"The Trials of Lila Dalton" by L.J. Shepherd is a gripping psychological thriller that thrusts readers into a courtroom drama where Lila wakes up defending a terrorist without any memory of how she got there. Set on Assumption Island, the novel explores themes of media manipulation and psychological warfare. While the unexpected twists may initially confuse, the tight pacing and skillful prose ensure an immersive reading experience. However, some readers may find the ending lacking in impact. Overall, this mind-bending mystery keeps readers guessing until the satisfying conclusion.

This book started out so good but then became slow and unrealistic. I’m sorry to say it was a dnf for me.

I wanted to like this book so much! It started off so interesting with intriguing and captivating plot hook. However, it was incredibly slow moving, a little confusing and just not my style of a book. I do appreciate the opportunity to have read this; unfortunately, it was just a miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

The opening of this book (a lawyer who's lost her memory and is in the process of defending an alleged mass murderer!) was definitely intriguing and kept me feeling off-kilter, but not necessarily in a bad way. Ultimately, this book wasn't for me, since the off-kilter feeling never went away and it felt like things were randomly getting added to the plot to keep it moving forward. I think I'm just not the reader for this one.

If you’re a fan of mind-bending mysteries with twists that leave you breathless, then “The Trials of Lila Dalton” by L.J. Shepherd is a must-read. This gripping tale introduces us to Lila Dalton, a woman thrust into a courtroom drama where she’s not only the defense attorney but also the key to unraveling a chilling mystery.

The narrative wastes no time plunging readers into the heart of the action, as Lila finds herself in a courtroom filled with strangers, defending a client accused of mass murder. The catch? She has no recollection of how she got there or any details of the case. This intriguing setup sets the stage for a rollercoaster ride of suspense and intrigue.

Shepherd expertly crafts a locked-room mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end. With each twist and turn, new layers of complexity are revealed, challenging both Lila and the reader to separate truth from illusion. The island setting adds an extra layer of isolation and tension, creating a palpable sense of urgency as Lila races against time to uncover the truth and clear her name.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in its compelling protagonist. Lila Dalton is a refreshingly complex character, grappling with her own fractured memories and doubts as she navigates the treacherous waters of the trial. Her determination and resilience make her a compelling anchor for the story, driving the narrative forward with unwavering resolve.

Furthermore, Shepherd’s skillful prose and tight pacing keep the story moving at a brisk pace, ensuring that readers will be glued to the pages from start to finish. The dialogue crackles with tension, and the vivid descriptions bring the island setting to life in vivid detail.

Overall, “The Trials of Lila Dalton” is a gripping and immersive read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and locked-room mysteries alike. With its clever plot twists, compelling characters, and atmospheric setting, this novel is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final, satisfying conclusion.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC! Spoiler-free review below.

For fans of: 1899, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Anatomy of a Fall, The Wedding of Natsume Arata

I think this book had a solid foundation to start: part courtroom thriller, part conspiracy theory hunt, and a dash of light speculative fiction to keep you constantly trying to pick apart the mystery. The narration felt unreliable in an effective, deliberate way, allowing for me as a reader to constantly feel as susceptible to conspiracy as the character herself—a particularly clever bit of writing that suited the both the story and the broader points the author was trying to explore about truth, reality, and the rise of disinformation very well. However, I felt that the narrative was lacking towards the end, with the final reveals leaving me both underwhelmed and confused. Characters stopped talking like character and instead like think pieces on the dangers of a post-truth society and cancel culture, twists felt telegraphed from a mile away, and ultimately it felt as though a satisfying narrative ending was pushed aside to allow the author to grandstand a bit.

Overall, I really enjoyed the legal drama elements and how the author explored modern day Nazism’s relation to theosophy and occultism as a means to build an atmospheric thriller. The story fell flat towards the end, with more than a couple questions lacking satisfying payoff. I don’t know—maybe it’s because I read this so late at night, but there were some questions I had left upon finishing that I think the author really felt she had answered but that I just don’t grock?

Couldn't put it down! Kept reading to try to figure out 'is this for real? Is she dreaming?' Great read!

Lila has no idea how she got to this place or who she it. But she is standing in court, working as a lawyer defending a person accused of mass murder!

There were twists and interconnecting stories. If you like political thrillers, this one is for you.

