Available Formats
Paperback
Published: 29th July 2025
Paperback
Published: 11th June 2024
Hardback
Published: 30th July 2024
The Trial: the twisty, addictive thriller from the author of DON'T LOOK BACK
By (Author) Jo Spain
Quercus Publishing
Quercus Publishing
29th July 2025
24th April 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary
Paperback
368
Width 129mm, Height 198mm
41g
2014, Dublin: at St Edmunds, an elite college on the outskirts of the city, twenty-year-old medical student Theo gets up one morning, leaving behind his sleeping girlfriend, Dani, and his studies - never to be seen again. With too many unanswered questions, Dani simply can't accept Theo's disappearance and reports him missing, even though no one else seems concerned, including Theo's father.
Ten years later, Dani returns to the college as a history professor. With her mother suffering from severe dementia, and her past at St Edmunds still haunting her, she's trying for a new start. But not all is as it seems behind the cloistered college walls - meanwhile, Dani is hiding secrets of her own.EVERYONE LOVES JO SPAIN'S UNFORGETTABLE THRILLERS'Jo Spain never disappoints' Chris Whitaker'A very addictive read' 5* reader review'Compelling, enthralling and entertaining' Liz Nugent'Wow! What did I just read This is stupendous' 5* reader review'Jo Spain at her brilliant best: non-stop tension, clever twists and turns, and nothing is ever as it seems' Andrea Mara'I love Jo Spain's novels!' 5* reader review'So vivid, atmospheric and chilling' Claire Douglas'Jo Spain keeps you entertained with plenty of twists and turns' 5* reader review'The queen of the corkscrew plot' Sunday Times Crime ClubAn immersive page-turner * Irish Independent *
Full of intrigue and superbly paced * Prima *
Jo Spain is a sublime storyteller who turns what-ifs into must-reads. The Trial is a high-stakes thriller that combines an atmospheric academic setting with a story of medical malpractice that's bang up to date, but it's the characters who make this a book that you won't want to put down. Cancel all your plans before you start reading! * Jane Casey *
The reliably excellent Jo Spain has done it again - few writers set up and deliver so brilliantly as this writer at the top of her game. The Trial is a first-class high-stakes thriller that's also both heartbreaking and informative. Jo displays such command over her story - an absolute masterclass in pace * Caz Frear *
Tense, topical and terrifyingly plausible * Cara Hunter *
Told in dual timelines, this twisty thriller will keep the reader guessing until the last page * Candis *
The Trial confirms Spain's status as the Queen of Irish Thrillers * Irish Times *
She's always good, but knocks this one right out of the park * Peterborough Telegraph *
[A] meaty page-turner * Promoting Crime Fiction *
Clever deflections and lots of drama combine to make The Trial a highly enjoyable thriller, another chart-topper for this Irish crime writer who just keeps on giving * Swirl and Thread blog *
JO SPAIN is a full-time writer and screenwriter. Her first novel, With Our Blessing, was a finalist in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and she's become a regular Top Ten Irish bestseller with her subsequent eleven novels. Jo co-writes and produces the internationally acclaimed Harry Wild TV series and is currently working on several TV productions, including the adaptation of her own Detective Tom Reynolds series. Jo and her family live in Dublin.