Latest Books The Big Thrill Recommends: THE SENTENCE by Christina Dalcher

From The Sunday Times bestselling author of Vox, Christina Dalcher, comes a semi-dystopian legal thriller in the finest tradition of the genre’s best, John Grisham and Scott Turow. THE SENTENCE will take you on a thrilling ride while at the same time setting timely questions on scorching themes such as the essence of morality and mortality.

Dalcher probes deep into the (always) topical issue of capital punishment, setting her multi-faceted story in an American society in which prosecutors who seek the death sentence put their own lives at stake—if they are proved wrong, they will be killed. The plot unfolds through two main perspectives, the first being that of state prosecutor Justine Boucher, who petitions the court for the death penalty in a murder case, convinced by a mountain of incriminating evidence. The second point of view belongs to death row inmate Jake Milford, whose personal story and background is divulged to the reader through his diary, where we learn more about him as a character, starting with his turbulent early years as a child. The lives of the two protagonists become intertwined as Boucher’s certainty of Milford’s guilt is seriously challenged, thus risking her own life.

Dalcher’s pen is daring and will invoke a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions for readers who desire not only to be entertained but to rethink their stance on critical dilemmas that divide contemporary American society.

Recommended by Dimitris Passas