Denial: Jilly Truitt    by Beverley McLachlin Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2021 (2021) Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Denial is the second (following Full Disclosure) in a legal mystery series written by former Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin and starring defense attorney Jilly Truitt. As this episode opens, Jilly is asked by a fellow attorney, Joseph Quentin (the Fixer), to defend his wife Vera, who is accused of killing her mother, dead from a lethal injection of morphine. It's been dubbed a mercy killing by the media. Quentin wants his wife to take a plea deal but she claims innocence. Reluctantly taking on the case, Jilly finds that she believes Vera. Unfortunately the case seems hopeless, given the evidence and the fact that Vera has a history of mental illness. Jilly also volunteers at a Women's Legal Clinic in Vancouver's East End. There she meets young May Chan who has run away from human traffickers, who brought her from China to be a sex worker. They promise to keep May safe but find that it's easier said than done. This case soon links to one in which Jilly defends Danny Mah, a small-time operator in the world of drugs. He's released but isn't happy with his lawyer, which eventually puts her at risk. In the courtroom, Jilly finds herself up against her former mentor, prosecutor Cy Kenge. She knows that he is determined to win and will bend the rules to do so. The case gets even harder when Joseph testifies against his wife. But, as we expect, Jilly and her team find out what really happened. Along the way, she experiences great happiness followed by a severe personal tragedy. I really like this series and look forward to more. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews