Sarah Kellerman is a lawyer, she’s also a single mum to Ben as her partner had left them many months before. She had started seeing Will, but he seems to have just started ignoring her.

However, she receives a message to say Will is in hospital fighting a really nasty infection, hence the disappearing act. So she goes to visit him in hospital and he’s very unwell but hopefully will recover, while she’s there, Sarah sees someone she knows, Mark Felding, a custody sergeant and a well respected officer, so why does no one know his name.

He had been the victim of a mugging and then a hit and run, due to a head injury he hasn’t been able to tell anyone who he was. So at least Sarah can now let them know and his poor family are told.

She’s concerned why nobody has reported him missing?

Well, then Sarah’s ex turns up wanting to try again, another woman is visiting Will and he clearly wants his relationship with Sarah kept secret and she really has concerns about what people are saying about Mark, as this doesn’t match what she’s knows about him…..

But, does she really know these two men at all? Can she find the truth about what has happened to Mark….or will being warned of by a Senior Police Officer put her off?….as if !!!!

I really enjoyed this twisty thriller, with its clever plotting and well developed characters. Sarah is a great, relatable character and she’s just such an empathetic person and really wants to help her clients and others. She’s dogged in her determination to get the truth. I read this in one sitting as I was hooked from start to finish. A compelling thriller and a great read.

Thank you to Victoria Joss at Head Of Zeus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.

Sarah is a lawyer. She has an autistic son called Ben. Her husband, Andy had walked out on them a couple of years ago. He said he couldn't cope with his sons disability. He went to Australia but he's back now, wanting to play his part again. Sarah is 8n a new relationship with Will. He is in hospital fighting an infection in his leg. Whilst visiting Will, Sarah spots an old colleague, Mark Fielding. Mark had been a police custody sergeant but he r3cieved life threatening injuries on New Years Eve. Three months later and hes still fighting the battle. From here on in the plot thickens.

This is a cleverly written and twist filled read. The plot is somewhat complex. Secrets are being hidden. If I was ever in trouble I want someone like Sarah representing me. She doesn't let anything get in her way. This is an addictive read from the beginning. Thenstory is multilayered. There is quite a few characters but they all have their part to play. All the loose ends are tied up neatly at the end. A good solid read. This is the first book that I have read by the author, but I will be looking out for her in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Head Of Zeus and the author Ruth Mancini for my ARC in exchange for an honest review .

A good legal thriller that kept me on the edge till the end.
I appreciated the storytelling, the solid mystery, the well researched background, and the fleshed out cast of characters.
Even if I had no issues with the plot or the characters I think it's better to read the previous instalment.
Hope to read the next book soon.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

One Dark, Two Light is the first book written by Ruth Mancini that I have read and I found it an easy and enjoyable legal thriller read.

This is actually the second book in a series and whilst I could easily follow the storyline it may have been better if I had read the previous book.

Saying the above I will seek out book three when it is published

Recommended

I really enjoyed the first book in this series - In The Blood, and loved the character of Sarah, so was looking forward to this instalment!
This was such an easy read, in a really good way. One of those books that you are 30% into before you even realise it because the story flows so well! Not too complex a story that it was difficult to follow, but just twisty enough that it keeps you reading.
A brilliant follow up to book one and I really hope to see more from this character very soon!
You could read this as a standalone, but to understand the full back story of her son and his Dad (and because itnis a very good book!) I definitely recommend reading book one first.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was unusual and had good characters. I enjoyed the obvious knowledge of the legal system portrayed by the author. It made the story more interesting.
The plot took some interesting twists and turns and some of the story made difficult reading.
However the whole thing held my interest and I read it in 3 sittings. I thought it was great.
I will definately look out for more books by this author.

In 2018 I read and loved In The Blood by Ruth Mancini. this was the first book featuring lawyer Sarah Kellerman.. In 2020 Sarah is back in One Dark, Two Light.

