Target audience for this book: poli-sci majoring Brits who love sci-fi

Unfortunately I don’t fall into any of those categories.

Lila Dalton has no idea who she is or where she is. All she knows is that she woke up in court as the defence counsel for an accused neo-Nazi terrorist. She begins receiving threats and she knows she’s being watched. She must figure out who she is, who is threatening her and why all while defending her client.

You definitely need an understanding of the British legal system to read this book otherwise you’ll be googling terms and concepts throughout your read. This book really drags and would’ve been better as a short story. There is no character development and the antagonists are cartoonishly evil.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story follow Lila Dalton as she suddenly comes to in the middle of court with no memory of who she is or what she is doing there. It becomes clear that she is a lawyer defending a client for a terrorist crime. The story moves along quite fast paced right away with odd situations that make you question what is happening and is this a weird M. Night Shyamala movie. But really it has a more twilight zone vibe to me. I wasn’t expecting that ending and the revealed answers. But honestly it felt like the plot line got lost and had to just wrap up somehow. The story was overall interesting and kept me reading quickly, wanting to know the next part of the story. I just wasn’t super pleased with the ending. It gave me Lost feelings. (That ending though!)

This was such an unusual idea for a novel that I was intrigued from the outset.

The contrast between the narrator’s complete amnesia about her life and her identity, versus her ability to effortlessly run a case in court, was a really unique set up for the story. Although how she maintained such a professional demeanour while basically forgetting her own name was quite a bold idea!

I loved the setting and the slightly gothic air to the island too.

A solid read!

It was hard for me to get into. I also found myself confused a lot. But once the story picked up I started to enjoy it and looked forward to reading it before bed.

I did not finish this book, I just couldn’t keep reading it. It’s not for me, and it happens, it’s not a bad book but just way too slow for me.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I am a big fan of courtroom mysteries, so I was excited for this one. I also really liked some of the plot lines that were peppered in, like mind control. However, there were almost too many different shifts in the plot and sub-sets of the story… it was information overload for just a 300 page novel. But at the same time, it felt like some areas of the book dragged on.

However, I did enjoy the read and thought the reveal at the end was good in concept…just needed more in execution to be rated higher!

This book started out interesting by and has what could be an amazing plot but was driven through political information that I think could have been cut down. I struggled to get to the end of the book because of how much info dumping there was. I liked the idea of Lila not having any memory-but there was so much political drive that it made that novel hard to enjoy. I understand it’s part of the plot but I didn’t need to understand what a cult group did and its history was.

Lila Dalton finds herself in a surreal situation: she wakes up in a courtroom, facing a jury, with no memory of how she got there or why she’s defending a man accused of mass murder. Stranded on an island where serious crimes are tried, Lila must navigate a complex web of lies and deceit to uncover the truth and prove her client’s innocence.

As Lila races against time to solve the case and clear her own name, the novel takes readers on a thrilling ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. The atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic, adding to the sense of urgency as Lila struggles to piece together fragments of her memory while battling against forces determined to keep her trapped on the island.

With its intricate plot and well-developed characters, “The Trials of Lila Dalton” is a captivating read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page. Fans of locked-room mysteries and psychological thrillers will find plenty to enjoy in this suspenseful tale of deception and redemption. Loved it!

Filled with courtroom drama and lots of conspiracies, The Trials of Lila Dalton is a book that will captivate those who like legal thrillers. However, while it may appeal to avid fans of legal proceedings, personally, it didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped. Despite its engaging premise, I found myself struggling to fully engage with the story. Nonetheless, for enthusiasts of legal dramas, it's certainly worth diving into for a suspenseful ride.

A lady loses her memory and finds herself as a lawyer representing a man accused of bombing a location resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. She receives a note that if she wants to see her daughter again she has to get him a not guilty. As she tries to recover memories she is faced with danger.

The debut novel presents a captivating and intricate premise that immediately grips the reader. Initially challenging to follow, the blend of reality and speculative fiction is seamlessly woven throughout the narrative. Protagonist Lila Dalton, a skilled barrister, awakens in a courtroom as the defense attorney in a high-stakes terrorist case without any memory of preceding events. Set in the fictional Assumption Island, located in the North Atlantic, Lila must navigate a complex web of deception to secure her client's acquittal and protect her daughter's safety. While not a quick read due to the intricate storytelling, the author impresses with a well-crafted and absorbing tale that unfolds gradually, urging readers to savor every detail as the plot unravels.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A real mind bender. Is it reality or an alternate reality? Shepherd really makes you think and then think again. You are left wondering what just happened. A very timely read.

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down, couldn’t stop thinking about it. There were a few twists I could see coming but a lot I didn’t. I really enjoyed the courtroom aspect of the plot as well.

Bizarre, Amazing, a twist you will not guess - the trials that Lila Dalton faces will keep you rapidly turning pages to the end!

