Denial
- Downloads：3490
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-20 10:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Beverley McLachlin
- ISBN：1982104996
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
From the former Chief Justice of Canada and #1 bestselling author of Full Disclosure comes a taut new thriller starring tough-as-nails defense attorney Jilly Truitt in a murder case that makes her question her own truths。
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， every instinct tells Jilly 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。 Quentin is a lawyer’s lawyer， known as the Fixer in legal circles， and if he can’t help his wife， who can？
Against her better judgment， Jilly meets with Vera and reluctantly agrees to take on her case。 Call it intuition， call it sympathy， but something about Vera makes Jilly believe she’s telling the truth。 Now， she has to prove that in the courtroom against her former mentor turned opponent， prosecutor Cy Kenge—a man who has no qualms about bending the rules。
As the trial approaches， Jilly scrambles to find a crack in the case and stumbles across a dark truth hanging over the Quentin family。 But is it enough to prove Vera’s innocence？ Or is Jilly in denial herself？
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。
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， every instinct tells Jilly 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。 Quentin is a lawyer’s lawyer， known as the Fixer in legal circles， and if he can’t help his wife， who can？
Against her better judgment， Jilly meets with Vera and reluctantly agrees to take on her case。 Call it intuition， call it sympathy， but something about Vera makes Jilly believe she’s telling the truth。 Now， she has to prove that in the courtroom against her former mentor turned opponent， prosecutor Cy Kenge—a man who has no qualms about bending the rules。
As the trial approaches， Jilly scrambles to find a crack in the case and stumbles across a dark truth hanging over the Quentin family。 But is it enough to prove Vera’s innocence？ Or is Jilly in denial herself？
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。
Reviews
Elena Enns
，
Thank you to NetGalley， Beverley McLachlin， and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this novel for an unbiased review。Like a television court drama （think Law and Order）， Denial brings us a story that has suspense around every corner。 When Joseph Quentin asks Jilly Truitt， one of Vancouver’s top criminal defense lawyers， to defend his wife in a murder trial， everything in her says not to。 Even though Jilly has been warned against the case， and even her own instincts tell her Thank you to NetGalley， Beverley McLachlin， and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this novel for an unbiased review。Like a television court drama （think Law and Order）， Denial brings us a story that has suspense around every corner。 When Joseph Quentin asks Jilly Truitt， one of Vancouver’s top criminal defense lawyers， to defend his wife in a murder trial， everything in her says not to。 Even though Jilly has been warned against the case， and even her own instincts tell her it is a losing battle， she sympathetically takes the case that is being called a mercy killing by the media。 As she digs deeper into the case， there appear to be more secrets and dark truths hiding within the Quentin family than appears on the surface。 To top it off， an old case is coming back to haunt Jilly and may have more consequences than previously thought。 While at the beginning this book may feel like other courtroom dramas， I found that there were many dark turns throughout that caused it to feel different。 Throughout， opinions on characters changed with every piece of new information given。 While some characters felt cliché on the surface， once they were dug into more there was more depth given about their motivations and why they acted how they did。 While this novel may not be for those who want a detective novel; for those who enjoy drama， crime， law， and interpersonal relationships， this is for you。 。。。more
Julie Ferguson
，
I read Denial as an ARC。An absolutely wonderful read， Denial tells the story of a murder from the point of view of the defence lawyer and has an unexpected twist at the end。 So well crafted， paced， and plotted with believable characters。The book is written by one of Canada's Supreme Court judges who is now retired。I highly recommend it to all readers who love a brilliant murder mystery。 I read Denial as an ARC。An absolutely wonderful read， Denial tells the story of a murder from the point of view of the defence lawyer and has an unexpected twist at the end。 So well crafted， paced， and plotted with believable characters。The book is written by one of Canada's Supreme Court judges who is now retired。I highly recommend it to all readers who love a brilliant murder mystery。 。。。more
Nicole Wuthering Vines
，
I went into this one not knowing it was second in a series but it definitely reads well as a stand-alone！ While it was a bit slow paced and almost 400 pages long， I was certainly captivated throughout！ I loved that I went in knowing that McLachlin had a long serving career in the Canadian legal system as the a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada。 This made everything so much more intriguing for me and relished I’m how realistic everything seemed to come across。 Overall this was a good l I went into this one not knowing it was second in a series but it definitely reads well as a stand-alone！ While it was a bit slow paced and almost 400 pages long， I was certainly captivated throughout！ I loved that I went in knowing that McLachlin had a long serving career in the Canadian legal system as the a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada。 This made everything so much more intriguing for me and relished I’m how realistic everything seemed to come across。 Overall this was a good legal thriller and courtroom drama and I enjoyed her writing！ I’ll have to go back and read Full Disclosure now！ 。。。more
Derek London
，
