The Verdict

From the outset The Verdict states it's case as an old-fashioned legal thriller; nothing more, nothing less. It is, however, notable for being especially well-written, with the insight of someone acquainted with the law obvious from the start.
Our way into this ethically and morally conflicted world is Terry: at times extremely likeable, at others flawed, but always eye-rollingly human. He keeps our empathy despite his infuriating contradictions and is surprisingly layered. There are all the big themes here: family, friendship, justice, revenge, and, yes, plain old right and wrong. All done to death but here they are intertwined pretty well. I was never bored, I was always present (and I'm not the biggest fan of the genre). Some of the show more characters started out as cliche but were given at least more than one dimension by the end.
I have to give mention to the sense of place created here. This aspect was the most rewarding for me. Descriptions of locations Terry finds himself travelling through were instantly recognisable and vividly drawn. This gave the novel an immediacy and a sharp contemporary feel which complemented the more classic elements of the plot structure.
It speaks volumes that even though this is really not quite my thing I'd recommend it. For those who want to look there is depth here, even seeds of an existential restlessness, and a bit of social commentary. Of course, there is also scandal, breathless action and wicked suspense. These themes are set up rather nicely, the pacing spot-on and the build-up to the mostly satisfying conclusion is deftly constructed.
The inevitable courtroom battle (I'm not giving too much away: it is called The Verdict) kept me engaged and the book is ultimately wrapped up in an enjoyable bow. Fans of the genre should lap this up and the curious might give it a try.

I received a copy of this book through a giveaway from Goodreads First Reads, but all opinions are my own. show less

Ooo, here's a big fat juicy Brit courtroom procedural with so many excellent characters and an unusual premise: a leading man who can't decide whether to quit, get fired, or drink the Kool Aid.

Former childhood friends Terry and Vernon attend Cambridge with vastly different outcomes: Vernon becomes a wealthy property owner and Terry flunks out and lands into an alcoholic morass. Twenty years after, the tables are turned and Terry is part of the defense team when Vernon is charged with murdering one of two mysterious blonde women in green dresses.

With an extremely diverse cast, including Zambians, Israelis, and Londoners of mixed race, all play crucial roles. Every single person in the large population of dramatis personae is critical to show more the outcome of the story. This is the type of novel where the reader wishes to stay in place, abandoning all other pursuits, and to turn the pages until replete. Highly recommended. show less

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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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." show less

This book is NOT in the Max Mingus series, even though there is a series note to that effect. I enjoyed listening to this court procedural by the "British John Grisham." It's a bit long, but quite interesting with a lot of character development and interesting twists.

Terry Flynt, a legal clerk desperate to improve his position within the law firm, finds himself drawn into the defense of a millionaire accused of murder. The downside of the case for Terry is that he and the accused, Vernon James, were once the best of friends . . . and now because of an unforgivable betrayal some twenty years ago, the still-bitter clerk considers Vernon James his hated enemy.

No one at the law firm knows of the relationship between the two men and although Terry is conflicted, he does everything in his power to find the evidence needed to clear Vernon James. However, it is becoming clear to everyone in the firm that their unlikable defendant is not going to win the jury’s sympathy . . . and even the defense team show more believes Vernon James has lied and is guilty of the crime.

At first, the more Terry investigates, the worse it looks for their client, but then there is a hint of bungling in the official investigation. Has James has been telling the truth all along . . . or is his account a carefully structured deception?

Can Terry hang on to his job? Will he be the one to find the evidence to clear his former best friend? Or is Vernon James guilty of murdering the woman found dead in his hotel suite? What secrets will be revealed before the verdict is reached? And what events will be triggered by that verdict?

This taut, well-crafted page-turner will captivate readers from the very beginning. Despite its length, this is an almost impossible-to-put-down book. Readers will appreciate the detail given to the outstanding character development, the twisting, complex plot, and the insightful look at the British legal system and courtroom procedures. Readers are certain to find much to appreciate in this tense, fast-paced legal thriller.

Highly recommended. show less