Lila Dalton has no memory - of who she is, what she is dong or why. Muscle memory kicks in and she remembers something of her trial lawyer experience and she realizes she is wrapped up in a trial where she is defending a terrorist. There are plenty of people willing to help, but can she trust them? And why can't she remember who she is?

L.J. Shepherd does a phenomenal job of creating a world that is easy to believe yet confounding at every step. This is not your run-of-the-mill thriller and I very highly recommend to all! #poisonpenpress #thetrialsofliladalton #ljshepherd

Wow, wow, wow! I’m almost speechless when it comes to The Trials of Lila Dalton. There are many reasons why I loved this book, and definitely recommend it to other readers. First, I loved the fact that each character I came in contact with was so layered, it had me questioning if they were “good” or “bad.” It also had me questioning who I could trust. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the “mystery” of it all alongside Lila. I felt as if I was in the book with her! This book is beyond captivating, especially if you love mysteries! The only wish I had was that the epilogue was a bit longer, but wow, there are so many twists and turns, you won’t know what happens next!

Title: The Trials of Lila Dalton
Author: LJ Shepherd

Stars: 3.75

Spice: none

Pros: This is a wild ride that leaves you guessing. The story is fast paced. The arc of the main character is interesting. You feel connected with her plight. You want to know what happens next.

Cons: The actual plot odd super twisty and I don’t think everything wraps up particularly neatly. There are pieces that end unexplained.

Format Commentary: written in short, easy to read and follow chapters.

Other Titles Similar: This reminds me somewhat of mysteries similar to Twin Peaks, X Files, Shutter Island. Anything that makes you question everything.

Quick Synopsis: Lila Dalton comes to consciousness as a lawyer during a trial with no memories of her past. While working her way through the trial she fights for her freedom, her life, conspiracy theories and broken evidence to try and understand it all.

Characters-
The main character was easy to empathize with. Other characters were vague but also seemed to be important to be like that for the main story.

Plot and theme-
The plot was super interesting and probably the best part of the book. To come up consciousness with no memories in the middle of a trial is really entertaining and engaging. The theme of no one to trust including the main character’s mind was also very intriguing, but at times made it confusing to follow. There were so many layers to this story.

Pacing-
The pacing was fast moving. I did not find any part of this story to drag.

Prose-
Easy to read and word clearly.

Primary emotion reading book-
Confusion and intrigue.

Overall : An interesting thriller mystery novel where you have to let go any sense of control as the reader. Enjoy the ride, but expect to be a bit confused.

What an intriguing read!

I love a court room drama and this one takes us right into a high profile criminal trial where barrister Lila Dalton is defending a mass murderer, accused of domestic terrorism.

The only problem is that on the first day of the trial Lila is standing in court, representing her client with no memory of who she is or why she’s there.

Stranded on an island off the coast of the UK, where they try domestic and foreigners for the most serious of crimes, she figures she will wing it until things become clearer to her. And they do as flashes of memory start to return.

As she blindly navigates her way around the facts of the case, there appears to be evil forces working against her and Lila doesn’t know who she can trust.

Through her storytelling Shepherd cleverly introduces issues around extremist ideologies, manipulation and political activism.

This is no ordinary court room drama though. It’s full of suspense and has many twists and turns.

If you like mystery, intrigue and and drama you will enjoy this.

Thank you #NetGalley and #ljshepherd for an advance copy in exchange of an honest review.

This was definitely a strange book to get into.
You as reader almost feel as lost as Lila does in the beginning. As the story progresses, a lot of the blank spaces are filled for the reader, but not all of them, leaving you a lot to ponder on and digest.
At the end, a lot of things become clearer and scenes from the beginning of the book make a bit more sense now. The final chapter brings a sort of full circle moment and a bit more closure and sense to the book.
A very thought-provoking read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Our main character, Lila Dalton, finds herself awake in front of 12 jurors with the task of proving someone innocent for a crime she knows nothing about. Unfortunately, I am not super familiar with legal stuff and this book was heavy on that, that’s just me thought. Some parts of the book seemed repetitive and there was stuff I didn’t quite understand about neo nazis being involved? I got a little lost. The premise sounded interesting but it just fell a little short for me.

I did enjoy the plot of this book but found myself kind of stumbling around for a large portion of it just not completely understanding some of the legal aspects and conspiracy theory talk.

Lila Dalton finds herself standing in front of 12 strangers in a court room with no memory of who she is or how she got there. After a time, she figures out that she is a barrister representing her client, Eades, who has been accused of bombing the Abbott House. Now she just has to figure out how she is going to prove him innocent in a trial she knows nothing about.

The beginning of the book was very intriguing, I was in it and enjoying it but towards the middle I just lost interest because of how confused I was becoming with certain things. It picked up towards the end and I was eager to see how it all played out. Overall, I don’t feel like this was a productive read for ME. I do think that there are many that will enjoy it!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this digital ARC!!