Full Disclosure: A Novel

Written by Beverley McLachlin

Narrated by Joy Osmanski

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the former Chief Justice of Canada—a riveting thriller starring Jilly Truitt, a rising young defense attorney faced with a case that hits close to home.

When everyone has something to hide, the truth is the only defense.

There’s nothing Jilly Truitt likes more than winning a case, especially against her former mentor, prosecutor Cy Kenge. Jilly has baggage, the residue of a dark time in a series of foster homes, but that’s in the past. Now she’s building her own criminal defense firm and making a name for herself as a tough-as-nails lawyer willing to take risks in the courtroom.

When the affluent and enigmatic Vincent Trussardi is accused of his wife Laura’s murder, Jilly agrees to defend him, despite predictions that the case is a sure loser and warnings from those close to her to stay away from the Trussardi family. Determined to prove everyone wrong, Jilly investigates Laura’s death, hoping to discover a shred of evidence that might give the jury a reasonable doubt. Instead, she is confronted by damning evidence and uncooperative witnesses at every turn. Someone isn’t telling the truth, but who?

With her reputation and Vincent’s life on the line, Jilly tries to unravel the web of secrets surrounding Laura’s murder. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a startling revelation that will change not only the case, but her life forever.

From the gritty streets of Vancouver to the fateful halls of justice, Full Disclosure is a razor-sharp thriller that pulses with authenticity and intrigue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: May 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982109301

Beverley McLachlin

Beverley McLachlin is the #1 bestselling author of two novels, Full Disclosure and Denial, and a memoir, Truth Be Told, which won the prestigious Writers’ Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the Ottawa Book Award for Nonfiction. From 2000 to 2017, McLachlin was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She is the first woman to hold that position and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history. In 2018, McLachlin became a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour within the Order. Visit her at BeverleyMcLachlin.com.

Reviews for Full Disclosure

[Anya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kept me interested and I enjoyed it. Love the setting. :)

[Lyn Decker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very pleasant read and interesting twists. I was entertained.

[Jeannie VanOrden · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The difference between bad people and good people isn’t always clear.

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

During LibraryThing's 2021 Christmas card exchange a reader friend suggested I might enjoy reading novels by Beverley MacLachlin. Best suggestion ever to a reader who enjoys legal thrillers! I missed the advertisement that "Full Disclosure" was the 1st title in a series about character Jilly Truitt, criminal defense attorney but both can easily be read as a stand-alone although with any series I prefer to read the novels in order.If a married woman is found dead in the matrimonial bed with no signs of a break-in then it's always the husband who committed the murder right? The police have arrested and charged Vincent Trussardi with his wife Laura's murder. The crime scene is ghastly exhibiting the brutality that ended Laura's life. But all are innocent until proven guilty and Jilly Truitt, and associates Jeff Solosky and Alicia Leung are defense team for this case with Richard Beauvais contracted for the investigator work.As a reader there doesn’t need to be a trial for me to designate it as a compelling legal thriller. However, when the courtroom drama of a trial is written by an author clearly understanding the structure of the court system, courtroom procedures, familiarity with prosecution and defense and the motivation of their actions, jury selection, evidence, disclosure, tunnel vision, and reasonable doubt the authenticity is all the more fascinating.Adding depth to the legal thriller is the portrayal of Cy Kenge, prosecutor and former mentor to Jilly in the hours outside of their offices and the court. I only wish I was familiar with more artists as mentioned during the course of describing paintings in various homes. I did recognize the novels Jilly and/or her foster mother Martha were reading that made me smile.I solved one aspect of interest to Tilly in her personal life. I did not succeed in unraveling all of the legal twists. I highly recommend you read this credible novel written by the 1st woman to hold the position of Chief Justice of Canada and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history.I am hopeful that Beverley McLachlin is currently at work on another legal thriller. I’m eager to read more of her writing.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not a crime fiction fan, but couldn't resist a novel by our recently retired Chief Justice, Beverley McLachlin. I enjoyed this story of Jilly Truitt, a criminal defense lawyer defending a man charged with murdering his wife. I found her character very believable, and while I figured out a key plot element early on, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story....there were enough other interesting relationships and story lines to engage me.

[sarahstenhouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable read. Compelling personal and courtroom drama, realistically portrayed by a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

