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Jurymen May Dine
A man on trial for murder. A split jury. An investigation that spins out of control. And a gangland vendetta that destroys everything in its path.
Tony Quirke is the sort of person you see travelling to work on the London Underground and don’t pay much attention to – thirty something, middling sort of job in the City, interested in beer and rugby. One day he’s called for jury service on a murder trial. His fellow jurors are convinced that the young man in the dock is a heartless killer. Tony disagrees. He doesn’t think the prosecution case stacks up, so after the defendant is convicted on a majority verdict, he goes looking for evidence the police missed. One by one he peels away the layers of corruption that conceal the truth. But his quest takes an unexpected turn, raising demons from his past and forcing him to confront the question of which side of the law he’s really on.
Jurymen May Dine is a psychologically complex mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the end.
Tony Quirke is the sort of person you see travelling to work on the London Underground and don’t pay much attention to – thirty something, middling sort of job in the City, interested in beer and rugby. One day he’s called for jury service on a murder trial. His fellow jurors are convinced that the young man in the dock is a heartless killer. Tony disagrees. He doesn’t think the prosecution case stacks up, so after the defendant is convicted on a majority verdict, he goes looking for evidence the police missed. One by one he peels away the layers of corruption that conceal the truth. But his quest takes an unexpected turn, raising demons from his past and forcing him to confront the question of which side of the law he’s really on.
Jurymen May Dine is a psychologically complex mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the end.
288 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 28, 2024
I was intrigued by the title of this book and was delighted to receive a review copy. It was a compelling read which definitely held my attention from the very beginning.
Tony Quirke is on a jury, asked to decide on the guilt or innocence of Conrad Connor, accused of murdering his flatmate. Tony is not convinced, the evidence is weak and although the other members of the jury vote to convict, Tony cannot bring himself to. They will not listen to him or his arguments and therefore Conrad has little chance of reprieve. When he is approached by Conrad’s sister who begs him to try and clear her brother, Tony decides to investigate.
However he has his own reasons for trying to help, a personal mistrust of the jury system, a need for money which he might get if he can write about a miscarriage of justice and some time off work to look into the case. Unfortunately some rather unsavoury characters are involved and quite quickly Tony realises that his life is in danger.
The plot is a clever one although rather complicated and Tony is marvellous as an innocent and unassuming character who manages to get himself involved in a rather dangerous situation. He is determined to find out the truth of the matter and I was really hoping he would be able to solve the crime without ending up dead!
Some of the other characters were rather two dimensional, and occasionally Tony’s innocence and blind faith seemed rather difficult to comprehend.
Nevertheless the book kept me reading until the very last page and was refreshingly different to other thrillers I’ve recently read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
Tony Quirke is on a jury, asked to decide on the guilt or innocence of Conrad Connor, accused of murdering his flatmate. Tony is not convinced, the evidence is weak and although the other members of the jury vote to convict, Tony cannot bring himself to. They will not listen to him or his arguments and therefore Conrad has little chance of reprieve. When he is approached by Conrad’s sister who begs him to try and clear her brother, Tony decides to investigate.
However he has his own reasons for trying to help, a personal mistrust of the jury system, a need for money which he might get if he can write about a miscarriage of justice and some time off work to look into the case. Unfortunately some rather unsavoury characters are involved and quite quickly Tony realises that his life is in danger.
The plot is a clever one although rather complicated and Tony is marvellous as an innocent and unassuming character who manages to get himself involved in a rather dangerous situation. He is determined to find out the truth of the matter and I was really hoping he would be able to solve the crime without ending up dead!
Some of the other characters were rather two dimensional, and occasionally Tony’s innocence and blind faith seemed rather difficult to comprehend.
Nevertheless the book kept me reading until the very last page and was refreshingly different to other thrillers I’ve recently read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
February 24, 2024
Thank you for the opportunity to preview Jurymen may dine. This is a debut novel and very enjoyable.