Well…that was one hell of a ride！ The perfunctory adjective， “page-turner”， reviewers abuse seems too cheap。 Denial won’t leave you with the sense you’ve devoured the book rapaciously at all！ It rather leaves you annoyed with life when interruptions and routines nag you away from the reading chair。 I seriously wish I could have finished it in one sitting。 Instead， I’ve been conducting my affairs preoccupied with each cliffhanger niggling in my distracted brain。 And yes， the cliffhangers are utte Well…that was one hell of a ride！ The perfunctory adjective， “page-turner”， reviewers abuse seems too cheap。 Denial won’t leave you with the sense you’ve devoured the book rapaciously at all！ It rather leaves you annoyed with life when interruptions and routines nag you away from the reading chair。 I seriously wish I could have finished it in one sitting。 Instead， I’ve been conducting my affairs preoccupied with each cliffhanger niggling in my distracted brain。 And yes， the cliffhangers are utterly relentless！Former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin’s immense wealth of legal experience/knowledge makes for a deeply compelling courtroom drama。 Having read her memoir （Truth Be Told） just prior to it made it even better。 There is a vast reservoir of literature， personal tragedy， love， loss and wisdom McLachlin draws from and pours into the pages of Denial。Some great Canadiana in them too。 I’m convinced I’ve seen Ms。 Truitt’s face in passing Granville’s Liberty Distillery， on the False Creek Aquabus， pensively eyeing the moored Titans of English Bay， and disappearing behind the shroud of Gastown’s elderly steam clock。Denial is a story that reflects the burning questions presently facing our society broadly， the law specifically， and human complexity that only masterful writers can capture faithfully。 There are certain forms of fiction that are designed to transport you to other worlds…you know， where colours are deeper saturated， emotions further polarized， and crises more urgent。 Then， there are fictions intended to slam you right in the dead-centre of where you are。 The stuff of lucid dreams and déjà vu。 Denial is of this latter variety。 I felt like I was led to dimensions not distant from me but ones inside I hadn’t yet explored。 5 out of 5 stars。 Thanks for the advanced copy。 I can’t wait for your next novel， Rt。 Hon。 B。 McLachlin。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
A fast yet complicated courtroom drama， DENIAL has plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most attentive reader baffled。 Author Beverley McLachlin clearly knows her way around a courtroom and her skills at dramatic pacing are exquisite。 My only mild complaint might be that there are a few too many tangential tales tucked into this book。 There’s a lot going on in addition to the main story。 Who killed the elderly woman with terminal cancer？ The answer will keep you guessing until the very la A fast yet complicated courtroom drama， DENIAL has plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most attentive reader baffled。 Author Beverley McLachlin clearly knows her way around a courtroom and her skills at dramatic pacing are exquisite。 My only mild complaint might be that there are a few too many tangential tales tucked into this book。 There’s a lot going on in addition to the main story。 Who killed the elderly woman with terminal cancer？ The answer will keep you guessing until the very last page。 I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss。 。。。more
Stacey Miller
，
I loved this book。 It’s been a while since I’ve gotten into a good legal thriller and this one exactly filled the bill。 Using her time in the legal profession， McLachlin created an intriguing legal thriller that feels believable even as I found it hard to believe people would go to such lengths。 There were to concurrent story lines through the book that， until they converged， felt quite at odds。 When they came together it was both tragic amd somewhat convenient。 Stick with it。 It comes together！ I loved this book。 It’s been a while since I’ve gotten into a good legal thriller and this one exactly filled the bill。 Using her time in the legal profession， McLachlin created an intriguing legal thriller that feels believable even as I found it hard to believe people would go to such lengths。 There were to concurrent story lines through the book that， until they converged， felt quite at odds。 When they came together it was both tragic amd somewhat convenient。 Stick with it。 It comes together！！ I thought it was a stand alone book and so I was a little confused by references to a precious case - not so much that it impacted the story but I would recommend reading her precious book first。 All in all， I thought the characters were smart and had depth to them， the drama hooked me in and it had me turning pages to find out “who dunnit。” I’m sharing with my friends， that’s for sure。 Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for my arc copy。 4。5 ⭐️ Rounded to 5。 。。。more
thereadingowlvina （Elvina Ulrich）
，
The Story: Criminal defense lawyer Jilly Truitt takes on a case defending Vera Quentin， who is charged with killing her mother。 Vera is in denial， not admitting to the crime and refusing to take a plea deal。 The more Jilly investigates， the more she realizes that both Vera's husband and mother are hiding secrets of their own。 My thoughts: Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada， Beverley McLachlin gives us one riveting legal thriller and I enjoyed all the courtroom scenes and The Story: Criminal defense lawyer Jilly Truitt takes on a case defending Vera Quentin， who is charged with killing her mother。 Vera is in denial， not admitting to the crime and refusing to take a plea deal。 The more Jilly investigates， the more she realizes that both Vera's husband and mother are hiding secrets of their own。 My thoughts: Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada， Beverley McLachlin gives us one riveting legal thriller and I enjoyed all the courtroom scenes and the investigation element in the story！ It was well done！ The plot was intriguing and I think the defense used here is clever - something I have not heard before。 I liked that the story explores the topic of mercy killing or MAID （medical assistance in dying） which was interesting。This is book two of this series and although I personally felt that it can be read as standalone， there were some parts I wished that I have more background information of。 As far as characters go， I really liked Jilly and her team and their working dynamics。 However， for some reason， I was not able to connect with any of the characters。 Overall， this was one legal thriller I really liked and I loved that it was set in Canada。 I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series！ Pub。 Date: Sep 14th， 2021***Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for this gifted review copy。 All opinions expressed are my own。*** 。。。more
