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The Holdout
In this twisty tale from Moore (The Sherlockian), the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of The Imitation Game, young juror Maya Seale is convinced that African American high school teacher Bobby Nock is innocent of killing the wealthy white female student with whom he appears to have been involved and persuades her fellow jurors likewise. Ten years later, a true-crime docuseries reassembles the jurors, and Maya, now a defense attorney, must prove her own innocence when one of them is found dead in Maya's room.
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2020
2255 people are currently reading
33818 people want to read
About the author
Graham Moore
42 books1,367 followersGraham Moore is a New York Times bestselling novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.
His screenplay for THE IMITATION GAME won the Academy Award and WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2015 and was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.
His first two novels, THE LAST DAYS OF NIGHT (2016) and THE SHERLOCKIAN (2010), were published in 24 countries and translated into 19 languages. THE LAST DAYS OF NIGHT was named one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the American Library Association. THE SHERLOCKIAN was nominated for an Anthony Award. His third novel, THE HOLDOUT, will be published by Random House on February 18, 2020.
Graham lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Caitlin, and their dog, Janet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,650 reviews
February 9, 2020
25 year old black teacher Bobby Nock, is on trial for killing white 15 year old pupil Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion dollar fortune. Her body hasn’t been discovered, but that isn’t going to stop this trial going ahead.
There are 12 members of the jury in this high profile murder trial, and it’s expected that Bobby Nock’s conviction is a foregone conclusion - that is until jury member Maya Seale manages to persuade the other jury members to vote not guilty.
Fast forward 10 years, and Maya is now a successful lawyer - but she’s also the prime suspect in the murder of one of the jurors after a reunion at the hotel in which they were sequestered during the trial.
I think it’s a case of the less you know, the more interesting you’ll find this one. As legal thrillers go it’s pretty good, though I personally didn’t identify with any of the characters for some reason. Nevertheless this was a riveting read with twists and turns, and not least it was a cracking ending. If you enjoy legal dramas then look no further.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing group for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
There are 12 members of the jury in this high profile murder trial, and it’s expected that Bobby Nock’s conviction is a foregone conclusion - that is until jury member Maya Seale manages to persuade the other jury members to vote not guilty.
Fast forward 10 years, and Maya is now a successful lawyer - but she’s also the prime suspect in the murder of one of the jurors after a reunion at the hotel in which they were sequestered during the trial.
I think it’s a case of the less you know, the more interesting you’ll find this one. As legal thrillers go it’s pretty good, though I personally didn’t identify with any of the characters for some reason. Nevertheless this was a riveting read with twists and turns, and not least it was a cracking ending. If you enjoy legal dramas then look no further.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing group for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
February 13, 2020
BOTM pick for February 2020!
This will be a short review, because the less you know about this book going in the better, but what a wild ride! While some parts of the plot were a bit far-fetched and reaching at times, it didn't cause my interest to wane, and if you can suspend the need for 100% believability, I think you'll enjoy this book as much as I did. We get two mysteries for the price of one in this book, and if that kind of a bargain doesn't sell you, then perhaps the exploration of social justice issues such as racism and profiling will. Clearly the author has some sort of experience in screen writing, and I can wholly see this being optioned for screen, a project I'd be thrilled to watch. Overall, this was a juicy, escapism type of read and I'd recommend it to those looking for an exciting way to pass the time in 2020.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
This will be a short review, because the less you know about this book going in the better, but what a wild ride! While some parts of the plot were a bit far-fetched and reaching at times, it didn't cause my interest to wane, and if you can suspend the need for 100% believability, I think you'll enjoy this book as much as I did. We get two mysteries for the price of one in this book, and if that kind of a bargain doesn't sell you, then perhaps the exploration of social justice issues such as racism and profiling will. Clearly the author has some sort of experience in screen writing, and I can wholly see this being optioned for screen, a project I'd be thrilled to watch. Overall, this was a juicy, escapism type of read and I'd recommend it to those looking for an exciting way to pass the time in 2020.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
July 23, 2021
I LOVED IT!
