As someone who went through law school and gave criminal law a thought, my feelings after reading “The Two Lila Bennetts” is that authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke got it all right. I’ll never forget working for a criminal law firm while going to law school at night. A lawyer once said to me, “When you practice criminal law, you become as bad as the criminals.”

And that’s the premise of “The Two Lila Bennetts.” The protagonist, Lila Bennett, is a top criminal defense lawyer. Are some of her clients guilty? Assuredly. Does she get them off anyway? Absolutely. At least most of them.

In fact, we come to realize that Lila herself is no angel. Boy, has she made some bad choices in her life. Lying, cheating, sleeping with someone to get an advantage. We are talking really poor choices. And now Lila is paying for those poor choices.

Someone is after Lila. And when the story diverges into two paths, both Lilas suffer, although in different ways. The writing is extremely clever, and we are led down a path where we believe one Lila is going to be fine and the other, maybe not. But the Lilas in both stories are equally brilliant and determined to right past wrongs. Does Lila become a new person? Can we really change who we are? What does it take to cause that change?

Another interesting aspect of the novel is that we don’t really like Lila much at the beginning. She’s simply not a very likable person. But as we see her struggle and the thoughtful process of Lila’s rethinking her life and her decisions, including her marriage, we come to respect her and root for her.

Looking for a lovely summer read? Trying to pick a book that will engender great discussion for a book club? Picking a gift for a friend who loves to read? “The Two Lila Bennetts” won’t disappoint! It’s sure to be a hit with everyone.

Please note: This review is based on the advance reader’s copy provided by Lake Union Publishing, the publisher, for review purposes.