Excellent story. Wonderful characters and plot line. I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book.

This book made me cry. Full on tears rolling down my face and falling on my kindle crying.
The subject of the book is tough, but Gillian McAllister writes with poise and sensitivity the whole way through.
This is a book I will remember, for a long time.

McAllister likes to present her readers with moral conundrums. Sometimes it isn’t black or white, and the grey areas can be difficult to navigate.

This time she presents her readers with the worst nightmare for any parent or caregiver, the death of a child. In this case the death of a very young baby at the hands of the mothers sister.

The author doesn’t imply that Martha carries any guilt because she is a working woman and wasn’t looking after Layla herself, but rather because her choice of nanny was perhaps a little laissez faire. I am glad that distinction was made. Working mothers and stay-at-home mothers give themselves and each other enough grief about that, despite the fact they should all be united and stand together as one group.

Martha does feel guilty and inadequate for wanting to spend time away from the stress of a screaming baby, and for needing a moment to herself. Handing off the burden to someone else makes her equally guilty in her own mind.

I figured out the truth fairly early into the read. Although the story is driven towards that moment I actually think the scrutiny paid to both sisters, and their relationship both before and after, is what makes this read so compelling.

Think about it. It’s one thing when a stranger hurts or neglects your child, it’s a whole other ballgame when someone you love and care for causes your child harm. Your sister, your blood. How could she take your child from you? Is there any punishment that can give you any peace or satisfaction as a mother?

I really enjoy the moral dilemmas McAllister comes up with. It makes for a fascinating read, as do her other books. If you haven’t read any of her previous books yet, then I highly recommend you do. Her plots always make for great discussions and moral debates, and this book is no exception.

Another fabulous book by Gillian.
Could Becky really have killed her niece, a baby who is merely eight weeks old? Martha wants to believe Becky is telling the truth, but when the evidence appears to stack up against her, she does not know what to believe.
The book unfolds brilliantly, back and forth in time from the night in question to the trial. I was captivated, my feelings mirrored Martha’s, finding it hard to believe an aunt wound kill her niece, and desperate to read to the end of the book to discover how the story would conclude.
Before I read this book, I had presumed that Gillian was an older lawyer who had taken up writing as a second career; I was amazed to discover that she still works as a solicitor, having published three bestselling novels (with a fourth well underway) and is still only 33 years old! Further, she wrote an unpublished book during two years when she was unwell with glandular fever, having suffered this myself whilst at university I know this is no mean feat! It is Gillian’s style of writing which conveys experience in life and working in law.
I cannot wait for book number four!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this one down! I was undecided throughout as to what happened that awful night, I went through so many scenarios and still didn't guess the answer.
Great 5* book, highly recommend.

Loved each of Gillian McAllisters books so far and she’s produced another great read here. I did manage to suss the ending around two thirds of the way in but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment.

Not an easy read, but fantastically written and structured. It grabbed me from page one and didn't let go until the end. Incredible achievement.

I really enjoyed this book, despite the harrowing story line. I had much more sympathy for the character of Becky than Martha and was actually very sad by the ending. It was very readable and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be looking out for more titles by this author. Highly recommended.

Many others have described the plot of this book so I won't repeat or give away any spoilers. At times I felt like I was reading a documentary although it certainly deals with the changing and complex relationships arising around the tragedy and subsequent trial. I found the writing somewhat long winded and repetitive to be classed as an enjoyable read. Cut it by 25% and the book would have a higher rating from me.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. No Further Questions was a novel that was different to many others that I read. Not because of its subject matter or type of crime fiction but because I was convinced I knew who was responsible for Layla’s death. The problem was that this character, alongside many others had a perfect alibi. I won’t say who I thought it was, or if I was correct but I would love to know what other readers thought.
It is told by various points of view as you go through the court case. Many of the witnesses have their own voice, they are not just standing in the dock answering questions. You see their inner thoughts and their turmoil at not doing more on the night of Layla’s death and in the events that led to it. You also get to see what the judge was thinking. I liked this a lot, I’ve only ever read about a judge’s thought in lighter novels and I found it fascinating.
Obviously the death of a baby is traumatic and the court case caused more upset. Martha and Scott had differing opinions about whether Becky is responsible but still managed to be supportive to each other. I could see their attempts to rebuild their lives, each blaming themselves and I was willing them on to be successful.
The court case didn’t overpower the storyline, there was plenty of room for the personal storylines too. There was also not too much medical detail, I have found in the past that it can be confusing if you are not familiar with the terminology.
A brilliant novel that many will enjoy.

