In Her Defense
- Judith D Collins
- Apr 16
- 6 min read
By: Philippa Malicka
Narrator: Anna Popplewell
IBBN: 9781668033623
Publisher: Scribner
Publication Date: 02/03/2026
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
A young woman at the periphery of a high-stakes celebrity trial is the only one with the evidence that can make or break the case—but spilling her secret could ruin her life.
The whole country has been riveted by the trial: beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow has accused therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for nefarious purposes. Jean counters that Mary’s trauma is from her upbringing and her tumultuous time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome: and Jerry is the only one who can heal her. But as the trial unfolds, it’s Augusta “Gus” Bird, Anna’s former employee—an insignificant bystander, a nobody—who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.
What really happened to Mary in Rome? And if her memories can’t be trusted, how will they ever uncover the truth behind her estrangement? Only Anne knows. But will she tell her tale?
Bewitching, seductive, and endlessly riveting: In Her Defense is a compulsively readable debut for fans of Lucy Foley and Laura Dave.
My Review
In Her Defense, debut author Philippa Malicka delivers a devastatingly sharp, clinically precise, and beautifully unsettling psychological courtroom thriller. The story hinges on a fierce, high-stakes legal battle and a circle of deeply flawed, unlikable characters facing immense moral and psychological hurdles to protect their secrets and weaponize the fragility of memory.
High-society familial dysfunction vs. unregulated, predatory wellness culture.
What happens when the person who steps in to save you from your trauma is actually a predator in disguise? When a high-profile lifestyle guru publicly accuses an unlicensed therapist of brainwashing her daughter, it sparks a multi-million dollar libel trial that tears both of their worlds apart. Moving between a tense London courtroom and a hazy art academy in Rome, this book is an absorbing dissection of weaponized wellness and toxic control.
A desperate fight to win a million-dollar defamation suit turns into a heart-wrenching, high-stakes exposure of manipulation when cross-examinations peel back layers of trauma, forcing a fractured group of women to face a common truth.
WEAPONIZED THERAPY VS. HIGH-SOCIETY FAMILY SECRETS.
"A public libel trial exposes a celebrity mother, a predatory therapist, and the broken young woman caught in their toxic crossfire."
A standalone psychological courtroom thriller and intimate character study.
Highlights...
Setting
The cold, imposing, and structurally rigid environment of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, juxtaposed against the competitive, hazy, and abusive art academy world of Rome, Italy.
Vibe
Cynical and intensely moving. It perfectly pairs the sharp, emotionally grounded courtroom drama of Anatomy of a Scandal with the toxic, dark psychological grit of Liz Nugent.
Genre
Psychological Courtroom Thriller / Dark Literary Fiction / Contemporary Drama.
Themes
~The Weaponization of Therapy and Coercive Control
~The Destructive Velocity of High-Society Neglect
~The Power of Class Exploitation and Social Boundaries
~Finding Truth Within Fragmented and Manipulated Memories
Standout Characters
~Augusta "Gus" Bird: The quiet, working-class narrator whose desperate drive for upper-class acceptance masks a deeply troubled, brilliant, and intensely unreliable perspective.
~Mary Finbow: The traumatized young woman at the center of the trial whose emotional survival becomes a vital weapon in the fight between her narcissistic mother and her predatory savior.
~Jean Guest: The calculating unlicensed therapist whose lavish validation and weaponized mental health techniques center the emotional gravity of the legal crisis.
Author Writing Standout
Philippa Malicka showcases a stunning, elite gift for writing complex, deeply authentic human behavior under immense pressure.
Takeaway
An overtly monstrous exterior doesn't always define a predator, but by the fierce, manipulative network of control they build to target you when you are at your lowest point.
Title Significance
In Her Defense serves as a beautiful, literal representation of the legal framework—highlighting how the trial functions as a necessary, defensive arena while mirroring the psychological walls these characters build to protect their actions.
Metaphor
A broken, expensive ceramic vase serves as a flawless metaphor—a beautiful, elite structure shattered from within, glued back together incorrectly so it looks whole from afar but leaks from the cracks until it completely collapses.