Tony is a young man called to jury duty. He takes this very seriously. He is not agreeing with the other jurors. He find himself seeking the truth and winds up in some dangerous situations as a result
With interesting characters and a strong plot, this is truly a very good book.
3.5 stars.
Tony is a young man called to jury duty. He takes this very seriously. He is not agreeing with the other jurors. He find himself seeking the truth and winds up in some dangerous situations as a result
With interesting characters and a strong plot, this is truly a very good book.
3.5 stars.
January 31, 2024
Somewhat reminiscent of Martin Scorseses’ film, “After Hours,” this is the tale of every-man Tony Quirke who keeps getting deeper and deeper into a set of complex dangers
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day London
Characters: Tony Quirke, the only person on a jury to believe in the innocence of a man on trial, the sister of the man on trial, and an evolving cast of uncommon characters introduced in surprising ways at unexpected points in the plot.
Overview: Tony does not agree with the majority rule of guilty by the British jury but accepts it and is on his way when the defendant’s sister approaches, tells him she believes he was the dissenting vote, and convinces him that something should be done to prove innocence. While on scheduled vacation from his job Tony drops his planned activities, moves to be closer to the crime scene, and proceeds to investigate – and, from there, everything changes, and keeps changing, and keeps changing. There are, of course, some peculiar, unwise decisions made by our hero, as in most books of this type, but the players and shifting plot line make this a good story.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: This is the first effort by author Boreham and is well worth reading. Particularly of interest is the involvement of Tony’s friend, an author, who follows along, encourages the action, and wants to make a book deal from it.
Thanx to NetGalley and Matador for the opportunity to provide this candid review.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day London
Characters: Tony Quirke, the only person on a jury to believe in the innocence of a man on trial, the sister of the man on trial, and an evolving cast of uncommon characters introduced in surprising ways at unexpected points in the plot.
Overview: Tony does not agree with the majority rule of guilty by the British jury but accepts it and is on his way when the defendant’s sister approaches, tells him she believes he was the dissenting vote, and convinces him that something should be done to prove innocence. While on scheduled vacation from his job Tony drops his planned activities, moves to be closer to the crime scene, and proceeds to investigate – and, from there, everything changes, and keeps changing, and keeps changing. There are, of course, some peculiar, unwise decisions made by our hero, as in most books of this type, but the players and shifting plot line make this a good story.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: This is the first effort by author Boreham and is well worth reading. Particularly of interest is the involvement of Tony’s friend, an author, who follows along, encourages the action, and wants to make a book deal from it.
Thanx to NetGalley and Matador for the opportunity to provide this candid review.
January 31, 2024
Somewhat reminiscent of Martin Scorseses’ film, “After Hours,” this is the tale of everyman Tony Quirke who keeps getting deeper and deeper into a set of complex dangers
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day London
Characters: Tony Quirke, the only person on a jury to believe in the innocence of a man on trial, the sister of the man on trial, and an evolving cast of uncommon characters introduced in surprising ways at unexpected points in the plot.
Overview: Tony does not agree with the majority rule of guilty by the British jury but accepts it and is on his way when the defendant’s sister approaches, tells him she believes he was the dissenting vote, and convinces him that something should be done to prove innocence. While on scheduled vacation from his job Tony drops his planned activities, moves to be closer to the crime scene, and proceeds to investigate – and, from there, everything changes, and keeps changing, and keeps changing. There are, of course, some peculiar, unwise decisions made by our hero, as in most books of this type, but the players and shifting plotline make this a good story.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: This is the first effort by author Boreham and is well worth reading. Particularly of interest is the involvement of Tony’s friend, an author, who follows along, encourages the action, and wants to make a book deal from it.
Thanx to NetGalley and Matador for the opportunity to provide this candid review.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day London
Characters: Tony Quirke, the only person on a jury to believe in the innocence of a man on trial, the sister of the man on trial, and an evolving cast of uncommon characters introduced in surprising ways at unexpected points in the plot.
