The Innocent One - by Lisa Ballantyne (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

He was a child who was accused of murder. Who did he become when he grew up? A gripping, thought-provoking thriller from the internationally bestselling author of Everything She Forgot.

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 attorney 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 of suspicion. 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 realizes that it's not just Sebastian who is in danger, but himself . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Lisa Ballantyne:

"A gripping and emotionally charged story. Just brilliant."--Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author

"A moving and sensitive mystery about childhood trauma and its resolution."-- "Booklist"

"A moving, insightful novel."-- "The Guardian"

"A page-turner of a thriller. I couldn't put this beautifully crafted, beautifully written book down; and the complex, flawed characters stayed with me for a long time."--Saskia Sarginson, author of The Wonderful

"A page-turner with real emotional depth."-- "The Daily Express"

"A sweet novel of love, redemption, and loss that chronicles one family's struggle with a difficult past."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"A tense and shocking thriller that has the added treat of Lisa Ballantyne's deft prose. I loved it."--Renee Knight, author of The Secretary

"Ballantyne's effortless prose took me across the Atlantic and didn't let me return until its surprising and satisfying conclusion. A tight story that comes full circle and keeps you reading."--Bryan Reardon, author of Finding Jake

"Gripping, tense and moving."--Claire McGowan, Washington Post bestseller of What You Did

"Grips like a vice."-- "The Daily Mail"

"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, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner

"Lisa Ballantyne weaves a fine tale of family drama, dark secrets, and the past's effect on the present. The threads seamlessly come together in a heart-wrenching, yet hopeful, finale."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Moving and suspenseful; richly detailed, yet with the eerie simplicity of a parable."--Joyce Carol Oates, author of Night, Sleep, Death, The Stars

"One of the most readable, emotionally intense novels of the year."--Richard and Judy

"Sophisticated, suspenseful, unsettling, and highly recommended: a terrific debut from an author to watch."--Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Thought-provoking, brave and challenging, this book is an unsettling and compulsive read."--Rosamund Lupton, international bestselling author of Sister

About the Author

Lisa Ballantyne is the internationally bestselling author of four novels. Her debut, The Guilty One, was nominated for the the Edgar Allan Poe Award and translated into thirty languages. Lisa's other novels are Everything She Forgot, Little Liar, and Once Upon a Lie. She lives in Glasgow, Scotland.