THE COURTROOM CAN DELIVER A VERDICT, BUT IT CANNOT HEAL THE DAMAGE.
"A clinically precise, beautifully cynical dissection of memory, status, and the terrifying power of coercive control."
Why You Should Read
IN HER DEFENSE is a quietly powerful, beautifully written piece of psychological fiction that will completely hold you captive, offering a deeply rewarding experience for fans of character-driven courtroom dramas.
PHILIPPA MALICKA DELIVERS A SHARP, MASTERFUL PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIUMPH.
"An intellectually elite, slow-burn courtroom thriller that strips away the shiny veneer of wellness culture to reveal a dark core of manipulation.
My Thoughts
A high-society London scandal. A predatory therapist using therapy as a weapon. A quiet observer in the gallery holding secrets that could destroy everyone. In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka is a sharp, clinically precise adrenaline rush for your mind. If you love deep, character-driven psychological tension that avoids cheap jump scares, grab this book today!
A devastatingly sharp psychological courtroom thriller! The narrative pacing builds with a masterful, gradual turn of the screw. Malicka crafts an exceptionally grounded, emotional puzzle where the stakes feel intensely personal on every page. Watching the defense rally its witnesses to fight back against predatory wellness is peak slow-burn reading, and the final sequence of reveals is beautifully executed.
Verdict: 5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"A stellar, psychological triumph debut that establishes Philippa Malicka as an authoritative voice in contemporary suspense fiction. "
Recs
Read this if you devoured Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce, the intense courtroom dynamics of Sarah Vaughan's Anatomy of a Scandal, or the sharp, toxic psychological depth found in the novels of Liz Nugent and Laura Dave.
Special thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 03, 2026
Feb 2026 Must Read Books
Praise
By turns a psychological thriller, a courtroom drama and a romantic coming-of-age [that] rewards persistent readers with a worthy finale. -
- Tom Nolan ― The Wall Street Journal
“[A] bewitching debut… the crackling story toggles effortlessly from past to present as the depth of the characters’ betrayals and manipulations comes out in open court. This serpentine courtroom drama will captivate readers.”
--Publishers Weekly
"Philippa Malicka delivers both a twisting courtroom trial and a haunting character study in this wholly absorbing debut. In Her Defense explores the reliability of memory, the shifting nature of truth, and the fine line between obsession and love. I was completely hooked from the first page to the very last!"
–Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of You Belong Here
“A haunting and twisty story of obsession, memory, and the blurred line between healing and harm. Part courtroom drama, part psychological love story, In Her Defense will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.”
–Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“A brilliant, star-making debut—a potent courtroom drama packed with complex characters, deft psychological twists, and buttery prose. The narrator is not so much unreliable as a mystery even to herself, and you’ll be reading way past midnight to solve the puzzle of who she is.”
–Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark
“Smart, elegant, and endlessly unsettling. This is a novel full of delicious, vivid details: the ambiguous characters, the unforgettable settings, the unnerving psychology.”
–Abigail Dean, New York Times bestselling author of Girl A
“A riveting, seductive novel about the exploitation of power and control, expertly crafted and not to be missed!”
– Sophie Stava, New York Times bestselling author of Count My Lies
“What a beautifully written debut! Compulsively readable, a brilliant mix of courtroom drama, psychological thriller and love story, it pulls off the rare trick of being an unputdownable page-turner with real emotional depth. I can’t wait to see what Malicka does next”
–JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before
‘A stunning debut that jumps deftly between courtroom thriller and a twisting, tender tale of lust, trust, friendship and betrayal.’
– Erin Kelly, internationally bestselling author of He Said / She Said
About the Author
About the Author
Philippa Malicka was born in Essex and now lives in London. She is an alumnus of the Prose Fiction MA at the University of East Anglia. Her nonfiction has appeared in The Sunday Times (London), The Sunday Telegraph (London), and Grazia among others. In Her Defence is her first novel. WEBSITE