I was so sure I’ll love this book:
Facts: We have an Oscar winner script writer of “Imitation Games” on the board, still developing three other scripts to produce including this book! (Yes, I cannot wait! With an impressive casting, this will be killer movie!)
We have legal drama dances with whodunit murder mystery, “12 angry men”(1957, Sidney Lumet’s masterpiece) meets “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt”(1956, Fritz Lang’s fantastic crime drama).
We have moving, dazzling, riveting reading in our hands about not one but two murders (or let’s say one murder and one disappearance) intercepted with one decade gap. We go back and forth between two timelines to figure out.
So after finishing it, I’m so happy that I’m not disappointed: It’s smart, exciting court drama/Legal thriller/murder mystery that you cannot put it down. You hardly figure out who is the bad guy because most of the characters are not easy to like including our ambitious, opportunist, smart lawyer Maya Seale, deal breaker, successful defense attorney, once upon a time juror and now she is also prime suspect of the murder.
On 2009, Bobby Nock, an African American high school teacher was accused to kill his wealthy white female student Jessica. Her DNA is found at his car. But her body hasn’t been found. So infamous 12 people gathered to decide his future and he was acquitted from first degree murder because one juror believes that he was not guilty and she convinced the other 11. But after the case, the other 11 still thought they made a mistake and blamed the one who still believed innocence of Bobby Nock. That one juror’s name is MAYA SEALE.
Our 12 angry jurors still try to move on their damaged lives when the date shows verdict’s 10th year of the anniversary. Even though Maya keeps her personal live secret, not to be traumatized by the reporters, she seized this life wrecking experience as an opportunity and became one of the best defense attorneys of the city and youngest partner of her firm. But when she meets with Rick, another juror, she had also a secret affair during the trial. And after the verdict, Rick wrote a book to smear Maya’s reputation, holding vendetta against her. Now he tells her, he make an agreement with production company about the docuseries of the trial and he found something crucial to change everything they knew. He invites Maya to join with other 10 juror friends.
Maya rejects him at first but her boss forces him to do the interview for the production. And when she goes to the hotel where is arranged for the production meeting, she gets alone with Rick to learn more juicy details and what he holds back but Rick denies to talk about it. They fight. She leaves to gather her wits. When she comes back she finds Rick lying in a blood pool in her room. This is not looking good for her situation. Especially after their 10 years log feud, everybody can think she has a motive to get rid of him.
So who did kill Rick? What did Rick find so crucial resulted with his dead? Why Bobby Nock disappeared after being interviewed with Rick? Could he kill both Nick and Jessica? What all of the jurors were hiding from the beginning?
I’m not gonna tell more not to give more clues. But I can say that: nothing as it seems and the conclusion of the mysteries are well- crafted and satisfying. The only thing bothered me was I hated the guts of the characters and I didn’t empathize with none of them including Rick even though he was a victim, his obsession and his personal vendetta against Maya because she broke his heart was a little bit extreme.
So I’m giving excellent, shiny, smart, heart throbbing, impeccably developed, high tensioned four stars!
I’m thanking myself for not letting this book root at my pending category forever purgatory of NetGalley and rewarding myself doing something useful at my quarantine days.
Stay safe my friends. Drink more booze, read more books, wash your hands, put distance to loved ones not to get angrier and punch them on the face! I'm planning to publish my locked-up diaries on new blog. (Only 25 days old!) I'll keep you posted, looking forward your feed backs and comments!
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I was so sure I’ll love this book:
Facts: We have an Oscar winner script writer of “Imitation Games” on the board, still developing three other scripts to produce including this book! (Yes, I cannot wait! With an impressive casting, this will be killer movie!)
We have legal drama dances with whodunit murder mystery, “12 angry men”(1957, Sidney Lumet’s masterpiece) meets “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt”(1956, Fritz Lang’s fantastic crime drama).
