The Guilty One

[a] moving, insightful debut . . . It's easy to see why this caused such a stir at Frankfurt last year. If it isn't this year's Before I Go To Sleep, I'll eat my laptop * The Guardian *
An absorbing psychological debut * Company (Top Pick) *
It's one of the best debuts I've ever encountered * The Daily Record *
Lisa Ballantyne has written a first novel that is both moving and suspenseful; richly detailed, yet with the eerie simplicity of a parable * Joyce Carol Oates *
This is an outstanding work of fiction, and the real crime would have been if the talent of Lisa Ballantyne had never been discovered * Daily Record *
Thought provoking, brave and challenging, this book is an unsettling and compulsive read * Rosamund Lupton, bestselling author of Sister and Afterwards *
Gripping stuff * More! *
This is an outstanding work of fiction, and the real crime would have been if the talent of Lisa Ballantyne had never been discovered * Daily Record *
It's a work of genuine substance about real human beings with real human flaws, in which nothing can be tied up neatly because life doesn't work like that. The Guilty One puts her firmly on the list of writers to watch * Irish Independant *
This is as assured debut novel that has 'bestseller' slapped all over it * Crimesquad.co.uk *
Fast-paced and emotionally charged, we were tearing through it well into the night. Keep a tissue handy - you'll be a wreck by the end * Emerald Street *
Gets better as you read it . . . a novel that grips . . . engrossing the reader who will want to find out what happens * Dulwich Book Reviews *
One of the most readable, emotionally intense novels of the year, and a debut one at that. Lisa Ballantyne pulls off the key writer's trick of getting us to care about the characters; by the end of the first chapter, you will be comprehensively on the hook * Richard from Richard and Judy’s Book Club, Autumn 2012 Pick *
Wow! I finished this late yesterday afternoon at the beach...This is a really good legal thriller. I like the way the chapters alternated in time. This doesn't always work, sometimes confusing, but the author Lisa made it happen and did it very well * Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books *
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 *
Ballantyne paints such vivid portraits of her characters that it is impossible not to sympathise with the tolerant and loving Minnie, and this psychological drama will keep you wondering right to the final chapter * Townsville Eye *
A mature, gripping book you'll be desperate to tell your friends about * Big Issue (Scotland) *
On one level, Lisa Ballantyne's The Guilty One delivers riveting courtroom drama that is unflinchingly true to its characters. At another level, its personal story resonates with love, forgiveness and the possibility of redemption. The Guilty One will touch your heart even as it leaves you unsettled * Hallie Ephron, author of There Was an Old Woman *
The Guilty One beautifully blends both past and present in a novel that will keep readers interested * RT Book Reviews *