The cover and the title drew me in. And I was hooked by the premise. However, I soon found out that I was in for a letdown.
If you, like me, thought this would be a thriller with a lawyer with amnesia with touches of Shutter Island, let me correct you. Had I known this would revolve around neo-Nazis and conspiracy theories I would've skipped this one for sure. And when I'm telling you it "revolves" around those topics, it DOES. Constantly.
Not only is the plot confusing half the time, but we're also stumbling around trying to follow our uninspired main character.
And, as you could probably guess, I was not a fan of the ending and the final "explanation".
I'm sorry to give this debut novel such a harsh review; I wish I had known what I was getting into before. Plus, I would've also appreciated if the author took some time to explain some of the legal jargon or what was going on in court.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

This book had me going HUH a lot! Starts off super interesting with Lila waking up in the courtroom and not knowing who she is or where she is. The story then veers into parts that were hard to follow for me when it came to conspiracy theories and far right extremist group. The ending though was really good which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. A little muddled in the middle of the book but the ending was pretty cool. Good read and kept my attention for the most part! This would be a good book for a book club because there could be a lot of discussions!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I was so excited to read this based on the description but it fell flat. The story started out strong but got very confusing. The book felt like a bunch of stories in one and it was frustrating to follow.

This story started out promisingly, I was hooked from the first page as Lila Dalton defends a man accused of mass murder while suffering from amnesia. However, as the book went on it seemed to become quite convoluted and confusing, it seemed to be following a few different plot points at the same time. I also guessed quite early on what the premise was and so almost felt like I was finishing just to finish rather than enjoying what I'm reading.

An attorney who wakes up with no memory of who she is and what she is doing, sounds intriguing. It starts off strong then seems to lose steam, narrative can be confusing at times, seemed long, confusing and ended up being ok. Not a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this ARC

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, L.J. Shepherd, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Exploring this debut novel by L.J. Shepherd, I sought to better understand the author and her writing style. Shepherd offers up a great story that pulls on the reader’s sensibilities as they try to piece it all together. Lila Dalton has no memory how she made it into a courtroom, but she is now faced with defending a man whose actions have been deemed terrorist in nature by the UK Government. While trying to pit the pieces together for the case, Lila must also learn what happened to her and how she will get out of this mess. Confusion drowns out all, but there is surely something more to the story, as Lila Dalton will have to come to terms with before the case is lost. L.J. Shepherd weaves quite the tale with this piece, a strong debut thriller for all to enjoy.

When Lila Dalton clues in to where she is, it is not what she expects. She’s standing in a courtroom, preparing to defend a man who is on trial for terrorist activities. While she has no idea what happened, she has little time to wonder, as the case is set to proceed and she will have to put her best effort in to ensure he is acquitted.

All the while, living on a small British island for the trial, Lila is contacted by some mysterious people who demand she acquit her client or lose her daughter forever. Lila still has no idea what’s going on and it is only when she begins digging into her client’s background that things begin to make a slight bit of sense. Still, she is not sure what will come of it all or how to ensure she does not lose her daughter forever.

Unable to trust anyone around her in this isolated locale, Lila Dalton will have to fight off the confusion to get answers before the end of the trial. She’s capable, but there are some additional hurdles that could stymie her progress and land a man in jail for the rest of his life. Shepherd dazzles in this debut novel and leaves me wanting more.

I enjoy discovering new authors and seeing how they will make the most of their writing. L.J. Shepherd does well with this debut piece, mixing the law with a number of thriller aspects to create a strong novel. A key aspect of the narrative is the building momentum, which is seconded only by the quick approach of the narrative flow. With some interesting characters, Shepherd weaves a story of intrigue, mystery, and legal conundrums that is sure to capture the reader’s attention. I was impressed with this debut.

Plot twists abound in this piece, where no one is quite sure of which way is up or how it will all come together. Shepherd offers up strong views and surprises the reader with their placement throughout the story. Lila Dalton is a keen legal figure but her personal life is in a shambles, forcing her to choose between the sure-fire way towards success and one that might reveal too much about those who are trying to pull her strings. I am eager to see if others shared my excitement about this novel and new author on the scene.

Kudos Madam Shepherd, for a captivating debut!

I think readers who are fans of unreliable protagonists, psychological reads, and conspiracy theories should pick this one up!

The premise of this sounds so intriguing! And as you first get into the read, it still is. I had so many questions that kept me reading for the first third / half of the book. As some of the reveals started coming, though, I found my interest started to drag. The pacing through the middle of the book really suffers, and it's not always as engaging as I wanted it to be. The prose itself is really solid and enjoyable to read. It's not pedestrian but it's still accessible.

Some of the grander themes of the book were ones I found intriguing but I didn't always enjoy the way these were addressed. I thought there could have been alternate and better ways to bring in the themes that might not have seemed so abrupt and out of place.

Ultimately the ending left me unsatisfied. There were several threads I felt were left loose or tied in a way which didn't make sense to me. This may have been due to the treatment of the main character, who I never felt we knew beyond a surface level and whose flat character arc didn't really pull me in very well.

The Trials of Lila Dalton
Written by L. J. Shepherd
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
Release Date August 27, 2024

I honestly wanted to love this book. I would have even settled for liked this book. Yet for some reason neither could be said. The premise sounded great in that a barrister, Lisa Dalton was defending a man on trial for mass murder but the catch was she had amnesia. I love a great murder mystery and this sounded as though it was spot on at first. As I started reading though there were many parts of the story that fell flat and was somewhat confusing. Yeah, there were twists but you could tell the author was really trying too hard to make them believable. The characters were well developed and I did enjoy the banter that went on in the courtroom. Overall though I cannot say I was very impressed.

