I can not get into this book , the woman's voice in my head is really bothering me and I am finding it very confusing and having a hard time getting into this . Just seems off and not a book for me , I am so sorry that I could not get into this, I don't DNF books very often like maybe 3 to 5 times a year and I read alot of books .

I am sorry, but thank you so much for gifting me this ARC, I wish it tons of success .

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of The Trials of Lila Dalton by L.J. Shepherd. After I finished this book I wished I had loved it more. It all came together, but it was a tough road to get there. The writing was confusing and I wish there had been hints about what was happening earlier so I didn’t feel so lost as I was reading. While I loved the premise of this book, it just wasn’t for me.

The Trials of Lila Dalton – L.J Shepherd
All of a sudden, Lila is standing in a court room, with no idea how she got to be there. She has no memory of who she is, why she is there, and what’s going on. As she looks around her, she puts together that the man on trial has been accused of a mass murder, and she is in fact his lawyer.
As Lila continues to carry on with no memory, she discovers she has a daughter, and she is possibly being held hostage until Lila gets the mass murderer acquitted. She receives notes and phone calls, all leaving her on edge.
As well as having no memory, trying to get a murderer acquitted, find her daughter she can’t remember, she also deals with the issue of being trapped on a small British island with no way to access the world outside this island to find answers.
Can Lila pull this off and get her memory and her life back?
The premise of this book had me excited and I couldn’t wait to dive right in. Unfortunately, for me it fell flat. I found the book to be slow and lacking action. Mostly likely intended to be a slow burn, but it fell so flat for me, that I honestly can’t remember how the ending played out. However, some credit is due because this book really did have potential, and hopefully any books that come in the future will have just a bit more umph! Everyone has to start somewhere! In the end, sadly I opted for 2 stars. I just needed something more.

This book was pretty good, it sucked me in right away and I could wait to get to the end to figure it out. It was well written, but slightly confusing especially at the end. The ending was definitely not where I thought this was going, but still very good!!

A brilliant story for fans of compicat3d, suspenseful legal thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend xx

Thrilling and addictive. I devoured this book and highly recommend it to my fellow book worms. This is a entertaining and well written book that will stay with the reader for a long time.

This books starts off very intriguing! I was hooked for sure! It has a nice pace. There is a lot of legal jargon that I wish there was a glossary for, but besides that I really enjoyed this book. it took an unexpected term which I quite enjoyed, but I can see where others may not. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC

This book had so much potential but ended up being very confusing, Excellent premise but the story behind it was very confusing to say the least.

L.J. Shepherd's debut novel, "The Trials of Lila Dalton," is a unique legal thriller with a twist. The story opens with Lila Dalton awakening in a courtroom with no memory of how she got there or why she's defending a man accused of mass murder. Set on an isolated island where the most serious crimes are tried, Lila must navigate this high-stakes case while grappling with her fragmented memory.

The premise is quite compelling, and Shepherd brings authenticity to the courtroom scenes, language/jargon, and legal nuances. The world-building of Assumption Island adds a unique dimension to the story, almost making the island a character in its own right.

However, I found the book is not without its flaws. While the legal details are immersive, they can occasionally become overwhelming, especially for readers unfamiliar with the jargon. Character development feels somewhat slight, with secondary characters coming across as stereotypical. The plot, initially tight and suspenseful, beginan to feel overly complex as new twists were introduced, leaving some threads unresolved by the end.

Nevertheless, "The Trials of Lila Dalton" was an engaging read. Its blend of legal drama and psychological thriller, combined with a unique setting and a high-stakes plot, makes it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre and legal aspects. Overall, I'd rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Im still confused as to what I read. It was both confusing and entertaining at the same time. But definitely not for everyone.

I really couldn’t even tell you what I just read but it was entertaining enough that I had to see it through the end. This book won’t be for everyone but if you do decide to read it , enjoy the ride

There were too many things happening in this story for me to keep up. I was confused from the beginning until the end and not in a "whodunnit" sort of way. The main character was confusing, her confidents were confusing, her foes were confusing. I still am not really sure what I just read.

