Excellent read. Moving between the courtroom and the events leading up to it the story is told from the different character’s perspective’s. Families torn apart, loyalties stretched and a totally jaw dropping twist

I should point out at the outset that my usual read is crime fiction so although this was related to a court trial was a bit off-piste from my usual course. However, I've really enjoyed court thrillers such as from John Grisham in the past so was more than happy to give this one a go to have a break from the 'normal' diet of crime fiction.
What was most telling for me from this book was that by the half way point I just wanted it to conclude. The way it is styled is such that the mother - Martha - really doesn't know how she wants the trial of her sister - Becky - to turn out. Her sister is accused of smothering her child - Layla. Understandably the emotions of the family involved are all over the place and this comes across to the reader as you empathise with the situation of the different parties involved. But this turmoil ultimately means you don't know what you're wishing for as the outcome either and half-way through I realised I didn't really care, which for me was the telling point.
I did get through to the end and it's worth sticking with it but ultimately the plot was a little too simplistic for me, less action and more emotions/feelings, than my usual read and I lost most of my interest in it in what felt like a short story that was dragged out a bit to fill a novel.
It's my first Gillian McAllister book and I wouldn't rule out another (as she has had previous bestsellers) but this wasn't the one for me.
As ever though I'm grateful for the preview copy on NetGally. Thank you.

Wow, I loved this brilliant modern thriller. I couldn't put it to as it was compulsive reading. The story is about the inquest after a baby dies while in the care of her aunt.

Gillian McAllister is making a name for herself as a writer of sharp, intelligent crime dramas. This is the third of her books I’ve read and they just keep getting better.

This book focuses on Martha whose eight week old daughter Layla has tragically died. The person on trial for causing Layla’s death is Martha’s younger sister Becky, who had given up her interior design job to act as Layla’s nanny so that Martha could return to work for the charity she had recently set up to support refugee children. Layla was a difficult baby who cried a lot, but Becky denies deliberately causing her death and claims that the baby died in her sleep.

A lot of the book takes place in the courtroom with various witnesses being called to testify for and against Becky. There are also flashbacks to Martha and Becky’s lives shortly before and after Layla’s death. I was gripped by the twists and turns in the plotline and didn’t have a clue how it was going to end. However at the heart of the story is the death of the baby and some parts of the book, although very sensitively and compassionately written, were hard to read.

A word of warning, this book is about to be issued in the US under the title ‘The Good Sister’. If you’re a fan of Gillian McAllister, as I am, and want to consume everything she writes, don’t be fooled into buying it twice. I’ve downloaded The Evidence Against You instead.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I had read all of Gillian McAllister's work to date and was eager to get started on this book. The synopsis sounded intriguing. This turned out to be just as brilliant as her previous work. It was well written and captured my attention from the outset.

The story never became confusing and actually benefited from being told from different perspectives, as it allowed the reader to become more familiar with each individual than if the story was told from only one viewpoint.

I highly recommend this book, as well as anything else by the same author.

I'm a Gillian McAllister fan and find her writing style enjoyable. I don't feel this book was up to her usual high standards. The biggest issue for me was that none of the characters were particularly likeable and I didn't feel any connection with them. If you don't feel empathy for any of the characters, as a reader, it's difficult to remain invested in the outcome. For such a bleeding heart as Martha to leave her 8 week old baby seemed highly unlikely. Also, I've lived with one of those continually crying babies and you don't not do anything about it - those parents would have been taking Layla from doctor to doctor and not leaving her with a flighty sister. I had the twist figured out in advance, maybe those issues were laboured too heavily because I'd picked up on it before I knew what the main story line was, The book was very repetitive and didn't work for me on any level. Shame really, but definitely not for me.

When you need a nanny who else to ask than your sister. Nothing can go wrong right, she is flesh and blood. Martha and Scott are soon to regret their choice of Nanny when her baby is found dead. The story reads as it unfolds and is told in court which I quite liked. It is sad and disturbing at times which with any baby death you would expect. Is her sister innocent, is someone else at fault and she is covering it up. These are questions and answers that they both need to help them to accept what happened and move on with their life.
I did guess who had done it so it wasn't a complete shock but not quite the innocent ending that I thought..

amazing as ever and well worth spending the pennies on. I didn't and couldn't put this book down in the end. polished off in the space of 24 hours. having read some hers before this didn't let me down one little bit. massive fan and lucky enough to have been allowed to review this book.

Martha left her baby daughter with her sister, Becky, while she travelled for work. The baby died and Becky is accused of murder, although she denies it. Martha and Becky have always been close so it's hard for Martha to accept that her sister may be responsible for her daughter's death. She can't believe it but all of the evidence is pointing to Becky. The story is played out through Becky's trial. It's compassionate and raw and the level of detail gives away Gillian McAllister's background in law.

Really enjoyed this. Short snappy chapters, multiple narrators and believable characters made this gripping courtroom drama very difficult to put down.

