Title: The Holdout
Author: Graham Moore
Publisher: Orion Books

[Synopsis]

One jury member changed the verdict. What if she was wrong?

It was the most sensational case of the decade.

Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar fortune, vanishes on her way home from school. Her teacher, Bobby Nock, is the prime suspect. It’s an open and shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed.

Until Maya Seale, a young woman on the jury, persuades the rest of the jurors to vote not guilty: a controversial decision that will change all of their lives forever.

Ten years later, one of the jurors is found dead, and Maya is the prime suspect.

The real killer could be any of the other ten jurors. Is Maya being forced to pay the price for her decision all those years ago?

[My Review]

The Holdout is a gripping read about justice, judgement and integrity.

I’ll keep this review fairly short because I’m really keen to not give too much away – I started this book not knowing a lot, and I’m really glad I did, so I want everyone else to experience it the same way!

The storyline is really intriguing and kept me guessing (although some parts are perhaps a little unbelievable – I don’t think this is necessarily a negative though, as if you can suspend your disbelief a little then you’ll no doubt feel the same sense of escapism that I did whilst reading this). It’s a great example of an engaging legal drama.

The characters are interesting and the sense of mystery (with two mysterious storylines involved) builds as the novel continues, with an impactful ending that I really liked!

Definitely recommended!

[Rating: 4/5]

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