{"product_id":"in-her-defence-the-new-reese-witherspoon-book-club-pick-february-2026-a-dark-and-gripping-courtroom-drama-for-fans-of-gillian-flynn-and-ripley-9781399721738","title":"In Her Defence: The NEW Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, February 2026. A dark and gripping courtroom drama for fans of Gillian Flynn and Ripley","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA page-turning courtroom drama about the dark side of therapy - \u003ci\u003eThe Talented Mr Ripley \u003c\/i\u003emeets Gillian Flynn.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou've read about the Finbow trial. You've seen it in the tabloids. You've watched it when it appeared on the news, unable to peel your eyes away from the spectacle of it all.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFamous, wealthy Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary to access to her trust fund.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJean, claiming that the dark memories she's helped Mary uncover are real. That therapy has offered her a chance to finally heal.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eI'll tell you now that you shouldn't believe either of them.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eOnly I can tell you the truth. But everything I say is in her defence.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn fiercely intelligent psychological thriller of obsessive friendship, toxic families and courtroom politics, from an exceptional new talent. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781399721738\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 10 Feb 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15(L)x2.6(W)420\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 420\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003ePhilippa Malicka grew up in Essex and now lives in London. Her journalism has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eSunday Telegraph \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSunday \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes \u003c\/i\u003eand she is a graduate of the Fiction MA at the University of East Anglia. \u003ci\u003eIn Her Defence\u003c\/i\u003e, a Reese's Book Club pick in February 2026, is her first novel.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cb\u003eSmart, elegant, and endlessly unsettling. This is a novel full of delicious, vivid details: the ambiguous characters, the unforgettable settings, the unnerving psychology\u003c\/b\u003e -- Abigail Dean, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of GIRL A\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat 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!\u003c\/b\u003e -- JP Delaney, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE GIRL BEFORE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA stunning debut that jumps deftly between courtroom thriller and a twisting, tender tale of lust, trust, friendship and betrayal\u003c\/b\u003e -- Erin Kelly, internationally bestselling author of HE SAID \/ SHE SAID\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePhilippa Malicka delivers both a twisting courtroom trial and a haunting character study in this wholly absorbing debut. \u003ci\u003eIn Her Defence\u003c\/i\u003e 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!\u003c\/b\u003e -- Megan Miranda, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of YOU BELONG HERE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eI devoured it in one day. It's tense, twisted and beautifully written, and both an unsettling and compelling story of obsession and vulnerability\u003c\/b\u003e -- Debbie Howells, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE BONES OF YOU\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA haunting and twisty story of obsession, memory, and the blurred line between healing and harm. Part courtroom drama, part psychological love story, \u003ci\u003eIn Her Defence\u003c\/i\u003e will stay with you long after you've turned the final page\u003c\/b\u003e -- Liv Constantine, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE LAST MRS. PARRISH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 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\u003c\/b\u003e -- Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of BLACK-EYED SUSANS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA mesmerising, intricately plotted psychodrama you won't be able to put down (or forget). Beautifully written, this is as assured a debut as they come - I inhaled it\u003c\/b\u003e -- Otegha Uwagba, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of LITTLE BLACK BOOK\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA riveting, seductive novel about the exploitation of power and control, expertly crafted and not to be missed!\u003c\/b\u003e -- Sophie Stava, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of COUNT MY LIES","brand":"Philippa Malicka","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48291602596057,"sku":"9781399721738","price":34.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781399721738.jpg?v=1773495050","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/in-her-defence-the-new-reese-witherspoon-book-club-pick-february-2026-a-dark-and-gripping-courtroom-drama-for-fans-of-gillian-flynn-and-ripley-9781399721738","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}