Lisa Ballantyne

An eight-year-old boy is found dead in a playground . . . and his eleven-year-old neighbor is accused of the crime. Leading the defense is London solicitor Daniel Hunter, a champion of lost causes. A damaged boy from a troubled home, Daniel's young client, Sebastian, reminds Daniel of his own turbulent childhood—and of Minnie, the devoted woman whose love saved him. But one terrible act of betrayal irrevocably shattered their bond. As past and present collide, Daniel is faced with disturbing questions. Will his sympathy for Sebastian and his own memories blind him to the truth? What happened in the park—and who, ultimately, is to blame for a little boy's death? Rethinking everything he's ever believed, Daniel begins to understand what it means to be wrong . . . and to be the guilty one.

A Novel

The Guilty One

***THE TOP-TEN BESTSELLER!*** Richard and Judy and international bestselling author of The Guilty One returns with a nail-biting ride of 'he said/she said' between a teacher and his pupil. For fans of Anatomy of a Scandal and TVs Liar and Dr Foster. 'Dark, intelligent, suspenseful' bestselling author Saskia Sarginson 'I raced through Little Liar. A compelling, emotional read' bestselling author Jenny Quintana The accused While Nick Dean is enjoying an evening at home with his family, he is blissfully unaware that one of his pupils has just placed an allegation of abuse against him - and that Nick's imminent arrest will see the start of everything he knows and loves disintegrating around him. Because, mud sticks, right? No matter if you're innocent or guilty. The accuser When Angela Furness decides that enough is enough - she hates her parents, hates her friends and, most of all, despises what has recently happened at school - she does the only thing she knows will get her attention: calls the police. But Angela is unaware that the shocking story she is about to tell will see her life begin to topple. Because, once you've said what you've said, there's no way back, right? No matter if you're innocent or guilty. In a gripping tale of two families torn apart by one catastrophic betrayal, Little Liar illustrates the fine line between guilt and innocence, and shows that everyone has their secrets, even those we ought to trust the most... Praise for Lisa Ballantyne: 'One of the most readable, emotionally intense novels of the year' Richard and Judy 'Thought-provoking, brave and challenging, this book is an unsettling and compulsive read' Rosamund Lupton 'A page-turner with real emotional depth' Daily Express 'Moving, insightful' Guardian 'Grips like a vice' Daily Mail 'Sophisticated, suspenseful, unsettling' Lee Child 'I couldn't get this book out of my head. It kept me up all night and guessing the whole way through. I loved it' Jenny Colgan 'An outstanding work of fiction' Daily Record

Little Liar

"They're calling it the worst pile-up in London history. Driving home, Margaret Holloway has her mind elsewhere-on a troubled student, her daughter's acting class, the next day's meeting-when she's rear-ended and trapped in the wreckage. Just as she begins to panic, a disfigured stranger pulls her from the car just seconds before it's engulfed in flames. Then he simply disappears. Though she escapes with minor injuries, Margaret feels that something's wrong. She's having trouble concentrating. Her emotions are running wild. More than that, flashbacks to the crash are also dredging up lost associations from her childhood, fragments of events that were wiped from her memory. Whatever happened, she didn't merely forget-she chose to forget. And somehow, Margaret knows deep down that it's got something to do with the man who saved her life. As Margaret uncovers a mystery with chilling implications for her family and her very identity, EVERYTHING SHE FORGOT winds through a riveting dual narrative and asks the question: How far would you go to hide the truth-from yourself...?"--

Everything She Forgot

"Clare and Lorraine have been friends since college and trust each other with their lives. So when Lorraine, a single mother, needs a much-needed night away without her children, she calls on Clare and her husband Sam to look after them. They're godparents - what could go wrong? While Clare and Sam believe the children to be asleep, the unimaginable happens and Clare finds baby Theo lifeless in his room. The police are called. Statements are taken. But the biggest nightmare for any parent is about to spiral out of control. Because a lie has been told. An enormous and terrible one. Out of Clare, Sam and Lorraine, one of them isn't telling the truth..."--Publisher.

