When criminal defence lawyer Jack accidentally hits a child while rushing his pregnant wife to hospital, he panics and drives away. But when his friend, DCI Clara Higgins, reveals another suspect has been arrested, Jack sees an opportunity to protect his family by defending the innocent man and infiltrating the investigation.

WOW! Truth Will Out was sensational.

You don’t get a chance to catch your breath. You’re thrown straight into the action and the pace rarely lets up. Shocking, addictive and packed with high tension, this had me holding my breath and flying through the pages.

What a debut! N.J. Hatton is definitely an author to watch. READ NOW!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review!
OMG!!!! What did I just read? This book was awesome!!
In taking his wife to the hospital- eyes off the road for a minute- a cràsh- a bicycle is hit and a body of a child lies dead. Panic
Jack, a criminal defense lawyer struggles- he needs to get his wife to the hospital but he should handle this situation— and the choice is made
Now how will that affect everything? Can you live with the choice you’ve made?
What a great book!

Jack Kilby’s wife is in premature labor with a much desired baby. While Jack is speeding to the hospital, he hits a child riding a bike. What to do? The child is dead, his wife is crying for him to hurry. He leaves the dead child, planning to return after his wife is treated. The labor stops and, although her doctor warns him that she must avoid stress for the next five weeks, he decides to confess to his friend DCI Clara Higgins. There’s a surprise. Another man has been arrested.

This is only the beginning of Truth Will Out, an amazing first novel by N J Hatton. It is suspenseful and impossible to put down. It is also multilayered, skillfully combining a serious moral dilemma that appears to have no solution with a thorough police procedural and a description of the tragic affect the death of a child has on a family. N J Hatton’s writing is flawless. Truth Will Tell is fast paced with tension building on every page. The characters are well described and captivating. Jack is so painfully conflicted, Clara is torn between friendship and facts and Harry’s grief is devastating. I would give this compelling thriller more stars if I could. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books and N J Hatton for this ARC.

Truth Will Out is a brilliantly tense and relentlessly fast-paced debut thriller that had me completely hooked from the very first chapter. Told through multiple perspectives and packed with short, snappy chapters, the story builds layer upon layer of suspense until an explosive climax that was almost impossible to put down.

The premise immediately pulls you in. When defence lawyer Jack Kilby accidentally hits a child while rushing his pregnant wife to hospital down a dark country lane, he makes one split-second decision that changes everything. What follows is a gripping web of lies, deception, and impossible choices as Jack desperately tries to protect his family while becoming entangled in the very investigation that could expose him.

I loved how the novel explores the moral grey areas between innocence and guilt. Jack is far from a perfect protagonist, but his motivations feel believable, making it fascinating to watch him walk the increasingly precarious tightrope between doing the right thing and protecting the people he loves. Every bad decision leads to another, and the tension never lets up.

The multiple points of view add another layer to the story, allowing you to follow the investigation from both sides of the law while uncovering twist after twist. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another revelation changed the game.

This is an incredibly confident debut from N.J. Hatton that combines a compelling moral dilemma with relentless pacing and plenty of surprises. If you enjoy twisty, character-driven thrillers that keep you questioning what you would do in the same situation, I highly recommend Truth Will Out. I can't wait to see what this author writes next.

This was a relentlessly fast paced thriller debut which I really enjoyed. Told in short, snappy chapters and by multiple characters, the tension intensifies until the dramatic climax, making it difficult to put down.

“A hit and run. A deadly secret. An accidental killer playing both sides.”

This book transports you straight into the heart of the action from the very first chapter when defence lawyer Jack Kilby, accidentally hits a child on a bike while driving his wife Rachel to hospital through narrow, dark lanes of the Worcestershire countryside. Overcome with panic, he speeds away. As an increasingly tangled web of deceit begins to unfold and his deception grows he is propelled towards a devastating fate.

The plot is packed with twists and I found it interesting to follow the different perspectives of the investigation from both sides of the law. Although Jack is a flawed character, I enjoyed following him as he walked a tightrope working both angles, making increasingly bad decisions, and I was intrigued as to it would all turn out in the end.
This story delves into the question of moral dilemmas, the grey area between innocence and guilt and the chain reaction of bad choices.

I highly recommend this clever and twisty thriller which is due to be published on 10th September 2026. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @herabooks for the ARC.

I really loved this book
It's so hard now to read a book that completely captures your attention
This is fast paced from the start, it never lets up until the last page
A great storyline and very believable
I cannot wait to read more from this author
Highly recommended

Truth Will Out is a tense fast paced thrilling environment. It will have you questioning your morals and values. I felt the integrity stayed strong while doing the right thing is a torment that needed to be addressed. There are a few twists that had me shocked.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast-paced thriller that had me hooked almost immediately. The premise is impossible to ignore: a man accidentally hits a child while rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital, then makes one bad decision after another in an attempt to protect his family. It's the kind of story that makes you constantly ask yourself, "What would I do?"

The strongest part of the novel is the moral conflict. Jack isn't a perfect character, but his choices feel believable, even when they're frustrating. Every lie creates another problem, and the tension continues to build as his web of deception grows.

The pacing is excellent, and I flew through the book in just a couple of sittings. There were several twists I didn't see coming, and the ending was satisfying without feeling forced.

