The Innocent One

A Novel

Lisa Ballantyne

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 . . .

Lisa Ballantyne is the internationally bestselling author of four novels. Her debut, The Guilty One, was nominated for 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.

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Endorsements & Reviews

“Lisa Ballantyne’s The Innocent One is a crackling good read—exactly the kind of novel that readers have come to expect from one of the most talented psychological suspense authors working today. With a gripping, twisty plot, conflicted and relatable characters, ever-rising tension, and an ending that’s as thrilling as it is satisfying, I loved this book!” Karen Dionne, bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter

“’It was a terrible thing to know you were going to die and not be able to do anything to prevent it.’ Fingernail-on-a-chalkboard sentences like this one are what make The Innocent One, Lisa Ballantyne’s fifth novel — the follow-up to 2012’s The Guilty One — so good. Fashioning memorable suspense out of a well-known case is incredibly difficult, but Ballantyne makes it look easy.” The New York Times Book Review

"A character-driven, domestic crime novel. Through juxtaposing the choices of two emotionally disturbed boys, Ballantyne sensitively explores themes of rejection, abuse, and forgiveness." Booklist

“A skillful mixture of creepy crime thriller and gripping domestic drama, The Innocent One had me turning the pages late into the night.” C. J. Cooper, bestselling author of The Book Club

“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

Praise for Lisa Ballantyne:

“A moving, insightful novel.” The Guardian