I will always remember where I was when I finished Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow all those many years ago (a small dilapidated rental in Indianapolis, Indiana) because the twist ending totally surprised me (which doesn’t happen often)! Nick Stone has been described as England’s John Grisham, but I see more of Turrow in him, myself. The Verdict doesn’t have one big surprise ending, but multiple twists throughout the narrative that make it almost impossible to put down. (I actually stayed up until 1:00am finishing this book on a work day)!

One of the things I most enjoyed about this novel was the view into the British legal system, and the similarities to differences between our own. Terry Flynt is a law clerk (as opposed to a paralegal, solicitor or barrister) whose temporary job has turned into a full time stint at the prestigious Kopf-Randall-Purdom assisting the head of the Criminal Defense Division – essentially keeping the wealthy corporate clients and their progeny out of trouble and/or jail. When KRP lands a big case, the defense of a wealthy banker accused of murdering a woman in his hotel room, the entire firm is ecstatic – except for Terry. For Vernon James, the accused, is a former friend from Terry’s past who was instrumental in a huge betrayal from which Terry is still recovering.

To keep his job, Terry must participate in VJ’s defense, but his hatred of his former friend causes an internal moral struggle – help find evidence of VJ’s innocence, ignore evidence of his guilt, or do his best to make sure VJ is incarcerated for the rest of his life.

Who is telling the truth and who is lying? What really happened in that hotel room? Does insurmountable evidence necessarily prove guilt? And what secrets should remain hidden. Nick Stone provides enough twists and turns, as well as fascinating trial details, to keep the reader quickly turning the pages of this legal thriller, until the satisfying, but unexpected, ending.

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Audiobook

Terry Flynt is a clerk in a large law firm. He's assigned to case that's more than startling. A man who grew up with and with whom he had a terrible falling out has been charged with murder and the evidence of his guilt is startlingly overwhelming. His boss assigns him telling Terry this case will help him win promotion and a scholarship to law school.

The boozing investigator assigned by the firm tells Terry otherwise, hinting the case is so unwinnable Terry was assigned so they could give him the boot at its conclusion. Terry continues to investigate on his own, but as potential witnesses and colleagues die he realizes something is truly off.

The ending was a bit rushed and off, good story and enjoyable listen. The courtroom scenes were particularly interesting. ( )

Average. Unusual for being a British courtroom drama but it was too long. I got really bored in the middle and nearly gave up. I did finish it but was underwhelmed. ( )

Terry Flynt is a law clerk at a firm employed to defend Vernon James against a murder charge, after a woman is found strangled in Vernon's hotel suite. Terry and Vernon were at school and (briefly) at university together, but Terry considers that Vernon betrayed him and ruined his life. Terry has not been entirely honest with his employers (or indeed with his wife) about his past, and is afraid Vernon will inadvertently (or purposely) say something that will cost him his job and his future once again. Terry assumes (hopes?) Vernon is guilty, but finds it hard to hold to this as he investigates Vernon's story.

The prologue gives us Vernon's version of events and then we see the police case, which (quite apart from the fantastical nature of Vernon's story) seems overwhelming. Terry teams up with the firm's investigator to do some detecting and the book ends with Vernon's trial. This was my favourite part of the book - I do love it when people fall apart on cross-examination.

Things I liked:

1 It was a page turner.

2. The twists and turns as we learn more and more about Vernon.

Things I liked less:

SPOILERS

1. Ambiguity - so did Vernon kill his father?

2. It was a long book, and I found it hard to keep on top of, for example, David Stratten's involvement. The revelation that Evelyn was stalking Richard Ellis was a great thread that went nowhere.

3. The whole scenario was a bit over the top: ex-Israeli special forces, ex-South African secret service assassins, the high death count, Sid the evil lawyer.

4. Was Karen the best thing that had ever happened to Terry or was Melissa the love of his life? I thought Karen's character was very well done, but what did she see in Terry?

5. Did Terry have a head injury, mental health issues or an alcohol addiction? Is he going to manage as a lawyer?

6. The whole diary thing was a bit off somehow. Surely men don't keep diaries like that and saying that he did would have been social suicide for Vernon? I know Vernon was meant to be an unlikeable character, but the idea that he would do something so petty to some one who had provided an alibi for him seems poor judgment.

Overall very enjoyable. ( )

Vernon James is a respected but controversial millionaire who has recently won the Ethical Businessman of the Year Award. He's not really a very nice man but insists he's innocent when he suddenly finds himself arrested for killing a woman in his hotel suite. Terry Flynt works as a clerk in the defense law firm Vernon hires. Vernon was Terry's best friend when they were growing up, but a terrible fight tore them apart and they haven't seen each other in years. Terry is worried that his employers will find out about their history and remove him from the case, probably even firing him. The countless legal details and secondary characters' back stories are at times overwhelming but, as the story progresses, it becomes obvious that everything is headed toward a dramatic ending. Terry hates Vernon and wants him to be guilty. As he and the firm's detective investigate the suspects and witnesses, he comes to believe Terry might be innocent, even though the evidence against him is pretty compelling. The author does a great job of weaving together all these threads and making the story believable. I thought the book was interesting but it was just too long. The story dragged and the author could easily have cut at least a hundred pages out with no loss to the story. I did think it was a complex legal thriller where none of the characters were all bad or all good. It was interesting for me to read a legal thriller set in the British system instead of the American system of justice." ( )