Sarah Kellerman is an awesome woman - a full time lawyer who genuinely cares about her clients and will do anything to help them, She is also a single mother to her autistic son, Ben. She never stops and is always tired. But she has recently started dating again and is happy with Will. But she hasn't heard from him in a while, before discovering that he is in hospital with an infection. When she goes to see him she spots another patient that she recognises. The patient is a police officer she has worked with called Mark Fielding. He has been lying there for 3 months and nobody knows who he is. Once Sarah identifies him she starts to learn what happened to him and wonders who would mug him and run him over. Like a dog with a bone she sets out to find the culprit. At the same time she is dealing with her ex and Ben's father re- entering their lives,

This book is so good! There is a lot happening and none of it is obvious. The ending was a complete surprise to me and it worked.

Thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

A man has been left to die outside a pub. He will never walk or speak again. Criminal defence lawyer, Sarah Kellerman used to work with this man. She no longer recognises him. Throughout her bid to find out what happened to her friend, she finds out that sometimes you really dont know people at all.

After reading this first book in this series, I could not wait to read this book and it did not disappoint.

This is an amazing legal thriller, with a great plot. I love Sarah, not only is she a lawyer and a top lawyer at that, but she is a mum to an autistic son, who is just trying to find love and her way in life! She is one of my favourite literacy characters!

I cannot wait for the next book in this series by the author

This is the first book I have read by author Ruth Mancini, it definitely won’t be the last. Sarah Kellerman is a criminal defence lawyer, but that isn’t’ her only role, she is also mother to Ben, her autistic son. Her husband Andy had left her, to raise their son alone, he fled to Australia unable to cope with their sons disability. But now out of the blue Andy is back wanting to resume his relationship with his son, and help with his care. Sarah allows him back into Ben’s life, for her Ben is the most important person in her life.

Sarah is in a fairly new relationship with Will, but as she hasn’t heard from him, she thinks things may have gone adrift somehow, until she learns he is in hospital with an infection, which could lead to him losing his leg. Will claims the infection is from a scratch, but Sarah is dubious about his explanation.

Whilst visiting Will she spots another patient, an old friend, he has life threatening injuries, but for some reason his identity isn’t known by the hospital, despite him having been there for three months. He is a police officer, Mark Fielding, who worked as a custody sergeant. Sarah finds it difficult to understand how he couldn’t have been missed. He had been mugged and run over on New Year’s Eve. Why was no one looking for him? Why wasn’t he reported missing?

The plot thickens, his wife Karen and family are informed. As Sarah gets to know Karen. Sarah is warned off from getting involved by DCS John Sinclair, he tells her Mark had been working as an undercover officer, had infiltrated a drugs gang, but had got too cocky and arrogant. Having known Mark, Sarah finds this difficult to believe. She begins to look for answers, and finds a series of cover ups and lies, but why? By who? She knows that something big has gone down.

This story is told through multiple threads, it’s complex, and engrossing, keeping the reader engaged all the way through. Sarah has so many balls in the air, juggling work, home life, her new relationship. Not easy, Can she trust the men in her life? This is a great legal drama, with some great characters.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #HeadofZeus for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review

This is my first taste of Ruth Mancini's crime fiction series featuring criminal defence lawyer, Sarah Kellerman, a wonderful blend of the personal and crime. Sarah is a single mother, with a young autistic son, Ben, his father, Andy, couldn't cope with Ben's disability, leaving them for Australia. After struggling to care for Ben for so long on her own, Andy returns, wanting to be a father to Ben again, something that Sarah is ultimately happy about, as Ben's interests are paramount and Andy once again gets involved in his care. Sarah has been in a tentative relationship with Will but he has not been in touch so she is thinking the worst, until it turns out Will has been in hospital with a serious infection that threatens the loss of his leg and possibly even his life. Will claims the infection arose from a scratch when Sarah visits him in hospital, although she senses there is more to it than that.

