Unfortunately this book didn’t do it for me. It was too weird and not in a good way. There was way too much going on, added to the fact that Lila couldn’t remember anything about her life except vague bits and pieces but apparently could remember how to be a lawyer which is arguably one of the hardest jobs to have? The books just became too much and all the British legal jargon was too confusing. Why are they wearing wigs?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Trials by Lila Dalton left me utterly baffled and disappointed. From the strange lordship themes to the bizarre wigs and heavy-handed political undertones, I found myself struggling to connect with the story. Despite being given an ARC, I should have DNFed it. The premise of a lawyer with amnesia on a mysterious island sounded intriguing, but the execution fell flat for me. Overall, this book was a miss." #BookReview #Disappointed #DNFed

DNF at 34%

I love the premise of this book but unfortunately I just didn't feel like it was executed well enough and couldn't make myself finish the story.

This book is set to release August 27 2024

Thank you Net Galley, Poisoned Pen Press and L.J. Shepherd for this eARC.in exchange for my honest review. And a final thank you for the 'emotional trickery' to Delena Mcconnell
IYKYK.



If you're looking for a fun legal mystery thriller this isn't it. Most of this book had me feeling like O somehow missed the first 3 chapters that contained all the important information. Which is exactly how I believe it is meant to make you feel.


Book synopsis:

Lila Dalton has no memory of how she came to be in this courtroom; no memory of how she got to the courthouse at all, or why she's facing a jury who seems to be waiting for her. The man on trial is accused of mass murder, and she's his lawyer, but she can't remember any details of the case. She can't remember anything… Stranded on an island in the Atlantic Ocean where the most serious crimes are tried, Lila has to prove her client's innocence if she wants to go home. But how can she solve this case when she's not sure she can trust anything around her, including her own memory?



A courthouse drama with a dash of conspiracy mixed with an unreliable narrator neo Nazis and mind control. I found myself intrigued and confused but in the best of ways. I was completely Black Mirrored and I hope this author has more of this in store for future works.

This is not a quick read and will leave you either feeling really confused with the ending going over your head or you'll feel like Leonardo DiCaprio and grab yourself a top and start spinning it.


Definitely a 5 star read.

I would like to Thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this ARC book for my honest review!! I was in no way influenced and these are my thoughts alone.

I should start by saying I had no clue what this book was about because I like to be surprised lol... Now I am here stunned like what did I just read, but in a good way! The Trials of Lila Dalton was absolutely amazing! I was so shocked I'm petty sure my mouth fell open lol.... This book is about a lawyer who is standing in the courtroom but can't remember her own name! How can this be when she knows she is trying one of the biggest trials of her career, in a very high steaks case? I mean the details, the shocking twists will leave you shocked. I had no clue what to expect, nor did I figure out the ending. This is a absolute must read, run and add it to your TBR because this is one thriller I promise you will not want to miss!

Imagine waking up in a courtroom, facing a man accused of a horrific crime, and not knowing who you are, or why you are there. This is how this book starts out! The book started out quite brilliantly. I thought the initial premise was promising and had tons of potential. But then it went entirely off the rails, leaving me to feel like my head had exploded. I had absolutely no idea where this story was heading. There was just too much going on. It was also hard to take Lila seriously as a competent lawyer. I know that Lila finds herself in a strange, unfamiliar place, and she's confused and disoriented, but she gets flustered and weepy too often. The author overwhelmed us with all the investigations into how she came to be there, a complicated, narrative unfolds regarding government conspiracies, brainwashing, scientific experiments involving mind control, convoluted ideologies regarding freedom and speech and oh yeah, let's throw in the kitchen sink, too. I'm interested to see how the ratings for this one shake out. I think you'll either love it, or you'll Hate it!

