This is a legal based thriller. It has plenty of twists. The characters are well developed. The plot line is compelling. The suspense builds with every page. The story is told through dual timelines. The pacing is good. It’s told from multiple POVs.

This book seemed to be following the usual formula for a court thriller then the twists started coming. I found the first half of this book to be quite slow paced as everything was set up but once I hit the half way point I couldn't put it down.

The twists kept hitting right the way through to the epilogue and I didn't see some of them coming. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes courtroom thrillers but there are a lot of triggers so look up trigger warnings.

This is my first book by Lia Middleton, and I’ve now downloaded her other books.

Your Word or Mine is a standalone psychological crime thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Ava Knight is a Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service and has worked tirelessly for the past 10 years to get where she is today.

She lives with her fiance, Will who she has been with for years.

18 years ago, when she was 14, she was raped by a stranger. Michael Osborne, a photographer, was charged but due to insufficient evidence, he was acquitted leaving Ava and her family destroyed and devastated.

When Ava is asked to cover a court case at the last minute for a young 15 year old year girl accused of ABH, she is horrified to see the “victim” is Michael Osborne.

What follows is a very dangerous game of cat and mouse as Ava is determined to prove he is the sadistic sexual predator she knows he is.

Absolutely addictive. Heart pounding and chilling.

A compelling psychological thriller that expertly builds the tension and keeps us on the edge of our seat. I could not stop reading!

I love a legal thriller and this more than delivered as we explore power dynamics, festering secrets and lies spinning out of control. How far would you go to do the right thing?

Middleton provides a fascinating look at the legal system and the meaning of justice in this gripping search for the truth. I was completely invested in Ava and Lily’s stories, they are such strong characters and have both endured so much.

Ava realises she has a personal interest in a case she is prosecuting, is this clouding her judgement? It’s a read filled with suspense and intrigue as we see her past trauma unravelling the present. The flashback chapters added great insight as the reader tries to piece it all together - it has us questioning everything!

Your Word or Mine is a terrific read from beginning to end, it completely captured me in its twisty clutches! It’s propulsive, cleverly spun, highly entertaining, and the shocking twists were brilliant!

An immersive tale of intrigue and suspense, this thriller demands your attention from the start and never loosens its grip.

A really enjoyable read ! It had me gripped from the first page until the last. Lots of twists and turns along the way !

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. A great legal style thriller, my first by this author. I really enjoyed it with plenty of suspense and twists.

This is a great legal thriller peppered with tense moments. Ava, raped in her teens but with her accuser not convicted due to mishandling of evidence, unexpectedly encounters him in a court case involving another young girl. The ensuing storyline is tense and twisty. Is Michael really guilty or is Ava not all she seems? The experiences of sexual assault, and the challenges for lily growing up in Care are played out in the ensuing actions and the legal system. A good read Four stars

Absolutely loved this book. You know its a good book when you can't stop thinking about it and you're excited to read more! Loved the characters, storyline and twists! Did not expect the ending! Highly recommend!

When she was 15, Annabelle King was sexually assaulted. Although she reported the crime, her attacker wasn't convicted, and Annabelle's life was left in tatters.

Fast forward 18 years, and Annabelle is now a successful lawyer known as Ava Knight. Asked to pick up a last minute case where a young girl has been accused of stabbing a successful local businessman, Ava is blindsided when she realises that the man is her assailant: Michael Osborne....

What follows is a cat and mouse game pitched against a legal backdrop. The author does a wonderful job of pacing the plot, so that the twists are deft, and the story turns more than once.

This is the first book I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last.

Thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to @ @netgalley and @michaeljbooks for a #gifted digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

If you have read any of my reviews, you will all know I love a good legal thriller, and this book hit just the spot.

Your Word or Mine tells the story of Ava Knight, a successful prosecutor who was sexually assaulted when she was young teenager. However, Michael Osborne was found not guilty due to a critical error involving DNA evidence. The verdict massively affects Ava through her life, who now in thirties is set on getting justice. Michael comes in to Ava's life once more, through an odd twist of fate. And this time, he won't get away with it!

Determined to infiltrate Michael's life, Ava goes out of her way to seek evidence to achieve her goal. I was so proud of Ava for not letting this new turn in her life affect her, but I also wanted to shake her knowing that trouble would inevitably be caused.

There were so many twists and turns within the book, that my mind was all over the place as to whether Ava was doing right. She was a flawed character but also real. Determined to make her point whatever the consequences.

The characters were well formed; flawed, manipulative, calculating. The background that linked them all was creatively written. The pace just perfect.

It reminded me of Anatomy of a Scandal in some ways, another book I loved. But it is also so different! A thriller that packed a punch from the first page to the last.