Lila Dalton wakes up in a courtroom where she is defending a terrorist. She doesnt remember much but she needs to think fast. The narrative is on an Island- Assumption Island where Lila defends a suspected bomber. Lilas only certainty is her kidnaped daughters existence an the need to win the case to save her. as she navigates through the labyrinth of deception and manipulation she uncovers the secrets of the island and realizes what she is dealing with. The themes of the book are the role of the media, justice system and psychological warfare.

I really didnt know what was going to happen in the book and was a bit confused as this is not my normal type of book. I enjoyed most of it but felt that the ending didnt give as much of a punch as i was hoping for.

This is a different story that takes the reader to unexpected places and thoughts – a fine first novel.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Current day on an island far off the coast of the British Isles
Characters: Barrister Lila Dalton, a wide supporting and opposing legal staff, and a series of quirky, untrustworthy characters with dubious allegiances
Overview: Dalton “wakes up” in a courtroom and realizes she has no idea who she is, what she is doing there, who the accused bomber is she is representing, and who any of the other people in the room are. But she also understands she has the full knowledge and capabilities of a seasoned attorney. Additionally, she comes to realize that she is under pressure to successfully defend the despicable defendant to avoid the threat of losing her daughter. How she cleverly navigates through the new role and seeks to determine what is going is the basis for her long, harrowing trek.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: This is certainly not a straightforward John Grisham-type story. In some parts it becomes frustrating dealing with Lila’s helpless situation. There are elements of British legalese that were difficult to fully understand and the story line evolves into areas of mysticism, white supremacy, and sci-fi that are unexpected and, perhaps to some, unwelcome. Nonetheless, this is a recommended, innovative book from a new author.
Thanx to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

This book got off to a great start, initially I was immediately hooked Lila wakes up in a courtroom not knowing how she got there or who she was and there is a journey of discovery at first. However it soon got a little unbelievable and I couldnt finish it. I am not sure that a defence lawyer who gets charged with murder mid trial would be allowed to finish that trial. Secret organisations, terrorists, it just began to get a little daft I am sorry.

I mean how the hell do people come up with this shit. This was crazy and I loved it. I was in this and couldn't put this down. The main character can't remember anything and has to prove the innocence of a murderer and she has no memory of anything. Good luck getting anything done once you start this one.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced ready copy of this.

The Trials of Lila Dalton by L.J. Shepard has an interesting premise, an attorney that wakes up at the trial with no memory of who she is or what she is doing. Then it derails from there. It starts out very intriguing and you want to know what is happening and why. You get the sense that something is wrong with the town, the case, and the people but you don't know quite what it is. It gets way too political for me and the politics don't seem to even be needed in the grand scheme of the story. The political aspect drags the story down and makes it less interesting.
I found that this story is portrayed as a thriller but yet somehow it twists into a political espionage story then a sci-fi story. It feels like the author had a lot of ideas of what they wanted the book to be but couldn't decide on what plot line to stick to. I was no a fan of the story but people who like unreliable narrators may enjoy this story. People who like stories that aren't pigeon-holed into a specific genre might like this as well. It just didn't work for me. I'm giving it 3 stars because it had potential, it just didn't deliver for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Lila Dalton finds herself in a courtroom completely unable to remember anything. She only remembers her legal knowledge.

I'm going to be honest. If this wasn't an ARC, I probably would not have finished it. It wasn't bad, but the premise was very...bizarre. I feel like it was sort of all over the place and just spun out of control with "twists and reveals".

I definitely think this book is worth reading if you want a quick, easy to read little speculative thriller, but I did not personally love it that much.

Lila Dalton has no recollection of how she got here, where she is, or who she is. She seems to be standing in a court, working a case as a barrister, but who is she protecting and why can’t she remember anything? Through a few days of intense investigation, with danger lurking at every corner, where the conspiracy theories seem more plausible than any time before, Lila’s time is running out. She has a job, a very hard one – her client is accused of a mass murder, with all the evidence pointing directly at him, she has to absolve him or lose what’s most precious to her. With this unpredictable and suspensful book, you’ll find yourself unable to put it down, with suspense and plot twists at every corner.

I have really enjoyed this book. I found it really fascinating and difficult to put down. The suspense building on was done really well, and the historical ties were also very interesting. I have enjoyed the two stories interconnecting in the book, as well, they really build up the atmosphere and delivered more background knowledge about the characters and the case at heart.