#netgalley

The Trials of Lila Dalton by L.J. Sheperd, published by PPenPress and narrated by Hannah Vanderheide is a fast paced, breathtaking thriller.
Lila Dalton finds herself in a courtroom with no recollection how she got there and who she is, what'she's doing there. FYI, she's a barrister in a murder case.
She's on a race against time to win the case and solve the mystery of her own identity.
Fast, twisty, a dark read, a bit confusing, a pageturning debut.

This was a bit odd. I enjoyed the courtroom drama but the ending fell a bit flat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me I was highly confused throughout it all. It just wasnt the book for me I had to DNF I couldn't continue.

This left me confused and with a lot of questions, I thought the concept was great but the execution lacked in my opinion, would read more by this author I just felt let down by the ending

Though the plot was intriguing, there were too many plot lines left dangling to be more than an entertaining 3 star read - interesting, but not satisfying.

A lot to unpack here.

This is going to someones best read of the year.
I just left confused.

All the elements sound cool when viewed separately.
-Unreliable narrator, a lawyer, "comes to" in a court room with no idea how she got there or what the situation is.
-Defendant is a neo nazi responsible for many deaths in a bombing.
-Missing daughter's life depends on outcome.
-Entire trial takes place on an island where only the WORST criminals are held, very few people around, altogether isolated and claustrophobic vibe.

The legal stuff was great, if this truly read as a John Grisham novel with some Stephen King horror built in, I could have given it more stars. It just felt flat and honestly confused me in the end. I'm hoping to chat about it with others and maybe the concept will become clearer?

I really struggled with this one. It started out really interesting but after a while I kind of got tired of the whole amnesia thing as the main character bumbled about. I am sure others would enjoy it. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

While the premise was interesting, the execution left a lot to be desired. The plot felt thick and obtuse with little clarity as to what was going on. The conspiracy that was revealed at the end seemed too fantastic to make sense.

This book was an interesting concept for sure! It moved a bit too slowly for me, though. The terminology was also a bit difficult to follow, but overall it was a decent read.

hanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own

Although this debut novel won't be released until August, I felt compelled to skip over my April and May reads and select this book as my most recent read. It's a courtroom drama that dabbles in the sphere of far-right conspiracy plots. Although the narrative is confusing at times, I couldn't put down the book. However, it( the storyline) may not appeal to all readers. I agree with my fellow early reviewers that the book loses steam in the last ten chapters. By the end, I was left wondering, "Happily ever after?"🤷‍♂️

All in all, it's not going to be on my list of 5-star reads this year BUT I still feel that it caught my attention enough to leave a lasting memory.





Expected Publication 27/08/24
Goodreads Review 06/04/24

Lila finds herself in the middle of a courtroom about to defend a client with no memory of how she got there, who she is, or what she is doing. This started off really interesting, with Lila trying to figure out what is happening, but the story got less exciting as it went on and ended strangely. I think I liked it overall, but the man Lila was defending was accused of having bombed a building because of a far-right conspiracy plot. I just have no interest in reading about that sort of thing, so that took away from the story for me personally. The ending was unexpected and somewhat confusing. 3 stars, I guess?

Lila Dalton comes out of some kind of amnesia as she is in court, acting as a defence Barrister for a man facing a terrorsim charge, on an island that’s a British Overseas Territory. Luckily for Lila her memory of all things legalese doesn’t let her down, but her life and why she is essentially trapped on an island working brings her flashes of her life.

The novel is an odd mix of courtroom drama and speculative fiction. The first two thirds of “The Trials of Lila Dalton” I adored, the fast plot, the intrigue of characters, the mystery - a very good 4 star read. The last portion of the book was a real let down for me in terms of plot, cliche, tropes and engagement as a reader - barely 2 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Source Books and the author L.J Shephard for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I liked the premise of this novel and the authentic courtroom elements. However, the bizarre narrative left me confused and I failed to finish.

This was a highly engaging and thought provoking novel. I wanted to keep reading in order to try and figure out the mystery. This was a step outside of my usual genre but I enjoyed the read and was enthralled with the way it ended. Definitely a mind game book and I would recommend it for those who enjoy psychological mysteries.