The Guilty One: A Novel

Lisa Ballantyne

Mar 2013 · Harper Collins

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

Moving and suspenseful, Lisa Ballantyne’s The Guilty One is a psychological thriller about the darkness in each of us. It explores how we are all tied to our pasts, and what it means to be guilty.

Solicitor Daniel Hunter is called to defend eleven-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.

“A first novel that is both moving and suspenseful; richly detailed, yet with the eerie simplicity of a parable.” —Joyce Carol Oates, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

“A page-turner.” —Cosmopolitan (UK)



“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 (starred review)

“This is a sensitive and insightful narrative that gradually builds suspense during Sebastian’s trial and Hunter’s revelations. Truth is revealed in the final pages, but Ballantyne leaves it to the reader to determine just where the guilt lies. An accomplished first novel and a good bet for book groups.” —Booklist

“Absorbing and compelling . . . A captivating debut.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Lisa Ballantyne is the author of the Edgar Award-nominated The Guilty One. She lived and worked in China for many years and started writing seriously while she was there. Ballantyne now lives in Glasgow, Scotland.