Lila Dalton is in court working as a barrister when suddenly she realises she has no idea who or where she is and what she's doing. I liked the idea of that as a starting point because it's different and quite interesting.

But you really have to suspend your disbelief with this one - there are some interesting turns of events - some mind control, a copy with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, Neo Nazis, the lot. So if you read this with a grain of salt, you'll enjoy it. Just don't think too hard about it all!

It's an enjoyable read and I definitely didn't predict the direction it would take!

This is one of those books that requires a suspension of belief as well as some quantum physic style multiverse stuff. I went into it thinking this would be fun. Instead it became a bit of a slow slog with way too many extra components tossed in which took away from the main plot.
Lila is in court as a barrister when she realizes she has no idea who she is or what she is doing there. Cue her racing around freaking out and trying to figure out what to do. Now this and the trial itself could have been great. But they went on to add a cop with a weird grudge and some mind control stuff mixed with Neo nazis……honestly my brain just said ENOUGH.
I know that some people will enjoy this but it sadly was not for me.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Dreamscape Media for gifting me. both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by L.J. Shepherd, wonderfully narrated by Ella Lynch. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Lila Dalton has no memory, yet finds herself in the courtroom as a trial lawyer defending a terrorist. She doesn't know who she is, what she's doing, or the reason behind anything. Somehow, enough memory kicks in that she's able to participate in the trial. Without knowing anything about her past, how can she trust anyone around her?

This was such an intriguing plot, but it's a complex story and requires some concentration on the reader's part. It goes down lots of conspiracy theory paths, courtroom drama, threats about her missing daughter, all wrapped up in Lila's confused brain. To be honest, my brain was a bit confused at the end as well. But it's a solid debut novel and I'll be looking for more from this author!

Lila Dalton 'comes to' in a courtroom where she's supposedly defending a domestic terrorist. Can she recover her memory in time to win the case?

Suuuch an interesting premise right? The opening and first half of the book had me really intrigued. I had to know what happened and if she was going to win the case. However the whole book gets a bit complicated and there’s a little too much “jargon” for my liking

I hated this book. I feel tricked. It was described as a mystery, however, this was just strange. Very sci-fi. Very, very long. DO not recommend.

I'm afraid that I found this weird. I liked the idea and was very excited to read this... however I did not love the way this went. I had to DNF.

Thank you, NetGalley!
The story was confusing and I still don't completely understand the ending of this book. I was left with more questions than answers. I feel like the premise of this book lied to me, it was not a thriller. I'm not the audience for books like these.

This book had a really intriguing premise of an attorney suddenly becoming aware of her surroundings during a murder trial where she is representing the defendant. This is where her memories begin. It's 1996 in this dystopian (?) novel set out in the Atlantic away from the British mainland, and it is definitely a slowburn at first and somewhat difficult to follow all that is happening. There's so much to figure out...lots of head shaking and "what?". I felt like the author crafted a good story in and of itself, but it was hard to like anyone (for me). Overall the political side plot was so extreme that it left a bad taste. I guess none of it is essentially plausible, but some of these ideas were beyond far-fetched.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

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.

I really wanted to like this but it was just not very good. The writing was clunky and I didn't care about any of the characters, especially Lila.

This is a twisty, unexpected locked-room mystery that follows one woman's race against time to find a killer, clear her own name, and escape the island that threatens to keep her trapped forever. Its not my usual choice, but I enjoyed seeing how the narrative played out.

The Trials of Lila Dalton is a novel unlike what you've ever read before. You think you know what's going on, and around every corner, there's a brand new unfolding that flips everything you thought you knew on its head. Bold, mindblowingly deceptive, and yet I could not put it down!!!!!!!! Absolutely loved it! I can't wait to see what else L.J. Shepherd brings to the writers block.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

i eat books like this up, very fun and loved the setting. thank you publisher and netgalley for an opportunity to read for you

An interesting concept that had a lot of potential, it did seem a bit bland, the courtroom scenes were written really well and I was curled in. There was a lot of legal terminology.

I read this but wasn't a complete fan. It was good and some parts were bland. Just not the book for me

What a ride! You won't know until the final pages what has truly been going on with this novel - and that is great! At times fabulous court room drama, at other times a delve into the world of the occult and at others a sad tale of a girl whose memory has abandoned her just when she needs it most.

When Lila Dalton 'regains' consciousness, she is standing before a jury, defending an accused terrorist. But she doesn't know who she is, where she is or how she got there.

The resultant - ever evolving - narrative will have you questioning yourself, having you guessing just who the baddies are, and - if you are like me - have you realise you could never be a detective!!

A great read - a real page turner.

I thought it was a very interesting idea and I got sucked in for a while, but then the legal jargon just killed it for me completely. I lost all interest in continuing. The premise was there.

The Trials of Lila Dalton by L.J. Shepherd is perfect for both bookworms and binge-watchers. It’s a thrilling mix of courtroom drama, mysterious conspiracies, and eerie island vibes. It reads like a series you’d devour on Netflix, full of cliffhangers and suspense

This was an interesting one for me, because it took such a different turn to what I thought it was going to be. I don’t want to give too much away in this little review to avoid spoilers but I will say, I was a little baffled by the end! With each chapter, the story is intriguing and it does leave you questioning everything and everyone. Imagine just ‘waking up’ in the middle of a courtroom and having no idea who you are, where you are or what you need to do - it’s an immense thought. I did enjoy this one, and I kind of loved that it had a deeper undercurrent of plot line that I wasn’t expecting.. it’s definitely a thinker!

The fact that it is a courtroom drama and has some confusing narratives did not really work for me. I tried to get into it but could not and I understand that the storyline is such that it may not appeal to all readers and unfortunately, I was one of them.

I really wanted to enjoy this but this was just confusing for me. So much was over the top and unbelievable. I was really hoping to like this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read