First published 2000
Thomas Piper stands accused of killing five-year-old Mabel Young. The courtroom fills with spectators as prosecutors present their case against him. Witnesses take the stand to describe what they saw and heard. Defense attorneys challenge the evidence and question the testimony. Piper watches as his fate unfolds through legal arguments and cross-examinations. The judge presides over proceedings that will determine whether Piper committed this terrible crime. Each day brings new testimony that either supports or undermines the prosecution's theory. The trial becomes a battle between competing versions of what happened to the young girl. At its heart, this is a story about justice, truth, and the weight of evidence in a case where a child's life was lost.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, 21st-century, legal-thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
469 pages · Hardcover · Gaunt
Content warnings: child-death