I'm on the fence with this one. I think the book had legs, but for me it wasn't what I was hoping for. I like thriller/mysteries but I'm not sure this one was my cup of tea. I thank netgalley for giving me the arc for my review. And I look forward to trying other L.J Shepherd books.

What I Didn’t Like:
-This book touts itself as a locked room mystery. The fun of those is always in the idea that you have a small contained group of suspects. In this case you have an entire island, most of whom you aren’t familiar with through the story. That gives it an odd vibe.
-There’s a lot going on in this one that just defies logic and confuses the reader. I’m not sure I’m satisfied with the explanations either.
-The big reveal was clunky and awkward.

What I Did Like:
+Compelling opening chapters. This is one of those books that captures your curiosity quickly. Just the opening chapter was enough to get me hooked.
+There are a LOT of complicated layers to this story but it’s somehow not overwhelming. You peel back those layers slowly and get completely buried in the story.
+The ending has the capability to shock even seasoned readers.

Who Should Read This One:
-This is designed for readers who like puzzles that are more than they appear, are deep thinkers, and like an interesting ending.

My Rating: 3 Stars
Well done but definitely niche. If you’re not a deep puzzle fan, you may not love this one.

👊🏼👊🏼.5/5 Thank you to @netgalley for our digital ARC of “The Trials of Lila Dalton.” Release date; August 27, 2024.

This novel finds Lila, erased of her memory standing in front of a court room as a defense attorney. Her job is to defend a man accused of perpetrating a mass bombing as part a Neo Nazi group. The court resides on an island, used for the persecution of people charged as terrorists or with treason.

This story was complicated, so much happening that I honestly couldn’t keep track of what was going on most of the time. There was just too much. Too many threads to follow and I wasn’t invested in the characters enough to pay attention. I ended up skimming at the end just o get through it.

I did appreciate the knowledge of legal proceedings and the conspiracy angles, but it just didn’t bring me in enough.

I would like to thank Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read the ARC of this title.

The intrigue of this story line is what saved this story and what continued to draw me to pick it up. Coming to with no memory while being in a court room and realizing you are the defense attorney is fascinating. How did Lila get there? Why does she recall law process? What is real and what is conspiracy theory? The idea of this story is why I continued to read-

However, I think this story was a little too much of everything + the kitchen sink- it had too much and I had a hard time keeping the story straight despite not having very many characters and only one main setting. It also made everything feel VERY far fetched. Additionally, I did not feel personally invested in any of the main characters stories, I just kept reading to see what happened and how Lila lost her memory more than me wanting to make sure Lila was going to end up triumphant in the end.

Full transparency, which could have played a role in my confusion, is I am from the US and do not understand much about the legal system abroad. The terms, wardrobe, roles etc were all new to me while reading the book. If someone asked me if they should read this book I would tell them to 'read at their own risk'.

I'm sorry, I really tried reading this book but I just can't get into it. I'm really sorry. Its just not for me.

A very speculative fiction about Lila who finds herself in a courtroom and she has no idea how she got there. She is defending a mass murdered but has no recollection of the case. There are also threats and conspiracies abound.

The plot here was intriguing enough but the writing was just hard. Especially the first chapter I was so confused about what was going on.

I thought this was a really good story, written really well but i was sadly disappointed by the ending.. i mean what was all that about?!?!weird!

Thank you net galley and poison press for the free digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
*disclaimer* I am not a big thriller/mystery reader, but I do read them on occasion.

I found The Trials of Lila Dalton to be an interesting premise and was intrigued when I first started reading… however, I found that the book did not pick up pace as it went on, which is a huge part of why I read thrillers. Also I thought that there was simply too much going on with the plot and I found it was hard to really understand the characters and make assumptions about them (another huge part of thriller reading).

Personally this book was not for me, but I’m sure it’s for someone.