Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Monday, April 01, 2013
The Guilty One A Decent Mystery That Kept Me Guessing To the End
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When London solicitor Daniel Hunter meets his newest client, he doesn't see a murderer—he sees himself. If it hadn't been for the kindly foster mother who took him in as a boy, it could have been Daniel sitting in a jail cell, accused of committing a violent crime. For this reason, Daniel finds himself drawn to young Sebastian Croll, even though he knows better than to get too attached to a client. But, the 11-year-old just looks so small, so helpless. Seb's a strange kid, that's all too apparent, but did he really pick up a brick and use it to bash in a playmate's head? Daniel believes Seb when he insists he's innocent.
As Daniel works with Seb's family, it becomes clear that something's very wrong in the Croll household. The situation reminds Daniel so much of his childhood that he's swept into painful memories of his own troubled past. And of Minnie—the woman who saved and destroyed him at the same time.
While evidence against Seb piles up all around him, Daniel must decide how best to defend the child many believe to be a murderer. Daniel just wants the truth: What really happened between the two young boys? How did one end up dead? Is it possible that Seb really did kill his 8-year-old neighbor? Does Daniel believe him only because of Seb's similarities to himself? And will it really matter in the long run, when it's up to a jury—not Sebastian's defense team—to decide between guilt and innocence?
The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne tells a chilling story about troubled children, the abuse they suffer, and that which they sometimes inflict on others. It's a heartbreaking novel that stresses how badly children need loving, attentive parents as well as professional help for disturbing behavior patterns. Plotwise, the novel moves along at a steady enough pace, giving readers a very full picture of Daniel's character. The courtroom part of the story does get predictable; still, The Guilty One is a decent mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a lot of Defending Jacob by William Landay and a bit of House Rules by Jodi Picoult)
Grade: B-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, violence and mild sexual innuendo/content
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Guilty One from the generous folks at Harper Collins via those at TLC Book Tours. Thank you!
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
-
Daily Prompt 18 March monday4 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Harris, Robert "Fatherland"17 hours ago
-
Breath as Prayer18 hours ago
-
-
The Magic All Around By Jennifer Moorman22 hours ago
-
-
Books from the Backlog #81 day ago
-
-
Don’t Foget Me by Rea Frey1 day ago
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post2 days ago
-
-
Timeline by Michael Crichton3 days ago
-
-
33. Ferris4 days ago
-
-
Persistence: A Review of Ghost Coach4 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Witch Hat Atelier: Kitchen, Volume 11 week ago
-
Catching up1 week ago
-
Review: Dating Dr. Dil1 week ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?5 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra8 months ago
-
-
-
Sundays with Sam – The Sunday Post11 months ago
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ▼ 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Guessing until the end sounds good to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.