Gea
，
Another riveting court room drama from former Chief Justice of Canada， Beverley McLachlin。 Jilly Truitt is back， and reluctantly takes on a seemingly no-win murder case。 Not only does the case provide many twists and turns， so does Jilly's personal life。 A great read！ Another riveting court room drama from former Chief Justice of Canada， Beverley McLachlin。 Jilly Truitt is back， and reluctantly takes on a seemingly no-win murder case。 Not only does the case provide many twists and turns， so does Jilly's personal life。 A great read！ 。。。more
Liz Mannegren
，
Even if you entered into this book knowing nothing about Beverley McLachlin， it would be abundantly clear that this author has extensive knowledge of the law。 The main case throughout this novel deals with a hot-button issue and you could really see the author's legal mind at work as she crafted the story。In particular， the courtroom scenes were really well done。 I haven't read many legal thrillers set in Canada， and I loved that unique element。 The second half of the novel truly feels as if you Even if you entered into this book knowing nothing about Beverley McLachlin， it would be abundantly clear that this author has extensive knowledge of the law。 The main case throughout this novel deals with a hot-button issue and you could really see the author's legal mind at work as she crafted the story。In particular， the courtroom scenes were really well done。 I haven't read many legal thrillers set in Canada， and I loved that unique element。 The second half of the novel truly feels as if you're sitting through a murder trial。 As a reader， this has its pros and cons。 On the one hand， I was very intrigued by this glimpse at how the legal world works。 It felt authentic， thorough， and completely real。 However， this realism meant that it was a little slower-paced than I was expecting。 It's more procedural than action。That's not to say I didn't read my way through this book in a day or two。 Because I did！ I found the story engaging and Jilly's character interesting -- and mostly， I just wanted to see how it would all end！ （Huge props for those twists because I did not see them coming！）One thing I will add is that this novel is actually the second installment in the Jilly Truitt series。 While I didn't have any issue jumping into book two， I do wish I'd read Full Disclosure first。 There were some major spoilers （or at least， I felt they were） in Denial and I would definitely recommend reading this series in order。3。5 stars rounded up。 Thanks to Netgalley， the publisher， and the author for this advance read！ 。。。more
Lynn
，
Jilly Truitt a defense attorney has certainly made a name for herself after taking on some high-profile cases。 When lawyer Joseph Quentin requests that she takes on a case very personal to him， she is hesitant。 Joseph’s wife， Vera has been charged with killing her own mother and is awaiting trial。 Can Jilly find the answers to her questions before the trail begins？ Can she pull an ace out of her sleeve to save Vera？ When secrets start to surface， and time is running out， can Jilly do what she do Jilly Truitt a defense attorney has certainly made a name for herself after taking on some high-profile cases。 When lawyer Joseph Quentin requests that she takes on a case very personal to him， she is hesitant。 Joseph’s wife， Vera has been charged with killing her own mother and is awaiting trial。 Can Jilly find the answers to her questions before the trail begins？ Can she pull an ace out of her sleeve to save Vera？ When secrets start to surface， and time is running out， can Jilly do what she does best？This novel by Beverley McLachlin will leave you breathless。 Secrets， lies， betrayal， and a family torn apart will keep you turning the pages to see what lies beneath the truth。 As a reader we get to see how Jilly’s character is evolving and get a firsthand look at the life of a criminal defense lawyer。 I appreciate and admire Beverly McLachlin for bring her expertise and experience onto the pages of this fabulous thriller。 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I was gifted and would like to thank Simon and Schuster Canada。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Amanda T
，
Slow to start， but the courtroom scenes were very compelling。 The main reason for my 3 star review is the ending: I hated it。 It it had ended 15 pages sooner， it would have been a strong satisfying ending。 Some might enjoy it but I don't like drama for the sake of drama - I found it added nothing to the story and I was frustrated by it。 Slow to start， but the courtroom scenes were very compelling。 The main reason for my 3 star review is the ending: I hated it。 It it had ended 15 pages sooner， it would have been a strong satisfying ending。 Some might enjoy it but I don't like drama for the sake of drama - I found it added nothing to the story and I was frustrated by it。 。。。more
Audrey Sue Lavoie
，
To say I loved this book is an understatement。 To the point that may people are going to be gifted a copy shortly。 Beverly McLachlin’s portrayal of Jilly and Vera of all the intricacies of these two women is beautiful and complex。 Exposing the truth of being human in all of its ups and downs。 Her descriptions of the legal aspects in this book are very well done and give us a peak inside the mind of lawyers。 But the humanity of the characters in all of its raw， messy glory is what sets this book To say I loved this book is an understatement。 To the point that may people are going to be gifted a copy shortly。 Beverly McLachlin’s portrayal of Jilly and Vera of all the intricacies of these two women is beautiful and complex。 Exposing the truth of being human in all of its ups and downs。 Her descriptions of the legal aspects in this book are very well done and give us a peak inside the mind of lawyers。 But the humanity of the characters in all of its raw， messy glory is what sets this book apart。 Thank you Beverley McLachlin for writing this book and for giving me the honour of being selected to read and review it。 。。。more
Lisa Goodmurphy
，
