L. J. Shepherd

L. J. Shepherd lives in Cardiff with her rescue cat, Coral. After graduating from Christ Church, Oxford, with a degree in English Literature, she pursued a career in law. Laura began practising as a barrister in 2017. Since then, she has prosecuted and defended in many jury trials in the Crown Court. Laura is now a Human Rights barrister specialising in health and social care cases.

L.J’s debut dystopian thriller, The Trials of Lila Dalton, was published by Pushkin Vertigo in February 2024. The Financial Times said of Shepherd’s debut that she ”delivers a creative tour de force” and Jeremy Black of The Critic described it as ”A powerful work that truly grips with its multiple levels of mystery and uncertainty”.

The Daily Mail, reviewing Shepherd’s debut, noted that ”Now and again a new writer with a real feel for language and a genuine grasp of what makes a good psychological plot comes along. Enter L.J. Shepherd…”

Her second novel, One of Your Number, was published to great reviews in April 2026.