Untitled Lisa Ballantyne

Moving and suspenseful, Lisa Ballantyne’s The Guilty One is a psychological thriller about the darkness in each of us. It explores how we are all tied to our pasts, and what it means to be guilty. Solicitor Daniel Hunter is called to defend 11-year-old Sebastian who has been charged with the murder of a young boy on a London playground. While examining Sebastian’s life in order to save it, Daniel can’t help but be transported to his own difficult youth spent in foster care—a time when the one he trusted the most was the one who betrayed him… Emotionally wrought, and with an abundance of twists and turns, The Guilty One is a character-driven novel of suspense that explores the true nature of guilt.

'GRIPPING, TENSE AND MOVING' Claire McGowan 'A PAGE-TURNER OF A THRILLER' Saskia Sarginson 'TENSE AND SHOCKING' Renee Knight 'I WAS ABSOLUTLEY GRIPPED' Karen Dionne ________ Clare and Lorraine have been friends since college and trust each other with their lives. So when Lorraine, a single mother, needs a much-needed night away without her children, she calls on Clare and her husband Sam to look after them. They're godparents - what could go wrong? While Clare and Sam believe the children to be asleep, the unimaginable happens and Clare finds baby Theo lifeless in his room. The police are called. Statements are taken. But the biggest nightmare for any parent is about to spiral out of control. Because a lie has been told. An enormous and terrible one. Out of Clare, Sam and Lorraine, one of them isn't telling the truth . . . ________ A thrilling, emotional page-turner about the lies we tell to keep the ones we love safe, from the Richard & Judy Book Club bestselling author. 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 & Judy Book Club '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 'Outstanding' Daily Record

From the Richard & Judy Book Club bestselling author of The Guilty One

Once Upon a Lie

Da advokaten Daniel Hunter bliver forsvarer for den 11-årige Sebastian Kroll, som står tiltalt for at have dræbt sin 8-årige kammerat på en legeplads, bliver han tvunget til at se sin egen fortid i øjnene

Виновный

Un niño pequeño, hallado muerto en Barnard Park... Un relato apasionante y conmovedor que conjuga una gran sensibilidad con los aspectos más emocionantes de los thrillers judiciales. Daniel Hunter, un abogado que ejerce en Londres, ha dedicado años a defender causas perdidas, sin implicarse y sin permitir que le afectasen una vez terminadas. Pero todo cambia cuando conoce a Sebastian Croll, un niño de once años acusado de asesinar a otro niño, Ben Stokes, de ocho. Al adentrarse en la difícil vida familiar de Sebastian, Daniel no puede evitar recordar su propia infancia en casas de acogida... y a Minnie, la mujer que lo adoptó y lo salvó con su cariño, hasta que le hizo tanto daño que Daniel la apartó de su vida. Pero ¿cuál fue el crimen de Minnie para que Daniel la evitase durante quince años? ¿Perderá Daniel todo lo que ha logrado por esa obsesiónque lo atormenta y que le hace dudar de la culpabilidad o inocencia de Sebastian? Reseñas: «Lisa Ballantyne ha escrito una primera novela tan emotiva como llena de suspense, rica en detalles, pero con la misteriosa sencillez de una parábola». Joyce Carol Oates «Este libro, valiente, exigente y que hace reflexionar, constituye una lectura perturbadora y compulsiva». Rosamund Lupton, autora de Hermana «En un nivel, Culpable presenta un apasionante drama judicial que es resueltamente fiel a sus personajes. Y en otro plano, su historia personal resuena con amor, perdón y la posibilidad de redención. Culpable le tocará el corazón». Hallie Ephron, autora de El precio de la mentira «Un debut conmovedor y profundo. Es fácil entender por qué causó tal revuelo en la Feria de Frankfurt. Si no se convierte en el No confíes en nadie de este año, me comeré el ordenador». Guardian «Sutil, sofisticado y lleno de suspense». Sunday Express «Un libro que no se puede soltar». Cosmopolitan «No podía quitarme este libro de la cabeza. Me tuvo despierta toda la noche, conjeturando todas las posibilidades. Me ha encantado». Jenny Colgan