Anyone who loves a good courtroom drama will no doubt enjoy the lastest from Beverley McLachlin， former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada。 Denial， like her bestseller Full Disclosure， is about Jilly Truitt， a tough criminal defence lawyer practicing in Vancouver， British Columbia。Jilly agrees to take on the case of Vera Quentin at the request of Vera's husband who is also a lawyer。 Vera's trial for murdering her own mother， Olivia Stanton， is starting in two weeks and she is without r Anyone who loves a good courtroom drama will no doubt enjoy the lastest from Beverley McLachlin， former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada。 Denial， like her bestseller Full Disclosure， is about Jilly Truitt， a tough criminal defence lawyer practicing in Vancouver， British Columbia。Jilly agrees to take on the case of Vera Quentin at the request of Vera's husband who is also a lawyer。 Vera's trial for murdering her own mother， Olivia Stanton， is starting in two weeks and she is without representation as she refuses to accept a plea bargain。 Vera maintains her innocence despite all evidence pointing to her as the killer。 She refuses to admit to giving her mother a fatal injection of morphine even though it would mean a much shorter jail sentence than what she's facing。 Everyone around her seems to think that Vera is in denial but Jilly takes her on - as a favour to Joseph Quentin， for the legal challenge and to some extent because she wonders if there's a possibility that Vera could be telling the truth。Denial raises some very interesting legal and ethical issues relating to medical assistance in dying （a law referred to as MAID in Canada）。 Vera's mother， Olivia， was suffering from cancer and in a great deal of pain from her treatments。 She had made it very clear that she wanted to die with dignity and had repeatedly asked Vera to help her but Vera had refused。 Olivia's doctor also could not help because the law requires death to be imminent and the medical opinion was that it was possible for her to live several years once her cancer treatments were complete。 There is also a side plot that Jilly gets involved in related to human trafficking。 I have read quite a few legal thrillers over the years but I think that this is the first that I have read from the Canadian perspective which I quite enjoyed。 As she lays out the procedural aspects of a Canadian criminal trial， the reader gets the benefit of the expertise of the justice who was the first woman as well as the longest serving Chief Justice in Canada and who knows the Canadian legal system inside out。 The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin was appointed as a justice to the Supreme Court of Canada shortly before I started law school and I looked up to her a great deal as a law student and as a young lawyer。 For that reason alone， I enjoyed reading her fictional work after reading so many of her legal opinions！ I do regret not reading Full Disclosure first though as I felt like this would have been a better read if I had known more of Jilly's backstory。3。5 stars rounded up to 4。Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC。 。。。more
Wanda
，
Although ”Denial” is well-written， I did not get drawn into the story。 Jilly Truitt is a top ranked lawyer and has been asked by another lawyer to defend his wife in a murder trial。 His wife is accused of murdering her own mother in a so-called “mercy killing。” I loved the insight into the Canadian legal system from an author who knows all the ins and outs。 I have now read both of Beverley McLachlin’s books and I have enjoyed seeing Jilly’s character develop。 The twist at the end did catch me of Although ”Denial” is well-written， I did not get drawn into the story。 Jilly Truitt is a top ranked lawyer and has been asked by another lawyer to defend his wife in a murder trial。 His wife is accused of murdering her own mother in a so-called “mercy killing。” I loved the insight into the Canadian legal system from an author who knows all the ins and outs。 I have now read both of Beverley McLachlin’s books and I have enjoyed seeing Jilly’s character develop。 The twist at the end did catch me off guard。 I think I was expecting more of an action legal thriller and this book is more like a procedural。 My recommendation would be to read “Full Disclosure” first to get the full story on Jilly herself。 It will make this book more interesting。 Having said all of this， I will be reading the next offering by Ms。 McLachlin to see where Jilly's life leads。 Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before publication in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more
LMH
，
3。5 rounded up。 I enjoyed this second instalment of Jilly Truitt’s story。 The writing was definitely more developed than in Full Disclosure。 I enjoyed Full Disclosure last year， but the court room scenes outshone the rest of the novel for me， and the pacing felt a little stilted at times。 In this novel， my enjoyment was much more balanced throughout the novel。 I couldn’t put the novel down and I read it pretty fast。 The whole novel is riveting for both what the author tells us， and what she does 3。5 rounded up。 I enjoyed this second instalment of Jilly Truitt’s story。 The writing was definitely more developed than in Full Disclosure。 I enjoyed Full Disclosure last year， but the court room scenes outshone the rest of the novel for me， and the pacing felt a little stilted at times。 In this novel， my enjoyment was much more balanced throughout the novel。 I couldn’t put the novel down and I read it pretty fast。 The whole novel is riveting for both what the author tells us， and what she doesn’t。 The pace was good。 The focus was on Jilly’s case， of course， and the law， and our system of justice。 It’s thrilling to read the Courtroom scenes， knowing they are written from the perspective of the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada。 The non-Courtroom scenes read like a film noir。 They’re dark。 They’re a little sterile， but the sterility works for me。 Characters are in rushed circumstances， all cylinders firing， seemingly on the verge of running out of gas at any moment。 In other words， sterility， or numbness， it reads so true。 I didn’t 100% guess where the twists and turns in the novel would take us， which I liked。 The clues were there， but it wasn’t offensively obvious。 