As a national emergency is announced following a chemical attack in the city, 12 jurors sitting on the trial of a nurse accused of administering lethal doses of adrenaline to patients are thrown into an extraordinary situation. Just before they begin deliberating the evidence, the court is put into lockdown, with nobody permitted to leave.
L. J. Shepherd builds One Of Your Number around protagonist Leonie – a member of the jury who, carrying an ulterior motive, must convince the others of his guilt. With the realisation that the accused may be on the loose inside the building, there is a taut and tense atmosphere.
Narrated pre- and post-attack, the dual timeline is centred around Leonie and the events leading to the secret yet to be revealed. The character dynamics are particularly interesting as the drama intensifies, with varying survival instincts emerging alongside group factions.
It’s difficult not to get caught up in the drama and put yourself in the position of the jurors in this unique thriller. I particularly enjoyed the way Leonie’s secret weaved through the plot providing unexpected turns, and after the success of the Cardiff-based Shepherd’s debut novel, The Trials Of Lila Dalton, I’m looking forward to my next read by her.