Culpable

The Innocent One

Innocent Ten years have passed, but everyone remembers the Angel Killer. Sebastian Croll was just eleven years old when accused of murdering his playmate. Criminal solicitor Daniel Hunter helped prove Sebastian's innocence in a trial that gripped the nation, and now the past is being unearthed when he 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 a second time, news about the boy's past spreads like wildfire, instantly branding Sebastian as guilty. With tensions around the country rising, can Daniel prove once again that Sebastian is the innocent one? Especially when he realises it's not just Sebastian in danger, but himself . . .

Die Londoner Lehrerin Margaret Holloway ist auf dem Weg von der Schule nach Hause, als ihr Wagen in einen Unfall gerät. Sie ist gefangen in dem Fahrzeug, das kurz davor ist, in Flammen aufzugehen. Ein Fremder befreit sie und verschwindet sofort wieder. Anfangs kann sich Margaret kaum an etwas erinnern – wie so oft in ihrem Leben. Nur die Narben im Gesicht des Mannes sind ihr deutlich vor Augen. Doch nach und nach kehren die Erinnerungen zurück: nicht nur an den Unfall, sondern auch an Erlebnisse in ihrer Kindheit in Schottland, die sie allzu lange verdrängt hat ...

Roman

Wenn du vergisst

'Gripping and emotionally charged' Clare Mackintosh 'Emotionally compelling' Chris Brookmyre There's a fine line between good and bad . . . 'Big George' McLaughlin is a bad person. He's snatched a little girl from her family, and he's not planning on giving her back. But George is also inherently good. He loves this little girl and has kidnapped her with pure intentions. She's his daughter and he wouldn't do a thing to hurt her. So when being together feels so right, why is it so terribly wrong? Is there such a thing as good bad love? From the Richard & Judy Book Club and international bestselling author of The Guilty One comes a suspenseful, gritty and emotionally charged journey of an estranged father and daughter, exploring the strength of family ties and our huge capacity for forgiveness. ***Originally published as REDEMPTION ROAD*** Praise for Lisa Ballantyne: 'Thought-provoking, brave, challenging, compulsive' Rosamund Lupton 'Moving, insightful' Guardian 'Sophisticated, suspenseful, unsettling' Lee Child 'Tense' Sunday Times 'Grips like a vice' Daily Mail 'Thought-provoking and clever' Gilly Macmillan 'Will touch your heart, even as it leaves you unsettled' Hallie Ephron 'Tense and moving' Rachel Abbott 'A page-turner with real emotional depth' Daily Express 'I couldn't get this book out of my head' Jenny Colgan

From the Richard and Judy Book Club Bestselling Author of the Guilty One

Good Bad Love

Siden Daniel Hunter blev færdiguddannet som advokat, har han brugt tiden på upåvirket at tabe den ene sag efter den anden som beskikket forsvarsadvokat. Det ændres den dag, Daniel møder elleveårige Sebastian. Sebastian er under mistanke for at have slået en lille dreng ihjel på en legeplads, banket ham til døde med en mursten. Daniel skal være drengens forsvarer. Jo længere Daniel dykker ned i Sebastians barndom og hans umiddelbart privilegerede opvækst i et pænt middelklassekvarter, des mere trænger erindringerne om Daniels egen forsømte barndom sig på. Et barneliv på kanten af samfundet, som han indtil nu har haft held med at glemme, med en mor, der ikke magtede ham, rækken af plejefamilier, der gav op og Minnie. En brovtende, korpulent kvinde, hvis kærlighed reddede Daniels liv og som blev som en mor for ham indtil, der hændte noget, som ødelagde deres tætte relation. Den skyldige er en nervepirrende og tankevækkende roman om den svære relation mellem børn og voksne og specielt mødre og deres sønner. En psykologisk og dirrende fortælling om straf og kærlighed og hvor bundet alle er af deres fortid.

Lisa Ballantyne

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