As a lawyer myself， it was so validating to read about the struggle to balance work and life， to practice a social profession that requires so much secrecy， so much mis-trust， and therefore can feel so isolating。 The author really nailed how this can feel。 Especially interesting was knowing that the author was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada at the time that Court overturned the Canadian laws which banned physician assisted suicide， leading to Canada’s current Medical Assistance in Dying （MAID） laws， laws which are discussed in the novel。 If you’re interested in Courtroom drama， definitely read this。 I’ve been in Court for criminal matters， and this is how it feels。 It highlights how high the stakes can be for people， the skill and sacrifice required of lawyers， judges， experts， police， and clerks of the Court， all to keep the wheels of justice turning。 This novel also raises great questions about the weaknesses in our justice systems， like how money and privilege factor into justice， how fallible we are as human beings。 I hope we get to read more of Jilly Truitt’s story， and I hope we don’t have to wait too long to do so。 Thank you to NetGalley， the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin， and Simon and Schuster for providing me with an ARC in advance of the September 14， 2021 publication date so that I may provide my fair and honest review。 。。。more
David Bingham
，
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of Beverly McLaughlin’s “Denial” to read in exchange for an unbiased review。 （Publication date: 14 Sep 2021）The second novel featuring Defense Lawyer Jilly Truitt begins with her recruitment to take on an unwinnable case: the wife of a once-prominent lawyer stands accused of murdering her ill and elderly mother， who had been denied the option to end her life under provisions of Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying la Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of Beverly McLaughlin’s “Denial” to read in exchange for an unbiased review。 （Publication date: 14 Sep 2021）The second novel featuring Defense Lawyer Jilly Truitt begins with her recruitment to take on an unwinnable case: the wife of a once-prominent lawyer stands accused of murdering her ill and elderly mother， who had been denied the option to end her life under provisions of Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying law （MAID）。 The Crown's case is solid， the defendant's refusal to agree to a plea bargain has led to the withdrawal of two previous counsellors， and the trial will begin in mere weeks。 Jilly doesn't need this case - with her reputation she can choose her clients。 Yet there's something here that compels her to believe Vera Quentin's assertion of innocence， a feeling that Vera isn't simply in Denial。 Thus we find ourselves drawn along as she and her associates search for the truth - or the reasonable doubt - that will ensure justice is served。The courtroom drama is tightly presented， suspenseful， and balanced effectively with investigative and strategic developments。 I found the arc of Jilly's personal life to be less engaging and at times a distraction from the main plot， rather than an accompaniment。 。。。more
Richard Dow
，
A great Canadian court drama taking place in Vancouver， surrounding the "right to die with dignity"。 The protagonist， Jilly Truit， legal counsel is faced with an unwinnable case against a daughter accused of the murder of her mother。 I enjoyed the slow build of the plot， wondering in anticipation of where the story was going。 Enjoyed it thoroughly。 A great Canadian court drama taking place in Vancouver， surrounding the "right to die with dignity"。 The protagonist， Jilly Truit， legal counsel is faced with an unwinnable case against a daughter accused of the murder of her mother。 I enjoyed the slow build of the plot， wondering in anticipation of where the story was going。 Enjoyed it thoroughly。 。。。more
A。M。G。 ☮Hippie/Fantasia☮
，
Rating: 4。5 / 5**Received ARC from Netgalley for honest review。**Wow。 Now THIS is how to write a proper mystery crime novel！Centering around defense attorney Jilly Truitt， the story takes place in Vancouver， Canada--so yay， Canadian law， which I can actually understand！ Jilly's been hired by Joseph Quentin to defend his wife， Vera， from a charge of second-degree murder by the state and prosecutor， Cy Kenge。 Apparently， Vera is accused of murdering her mother， Olivia， after months of pressure by Rating: 4。5 / 5**Received ARC from Netgalley for honest review。**Wow。 Now THIS is how to write a proper mystery crime novel！Centering around defense attorney Jilly Truitt， the story takes place in Vancouver， Canada--so yay， Canadian law， which I can actually understand！ Jilly's been hired by Joseph Quentin to defend his wife， Vera， from a charge of second-degree murder by the state and prosecutor， Cy Kenge。 Apparently， Vera is accused of murdering her mother， Olivia， after months of pressure by Olivia to help her die--an unofficial MAID （medical assistance in dying）， since Olivia doesn't qualify for it officially under the law。 The easiest way out would be to take Kenge's plea bargain， and therefore Vera will only have to go to prison for 1-2 year; however， Vera stoutly denies the charge， and so they move on with the trial， which， if Vera is found guilty， would result in ten years in prison for her。 At first， it seems to be Jilly's job to convince Vera to take the plea bargain， but when Vera continues in her denial， Jilly's job then becomes to poke holes in Kenge's case that Vera committed the crime "beyond a reasonable doubt"。Reading through this， I got great vibes for all of the law films I enjoy--most particularly 12 Angry Men （1957）， especially since "beyond a reasonable doubt" is really emphasized and Jilly has to do the same kind of digging for evidence and ask the same questions that the jurors in the film do。 It's all really great when you get those kinds of vibes from a crime novel！All throughout， I confess that I had no idea what had actually happened to Olivia， though， like Jilly， I 100% believed that Vera wasn't guilty。 The author definitely throws some twists your way that you will not see coming though， and also seamlessly connects the two ongoing plots by the end of the novel--that of Vera's trial， and that of how Jilly is being targeted by a former client of hers who's an underworld criminal。 （By the way， I did suspect that the two plots must be related in some way because otherwise why would the author include the second one， but since I didn't understand just how， it was still refreshing to encounter that twist as well。）I really really REALLY loved reading through all the courtroom scenes。 I got the sense that either this author has done her research or she's been through the procedure herself， because she writes about the questioning， the legalities， and just about everything like she's an expert at it。 It made for a really engaging read and is just good writing as well in knowing one's subject matter。 Applause to Ms。 McLachlin for that， to be sure！The ending， for me at least， was a bit of a trainwreck ending as well， but it was such a mini-trainwreck that I decided to let it pass for five stars and only deducted 。5 marks for it。 Like。。。in itself， it's not convincing and it's got holes in it， but since the novel itself is just written so well and flows so well， for once I won't deduct a rating for it just for the ending。Overall though， really enjoyed this read and， shockingly， I was actually impressed by it。 Believe me when I say this: this does NOT happen often for me to be impressed with a book， and especially not one of this genre when the majority that I've read were written， published， and "praised" for the "twists and turns" rather than for the quality of the writing。But this book HAS impressed me， so you， dear reader， can assume that it's got both a great plot， great twists， and great writing。 Definitely recommended！ 。。。more
Matt
，
First and foremost， a large thank you to NetGalley， Beverley McLachlin， and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this publication， which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review。Having served a long and illustrious career in the Canadian legal field， former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada， Beverley McLachlin， has not been resting on her laurels in retirement。 Rather， she’s come up with some amazing legal thrillers that keep the reader flipping pages to get First and foremost， a large thank you to NetGalley， Beverley McLachlin， and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this publication， which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review。Having served a long and illustrious career in the Canadian legal field， former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada， Beverley McLachlin， has not been resting on her laurels in retirement。 Rather， she’s come up with some amazing legal thrillers that keep the reader flipping pages to get to the core of the case。 Jilly Truitt is an established lawyer， getting her practice in order and can finally choose her clients， rather than take whatever scraps are tossed her way。 When an acquaintance asks that she take on the case of his wife， Jilly is sceptical。 Vera Quentin is accused of killing her mother with a legal dose of morphine， though she denies the charges。 Two previous defence attorneys have quit and the judge is not likely to grant another continuance。 Jilly reluctantly agrees to the case， which opens many issues， both with the legal preparation and the law towards assisted suicide in Canada。 The further Jilly explores， the more twists the case provides， which only fuels her to get to the truth。 Another stunning piece by McLachlin， whose fiction writing is as riveting as the judgements delivered from the bench。After a rocky few years， Jilly Truitt is finally making a name for herself in Vancouver’s criminal defence community。 She’s established herself as a gritty lawyer with nothing holding her back。 When she is approached by Joseph Quentin， she is intrigued， particularly because the man is a no-nonsense legal mind who has been dealing with some family issues of late。 Quentin’s wife， Vera， is on trial the the murder of her mother， Olivia Stanton。 While Vera denies this， she also refuses to take a plea being offered by the Crown’s Attorney， Cy Kenge。 Jilly really does not want the case， particularly since two other attorneys quit in the lead-up to trial， but there’s something here。Jilly agrees to meet with Vera and is persuaded after their frank conversation。 While Olivia Stanton felt strongly about her right to die， having suffered from cancer and being in constant pain， Vera has outwardly refused to take such measures。 Still， on the night of Olivia’s death， Vera was the only other person in the house。 Jilly must find a crack in the story that the Crown is presenting and show that Vera’s adamant behaviour is her own defence。 However， Vera has issues of her own， including mental health， which creates a sense of denying the truth on occasion。While working the case， Jilly has been doing some pro bono work and helps a young woman who is fleeing human trafficking。 However， not all of Vancouver’s criminal element feel so fondly about Jilly， meaning that there are many who would have painted a target on her back。 Still， Jilly cannot let that deter her from doing good work， either in the courtroom or for those who need help as victims of horrible crimes。When Jilly finds a new angle to approach in the case， she rushes forward， learning that Olivia may have been making some significant changes to her estate before dying。 Could this has fuelled someone to take drastic action to stop things in their tracks？ It’s only when the case goes to trial that Jilly is handed a significant set-up， as additional secrets about Vera’s life come to the surface and truths paint a new picture about what might have happened that night。 Working every perspective and trying not to enter any traps set by Cy Kenge， Jilly works her legal magic and tries to stay the course， even as personal tragedy befalls her in the middle of presenting her case。 Vera Quentin may be espousing her innocence， but the facts left to the jury are nowhere nearly as clear cut。 Denial of the truth could be the one weakness Jilly and Vera must overcome before this ends。 A stunning thriller that will keep the reader hooked until the very end。Having followed the career of Beverley McLachlin for many years， I was excited to see that she was able to make the shift from Chief Justice of Canada to a published author。 Not only that， but her writing is gripping and riveting， something that not all lawyers and judges can do when moving into the world of fiction。 McLachlin spins a tale with a great Canadian flavour and keeps the reader turning pages with ease。 I can only hope that there are more Jilly Truitt thrillers to come before long。Jilly Truitt remains a wonderful protagonist in this piece。 She builds on her past from the series debut and grows quite nicely in this piece。 Working to carve a niche for herself in Vancouver’s busy legal community is surely not easy， but she has done it with ease and flair， something that shows throughout the book。 Her gritty determination shines through， as does her desire to protect any client for whom she works。 There are moments of weakness for her， as depicted in a subplot of the book， but she comes out determined to set things straight， as best she can。McLachlin uses strong supporting characters throughout the piece to keep the story moving and complement Jilly effectively。 There are angles of the story that depict legal issues in Canada， familial squabbles， and even personal interactions， all of which are effectively covered through the numerous characters introduced throughout。 McLachlin has paved the way for a wonderful novel and builds on her stellar debut piece with both new and returning characters sure to impress the reader。I have long loved a good legal thriller， but find it hard to find ones set outside the big domains of the US and UK。 McLachlin has done well to present the Canadian angle， which differs from both without being too off the wall。 The narrative flowed well and keeps the reader enthralled throughout， using strong characters and a paced plot that gains momentum as the story builds。 A mix of chapter lengths serve to fuel the story， teasing the reader at times while also pulling them in for a legal or personal exploration at times。 I found myself reading and not wanting to stop， which is not always an easy feat。 However， there was something about this book。 Some bemoan that McLachlin ought to have stayed with her courtroom work， but I am sure it is only that they did not take the time to allow the story to really sink in。 I cannot wait for more！Kudos， Madam McLachlin （not sure what title I ought to use）， for another wonderful piece。 I cannot wait to see what Jilly Truitt will discover next and how that will add to the greatness of this blossoming series。Love/hate the review？ An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings。wordpress。com/A Book for All Seasons， a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www。goodreads。com/group/show/。。。 。。。more
Kim Bamber
，
I received an electronic copy of this novel from NetGalley。I loved that this novel took place in British Columbia。 Canada。 Such a great legal thriller with an end you will never guess。 "Denial" is a great novel by Beverley McLachlin。 I received an electronic copy of this novel from NetGalley。I loved that this novel took place in British Columbia。 Canada。 Such a great legal thriller with an end you will never guess。 "Denial" is a great novel by Beverley McLachlin。 。。。more
Christina
，
I was unable to really enjoy this book。 I found it slow moving for me and I found myself distracted while reading it。 I was hoping for a more fast paced court room book。 Thank you NetGalley， the author and publisher for allowing me to review this book for my honest opinion。
suze joyce
，
Denial is aptly titled but where is the denial real。 Who is guilty and what are they actually guilty of。 Denial will have you riveted to your seat as。 you devour it。 While you may see some of it coming you won't believe how it comes out of left field。 Beverley doesn't disappoint in the sequel to Full Disclosure。 An excellent read。 I loved it。 Denial is aptly titled but where is the denial real。 Who is guilty and what are they actually guilty of。 Denial will have you riveted to your seat as。 you devour it。 While you may see some of it coming you won't believe how it comes out of left field。 Beverley doesn't disappoint in the sequel to Full Disclosure。 An excellent read。 I loved it。 。。。more
Crystal Rees
，
A well executed courtroom drama。 I wasn’t aware that there was a previous book to Denial but I will look for it now。 I was held captivated by jilly and want to continue with her story as well。 The families dynamic held my attention and the twists at the end were unexpected。 Looking forward to reading more from Beverley McLachlin。 Thank you NetGalley for this arc
Stephanie
，
Denial is the second fiction novel about Jilly Truitt， a defence attorney in Vancouver。 As a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada， the author weaves an interesting courtroom drama about a woman accused of killing her mother to ease her suffering。 The novel raises many fascinating and topical issues such as medical assistance in dying （MAID）， mental illness， and female exploitation。 In addition to the interesting plot， the novel was written in an easy to read style and the various Denial is the second fiction novel about Jilly Truitt， a defence attorney in Vancouver。 As a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada， the author weaves an interesting courtroom drama about a woman accused of killing her mother to ease her suffering。 The novel raises many fascinating and topical issues such as medical assistance in dying （MAID）， mental illness， and female exploitation。 In addition to the interesting plot， the novel was written in an easy to read style and the various storylines did come together satisfactorily at the end。 I did， however， find the pace a bit slow in the middle。 I enjoyed the author’s further development of Jilly （first introduced in Full Disclosure） and hope that there is a third novel in the series。 Very enjoyable novel！ Denial is out on September 14。Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mackenzie RM
，
