In Her Defense - by Philippa Malicka (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

As a sensational celebrity libel trial unfolds, a young woman at the periphery secretly wields the power to make or break the case. But with her own hidden past, will she dare to speak up?

Everyone is watching. Only one person knows the truth.

The whole country has been riveted by the trial: Beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing her daughter's therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for her own financial gain. Jean insists Mary's traumatic memories arise from her upbringing and her time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome; wounds only Jean's therapy can heal. But as the trial unfolds, it's Augusta "Gus" Bird, Anna's former employee--a seemingly insignificant bystander, a nobody--who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.

What really happened to Mary in Rome? And if her memories can't be trusted, how will they ever uncover the truth behind her estrangement? Twisty and propulsive, In Her Defense is a compulsively readable debut for fans of Lucy Foley and Laura Dave.

Review Quotes

"[A] bewitching debut... the crackling story toggles effortlessly from past to present as the depth of the characters' betrayals and manipulations comes out in open court. This serpentine courtroom drama will captivate readers." --Publishers Weekly

'A stunning debut that jumps deftly between courtroom thriller and a twisting, tender tale of lust, trust, friendship and betrayal.' - Erin Kelly, internationally bestselling author of He Said / She Said

"A brilliant, star-making debut--a potent courtroom drama packed with complex characters, deft psychological twists, and buttery prose. The narrator is not so much unreliable as a mystery even to herself, and you'll be reading way past midnight to solve the puzzle of who she is." -Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark

"A haunting and twisty story of obsession, memory, and the blurred line between healing and harm. Part courtroom drama, part psychological love story, In Her Defense will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." -Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

"A riveting, seductive novel about the exploitation of power and control, expertly crafted and not to be missed!" - Sophie Stava, New York Times bestselling author of Count My Lies

"Philippa Malicka delivers both a twisting courtroom trial and a haunting character study in this wholly absorbing debut. In Her Defense explores the reliability of memory, the shifting nature of truth, and the fine line between obsession and love. I was completely hooked from the first page to the very last!" -Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of You Belong Here

"Smart, elegant, and endlessly unsettling. This is a novel full of delicious, vivid details: the ambiguous characters, the unforgettable settings, the unnerving psychology." -Abigail Dean, New York Times bestselling author of Girl A

"What a beautifully written debut! Compulsively readable, a brilliant mix of courtroom drama, psychological thriller and love story, it pulls off the rare trick of being an unputdownable page-turner with real emotional depth. I can't wait to see what Malicka does next" -JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before

About the Author

Philippa Malicka was born in Essex and now lives in London. She is an alumnus of the Prose Fiction MA at the University of East Anglia. Her nonfiction has appeared in The Sunday Times (London), The Sunday Telegraph (London), and Grazia among others. In Her Defense is her first novel and has been longlisted for the Bridport First Novel Award.