficulties experienced by mothers, the internal struggles they may be going through and the isolation felt through a growing sense of being overwhelmed. The importance of the struggles that she goes through shouldn’t be understated or dismissed.

The murder investigation unfolds at a steady pace with four or five credible suspects considered. Pretty standard stuff really, interviews, the occasional piece of physical evidence and the like. But for quite a good portion of the book there is a real sense of treading water going on with very few high points or shocking revelations.

There was some good character development exhibited throughout and part of this was in the relationship between Jillian and her new partner Detective John McClintock. At first he’s thought to be too smooth and self-assured but it becomes obvious that there’s more to him than meets the eye and perhaps Jillian was hasty in her initial opinion. For me, the weakness of this story is the unlikable nature of Jillian, the main character. It was difficult to be sympathetic towards her, she was quick to judge and condemn others and I found it difficult to empathise with her.

Judgement Day is a solid debut murder mystery by Mali Waugh and its strength lies in the way in which a serious mental health issue is treated. The mystery was adeptly unraveled through a combination of good detective work and good luck to reach a tense but somewhat predictable resolution. That being said, I'll be backing up should Bassett and McClintock be called out on another case.