Overview: Tony does not agree with the majority rule of guilty by the British jury but accepts it and is on his way when the defendant’s sister approaches, tells him she believes he was the dissenting vote, and convinces him that something should be done to prove innocence. While on scheduled vacation from his job Tony drops his planned activities, moves to be closer to the crime scene, and proceeds to investigate – and, from there, everything changes, and keeps changing, and keeps changing. There are, of course, some peculiar, unwise decisions made by our hero, as in most books of this type, but the players and shifting plotline make this a good story.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: This is the first effort by author Boreham and is well worth reading. Particularly of interest is the involvement of Tony’s friend, an author, who follows along, encourages the action, and wants to make a book deal from it.
Thanx to NetGalley and Matador for the opportunity to provide this candid review.
January 29, 2024
A first class debut from an author who clearly knows how to use the tropes of crime thriller writing to full advantage.
There is never a dull moment in a fast-paced plot with more twists and turns than a corkscrew.
Whilst set in the present day the characters and their exploits and the East London locations reminded me of some of the best Edgar Wallace and Sax Rohmer novels and the traditions of thriller writing from the inter-war golden age. There is an excellent balance of a story well-told and characters who instantly did feel like real people.
The investigation of the murder of Doug Hamilton and the possible wrongful conviction of his flatmate is undertaken from an innovative and fascinating perspective.
A writer to watch.
There is never a dull moment in a fast-paced plot with more twists and turns than a corkscrew.
Whilst set in the present day the characters and their exploits and the East London locations reminded me of some of the best Edgar Wallace and Sax Rohmer novels and the traditions of thriller writing from the inter-war golden age. There is an excellent balance of a story well-told and characters who instantly did feel like real people.
The investigation of the murder of Doug Hamilton and the possible wrongful conviction of his flatmate is undertaken from an innovative and fascinating perspective.
A writer to watch.
January 29, 2024
A first class debut from an author who clearly knows how to use the tropes of crime thriller writing to full advantage.
There is never a dull moment in a fast-paced plot with more twists and turns than a corkscrew.
Whilst set in the present day the characters and their exploits and the East London locations reminded me of some of the best Edgar Wallace and Sax Rohmer novels and the traditions of thriller writing from the inter-war golden age. There is an excellent balance of a story well-told and characters who instantly did feel like real people.
The investigation of the murder of Doug Hamilton and the possible wrongful conviction of his flatmate is undertaken from an innovative and fascinating perspective.
A writer to watch.
There is never a dull moment in a fast-paced plot with more twists and turns than a corkscrew.
Whilst set in the present day the characters and their exploits and the East London locations reminded me of some of the best Edgar Wallace and Sax Rohmer novels and the traditions of thriller writing from the inter-war golden age. There is an excellent balance of a story well-told and characters who instantly did feel like real people.
The investigation of the murder of Doug Hamilton and the possible wrongful conviction of his flatmate is undertaken from an innovative and fascinating perspective.
A writer to watch.
June 2, 2026
Bought this book on my kindle after seeing the author at a stand in a market and I'm glad I did! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the pacing and the twists. Recommended to anyone who likes crime books
March 12, 2024
Tony Quirke goes on the ride of his life after serving on a jury and meeting the convicted man’s sister. She says her brother didn’t do it and wants his help to prove it. He didn’t realize how dangerous this task would be. This was a very entertaining read! The story is jam packed with betrayal, deceit, and SO many twists. The character development was sound. Tony as a main character was believable and reliable. He’s put in some difficult situations but his morals and ethics never falter. Boneham interlaces the story and characters so well you won’t see the surprises coming!
March 21, 2024
For me, such a slow read. It didn’t get interesting until about 50% in. Lacked a good thriller component. At times there were lots of “fluff” info which made it kinda confusing. Story was set in Britain and contained British phrases (nothing so severe that it was confusing).