I liked the plot twists – some of them I have slightly expected, some have truly shocked me. Although, full of conspiracy theories and a lot of legal terms, the book has proven to be able to explain everything well to non-experts.

Up to the 85% of the book I was really hooked, but the ending did catch me a bit off guard. I found it rather forced and odd, it did not explain all the questions I had. While the idea of it seemed nice and interesting, the execution was a bit lacking and felt really forced. The coming-full-circle moment was a nice touch, but it still didn’t make up for the confusion caused earlier.

Overall, I found the book really interesting and I was really happy to read it, I found myself looking into many of the conspiracies and symbols later myself, to read their history and compare their use in the book with the use in real life. The book was genuinely engaging, and the final plot twist about the case (who was whom and when) was really shocking. It’s just the overall ending that felt too shallow for such a big overall revelation.

4/5 stars.

THANK YOU POISONED PEN PRESS AND NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS BOOK.

A very unique premise and I was hooked right from the start. I will admit it was a little hard to follow at the beginning. Reality and speculative fiction were intertwined beautifully. Lila Dalton, a very skilled barrister, comes to in a court room with a judge and 12 jurors looking at her, only to discover that she is the defense attorney in a terrorist case where 27 people died in a bombing. She has no memory of anything up to that very moment. She has to question everything and put on a face that she knows everything. Assumption Island, a fictional North Atlantic location where Lila Dalton must get her client off scot-free or end up losing her daughter There is a lot going on here. This is not a quick read. But being the debut novel by this author, I am very impressed. Take your time and watch this unfold.

The premise of this book intrigued me right from the start, it was very unique and fresh and I loved how it jumped immediately into the plot, leaving the reader with the same off centre, discombobulated feeling as the main character. I also really enjoyed all the legal aspects to and I felt like details were kept a mystery for a good amount of time, leaving the reader in a perfect amount of suspense. Unfortunately the book lost me a little bit in the second half. However, the book itself is incredibly well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoyed aspects of this novel, but connected less on other aspects of it. The plot in the start was definitely strong, if not a little beyond the suspension of belief, but as we got further into the book, it took a downward turn. The legal part of this was really well written, and I feel that the mystery of the trial was kept in the dark for the perfect amount of time. There was certainly an element of reality with the speculative fiction side of things, but the speculative fiction perhaps got a little too out of control, and was very concentrated at the end of the book, as opposed to interspersed throughout.

The book was very much in two halves for me. The first half was a punchy courtroom drama, just out of the reach of belief, and would have been an easy four star. But the second half just didn't do it for me, and I was really hoping for more. The characters, initially well-constructed and interesting, ended up as plot vessels later in the day which just didn't work for me.

The writing was definitely strong, particularly at the start - I just needed more throughout to keep me going with this one, and a little less disbelief.

Whew, this book, man...! It kept me guessing! Set on a remote island with an escape room vibe, Lila Dalton comes to in a court room with a judge and 12 jurors looking at her, only to discover that she is the defense attorney in a terrorist case where 27 people died in a bombing. She has no memory of anything up to that very moment. She soon discovers that although she knows nothing about herself or her past, she is a very skilled barrister who knows the law inside and out. Her only job? Getting her client off scot-free. She knows this is her job because she begins to get creepy threats stating that if she doesn't get her client off, there will be life-altering consequences. Lila begins to feel that she is being followed and surveilled at all times. She questions everything, which is a lot when you know nothing.
Although this book could be confusing at times (maybe due to my lack of knowledge with the UK justice system), I also found myself totally enraptured and wanting to get to the bottom of this crazy case. Who was Lila? Was her client actually guilty or was it all a conspiracy theory? Find out for yourself when this book hits shelves on 08/27/24. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this arc by debut author L.J. Shepherd.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC! This one was interesting…I honestly ended up feeling very “meh” about it. It started off so great! I was very intrigued about the memory loss and I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes and drama. However, other parts of this book left me feeling very confused. I guess that’s part of the point considering the memory loss…but I just had a hard time following toward the end. Overall, not my favorite book, but if you can keep an open mind and you like intriguing premises involving memory loss and courtroom drama, it may be worth checking it out!