[rodraglin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jilly Truitt is a young, ambitious criminal lawyer making a name for herself.When a wealthy businessman, Vincent Trussardi is accused of murdering his young wife, he reaches out to Truitt to defend him. This will be a high profile case with a significant retainer and Jilly is eager to take it on even though the evidence overwhelmingly suggests her client is guilty.Full Disclosure is Beverley McLachlin’s first novel after retiring as the longest Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada for seventeen years, the first women to hold that position and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history.As a jurist, McLachlin is formidable, as an author she’s just a beginner, and it shows.There are a number of plot points in the book that stretched this reader’s suspension of disbelief nearly to the breaking point, but I hung in there expecting some insights regarding the Canadian legal system, the professionals involved and those they prosecute or defend.There weren’t any. In fact, the lack of originality had me wondering if I hadn’t read this before. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. The story takes place in Vancouver, Canada, my hometown and hers, and it was fun recognizing the restaurants, landmarks and neighbourhoods where the scenes unfold.Unfortunately, as the novel draws to an end, and with many questions still unanswered, the author (out of desperation?) resorts to the old, tired technique of having her protagonist goad a suspect, Perry Mason style, into confessing. Of course, this confession is taped on a recorder hidden in her pocket and is used to exonerate her client. See what I mean about lack of originality.Though it didn't have any real bearing on the novel, I was surprised and disappointed at the author’s treatment of a First Nation person in her story. Though a very minor character, when this young woman is challenged by isolation and unhappiness her choice is to become a drug addict and support her habit by prostitution. With so many other positive possibilities out there, why did someone of the McLachlin’s stature and presumed sensibilities choose this clichéd depiction of our Indigenous people? Despite the efforts of the best editors Simon and Schuster employ, I doubt Full Disclosure would have been published had it not been for the author’s significant profile which, like all books written by celebrities, assures at least some sales. The real test will be McLachlin’s next novel.

[lamour_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The author was Canada's first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and thus has the background to write a novel about a murder trial. Jilly Truitt is a criminal lawyer who takes on the case of Vincent Trussardi who is accused of murdering his wife despite being warned by several people to avoid this guy. The police and most others are convinced he is guilty and tell her she will lose the case. The woman who saved Jilly from a life of drugs and crime on the street also warns to stay away from Trussardi. The crown prosecutor in the case is CY Kenge who has been her mentor.It is refreshing to read a murder trial novel set in a Canadian courtroom.

[maggieflo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Full disclosureThis is a first novel by Canada’s former Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin. It’s very readable and introduces us to Jilly Truitt, an up and coming defence lawyer practicing in Vancouver. She has a dark past which involves her unknown parents, foster homes and drugs. Through a strong support system she succeeds in law school. She defends one of the city’s wealthiest citizens, Vincent Trussardi, who is accused of murdering his wife. The details of Truitt’s past emerge during the investigation. Her interactions with the the Crown attorney Cy Kenge provide some interesting drama. I found the ending a little too convenient but overall it’s a good story.

[carole888fort · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of Full Disclosure by Beverley McLachlin in exchange for an honest review. This legal thriller is written by the now-retired 17th Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold this position and the longest-serving Chief Justice of Canada in history. Needless to say, there are many detailed courtroom scenes here. Full Disclosure is the story of Jilly Truitt, a criminal defense attorney in Vancouver, BC, who is hired by Vincent Trussardi who is charged with the murder of his wife Laura. The reader is a witness to the manipulation of justice by both the prosecution and the defense side of this case. There are many secondary characters and the plot is well-developed. The tension builds till the end, where several unexpected events are revealed. This is a first novel for Beverley McLachlin but I hope there will be more to come.

[brianewilliams · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy of the book. The views expressed are my own.This is a story about an up and coming female criminal defence lawyer in Vancouver, Canada. She had a difficult childhood as an orphan, not knowing who were her parents. She was finally taken in by a set of good foster parents after bouncing from foster home to foster home. She had some dangerous teen years, getting involved in risky situations including drug use. With the support of her foster parents, she settled down and went to law school. After graduation, she was mentored by a leading prosecutor. After several years working with him, she set up her own private defence practice which has flourished. She is attracting high profile cases and clients. More and more, she takes on cases where she is defending people her former mentor is prosecuting and she often wins the case. The story begins with her taking on a high profile murder case against her mentor. Their relationship is tested and there is growing professional jealousy, which will play out in the murder case. A highlight of the story is the trial on the high profile murder case. The narrative is from the defence point of view and there's some dirty tricks played by the prosecution. The arbitrariness of the trial process is on display, when not everything comes off as planned. It's an exciting story that continues on to the jury's verdict. Towards the end of the story, there's plenty of development of the trial lawyer's personal life, which turns her world upside down in a mostly good way.This is a debut novel from a leading Canadian jurist, now retired. As you would expect, the technical details of the legal system are accurate. It's a good legal thriller which accurately portrays court proceedings without being stuffy. There's good character development of the protagonist trial lawyer and the others while interesting people, are left in her shadow.A good read.

[pgchuis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.Jilly Truitt is a Vancouver defence lawyer, who represents on charges of murder, first a drug dealer called Damon and then a successful businessman called Vincent Trussardi. This was well-written and rooted firmly in its Vancouver setting, and I had initially planned to rate it 4*, but then the ending let it down. After the trial verdict, the reveal of actually what happened followed on so swiftly that it seemed absurd that things hadn't come to light earlier. SPOILERSCertain plot details - Jilly's parentage and the mystery of whose cocaine it was - were pretty obvious to the reader from early on, which was disappointing. As for the very ending - how many second chances does one man deserve?