3 stars

Thank you to the author, publisher, and to Netgalley for giving me a copy to read in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I love a great mystery, but this one didn't hit the mark for me. I never truly believed one of the plot points that formed a key twist in the novel, and overall the whole story felt overly complex and confusing. There are a lot of twists and turns in this tale, so I don't want to give anything away, but while I generally enjoy stories with an element of memory loss, this one was tough to engage with. Some of Lila's recovered memories seemed to translate to nothing, and others never fully made sense. I did enjoy the aspect of her still retaining her legal knowledge, even if she couldn't remember the day before! I wouldn't call this one a beach red, but I could see it being a hit for someone who enjoys conspiracy theories and delving into more complicated mysteries.

I recently read “The Trials of Lila Dalton” by L.J. Shepherd, but it wasn’t to my liking. The premise, involving a barrister with amnesia defending a mass murderer on a remote island, seemed promising but fell flat for me. The constant twists felt overdone, making the plot convoluted rather than thrilling. Additionally, the characters lacked depth, and I struggled to connect with Lila or feel invested in her plight. The atmospheric setting and psychological elements couldn’t compensate for the confusing narrative and the implausible scenarios that detracted from the overall story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
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I am such a sucker for a thriller/mystery book that's set entirely in one location and this book is no exception. This honestly was such a mind-altering book to get through. There were times when it was hard to follow along with what was happening with our main character, but on the other hand, it was so fun reading along and understanding the same time as Lila. While there were some parts where I could predict what might be going on, the ending still threw me for a loop, and I did not see it coming. This book does a fantastic job of making you question what's real and what's not.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book is a standard legal courtroom drama, but the book was a tad overambitious borderline unhinged in how many things it tries to be.

The crime became a side story as I tried to figure out the real mystery, who is and what happened to Lila Dalton. The story fell apart a bit towards the end coz I wasn't able to be convinced to suspend my belief, but still kept my interest.

Looking forward to see what other storyline the author could come up with.

When it was all said and done and the big plot twist came, I found myself disappointed. The writing was very engaging, but ultimately the ending just wasn’t for me. The writer did a great job of intertwining small details to bring the story together and I do appreciate the subtle nuance throughout that you will likely miss if you’re a speed reader.

I really enjoyed 90% of this book! Lila “wakes up” midday, mid-trial, with zero memories of who she is, or how she got there. Great pacing, with plenty of twists and turns along the way! The last few chapters kind of took a left turn that was not really needed or necessary to the rest of the story.

this was a confusing read. the beginning was very interesting. and just as i was really getting into it, the author overwhelms the story with A LOT of goings on. it felt like they wanted to keep the story interesting by adding on a series of subplots. and that's where they lost me. i just felt like there were too many loose ends here. again, most of the first half made this very promising. it just completely missed the mark after that. if their intention was to have the reader just as lost and confused as the main character, then i guess mission accomplished.

thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this book. i received this book as an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

A thought provoking book. Full of mystery and intrigue where nothing is what you think it is. Not a simple read and not for the feint hearted 3 stars

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this was a whole rollercoaster. i was actually so obsessed, despite its predictability and the fact that i think lila should have died in the explosion herself. someone in the reviews said this was like [famous book] x [famous movie adaptation of book], and i absolutely see it. x character being a nazi was obvious, and the island being the [redacted] brainchild of a nutcase billionaire was also predictable (this one was on purpose, so it didn't take away from the intrigue).

but with this many inspirations/themes, it felt like the plot was trying for something that it didn't quite achieve (at least with me). the execution and pacing was off. far too much happened in the last 20% and the first 60% is just going in circles, making the [book] inspiration as obvious as possible. granted, the similarities are why i was so invested in the first place—i love that brand of dystopia.

lower rating because the prose was meh, the characters were insufferable (i hate defense lawyers. your first client is a nazi cultist mass murderer, your second client is a serial rapist, and you're a woman?? oh camille vasquez, do you not have shame?), and it was just unoriginal in how it portrayed certain themes.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Seemed hard to hold on to at times but I’m glad I finished it. It is a good read and I would recommend it to a friend.

Unfortunately I have decided to DNF this book, i’m not sure if i just went into it with an idea of something it isn’t or I just didn’t vibe with it, I read to about 35% and I just cannot connect to the characters at all. I apologize.

Wow - Gripping!

Right from the start, we're drawn into a situation where Lila Dalton is standing in a courtroom and has no idea how she got there, or why she's there! Stuck on an island (reminds me of Alcatraz) off the English coast, the primary industry is supposedly fishing. But really, everything seems to revolve around the detention center and prison for terrorists.

Having no recollection of any details, she pieces together that the primary lawyer was involved in an accident and it's now up to her to represent this man accused of mass murder. As she starts to uncover small truths, odd things happen: her room is broken into, her phone calls are cut short or have terrible static, she's accused of crimes she didn't commit, and the list goes on. Feeling as though she isn't sure what's true or real, and not sure who she can trust, she's overwhelmed and incredibly stressed.

The multiple POVs are a bit hard to follow at first, but do eventually come together. I did not see the ending to this coming very far in advance.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and L.J. Shepherd for the eARC.