Description

You are standing in the middle of a courtroom. The judge, jury and prosecution team are waiting for you to speak. But they don’t realise: you have no idea who you are.

Lila Dalton finds herself the lead defence for a man accused of a terrible crime, his fate in her hands. She doesn’t know how she got there, but is surprised to discover that she possesses legal knowledge, and
that everyone else seems to know who she is.

Outside the courtroom, things are even more unnerving: the courthouse is on a peculiar island where the locals are hostile, threats are slipped beneath her door, and her phone calls are tapped.
Hints from strange sources suggest that someone from her forgotten past is in very real danger – but are the threats genuine, or a warning from her missing memories?

As the trial progresses, Lila must decide who and what she can trust – and whether that includes herself…

Publisher Review

'I found this book unputdownable from the first page. As the mystery deepens, readers will be on the edge of their seats, desperate to know what happens next' - Sophie Hannah 'Stuart Turton meets Agatha Christie - a locked room puzzle with hints of the supernatural, brilliantly told through the lens of the judicial system. A truly intriguing and intelligent mystery which had me gripped from the start. Totally recommend.' - Sarah Moorhead, author of The Treatment 'A strikingly clever debut and high concept legal thriller which grips from the first page and never lets up. The claustrophobic setting and fast-paced narrative make for a great story' - Guy Morpuss 'Original and feverishly compulsive' - Sabine Durrant, author of Finders, Keepers 'Inventive, bold and insightful, The Trials of Lila Dalton is a captivating exploration of the nature of truth. L. J. Shepherd's gripping debut transcends crime fiction and presents a speculative tale that challenges our notions of justice' - Adam Hamdy, author of The Other Side of Night