March 20, 2025
*3.5 stars.*
“The hungry Judges soon the sentence sign,
And wretches hang, that jurymen may dine.
Alexander Pope”.
Another miscarriage of justice, another doomed victim, the fight for truth here taken up by Tony Quirke, the one dissenting member of a jury that found Conrad Connor guilty of the murder of his flatmate. Motivation was said to be that Connor was jealous of the other’s success as an artist, but aside from the mediocre quality of the paintings, all the evidence was circumstantial.
Quirke’s argument was not that Connor was innocent but that he had not been found guilty of the crime - he had been convicted on prejudice and trickery. He had made a poor showing in court and the prosecutor was an ambitious woman out for a kill. The judge was scathing in her summing up - this was a wretch “evil beyond imagination” and she sentenced him to life with a minimum of thirty years.
Connor never made it, he hanged himself in the holding cell.
His posthumous champion, Quirke, is an ordinary man who likes his beer and rugby - an easy going chap, not greatly concerned that his marriage is breaking up, he is nevertheless possessed of a fierce sense of fair play that comes raging to the surface in the jury room, where he fails to convince the domineering foreman and ten others that all facts can be falsified and evidence planted.
His disgust at the verdict is obvious, a sense of impotence compounded when he receives word that his wife is about to sue him for a financial settlement that would involve both his house and his pension. In desperate need of money to employ his own solicitor, he persuades a Hollywood script writer to collaborate on a book, a best seller that will not only clear Connor’s name, but discover the real killer.
Now fired, Quirke plunges into an investigation bristling with hazards and a plot takes wing. Action becomes fast and colourful and even the writing hardens as if the author, reined in until now, has started to enjoy himself with gang warfare and enforcers, gun fights and real guns.
Author Nick Boreham has served on a jury in a case of homicide, he knows what he’s about, but I feel he gets lost in a plot where alarming twists go far beyond coincidence, and descend to farce, however, despite its flaws, the sincerity shines through.
“The hungry Judges soon the sentence sign,
And wretches hang, that jurymen may dine.
Alexander Pope”.
Another miscarriage of justice, another doomed victim, the fight for truth here taken up by Tony Quirke, the one dissenting member of a jury that found Conrad Connor guilty of the murder of his flatmate. Motivation was said to be that Connor was jealous of the other’s success as an artist, but aside from the mediocre quality of the paintings, all the evidence was circumstantial.
Quirke’s argument was not that Connor was innocent but that he had not been found guilty of the crime - he had been convicted on prejudice and trickery. He had made a poor showing in court and the prosecutor was an ambitious woman out for a kill. The judge was scathing in her summing up - this was a wretch “evil beyond imagination” and she sentenced him to life with a minimum of thirty years.
Connor never made it, he hanged himself in the holding cell.
His posthumous champion, Quirke, is an ordinary man who likes his beer and rugby - an easy going chap, not greatly concerned that his marriage is breaking up, he is nevertheless possessed of a fierce sense of fair play that comes raging to the surface in the jury room, where he fails to convince the domineering foreman and ten others that all facts can be falsified and evidence planted.
His disgust at the verdict is obvious, a sense of impotence compounded when he receives word that his wife is about to sue him for a financial settlement that would involve both his house and his pension. In desperate need of money to employ his own solicitor, he persuades a Hollywood script writer to collaborate on a book, a best seller that will not only clear Connor’s name, but discover the real killer.
Now fired, Quirke plunges into an investigation bristling with hazards and a plot takes wing. Action becomes fast and colourful and even the writing hardens as if the author, reined in until now, has started to enjoy himself with gang warfare and enforcers, gun fights and real guns.
Author Nick Boreham has served on a jury in a case of homicide, he knows what he’s about, but I feel he gets lost in a plot where alarming twists go far beyond coincidence, and descend to farce, however, despite its flaws, the sincerity shines through.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews