The Guilty One: Book summary and reviews of The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne

The Guilty One Summary

Solicitor Daniel Hunter is called to defend 11-year-old Sebastian who has been charged with the murder of a young boy on a London playground. While examining Sebastian's life in order to save it, Daniel can't help but be transported to his own difficult youth spent in foster care - a time when the one he trusted the most was the one who betrayed him…

Emotionally wrought, and with an abundance of twists and turns, The Guilty One is a character-driven novel of suspense that explores the true nature of guilt.

The Guilty One Reviews

"Starred Review. A child-on-child murder drives Ballantyne's searing debut ...[A] scalding exploration of childhood violence, adult refusal to forgive, and redemptive love." - Publishers Weekly

"An accomplished first novel and a good bet for book groups." - Booklist

"A captivating debut, but Daniel and Sebastian prove difficult to like, and readers may find themselves unsatisfied when turning the last page." - Kirkus

"One of the best debuts I've ever encountered." - Daily Record

"A page-turner." - Cosmopolitan (UK)

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

"Lisa Ballantyne has written a first novel that is both moving and suspenseful; richly detailed, yet with the eerie simplicity of a parable." - Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times bestselling author

"The Guilty One offers that rare combination of a beautifully crafted story, inhabited with characters we haven't known before (but won't forget)--and a story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night." - Joyce Maynard, author of Labor Day

"On one level, Lisa Ballantyne's The Guilty One delivers riveting courtroom drama that is unflinchingly true to its characters. At another level, its personal story resonates with love, forgiveness, and the possibility of redemption. The Guilty One will touch your heart even as it leaves you unsettled." - Hallie Ephron, author of There Was an Old Woman

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Lisa Ballantyne was born in Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland and was educated at Armadale Academy and University of St Andrews. She spent most of her twenties working and living in China, before returning to the UK in 2002, to work in Higher Education. She lives in Glasgow; this is her first novel.