Beverley Mclachlin

I am very grateful to a reader friend that I met via the 2021 LibraryThing Christmas card exchange for suggesting that I might enjoy books by Beverley MacLachlin. I missed the advisement that "Full Disclosure" was the 1st title written but I'll be reading that in the very near future! I enjoyed "Denial" as a stand-alone but when possible I like to read books in a series in order. It wasn't mentioned this was a series in the note received or at time of purchase so I didn't realize that both show more titles are about the character Jilly Truitt, criminal defense attorney.

Beverley McLachlin was the Chief Justice of Canada from 2000 to 2017. She is the 1st woman to hold that position and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history. In 2018, her 1st legal thriller was published and "Denial" is a riveting 2nd novel.

The writing is excellent, the story compelling, the characters and dialogue realistic. The author is clearly familiar with both sides of the law, prosecution and defense, witness statements and testimony at trial, and the crucial weight of evidence (burden of proof, admissibility, relevance, weight and sufficiency) of what can be admitted into the record of a legal proceeding.

Early on I had a suspect and immediately knew when the set up occurred of a different suspect. But even though my sleuthing opinion didn't falter I could not find the clue(s) to motive. I thought my suspect's alibi was weak but understandably accepted by law enforcement. The suspense kept building through the investigation and trial and I couldn't wait for the verdict. I was absolutely blown away by the twists. What a wild roller coaster ride! WoW!

Best legal thriller I've read in a long time! show less

This is Beverley McLachlin’s very readable, interesting, revealing and enjoyable memoir. She was the first woman to become Canada’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 2000 and she retired from the bench in December 2017.
She traces her life from her birth in Pincher Creek, Alberta where she was raised in humble surroundings by loving, solid parents amid the beautiful scenery of the prairies and the foothills of the Rockies. Her sense of justice was innate and was reinforced by her show more parents.
She was a very good student and was able to become well educated through scholarships and part time jobs. Initially she wanted to become a professor of philosophy but she chose the law and it gave her the practical experience to fight for social justice that philosophy could not.
She broke barriers for women in law and on the bench she championed causes which discriminated against women, indigenous people and the disenfranchised. She changed laws which were sexist and anachronistic and pushed for a more open court and justice system.
Her time on the bench included groundbreaking judgements related to Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Among these were definitions of sexual assault, same sex marriage, legalized assisted suicide.
Her personal life is a happy one although her first husband Rory McLachlin died at a young age of cancer, leaving her a widow with a young son. Even so, she accepted the offer to become a Supreme Court judge in 1989.
Her story is told with humour, humility and grace. One feels great pride in her achievements, successes and renown. show less

During LibraryThing's 2021 Christmas card exchange a reader friend suggested I might enjoy reading novels by Beverley MacLachlin. Best suggestion ever to a reader who enjoys legal thrillers! I missed the advertisement that "Full Disclosure" was the 1st title in a series about character Jilly Truitt, criminal defense attorney but both can easily be read as a stand-alone although with any series I prefer to read the novels in order.

If a married woman is found dead in the matrimonial bed with show more no signs of a break-in then it's always the husband who committed the murder right? The police have arrested and charged Vincent Trussardi with his wife Laura's murder. The crime scene is ghastly exhibiting the brutality that ended Laura's life. But all are innocent until proven guilty and Jilly Truitt, and associates Jeff Solosky and Alicia Leung are defense team for this case with Richard Beauvais contracted for the investigator work.

As a reader there doesn’t need to be a trial for me to designate it as a compelling legal thriller. However, when the courtroom drama of a trial is written by an author clearly understanding the structure of the court system, courtroom procedures, familiarity with prosecution and defense and the motivation of their actions, jury selection, evidence, disclosure, tunnel vision, and reasonable doubt the authenticity is all the more fascinating.

Adding depth to the legal thriller is the portrayal of Cy Kenge, prosecutor and former mentor to Jilly in the hours outside of their offices and the court. I only wish I was familiar with more artists as mentioned during the course of describing paintings in various homes. I did recognize the novels Jilly and/or her foster mother Martha were reading that made me smile.

I solved one aspect of interest to Tilly in her personal life. I did not succeed in unraveling all of the legal twists. I highly recommend you read this credible novel written by the 1st woman to hold the position of Chief Justice of Canada and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history.

I am hopeful that Beverley McLachlin is currently at work on another legal thriller. I’m eager to read more of her writing. show less

I enjoyed this book better than the first in the series. I found the characters had more depth, and the plot was more intricate. There were twists near the end that I wasn't expecting! It is clear that the author, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, knows the law well and both the court room scenes and the workings of the defense team were so authentic. The case related to a woman who wanted medical assistance in dying but did not qualify under existing legislation, so it was show more topical.

My only issue is that there were too many references to the first novel, which I read a long time ago. I don't remember some of the actions referred to. In the end, I don't think this mattered to the story, but it was annoying. show less