This was quite a harrowing read...new mum, Martha needs to go away on urgent business, her husband is also away with work so the natural solution for her childcare issue is for her sister, Becky to step in and mind 8 week old Layla. If you can't trust your sister with the most precious person in your life who can you trust?

Tragedy strikes and whilst Martha is away, Layla passes away from a suspected cot death, then the autopsy is performed and Becky is arrested on a murder charge.

The narrative is told from the point of view of the two sisters, the people giving evidence at the trial and the judge.Martha is praying for a not guilty verdict, she will have to deal with the grief of the loss of her baby, but if it was natural causes it would be somehow easier to deal with. However, the evidence is stacking up against Becky, neighbours who heard Becky shouting aggressively at the baby to stop her persistent crying, Becky being late to pick up her own child from school, Becky drinking too much wine, Becky leaving the baby home alone, crying, whilst she went to the shop, Becky googling 'calpol + overdose'. All this is put forward by the prosecution as evidence of her neglect and driving her to smoother the tiny baby as the post-mortem results showed. Becky doesn't seem to have any defence, she was too drunk to recall what actually happened.

I had guessed the outcome of the trial about half way through the book, it was the only explanation for Becky's behaviour during the trial.

This story not only centred around the sadness of baby Layla's death but the impact it had on Martha and Becky's relationship as sisters, sister who used to whatsapp each other every morning and the wider effect it had on their family. A difficult suspect handled sensitively.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

“What if the worst moments in my life were paraded in a court-room? … Anybody could be made to look guilty.”
Vividly told in courtroom scenes and witness testimony (sometimes frustrating, sometimes incredibly moving), this is the gripping story of the death of a baby and the trial of her aunt.
McAllister makes some interesting points about relationships, ordinary lives seen under a microscope and the role of fathers. “They are not expected to look after their children, and they are not blamed when they don’t.”
Of course, I do have criticisms!
Firstly, the two sisters’ jobs were a bit fanciful. Becky seemed uniquely unsuited to her ‘set-dressing’ role, virtually breaking down over having to find a dalmation print chair. As for Martha: “There were hundreds of refugees who were relying on me.”
The story was quite slow at times with the sheer tedium of a crying baby and the humdrumness of long-term relationships.
And finally, for a story that seemed meticulously researched, I found the denouement overly-simple. Wouldn’t there have already been an inquest? Could all those experts, who seemed so certain, have missed this possibility?
And yet, as I went about my normal day, I kept thinking about the story, kept looking forward to getting back to it. Will I remember it in a few months’ time? I think I will. And that’s why I’m giving it five stars.

As if I don't get excited enough about books, it's a whole new level of excitement when a new Gillian McAllister book comes out. Gillian McAllister is so super-talented that she has the amazing ability to write books that are brilliantly unique and pretty darn unputdownable.

No Further Questions is an outstanding courtroom drama with a thrilling twist and many thought-provoking moments, as I asked myself who I believed and what I would have done in the same situation. It's Martha's worst nightmare when she receives a call that no mother should ever have to take: her 8 week old daughter, Layla, has died whilst in the care of her sister, Becky. What at first appears to be a cot death turns into something more sinister when a post mortem is carried out and the results show that Layla has been smothered. At the time of Layla's death, only Becky was in the house but Becky continues to profess her innocence. Did she do it?

What an outstanding piece of fiction; I absolutely loved the courtroom setting and the flashbacks to the night Layla died. I was like a bloodhound hunting for clues and sniffing through the evidence laid out before me, but I have to admit that I was a little too good at spotting the clues so I did work out some of the story way before the end. It didn't spoil the story at all for me though, as I enjoyed it from start to finish, and rather enjoyed my little Hercule Poirot 'Aha!' moment at the end.

I love the relationship that Martha and Becky have and Martha's conflicting emotions; she so wants to believe that Becky is innocent but all the evidence points to her being guilty. As we step back into the past though, we realise that there is a little too much 'take' and not enough 'give' in the sisters' relationship.

The storyline of a baby's death is quite upsetting but I felt that Gillian McAllister wrote with a perfect mix of respect for the life lost and unequivocal clinical detail, which is precisely how it would take place in a real courtroom. Not that I've ever been in court but I do love what you think are cold hard facts being proven to mean different things, depending on an expert's interpretation.