We have moving, dazzling, riveting reading in our hands about not one but two murders (or let’s say one murder and one disappearance) intercepted with one decade gap. We go back and forth between two timelines to figure out.
So after finishing it, I’m so happy that I’m not disappointed: It’s smart, exciting court drama/Legal thriller/murder mystery that you cannot put it down. You hardly figure out who is the bad guy because most of the characters are not easy to like including our ambitious, opportunist, smart lawyer Maya Seale, deal breaker, successful defense attorney, once upon a time juror and now she is also prime suspect of the murder.
On 2009, Bobby Nock, an African American high school teacher was accused to kill his wealthy white female student Jessica. Her DNA is found at his car. But her body hasn’t been found. So infamous 12 people gathered to decide his future and he was acquitted from first degree murder because one juror believes that he was not guilty and she convinced the other 11. But after the case, the other 11 still thought they made a mistake and blamed the one who still believed innocence of Bobby Nock. That one juror’s name is MAYA SEALE.
Our 12 angry jurors still try to move on their damaged lives when the date shows verdict’s 10th year of the anniversary. Even though Maya keeps her personal live secret, not to be traumatized by the reporters, she seized this life wrecking experience as an opportunity and became one of the best defense attorneys of the city and youngest partner of her firm. But when she meets with Rick, another juror, she had also a secret affair during the trial. And after the verdict, Rick wrote a book to smear Maya’s reputation, holding vendetta against her. Now he tells her, he make an agreement with production company about the docuseries of the trial and he found something crucial to change everything they knew. He invites Maya to join with other 10 juror friends.
Maya rejects him at first but her boss forces him to do the interview for the production. And when she goes to the hotel where is arranged for the production meeting, she gets alone with Rick to learn more juicy details and what he holds back but Rick denies to talk about it. They fight. She leaves to gather her wits. When she comes back she finds Rick lying in a blood pool in her room. This is not looking good for her situation. Especially after their 10 years log feud, everybody can think she has a motive to get rid of him.
So who did kill Rick? What did Rick find so crucial resulted with his dead? Why Bobby Nock disappeared after being interviewed with Rick? Could he kill both Nick and Jessica? What all of the jurors were hiding from the beginning?
I’m not gonna tell more not to give more clues. But I can say that: nothing as it seems and the conclusion of the mysteries are well- crafted and satisfying. The only thing bothered me was I hated the guts of the characters and I didn’t empathize with none of them including Rick even though he was a victim, his obsession and his personal vendetta against Maya because she broke his heart was a little bit extreme.
So I’m giving excellent, shiny, smart, heart throbbing, impeccably developed, high tensioned four stars!
I’m thanking myself for not letting this book root at my pending category forever purgatory of NetGalley and rewarding myself doing something useful at my quarantine days.
Stay safe my friends. Drink more booze, read more books, wash your hands, put distance to loved ones not to get angrier and punch them on the face! I'm planning to publish my locked-up diaries on new blog. (Only 25 days old!) I'll keep you posted, looking forward your feed backs and comments!
blog
February 13, 2020
Graham Moore's legal thriller is a compulsive and enthralling novel, based in Los Angeles, that points out many of the shortfalls of the justice system, from law enforcement, media intensity and social media, right through to the court trial and the jury system. Moore exposes the multiple ways that society throughout its racist judicial system stacks the cards against black defendants. In 2009, 25 year old black music teacher, Bobby Nock, is on trial for the murder of 15 year old schoolgirl, Jessica Silver, the daughter of billionaire, Lou Silver. There is no body, but the prosecution led by Ted Morningstar, think they have a slam dunk case with the evidence they present, only to find themselves being confounded. As the trial sets to conclude, the jury, with the exception of Maya Seale, plan to deliver a guilty verdict. Maya does not fall in with the others, instead she turns each juror so that Bobby Nock is found not guilty.
