In Her Defense (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick) -- Philippa Malicka, Hardcover

A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB SELECTION!

As a sensational celebrity libel trial unfolds, a young woman at the periphery secretly wields the power to make or break the case. But with her own hidden past, will she dare to speak up?

Everyone is watching. Only one person knows the truth.

The whole country has been riveted by the trial: Beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing her daughter's therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for her own financial gain. Jean insists Mary's traumatic memories arise from her upbringing and her time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome; wounds only Jean's therapy can heal. But as the trial unfolds, it's Augusta "Gus" Bird, Anna's former employee--a seemingly 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? Twisty and propulsive, In Her Defense is a compulsively readable debut for fans of Lucy Foley and Laura Dave.

Author: Philippa Malicka
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Published: 02/03/2026
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.92lbs
Size: 8.56h x 5.78w x 1.02d
ISBN: 9781668033623

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2026
Booklist 01/01/2026
Library Journal 12/01/2025 pg. 56
Publishers Weekly 12/08/2025

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 Defense is her first novel and has been longlisted for the Bridport First Novel Award.