A gripping, compulsive and totally addictive page-turner, I guarantee that you will be riveted by No Further Questions. It's one of those 'hooked from the start' books that you simply can't put down and Gillian McAllister continues to amaze with the depth of her talent. Superb!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A different kind of who did or didn't do it threatening to tear a family apart. a story that's compels you to read on.

Well written and thought out suspense novel. Your baby dies when your own sister is looking after her. Murder or accident? Real understanding of relationship difficulties which, in my opinion propel the story further than the actual who dunnit element.

I was sent an uncorrected advance proof of No further Questions by Gillian McAllister to read and review by NetGalley.
This is a novel constructed through a courtroom trial and memories of the main protagonists. Due to the nature of the trial, whether Martha’s 8 week old baby Layla had been smothered by her sister Becky or had died as a result of an unexplained cot death, I had expected the story to be a lot more harrowing and emotional in it’s telling. The book, however, turned out to be a rather romantic view of the relationships between the sisters and between the sisters and their husbands. I’m afraid I caught on to what the ending was likely to be fairly early on so perhaps I became more detached because of this. I also got rather irritated with the pattern of Martha’s memories. The novel wasn’t all bad, I finished it after all, but I didn’t really feel that it was that good either. Not enough tension, definitely, and rather too much repetition for my liking too. Unfortunately not quite, for me at any rate, the page turning thriller that it was purported to be.

I really expected and wanted to love this book as I'm a big fan of the author. The writing shows exceptional knowledge about the justice system and the depth of emotion evoked through the characters is remarkable. For about half the book I was moved and intrigued by the events and wanted to read on to find out what happened next. But it started to get a bit repetitive and many of the witness accounts added little to the plot. The character of Scott, Layla's father, was never really brought to the fore either. The ending was, to me, evident about two thirds of the way through but perhaps I've read too many of this genre. The last chapter tied up the loose ends without really examining the mixed emotions that the outcome would have caused.

I couldn't put this book down. I've enjoyed Gillian McAllister's previous novels but I really feel like she's upped her game even more with this one (if that's possible).

When Martha leaves her 8 week old baby in sole care of her sister Becky, things go terribly wrong and Becky ends up on trial for murder. But what really happened. Showing us perspectives from every witness, the story builds to a powerful and surprising ending.

I was gripped by this novel, dealing with an unimagineable tragedy in a sensitive and humane way - the death of a newborn baby. It touches on many elements of motherhood - working mum guilt, stereotypes, divorce, parenting - and having your life and parenting skills laid bare in a courtroom. Although I did correctly guess the ending fairly early on, this in no way detracted from McAllister's lyrical and enthralling prose.

I'm not a fan of courtroom dramas normally but I loved how, instead of just having page after page of cross-examination, you as the reader see events unfold on that terrible night - or previous occassions - from the point of view of each witness as they relive it in their memory. When there is cross-examination, it's sharp and pointed - and keeps the reader guessing!

There were plenty of emotional - and heartrending moments too. Poignant moments of early motherhood brought to light but also hearing the 999 call play out, seeing things from the paediatric consultant's point of view. The way the death of a very young child is handled in a hospital. I had to keep putting the book down and looking at my sleeping 2yo to check he was okay.

I can't rave about this book enough, a very very good read and definitely on my best of 2018 list.

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin for this advance e-ARC

A really gripping courtroom drama that explores the tragic death of Layla an eight week old baby. Two sisters face each other across the court; Layla's mother Martha and Becky who is accused of killing Layla.

The narrative is shared between Becky, Martha, the judge and those called to give evidence. Martha does not want to believe that Becky is guilty but what other explanation can there be? She lurches from innocent to guilty and back again and as the reader you follow her.

It is a compelling read about an emotional subject. I found it very hard to put down. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

This book had me gripped right from the beginning, I am a fan of Jodi Picoult and there were similarities which ran through this book too, the courtroom drama , the family saga and the detective work and the twist at the end.

I really enjoyed the way the author spun this story and how it was always told through the first person even when different people were called to the witness stand, there were numerous characters in this story but it all worked so well, once I started this I couldn't put it down and just wanted to know who did it!

I don't want to give anything away in regards to this story but I highly recommend it and I will be on the lookout for more Gillian McAllister books.