The Innocent One

Looking for a superb new thriller to get your teeth into this new year? Then let me point you in the direction of Lisa Ballantyne’s stunning new novel, The Innocent One . . .

Ten years ago, Sebastian Croll was accused on murdering his playmate. Criminal solicitor Daniel Hunter successfully defended the eleven-year-old in a trial that gripped the nation, but now the past is being unearthed when Daniel gets a call from his old client. Sebastian, now a university student, is under suspicion from the police once again in the wake of the murder of one of his professors at Cambridge. As Daniel steps in to represent Sebastian for a second time, news about Sebastian’s past spreads like wildfire. The media swarm, threats begin to arrive, and the question on everyone’s lips is: could the child once accused of murder really be innocent?

This is a gripping, thought-provoking read that explores whether people are ever allowed to atone for their past and the danger of trial by social media. The story returns to the two main characters of Lisa Ballantyne’s bestselling debut novel, The Guilty One, which won the hearts of readers around the world (although you don’t need to have read The Guilty One to enjoy this book). With sophisticated writing and nail-biting tension, this is a thriller that will get under your skin and stay with you long after you finish turning the pages.

Hannah Wann