Denial - (A Jilly Truitt Novel) by Beverley McLachlin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A tough-as-nails defense attorney takes on a high-profile murder case that makes her question her own truths in this "deliciously complex mystery" (James Patterson) from the former Chief Justice of Canada.

When everyone is in denial, how do you find the truth?

Jilly Truitt has made a name for herself as one of the top criminal defense lawyers in the city. Where once she had to take just about any case to keep her firm afloat, now she has her pick--and she picks winners.

So when Joseph Quentin asks her to defend his wife, who has been charged with murdering her own mother in what the media are calling a mercy killing, Jilly's first instinct is to say no. Word on the street is that Vera Quentin is in denial, refusing to admit to the crime and take a lenient plea deal. Despite her misgivings, something makes Jilly believe Vera's story--but can she prove her innocence in a court of law?

As Jilly scrambles to find a crack in the case, she discovers that underneath the pristine image the Quentins present to the public is a family divided. Each has their secrets, including Vera's late mother. Is that why she was murdered? And is the truth enough to clear Vera's name? Or is Jilly in denial herself? Only the trial will tell.

Thrumming with tension, Denial is a riveting thriller about the lengths we will go to for the ones we love and the truths we hold dear.

Review Quotes

CityLine Book Club Pick for September

Praise for Denial

"An authoritative, emotionally satisfying, deliciously complex mystery in courtroom drama. I devoured it from the first pages to the surprising finale."
-- JAMES PATTERSON

Praise for Full Disclosure

Shortlisted for the Arthus Ellis Best First Crime Novel

"We know Beverley McLachlin as a pioneer--the first woman to serve as Canada's Chief Justice. But now we'll know her for something else entirely: gripping crime fiction. . . . Full Disclosure is a well-crafted page-turner in the vein of international bestsellers like Sarah Vaughan's Anatomy of a Scandal, and is packed with courtroom drama, intrigue, plot twists, and fascinating details about our criminal justice system. Written in an accessible voice, with a fast-moving narrative, this is beach, cabin, and airplane reading at its best."
-- Vancouver Sun

"A great read. . . . Has sequel written all over it."
-- CBC's Sunday Edition

"A riveting thriller."
-- Costco Connection

"For page-turning legal thrillers, it's hard to do better than this one, and not just because it's by the ultimate insider: the recently retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada."
-- Maclean's

"Gripping, intricate, and full of heart, Full Disclosure is a bold debut by the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Novelist Beverley McLachlin is a force to be reckoned with."
-- KATHY REICHS, bestselling author of the Bones series

"Totally compelling: McLachlin brings her wit and intelligence--and unrivalled experience--to this courtroom drama, which brilliantly illuminates the games lawyers play and the risks of wrong choices. The main character, Jilly Truitt, is a woman I want to meet again."
-- CHARLOTTE GRAY, bestselling author of The Promise of Canada

"A fun read, with crisp dialogue and tense courtroom jousting."
-- Montecristo Magazine

"In the tradition of great courtroom novels Anatomy of a Murder and Presumed Innocent, McLachlin's Denial captures the life of a defence lawyer embroiled in a high-stakes murder trial, with twists and turns to the very last page. Jilly Truitt is a character readers are going to cheer for over and over again."
-- ROBERT ROTENBERG, bestselling author of Downfall

"Twisty."
-- Toronto Star

About the Author

Beverley McLachlin is the #1 bestselling author of three novels, Full Disclosure, Denial, and Proof, and a memoir, Truth Be Told, which won the prestigious Writers' Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the Ottawa Book Award for Nonfiction. From 2000 to 2017, McLachlin was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She is the first woman to hold that position and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history. In 2018, McLachlin became a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour within the Order.