The Trials of Lila Dalton is a mystery that turns your brain inside out in all the best ways.

This has such an ingenious concept at its heart. That amnesia trope is played with in a really exciting and intriguing way that builds suspense and has a well-earned payoff. I’m trying to be vague because this is a book you should go into knowing as little as possible. It honestly gives you the best reading experience to be as startled and bemused as Lila herself. She is a complex and often unreliable character, made even more so to be as naive and confused as the reader may be to start with. Her determination and intellect comes across in these brilliant flashes, as well as through her indomitable mindset. Yet she is also deeply human and three-dimensional. The circumstances within which she is placed are beyond extraordinary, but they serve to highlight both her best and worst possible aspects.

For me, the final third of the novel sizzled with so much suspense and spilled its nefarious secrets. One trial contains much more than initially meets the eye. The way the throughline gradually builds into the dominating force of the narrative is executed beautifully too. That closing chapter solidified this as an excellent read for me. The way certain things paid off was wonderful. It was truly a cinematic read for me, even reminding me of some of my favourite films (aspects of Total Recall and Memento definitely came to mind at times). Shepherd’s writing is so all-consuming and engaging that it was difficult to break away. It was compulsive reading through and through.

The Trials of Lila Dalton utilises its fascinating concept in such brilliant ways - it consumed my reading day and my every waking thought until I had turned that final page.

The Trials of Lila Dalton starts with Lila waking up in a court room and finding she's the defence barrister in a mass murder trial. She has no memories of who she is or of anything in her life up to this point.

As she starts to piece things together she discovers she is on an island reserved for trials of the worst crimes, there's a weird cult-like organisation and someone is threatening her.

I loved the mystery and Lila trying to piece together her life as the trial progressed, trying to work out who to trust and what to do next. Parts of the reveal were a bit much for me personally but I would definitely recommend this to people who like a good mystery.

I was so intrigued by the blurb of The Trials of Lila Dutton. Imagine coming to in a court room with no idea who you are and how you got there and worse still, you’re supposed to be defending a mass murderer.

I really enjoyed the first 60% of this book. I was so intrigued by the situation Lila found herself in and the anonymous threats she received. I loved the parts in the courtroom, in a seemingly impossible defence.

I didn’t enjoy the last part of the book as much. For one, there was less time in the courtroom and the plot got stranger and stranger. It felt like there so much going on and it was confusing and slightly disengaging. Though I was invested enough to keep reading until I found out what was going on. The ending and grand reveal felt a little rushed to me. Mentioning Shutter Island and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a bit of a spoiler I think. It meant I was constantly trying to guess what was really going on. I didn’t guess right at all but I also felt like the explanation given was a bit too vague and I was left with so much unanswered questions.

I did really enjoy the author’s writing style and I thought it was a really original idea for a book, so I would probably read the next book from this author. Would I recommend this book? The jury is out.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Pure psychological weirdness with a lady lawyer waking up on the dark side of the mirror in the middle of a courtroom session. One of the more unusual thrillers, I’ve read lately, and I do like some pretty weird stuff -absolutely give this one a chance!

Lila Dalton has no memories from before the moment that she finds herself in a courtroom, expected to defend a man accused of killing twenty seven people with a bomb. And things just deteriorate from there...

This is a gripping psychological thriller with an intriguing plot. I enjoyed the bulk of the book, despite the fact that it gets a bit odd in places. Fantastically written though! The ending was a bit of a let down (unless I missed something? Which feels entirely possible) but up until that point it was a very good read.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

An intriguing courtroom mystery! I picked this one up because of the interesting plot premise of a lawyer with amnesia and was eager to learn more. While a well worn trope, I just love books about characters with amnesia and feeling like you are learning alongside the main character and never know whether you can trust their recollections. This one was fun to read and offered up something a bit different. If you enjoy court room thrillers you will no doubt enjoy this one. There were some fun elements and reveals that I'd guessed early on but this didn't make it any less enjoyable. I found the writers style to be easy to read and fast-paced. I'll certainly be looking out for more by this author in the future.

An atmospheric and brooding dystopian thriller set in a courtroom on an island outside of Britain.
Lila Dalton is our female protagonist- she has amnesia and wakes to find herself in a courtroom where she is the barrister. She remembers nothing about the case and we the reader alongside her discover the story behind the horrific crime being trialed. The case involves a bombing of an office by a young man with extreme right wing views that border on Nazism. He is anti-immigrant. Lila must fight to ensure her client gets off because she discovers she has a daughter held hostage, but by who? And who is that woman in the purple coat, leaving her clues?
This is a gripping novel - a smart dystopian thriller with twists at the end that you won’t see coming. I was completely caught off guard. It’s so clever but without sacrificing the entertaining, thriller element. So pacy! I did find however that I had questions at the end and wished there was more closure regarding the trial and if the client was truly guilty or not. But there is so much happening in this book. It really packs a punch and unravels such complex and nuanced themes.

A brilliant debut novel where Black Mirror meets Shutter Island, part courtroom psychological suspense thriller and part dystopian drama, I was completely immersed and engaged with this thought provoking and entertaining story.
The story starts with a woman opening her eyes and finding herself in a courtroom. She can’t remember a thing. Slowly, slowly she starts to piece together the fact that she is a barrister defending a young man - with right wing views - accused of bombing the Home Office and her name is Lila Dalton. She realises she is on an island where crimes committed by foreigners and terrorists are trialed. Lila finds herself stalked and threatened to get the accused or else her daughter will die…
There is so much to unpack here. I found Lila’s character to be believable. She’s vulnerable and frightened but tries to do her best to save her child. I felt like her actions were relatable in the circumstances and she was acted the way most normal people would. She’s not muscular or extraordinarily smart, but just a woman. I loved the setting of the story - the creepy, isolated island, and the conspiracy element of it was so unsettling and the way Nazism is merged with Occultism. I wish those elements were explored more and their answers to the Occult aspect of the story. Regardless I found this is a compelling read and was curious to how the story would tie up. There is a nice twist there and I liked the points and themes the author was trying to make. Shepherd does a brilliant job of merging a character-driven and thought provoking themes with a well-structured plot. It’s so pacy, such a pageturner. I loved this one.
Five stars from me!

This is a difficult one to review. The book started off so well but I just felt there was eventually too much going on.

The ending was interesting and did pull it together so all in all it was enjoyable if a little overdone.

This book definitely gripped me right away and I felt immersed in the book. I was supposed by hoe much it kept my attention throughout.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
It’s quite unusual to read a truly original story, but that’s what The Trials of Lila Dalton feels like. It’s got an opening that really grabs the reader and pulls them in, then the mystery and on-going thriller builds until the final reveal. I really enjoyed reading this, and highly recommend it to others.

It was an extremely weird novel, and not necessarily in a bad way. The plot is quite interesting, though quite political and I was not expecting that. It tackles some topics that I think can be rather triggering to a certain audience. It didn’t trigger me, but it was definitely an unique trajectory for a story. The main character is confusing (and confused) from the beginning, and it doesn’t really change throughout the story. The similarities with Shutter Island are for sure present; the ending especially reminded me of the movie. Reality and dreams are blurrier than ever in this novel. And, as a reader, you float in this alternative reality, this dreamlike substantiality. It may not be for everyone, but I would still recommend this novel to those who are not afraid to lose their grip on reality for a little while.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.