Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

This is one where I liked the idea more than the execution, I'm afraid. I'm trying not to discuss too much of the plot in this review because I'm conscious this is still yet to be published, but there are a few details that show up early enough in the story that I think I can touch on.

Part of this might be related to not understanding trial procedure and/or the culture around trials in the UK - like, ok, one example. Lila receives messages that she interprets as threats. Would you not immediately report those to the cops...? There are all kinds of protections for people in the criminal justice system, especially in a case that is as high profile as this. And also, I know there are ~other reasons~ that are revealed later, but I'm so baffled by the lack of reporters and public interest as well - the case that she's trying would be pretty much the only relevant news story for the entirety of the time it was in court. Even if this is later explained, why isn't Lila curious about this when she's trying to figure out what happened?

None of those elements on their own were a big deal, but they added up, especially when the concept itself requires quite a lot of suspension of disbelief. The ending also demands quite a bit from the reader. There are some interesting concepts - I think the island itself could have a lot of potential, with its isolation and other unique factors, but I found that the parts of the story that I think are compelling were muddled behind a lot of elements that made it difficult to buy in.

Also, as someone who really loves trials and cross examinations - I can't exactly root for our protagonist to make a great point on cross when she's defending an alleged white supremacist domestic terrorist? It's just not as fun if our protagonist's actions go against my perceived concept of justice in this world, and there wasn't enough either to try to redeem the defendant or to justify it from Lila's end for me. Yeah, I know, everyone deserves a valid defense, but I don't have to root for it either.

Trials by Lila Dalton left me disappointed & confused. There was way too much going on, added to the fact that Lila couldn’t remember anything, This book with all its British legal jargon was too much and very confusing . The premise of this book sounded so good unfortunately this was a DNF for me @60% . I tried several times to get through this book to give a fair review , but it fell flat for me . I, however would love to try reading something different from this author.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the early review in turn for my honest thoughts

Pub date: Aug 27, 2024

"The Trials of Lila Dalton" by L. J. Shepherd presents a gripping and mysterious tale that unfolds in the confines of a courtroom on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. Lila Dalton finds herself thrust into a baffling situation as she wakes up with no memory of how she arrived at the courthouse or why she's defending a man accused of mass murder. Shepherd expertly crafts a tension-filled narrative as Lila struggles to piece together the fragments of her memory while navigating a trial that could determine her fate. The sense of isolation on the island heightens the suspense, adding an additional layer of urgency to Lila's quest for answers. As she races against time to uncover the truth, readers will be drawn into a labyrinth of secrets and deception, where nothing is as it seems. With its intricate plot and unexpected twists, "The Trials of Lila Dalton" promises to be a captivating locked-room mystery that will keep readers guessing until the final page.

The premise of the book is what drew me in and I love court room/flashback tropes- the excitement of piecing back together. However, as the story starts to take shape, it felt like it was going on many different directions that I my attention was starting to falter. Between the British courtroom lingos to political plots, it just went way over my head and I struggled to connect with the story. There are few instances towards the end that had my attention for a bit but overall, I was hoping to be fully engaged and invested in the story but it didn’t quite deliver as I hoped it would. Thank you so much NetGalley for the chance to review this book in advance and provide my honest feedback

Really unputdownable, loved it and kept me on the edge of my seat! I would totally recommend this author and would read more from them. Thank you very much for the ARC,

Thank you to Netgallery and Poisoned Pen Press for an early release copy of The Trials of Lila Dalton by L.J Shepard, this book will be available for purchase on August twenty-seventh of 2024.

The trails of Lilia dalton was a dnf for me, I pushed through to page 198 (65%) in hopes to be able to give a fair review for dnfing the arc. I want to say I didn’t realize that the setting was in 1996, I was expecting a more modern day setting. These older court room terms/court room talk is honest just confusing me rather then explaining to me what is really happening.

I wasn’t aware going into this book that there was going to be a lot of talk about politics and religion which are two subjects I just don’t find interest in reading. Both of these topics are discussed heavily in this book and it really draws me away from the mystery of Lila trying to get her memory back/her just trying to figure things out in general. There are also some sexist comments from the men towards the main character, it just makes it hard for me to like any of these characters in here at all. Lila herself even makes a comment or two about the way women dress.

I really wanted to try and push through with this one because there are some interesting things going on in the story but I just think the way something’s were writing could have been written a bit better then they were. The plot of Lila trying to regain her memory’s while trying to defend someone is an interesting one, I think the writing style is decent but the topics of religion and politics as well as the sexist comments really pull me away from this book.

A whirlwind is the best way to describe this homodiegetic narrative that flickers between the present, past and subconscious thought. The twists and turns are unpredictable and build an exciting original narrative, which is a true page turner. Well worth reading this year.

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.