A review by collegiate_assessor_kovalyov
Blood on the Page: A Murder, a Secret Trial, a Search for the Truth by Thomas Harding

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Right from the beginning, there was a concern in the back of my mind that ultimately I would be disappointed because of reasons shared in the blurb about the hearing having been held in a closed court; there are elements to this case that we just cannot know. Nevertheless, the blurb had me hooked and I came out of this book delightfully surprised. The author was thorough in his writing and made many parts feel fictitious in his recounting of each character telling their own stories, and even what they looked like. Harding jumped between the investigators' work in 2006 and the effects of communist China on Wang Yam in the 80s, and his life through to 2017, which I thought was a good idea; the structuring of the chapters kept me engaged; when something made me gasp in the investigation in 2006 Harding would swap to the 90s and Wang Yam's desperate attempt to escape China.
I appreciated the 'case notes' sections as it meant that I knew the author's thoughts throughout.                                                                                                                                             I actually found out a lot about the judicial system in this book; the courtroom drama was thrilling and I sped through it.
Taking into consideration the fact that Wang Yam's story doesn't yet have an ending I think Harding ended Blood on the Page perfectly. He added a conclusion to the whole affair stating his opinion, which is logical and I think a possible scenario.
I enjoyed this book very much, and this story will undoubtedly stay in my mind for a while.