The worst thing imaginable for many is the loss of a child but imagine not just that but been told it wasn't an accident or tragedy....that someone you trusted implicitly was responsible. Gillian McAllister takes this premise and puts it in the courtroom. Martha is the mother who has lost her daughter Layla, Becky her sister is accused of her murder. Witnesses and experts line up to condemn and defend but Martha struggles to believe Becky could do such a thing. But as the evidence stacks up she has to face the possibility she never really knew Becky at all.

Again Gillian McAllister has written a compelling tale, with believable and empathetic characters. It's gripping but a wee bit predictable. If I hadn't guessed what had happened very very early on it would have been five stars but I did which was a little frustrating. However I still enjoyed this a lot, it's another winner from this author.

No Further Questions is a compelling courtroom drama. Becky is on trial after her 8 week old niece is found smothered to death whilst in her care. Believable characters and a strong narrative made this an absorbing read.

This was a really impressive novel that kept drawing me in until there was a tipping point where I just could not put it down and had to find out the compelling conclusion. What I found most enjoyable was that everything these characters did was completely believable, especially the back and forth that Martha does about whether her sister, Becky, is actually guilty of killing Martha's eight week old daughter or whether it was a tragic cot death. I really liked the format as well, of hearing the unfolding of each witness' story as they take the stand, and McAllister did tremendously well bringing each of these snapshots of characters to life. They could have ended up being frustrating interludes in the main story, but instead each became a piece of flash fiction about the character on the stand. This gave the book real depth. Excellent novel and I shall definitely be seeking out more work by this author.

Becky is on trial for the murder of her sister, Martha's daughter. Martha does not know whether to believe Becky's declaration of innocence.

The book has short chapters, numerous witnesses as narrators and jumps between the past and the present, ensuring the pace is maintained, the reader is kept hooked and is also unsure of Becky's guilt.

This is the first Gillian McAllister book I have read but it will not be the last.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading other books by Gillian Mcallister I was excited for what was to come. This was thought provoking, gripping and tense due to the short chapters. I was constantly changing the innocent and guilty verdicts throughout, especially with the unexpected twists.

The synopsis for No Further Questions is perfect, it has the right amount of tension and intrigue to make me want to pick and read. In fact it did such a good job that not only did I originally request it via NetGalley, but I also bought the ebook from Amazon, then forgetting that I already had it, I also bought a paperback copy from the supermarket when I went shopping 🙂 I am gutted this has been on my TBR for this long as it is a cracking read.

It is a mix of courtroom drama and revisited memories that kept me eagerly turning the pages. To be honest, if work wasn’t essential I would have read this in one sitting.

So where to start? Okay, the sisters, Martha and Becky, both married, both have a child, and both sisters are very different from each other. One of the sisters needs help as she tries to run her business and look after her 8 week old, in steps the other sister and they work out a plan that in theory will fit them both. Being sisters this seems to be the ideal choice.

Now to the parents of the sisters, how the mind boggles with this aspect. Wanting to be supportive of both daughters and yet one is in the dock being accused of murdering the daughter of the other sister… Was the sister guilty, she professes her innocence, was it an accident or murder?

The story is told in thought-provoking daily chapters from the perspective of the sisters and some of the other characters. There are subchapters as well that give details from those involved each day, including those that have been called to give evidence.

It was so easy to get into this story and the further I read the more engrossed I got. I was never sure if the sister was guilty, part of me wanted her to be innocent, but there was also a seed of doubt that hovered in the background. Then further in I started to get this horrible nagging feeling, a “What if” moment. It was a feeling I hoped I was wrong about, but by the end of the story, I was right. Now this really didn’t matter, yes I worked it out, but it was all about the story getting me to that point. Even when the truth was revealed I was still shocked as I was so caught up with the story on such an emotional level, I really did not want to be right.

This is a wonderfully gripping story that explored many emotions and dilemmas for the main characters. A story of a family that are dealing with a tragic loss and could be potentially ripped even further apart. This is a tense, powerful, heartbreaking and thought-provoking read that I would definitely recommend.

The subject matter of this book is emotive but discussed compassionately and factually.
The death of Martha’s baby and the sister on trial is both shocking and intriguing.
The characters are strong and well written. Although this kept me wanting to know more at times I felt it slowed and was repetitive.
Unfortunately I guessed who was guilty so I felt slightly cheated.
Well written however. 3.5stars.

Gillian McAllister just gets better and better. The death of a baby results in a courtroom drama that leaves you unsure whose side you should be on. Was it an accident or something more malicious? The twist is, the opposing sides are sisters. Martha hired Becky to look after baby Layla, but tragedy struck when the baby was in Becky’s care. Martha really struggles to believe that her sister could hurt Layla, but the evidence is damning. This is a sensitive subject that’s handled really well. We get a narrative from both sisters but who do you trust? I was gripped from the first pages and thoroughly enjoyed the emotional roller-coaster the book sent me on. I did guess the twist in the end but that didn’t matter. I loved it.

I was totally and utterly gripped....loved the characters and the storyline was just so compelling and gripping.....finished within 24 hours !!!! Excellent and highly recommend!

This book is very different to any I’ve read before. Martha and Becky are close sisters but then something terrible happens.
Multiple witnesses
A terrible family tragedy
Court room tension
Meticulous detail
Brilliant!