Reviews - The Trials of Lila Dalton

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The Trials of Lila Dalton by L.J. Shepherd

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“The Trials of Lila Dalton” - A Riveting Journey Through the Labyrinth of Memory and Truth

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 the chilling predicament that Lila Dalton finds herself in “The Trials of Lila Dalton”, the debut novel by L. J. Shepherd. Shepherd, a Cardiff-based barrister with experience in high-profile public inquiries, leverages her expertise to craft a riveting and intricate thriller. The novel stands out in its genre, thanks to the authenticity of its courtroom scenes and legal complexities, enriched by Shepherd’s firsthand knowledge of the legal field. The narrative is peppered with insider details such as the cab-rank rule, cross-examination techniques, and the bad character evidence rule, and more, setting it apart from other legal dramas.

This adrenaline-fueled thriller, revolved around a compelling female protagonist, captivates readers from start to finish. The narrative unfolds on Assumption Island, a fictional North Atlantic locale, where Lila Dalton, a barrister with no memory of her past, defends a suspected bomber. Lila’s only certainty is her kidnapped daughter’s existence and the need to win the case to save her. As she navigates through the labyrinth of deception and manipulation, she uncovers the island’s dark secrets and realizes the case is far from a simple bombing. The plot brims with unexpected twists as Lila unravels the truth about the case and the island. Shepherd’s vivid world-building crafts a unique setting where the island itself becomes a character with its own history and rules. The novel delves into themes like the role of the media, the corruption of the justice system, and the dangers of psychological manipulation.

While the book has a few minor weaknesses, including stereotypical secondary characters, and overly technical legal jargon, these do not significantly detract from the overall reading experience. Some plot developments and the ending might stretch the reader’s suspension of disbelief due to their convenience, overuse of abstract dialogues or lack of explanation. The novel sometimes relies on clichés and tropes, such as the evil media, corrupt government, and mysterious cult, but it also subverts and challenges them in interesting ways.

“The Trials of Lila Dalton” is a remarkable and impressive debut novel, that will delight and thrill fans of psychological thrillers, legal dramas, and dystopian twist.

I appreciate the L.J. Shepherd, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for letting me review a pre-release copy of the book and share my honest opinion.

litwithleigh's review

3.0

Thank you Pushkin Press for the ARC. IYKYK my reviews are ALWAYS honest.

Writing: meh | Plot: very intriguing but got a lil too crazy | Ending: I ...????

SYNOPSIS

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? FIND TF OUT!!!

MY OPINION

FYI this is speculative fiction so just roll with the vibes. Honestly the first 30/40% of this was giving me 4 stars on intrigue alone. This is an all plots situation; the character development is as missing a husky's ability to chill tf out. There's a lot of action and reveals throughout, which was entertaining at the beginning... But then it became like a mega-stuffed oreo situation. Like, we wanted double stuffed but now it's just gross. By the end I was tired of the new layers being heaped onto the proverbial pile of coats, and it felt like so much went unaddressed in favour of the next reveal.

I'm interested to see how the ratings for this one shake out. I think you'll either love it, or you'll immediately delete it from your Kindle. I'm tossing this a three because it's an interesting concept, and there were several 'gems' about (I can't really say because it's a spoiler). I think this was going for a [famous classic book] meets [movie adaptation of famous book] vibe but it spent too much time on [movie adaptation of famous book] before it became clear what the damn point is. Maybe I'm just 6 short of a dozen so the point skated right over this smooth ass brain, but I was surprised when the 'master plan' was revealed.

Keeping this one short 'n sweet (unlike me). If the premise speaks to you, give it a whirl. A good book club or buddy read pick.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: start was very intriguing and action-packed

Cons: a bit of an identity crisis—not sure what it wanted to be (or I'm not smart enough to cotton on), too many threads left dangling in favour of 'shocking' reveals

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