3。5/5 stars！I was super excited to obtain a copy of this digital ARC， but that increased when I realized it is written by a Chief Justice of Canada， who also happens to be the first woman in that position！I am always interested in reading legal thrillers， mostly because I don’t come across them very often… but when I do， it’s always a good read。 Also， who doesn’t love a book set in Canada？Denial is told in the views of defense attorney Jilly Truitt。 She is defending a suspect， Vera Quentin， in t 3。5/5 stars！I was super excited to obtain a copy of this digital ARC， but that increased when I realized it is written by a Chief Justice of Canada， who also happens to be the first woman in that position！I am always interested in reading legal thrillers， mostly because I don’t come across them very often… but when I do， it’s always a good read。 Also， who doesn’t love a book set in Canada？Denial is told in the views of defense attorney Jilly Truitt。 She is defending a suspect， Vera Quentin， in the murder of Vera’s mother， Olivia Stanton。 It is really interesting following Jilly along as she builds her defense case， as there are many secrets to uncover。 There are a few side plots that could have really made this novel exceptional; however， I felt these side plots weren’t exploited or even explored， and ultimately fell flat。 The personal and family dynamics found in this novel appear to be centered on the concepts: denial， betrayal， grieving， acceptance， and renewal of self。 It also demonstrates the longstanding thoughts of ‘don’t air your dirty laundry in public’ as a family unit。 I was truly surprised by the ending of this novel as I didn’t really see it coming。 Some of the tying up of loose ends in the plot lines felt rushed。 There were some spelling or incorrect name or word use， ex: stating Vera Quentin instead of Olivia Stanton， but all were minor and am sure will be corrected prior to publishing！All in all， a decent read。 I will be keeping an eye out for more of McLachlin’s work！I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher， Simon & Schuster Canada， for this advanced digital copy and the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review！ All opinions expressed are my own。 Upon publishing of this novel， I will also be posting my review to Amazon Canada。 。。。more
Rod Lee
，
My first legal thriller & it was a great read。 To me it felt like a Kathy Reichs Bones story。 Strong female protagonist， life endangered by the work she’s doing， personal life issues。 But with a legal instead of anthropological bent。 I’m not complaining about the similarity， just making an observation。 Again， great read， well drawn characters & a very good twisty plot。
Brenda
，
I thoroughly enjoyed this suspense novel。 The addition of an excerpt of an interview featuring Beverley McLachlin and John Grisham is a nice bonus。Jilly Truitt feels compelled to represent Vera Quentin who is accused of murdering her dying mother， Olivia Stanton。 Vera adamantly denies doing this but a trial is underway despite all of the background activities that have been going on for the past two years。Jilly's other case representing Danny Mau leads to a hit being put out on her life。 Jilly a I thoroughly enjoyed this suspense novel。 The addition of an excerpt of an interview featuring Beverley McLachlin and John Grisham is a nice bonus。Jilly Truitt feels compelled to represent Vera Quentin who is accused of murdering her dying mother， Olivia Stanton。 Vera adamantly denies doing this but a trial is underway despite all of the background activities that have been going on for the past two years。Jilly's other case representing Danny Mau leads to a hit being put out on her life。 Jilly also finds herself involved in the rescue of a young woman escaping a human trafficking ring。 The details of the investigation and trial kept me turning pages。 The characters are well-developed and easy to bond with。 I did find the outcome from the Danny hit predictable and saddening when it happened。I hope there will be a third Jilly novel in the near future。I volunteered to read an ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada through Net Galley。Release date Sept 14， 2021。 。。。more
Diane Merritt
，
I just couldn't get totally into this book。 Was slow moving to me。 I love anything to do with court cases but the characters just didn't flow well for me。 Thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book。 I just couldn't get totally into this book。 Was slow moving to me。 I love anything to do with court cases but the characters just didn't flow well for me。 Thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book。 。。。more
Sarah
，
I received this book from Simon and Schuster Canada via NetGalley。 I enjoyed the trial part of the book and some of the investigating of the case but， in general， I found the book slow。 While the book did wrap up the subplots I found it would have added some excitement if they had delved deeper into these subplots， especially when they held bearing to the storyline of this book。 I found the characters a bit flat also。 In general the book just felt like plot points had been written down but nothi I received this book from Simon and Schuster Canada via NetGalley。 I enjoyed the trial part of the book and some of the investigating of the case but， in general， I found the book slow。 While the book did wrap up the subplots I found it would have added some excitement if they had delved deeper into these subplots， especially when they held bearing to the storyline of this book。 I found the characters a bit flat also。 In general the book just felt like plot points had been written down but nothing was done to blend the points together。 。。。more
Melissa
，
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 So I did like the courtroom story and the trial。 I thought it was well done。 I didn't realize that there was a previous book before I read this one。 That said， I felt the re-introduction of Mike was unnecessary and I didn't find the side plot to be relevant， or even needed。 The main storyline would have been enough。 I wasn't a fan of the characters。 I thought Jilly was pretentious， and I actually found the writing in I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 So I did like the courtroom story and the trial。 I thought it was well done。 I didn't realize that there was a previous book before I read this one。 That said， I felt the re-introduction of Mike was unnecessary and I didn't find the side plot to be relevant， or even needed。 The main storyline would have been enough。 I wasn't a fan of the characters。 I thought Jilly was pretentious， and I actually found the writing in itself to be pretentious。 I was not a fan of this book， and I will probably not read any more by this author。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Denial
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Denial&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Denial&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0