Veil of Doubt - by Sharon Virts (Paperback)

About the Book

"When a mother is charged with murder in a town already convinced of her guilt, can defense attorney Powell Harrison find truth and justice in a legal system where innocence is not presumed? Emily Lloyd, a young widow in Reconstruction-era Virginia, is accused of poisoning her three-year-old daughter, Maud. It isn't the first death in her home: her husband and three other children all died of mysterious illnesses, so when Maud succumbs to an unexplained malady, the town suspects foul play. Soon Mrs. Lloyd is charged not only with poisoning the child but also with murdering her children, her husband, and her aunt. Enter Powell Harrison, a soft-spoken, brilliant attorney who recently returned to his Virginia hometown to help his brother manage their late father's practice. Approached to assist in Mrs. Lloyd's defense, Harrison initially declines, worried that an infanticide case might tarnish their family's reputation. But as details about the widow's erratic behavior and her reclusive neighbors emerge, Harrison begins to suspect that an even more sinister truth might lurk beneath the family's horrible fate and finds himself irresistibly drawn to the case. Based on a shocking true story, Veil of Doubt is part true-crime thriller, part medical and legal procedural. Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace and filled with rich period detail gleaned from exhaustive research, Veil of Doubt delves into the darkness of the South during Reconstruction, exposing intrigue, deception, and death"--

Book Synopsis

When a mother is charged with murder in a town already convinced of her guilt, can defense attorney Powell Harrison find truth and justice in a legal system where innocence is not presumed?

Emily Lloyd, a young widow in Reconstruction-era Virginia, is accused of poisoning her three-year-old daughter, Maud. It isn't the first death in her home--her husband and three other children all died of mysterious illnesses--so when Maud succumbs to an unexplained malady, the town suspects foul play. Soon Mrs. Lloyd is charged not only with poisoning the child but also with murdering her children, her husband, and her aunt.

Enter Powell Harrison, a soft-spoken, brilliant attorney who recently returned to his Virginia hometown to help his brother manage their late father's practice. Approached to assist in Mrs. Lloyd's defense, Harrison initially declines, worried that an infanticide case might tarnish their family's reputation. But as details about the widow's erratic behavior and her reclusive neighbors emerge, Harrison begins to suspect that an even more sinister truth might lurk beneath the family's horrible fate and finds himself irresistibly drawn to the case.

Based on a shocking true story, Veil of Doubt is part true-crime thriller, part medical and legal procedural. Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace and filled with rich period detail gleaned from exhaustive research, Veil of Doubt delves into the darkness of the South during Reconstruction, exposing intrigue, deception, and death.

Review Quotes

"Sharon Virts's latest novel kept me turning pages, left me thinking about the characters long after the last chapter. Absolutely amazing." --Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, bestselling author of Her Heart for a Compass and A Most Intriguing Lady
"Powerful and compelling. Her characters step off the page and into your life." --Anthony McCarten, award-winning novelist and screenwriter known for writing biopics, including The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour, and Bohemian Rhapsody