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Review Quotes:
"Philippa Malicka delivers both a twisting courtroom trial and a haunting character study in this wholly absorbing debut.
In Her Defense explores the reliability of memory, the shifting nature of truth, and the fine line between obsession and love. I was completely hooked from the first page to the very last!" -
Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of You Belong Here
Review Quotes:
"A haunting and twisty story of obsession, memory, and the blurred line between healing and harm. Part courtroom drama, part psychological love story,
In Her Defense will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." -
Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
Review Quotes:
"A brilliant, star-making debut--a potent courtroom drama packed with complex characters, deft psychological twists, and buttery prose. The narrator is not so much unreliable as a mystery even to herself, and you'll be reading way past midnight to solve the puzzle of who she is." -
Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark
Review Quotes:
"Smart, elegant, and endlessly unsettling. This is a novel full of delicious, vivid details: the ambiguous characters, the unforgettable settings, the unnerving psychology." -
Abigail Dean, New York Times bestselling author of Girl A
Review Quotes:
"A riveting, seductive novel about the exploitation of power and control, expertly crafted and not to be missed!" -
Sophie Stava, New York Times bestselling author of Count My Lies
Review Quotes:
"What a beautifully written debut! Compulsively readable, a brilliant mix of courtroom drama, psychological thriller and love story, it pulls off the rare trick of being an unputdownable page-turner with real emotional depth. I can't wait to see what Malicka does next" -
JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before
Review Quotes:
'A stunning debut that jumps deftly between courtroom thriller and a twisting, tender tale of lust, trust, friendship and betrayal.' -
Erin Kelly, internationally bestselling author of He Said / She Said
Biographical Note:
Philippa Malicka was born in Essex and now lives in London. She is an alumnus of the Prose Fiction MA at the University of East Anglia. Her nonfiction has appeared in
The Sunday Times (London),
The Sunday Telegraph (London), and
Grazia among others.
In Her Defense is her first novel and has been longlisted for the Bridport First Novel Award.
Review Quotes:
"[A] bewitching debut... the crackling story toggles effortlessly from past to present as the depth of the characters' betrayals and manipulations comes out in open court. This serpentine courtroom drama will captivate readers."
--Publishers Weekly
Review Quotes:
By turns a psychological thriller, a courtroom drama and a romantic coming-of-age [that] rewards persistent readers with a worthy finale.--Tom Nolan "The Wall Street Journal"
Publisher Marketing:
A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB SELECTION
"You're going to lose your mind over this one...it is so, so, so good. I couldn't put it down." --Reese Witherspoon A young woman at the periphery of a high-stakes celebrity trial is the only one with the evidence that can make or break the case--but spilling her secret could ruin her life.
The whole country has been riveted by the trial: beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow has accused therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for nefarious purposes. Jean counters that Mary's trauma is from her upbringing and her tumultuous time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome: and Jerry is the only one who can heal her. But as the trial unfolds, it's Augusta "Gus" Bird, Anna's former employee--an insignificant bystander, a nobody--who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.
What really happened to Mary in Rome? And if her memories can't be trusted, how will they ever uncover the truth behind her estrangement? Only Anne knows. But will she tell her tale? Bewitching, seductive, and endlessly riveting:
In Her Defense is a compulsively readable debut for fans of Lucy Foley and Laura Dave.
Review Citations:
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Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2026 (EAN 9781668033623, Hardcover)
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Booklist 01/01/2026 (EAN 9781668033623, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
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Library Journal 12/01/2025 pg. 56 (EAN 9781668033623, Hardcover)
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Publishers Weekly 12/08/2025 (EAN 9781668033623, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
Contributor Bio:Malicka, Philippa
Philippa Malicka was born in Essex and now lives in London. She is an alumnus of the Prose Fiction MA at the University of East Anglia. Her nonfiction has appeared in
The Sunday Times (London),
The Sunday Telegraph (London), and
Grazia among others.
In Her Defense is her first novel and has been longlisted for the Bridport First Novel Award.
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