Whilst at the hospital, Sarah recognises a patient with life threatening injuries, but whose identity has been unknown to the medical staff for the three months since being admitted. He is Mark Felding, a custody sergeant at a police station, a kind and compassionate family man who she had liked, and she cannot understand how he could possibly not have been missed by others. On New Year's Eve, he had been mugged and then run over by a car. His family are informed, his wife, Karen and their two children, Sarah gets to know Karen, bumping into the family at the hospital, overseen by a DCI Hollis. Sarah is warned off from getting involved with Karen by Detective Chief Superintendent John Sinclair, informed that Mark had been an undercover officer infiltrating a drugs line network, but had mishandled his role, becoming arrogant. However, Sarah cannot let it go as this description of Mark does not tally with what she knows about him. She begins to look into what happened to Mark, particularly when a young vulnerable client of hers, 15 year old Jerome is arrested and charged with mugging Mark. She is aided by a suspended undercover cop, Burdie, and a witness, Jaydeep, an IT man with aspirations to be a private eye.

I really loved the character of Sarah created by Mancini, she just feels so down to earth, a loyal friend to others, juggling the heavy responsibilities of her work, whilst trying to support Will, Karen and her family, whilst being a mother to Ben. She goes over and beyond for her clients such as Jerome, even when he pushes her away, she understands his insecurities and the impact of a lack of father on his life. This is great crime fiction, compelling, with a realistic feel that is a breath of fresh air, I loved how the multiple threads connected in the story and how it all blended with Sarah's personal life. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.

A great read !!! I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The author had clearly done a lot of research and it is very true to life around the Criminal Justice System and processes. Jerome a young man who has a criminal record is being supported by his solicitor. The story revolves around this young man and a chance meeting by Sarah, the solicitor, with someone she knew previously. A great story, well written and well worth a read !

Outside the Hope and glory pub a man is a victim of extraordinary violence and is left for dead.
He is taken to hospital, but no-one knows who he is. His wallet has been stolen and he is a mystery. That all changes the day Sarah Kellerman goes into the hospital to visit her colleague and recognises the guy in the hospital bed as Mark a policeman whom she had worked with over the years. But why didn't anyone know who he was, if he was a police officer? Why wasn't he reported missing? and as she begins to dig it sets of a series of cover ups and lies and she knows something big has been covered up. But by who? and why?

Ruth Mancini has done it again with another smasher of a mystery, with twists and turns and hidden secrets. A legal theme runs through this story as Sarah is a solicitor and she has to deal with the drama of her child's dad reappearing after a few years absence and her boyfriend Will who also seems to have been keeping secrets from her.

I enjoyed this, easy reading and would recommend.

Thank you for the ARC Net Galley.

Criminal defense lawyer Sarah Kellerman is called in to the hospital to visit a man who has been beaten outside a pub. His injuries are so severe, he will never walk or talk again. To her shock, she knows the man, although she never would have recognized him. She remembers him as a good man, was he involved with anything that could have led to this incident? In her investigation, Sarah will come to realize that no man is ever what he really seems. This is an intense thriller that will have you looking sideways at your own partner

Fast paced and thrilling storyline.just had to keep reading and kept me guessing right till the end.

An absolutely brilliant legal drama. I sped through this book. It was real and exciting and thrilling. What a fantastic author. Highly recommended

I really engaged with Sarah Kellerman in the first book to feature her so was very happy to dive back into her world, one of legal shenanigans and stressful parenting..

When visiting hospital she recognises a friend from her past, seriously injured and seemingly anonymous. This sets off a chain of events that has Sarah involved in lies and cover ups. Meanwhile her personal life is also somewhat in upheaval with the reappearance of her childs Dad and the hidden secrets new love Will has been keeping…

The plotting is intricately engaging, the mystery element clever and twisty- Ruth Mancini sure can spin a good yarn- and with Sarah has given us every woman, balancing work and parenthood, supporting and nurturing a special needs child and still having something of her own life. In Two Dark One Light all of these things collide to give the reader an addictive, layered story that keeps you avidly turning the pages.

Excellent legal drama, entertaining and authentic, let’s hope for many more Sarah Kellerman adventures.

Recommended.

This was a fascinating thriller with an exciting group of characters. The storyline flow was seamless. Highly recommended.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

So so good until the ending. Five star book with one star ending, I’ll split he difference and give it a three