The only reason this wasn't a five-star read for me was that a few plot points required a little too much suspension of disbelief, and I would have liked a bit more character development outside of the central dilemma.

Overall, this is an impressive debut and a thriller I would happily recommend to anyone who enjoys high-stakes suspense, morally gray characters, and stories that keep you turning the pages.

Wow. What a debut!! I was completely hooked and read it in less than 24hrs. It was so compelling, a story of moral dilemma and loss. Absolutely would recommend!

After spotting the glowing endorsements on the cover, I was intrigued, but it was the premise that convinced me to request this debut thriller. I'm so glad I did because N.J. Hatton has delivered an incredibly tense, fast-paced read that had my stress levels rising from the very first chapter.

Truth Will Out throws readers straight into an impossible situation as criminal defence lawyer Jack, while rushing his heavily pregnant wife to hospital, accidentally hits a child on a bicycle before making the split-second decision to leave the scene. From there, the story explores the consequences of one terrible decision, as a single lie quickly spirals beyond anyone's control.

Hatton doesn't waste a second throwing the reader into the action, and from that opening scene the stakes already feel impossibly high. I found myself constantly wondering what I would do in Jack's position, which only made me more desperate to see how he was going to get himself out of the situation he'd created, with the suspense only becoming more agonising as the plot unfolded.

While the characters themselves didn't leave a lasting impression, I enjoyed seeing the story told through multiple perspectives. Each chapter revealed just enough to keep me questioning how everyone connected to the central crime, and the combination of that structure and the short chapters meant there was always something new pulling me into the next chapter.

Another thing I appreciated was how much the plot evolves, with what initially seems like a fairly straightforward crime thriller quickly becoming something much bigger as earlier clues take on new meaning once the later twists begin to unfold. Looking back after finishing, I realised just how many little details I'd read straight past without giving them a second thought.

While the characters weren't the standout here, they honestly didn't need to be because the premise, relentless pacing and constant feeling that everything was on the verge of unravelling were what made this such an enjoyable thriller.

Truth Will Out is an impressive debut from N.J. Hatton and has certainly left me keen to explore whatever he writes next. Fans of fast-paced crime thrillers that waste no time raising the stakes will likely have a great time with this one.

Thank You to Hera Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

For a debut novel? Wow. N.J. Hatton absolutely came out swinging.

The premise hooked me immediately. Jack is rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital when he accidentally hits and kills a child on a dark country road. Faced with an impossible choice, he leaves the scene to get his wife the medical care she desperately needs, planning to confess afterward. But when someone else is arrested for the crime, Jack finds himself trapped in a moral dilemma that only gets more complicated with every chapter.

This is one of those books where you keep asking yourself, "What would I do?" Jack isn't a perfect character by any means, but the author does such a good job making you understand his decisions, even when they're frustrating. I found myself constantly torn between wanting him to tell the truth and wanting him to protect his family.

The pacing is excellent, and there were plenty of twists that kept me invested. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, another layer was revealed. I also appreciated that this wasn't just about the mystery. It explored guilt, grief, and the ripple effects one terrible decision can have on so many lives.

The only reason this wasn't quite a five-star read for me was that a couple of the later reveals felt a little more dramatic than I personally prefer, but they were still entertaining and fit the tone of the story.

Overall, this is an incredibly strong debut, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever N.J. Hatton writes next. If you enjoy fast-paced psychological thrillers packed with moral dilemmas, family drama, and twists that keep you guessing, this one is well worth picking up.

Honestly this book gave me whiplash!! Absolutely incredible. Its so fast paced right from the first chapter and has multiple pov's. I actually thought i had it all figured out but I absolutely didnt, those last few pages the interaction between Callum and Jack made my jaw drop. 1000% recommend xx

A man races his wife to the hospital in order to save her and the unborn child of a perilous pregnancy. On the way, he has an accident, hitting a child on a bicycle, and does not stop to accept responsibility.

He tells himself that he cannot take responsibility now, when he has been warned that his wife must not be put through any stress for the rest of the pregnancy. But then the wrong person is accused of his crime, and he faces a difficult choice...

Fast paced and gripping, this story holds the reader's attention throughout. Worth checking out.

Wow what a debut!!!
This book grabs you in from page 1 until the very end. I loved how quickly I was hooked on the storyline and the little twists and turns this book took. What a fantastic ending that was done so well. Go read this one you won’t be disappointed.

On a dark night, Jack is rushing his wife Rachel to the hospital - as her pregnancy is in danger but as he come around a corner he hits something. As he steps out of the car to take a look - he realises the worst. The thing he hit was a child, and the child is dead. Faced with a choice of his family or the child's, he tells Rachel that it was a deer and moves the child to the side of the road.

Wracked with guilt, he goes to the police station the next morning to admit all to his friend and local DCI Clara, but he sees an opportunity - they have arrested a white van driver, and Jack offers to act as his lawyer to keep close to the investigation. But as his web of deception closes in, everything in Jack's life could collapse around him.

This is an incredibly confident debut by NJ Hatton - I thoroughly enjoyed it! I did spend most of the book predicting a particular twist and although I was right, it didn't lessen my enjoyment! 5*.