I enjoyed this one a little out of my comfort zone but I still enjoyed it. Loved the writing style and will be recommend this one.

quite enjoyed this and will certainly look out for her other books. the characters were a little naive but it all meant the plot came together so it was readable. good story, well written

Your Word or Mine is a fast-paced, gripping legal thriller that moves between characters and timelines to show what happened between a teenager and her friend's father, and how this brings back awful memories for the barrister brought in to defend the girl. I found this novel so hard to put down, I was fully invested in finding out what the truth was and whether there was justice to be had. I absolutely recommend this one!

Lia Middleton is completely phenomenal! I may ramble a little with this review, I’m unsure any words can do this masterpiece any justice.

I have to say I LOVED Middleton’s debut. It’s a book that was on my top books of last year and a very promising debut from an author, I instantly became a fan of. This is a book which is EVEN BETTER!!! I am literally in awe of how fantastic this book is. I knew I was going to love this one, I completely underestimated how much I was going to love it.

You know you found a fantastic book, when you can’t stop thinking about it. Middleton captured me and held me hostage from the very first page. I couldn’t stop thinking about this one whilst doing the most mundane jobs. I’ve desperately needed to delve back in, craving the next events.

This is a well written and perfectly paced novel, filled with a mixture of characters. The plot is entirely believable and thought provoking. Is it always right to speak up? Ava spoke up and that’s what started the chain of events we uncover in the pages of this one.

I have loved Ava from early on. Feisty, career driven and a woman who on the surface definitely has all her s**t together. However, the sight of one name from her past, unfolds event after event. I have found myself shaking my head, wanting to shout at Ava- but throughout it all, I’ve been fully invested in this one.

There is so much to unravel in this book, so many secrets, lies and twisted truths to uncover. Characters who you think you trust can leave you speechless. This book has been completely unpredictable, but I’ve been down for EVERY twist, bump and rocky path this has taken me down.

Lily is a character I’ve really felt for, misunderstood, in care, timid bit most importantly scared and confused. I definitely feel like some readers will be frustrated by her, but she has been one that I have found myself thinking about.

I could easily imagine watching this one on screen. I would be there time and time again with this one on repeat. I have literally been transported by Middleton’s words on the pages of this one. I feel as though I have known the characters, the settings and the events taking place.

This is just a spectacular masterpiece. I have no doubt readers will want more following this. Middleton gets better and better with every book. I am already eagerly anticipating what might be coming next.

This is a definite must for the TBR.

When Ava comes into contact with the man who raped her as a child whilst working, she feels compelled to intervene and ensure he pays for what he did. Gripping read

This is a legal-psychological thriller, that packs a punch!

Ava Knight is representing the victim of a stabbing, Michael Osborne.....whose name she recognizes, because Michael Osborne is also the man who was acquitted of her rape 18yrs ago. Ava wants to help the girl who was accused of stabbing him, because she feels there's more to this story...

This story is told in the present and also in the past, as well as from multiple POV's. I loved the short chapters that made me just go....one more, just one more, and before I knew it, Id finished the book in less than a day. This had a real cat and mouse feel about it which caused a lot of tension while reading. There were scenes that had me holding my breath, scenes that had me going....oh sh!t.... scenes that really broke my heart....and scenes that had me going: SAY WHAT???

This is a great read for any thriller lover! Perhaps more drama-thriller, but definitely had a lot of psychological thriller elements to...a good blend of the 2.

Quite a few trigger warnings....that have to do with sexual assault and underage children. I don't want to be more specific, because I also don't want to give too much of the book away.

I really enjoyed the author's previous novel and so was looking forward to reading Your Word or Mine. I love a courtroom drama, and this is a perfect combination of courtroom and psychological thriller. Prosecutor Ava was raped at the age of 14 by Michael Osborne, a rich and powerful man who was acquitted of the crime. Many years later Ava comes face to face with him in court when she is the prosecutor on a case involving 15 year old Lily who is accused of stabbing Osborne.
The author has written a gripping and twisty thriller that I loved and became completely immersed in. Ava is a likeable character who I could empathise with, even if I didn't always agree with her decisions. The novel powerfully explores how perpetuators of rape and sexual assault are believed, especially when those men are rich and entitled.
A recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This book is phenomenal!
I picked this up today and have not stopped reading until the end.
The twists and turns kept me guessing when I thought I had all the answers. I absolutely loved it and will be shouting about this very loudly.
Thank you for this copy to read and review.

What a thrilling court room drama this was!

Eighteen years ago, Michael Osborne was acquitted of raping a fourteen-year-old girl. Now he's the victim of a crime himself but prosecution lawyer Ava Knight doesn't believe the story she's to present to the court. She meets the supposed perpetrator and breaks all the rules she has lived by. She knows Michael Osborne is a dangerous man, because she was his victim all those years before.

This was a skilfully plotted story, full of action with believable characters throughout.

I will definitely be seeking out Lia Middleton's previous book!