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The Innocent One
Could the child once accused of murder really be innocent?
‘So good . . . Ballantyne makes it look easy’ NEW YORK TIMES
‘Beautifully told’ DAILY MAIL
‘Thought-provoking and unsettling’ ALEX GRAY
‘A breathless thriller’ WOMAN’S OWN
‘Had me turning the pages late into the night’ C. J. COOPER
________
Innocent
Ten years ago, Sebastian Croll was found not guilty of murdering his playmate.
Criminal solicitor Daniel Hunter defended the eleven-year-old in a trial that gripped the nation, but the past is unearthed when Daniel gets a call from his old client.
Or guilty?
Sebastian’s university professor has been brutally murdered and everyone who knew her is in the frame.
As Daniel steps in to represent Sebastian for the second time, rumour of his client’s identity spreads like wildfire.
The media swarm. Threats begin to arrive. And the question on everyone’s lips:
Could the child once accused of murder really be innocent?
________
What everyone is saying about Lisa Ballantyne’s thrillers:
‘Gripping’ CLARE MACKINTOSH
‘Sophisticated, suspensefu’ LEE CHILD
‘Tense’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘Unsettling and compulsive’ ROSAMUND LUPTON
‘Moving’ GUARDIAN
‘Emotionally intense’ RICHARD AND JUDY BOOKCLUB
‘Grips like a vice’ DAILY MAIL
‘Thought-provoking’ GILLY MACMILLAN
‘Tense’ RACHEL ABBOTT
‘A page-turner’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘I couldn’t get this book out of my head’ JENNY COLGAN
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Reviews
Such a wonderfully layered novel, part emotionally charged, nerve-jangling thriller, and part tender, intelligent family drama. I couldn't put it down. Brilliant.
A tense and shocking thriller that has the added treat of Lisa Ballantyne's deft prose. I loved it
Fingernail-on-a-chalkboard sentences are what make The Innocent One so good . . . Fashioning memorable suspense out of a well-known case is incredibly difficult, but Ballantyne makes it look easy
Tense
Thought-provoking and clever
Moving and suspenseful; richly detailed, yet with the eerie simplicity of a parable
Moving, insightful
Beautifully told, with the talented Ballantyne's typical clarity, it weaves a subtle web
Grips like a vice
A wonderfully creepy crime thriller
Gripping, tense and moving
A breathless thriller
A suspenseful, compelling read with a sting in the tail that will leave you gasping. Lisa Ballantyne knows her stuff. An author to be reckoned with
Sophisticated, suspenseful, unsettling
A page-turner with real emotional depth
A combination of psychological and legal thriller, this is both tense and intense, gripping and moving
Praise for Lisa Ballantyne's previous novels:
A skilful mixture of creepy crime thriller and gripping domestic drama, the Innocent One had me turning the pages late into the night.
One of the most readable, emotionally intense novels of the year
A compelling and emotional read with convincing characters that stayed in my head. Lisa Ballantyne deals with a difficult and controversial subject in a sensitive and thoughtful way
A crackling good read - exactly the kind of novel that readers have come to expect from one of the most talented psychological suspense authors working today. With a gripping, twisty plot, conflicted and relatable characters, ever-rising tension, and an ending that's as thrilling as it is satisfying, I loved this book!'
A gripping and emotionally charged story. Just brilliant
Thought-provoking, brave and challenging, this book is an unsettling and compulsive read
A character-driven, domestic crime novel. Through juxtaposing the choices of two emotionally disturbed boys, Ballantyne sensitively explores themes of rejection, abuse, and forgiveness
Thought-provoking
Thought provoking and unsettling