However, each juror found themselves facing public and media excoriation for their controversial verdict, bringing with it notoriety and a raft of life changing consequences. 10 years on, Maya is now a successful lawyer, a partner at Cantwell & Myers, invited to a reunion of the original jury members at the same hotel they had all been sequestered in. The Murder Town podcast team are turning the trial into a Netflix docuseries, in which Rick Leonard, one of the jury members, is planning to present incontrovertible evidence of how they all got it wrong and Bobby Nock was as guilty as sin. A reluctant Maya attends, and in a narrative that goes back and forth in time, what happened at the original trial is slowly revealed, and in the present, the reunion kicks off a cycle of death and destruction that threatens to claim Maya as a victim.
Moore writes a fast paced, intense and riveting legal drama, peppered with twists, underlining from a legal perspective, that often while the truth can be an accurate reflection of what occurs, it can prove to be a poor legal strategy, leaving defendents with the stark choice of the high likelihood of being found guilty if they tell the truth or have a better outcome by lying. Whilst feeling ambivalent about the ending, I found this to be a highly entertaining read that touches on the serious issues of ethics, morality, race and justice, or more aptly, injustice. There are instances where a suspension of disbelief will be required, but otherwise this is an engaging legal thriller that I recommend. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
However, each juror found themselves facing public and media excoriation for their controversial verdict, bringing with it notoriety and a raft of life changing consequences. 10 years on, Maya is now a successful lawyer, a partner at Cantwell & Myers, invited to a reunion of the original jury members at the same hotel they had all been sequestered in. The Murder Town podcast team are turning the trial into a Netflix docuseries, in which Rick Leonard, one of the jury members, is planning to present incontrovertible evidence of how they all got it wrong and Bobby Nock was as guilty as sin. A reluctant Maya attends, and in a narrative that goes back and forth in time, what happened at the original trial is slowly revealed, and in the present, the reunion kicks off a cycle of death and destruction that threatens to claim Maya as a victim.
Moore writes a fast paced, intense and riveting legal drama, peppered with twists, underlining from a legal perspective, that often while the truth can be an accurate reflection of what occurs, it can prove to be a poor legal strategy, leaving defendents with the stark choice of the high likelihood of being found guilty if they tell the truth or have a better outcome by lying. Whilst feeling ambivalent about the ending, I found this to be a highly entertaining read that touches on the serious issues of ethics, morality, race and justice, or more aptly, injustice. There are instances where a suspension of disbelief will be required, but otherwise this is an engaging legal thriller that I recommend. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
July 20, 2022
Bardzo dobrze się bawiłam!
August 20, 2021
ive been called for jury duty a total of two times. the first time, i waited in a room for 5 hours before i was sent home after doing literally nothing. the second time, i was abroad and subsequently excused. but its my goal in life to serve on a jury and be involved in a court case, so its nice that this book has helped me to vicariously live that dream in the meantime.
i really, really like the concept of this. two situations - a past trial where the characters sit on the jury (told through 12 flashbacks, one chapter per juror) and the present situation where the jurors gather for a reunion of that trial, with one juror saying they found new evidence to prove they made the wrong decision. except that juror suddenly ends up dead. completely fascinating.
i really enjoyed the flashback chapters. its so crazy how one thing can be interrupted in so many different ways. GM created a very diverse jury, so it made for very interesting commentary and opinions. i also like the conclusion to this case (the disappearance of a young girl) much more than the resolution to the present day situation (the death of the juror). it felt much more intricate to me and showed just how complex people really are.
overall, a great legal mystery that had me hooked right until the final page.
↠ 4 stars
i really, really like the concept of this. two situations - a past trial where the characters sit on the jury (told through 12 flashbacks, one chapter per juror) and the present situation where the jurors gather for a reunion of that trial, with one juror saying they found new evidence to prove they made the wrong decision. except that juror suddenly ends up dead. completely fascinating.
i really enjoyed the flashback chapters. its so crazy how one thing can be interrupted in so many different ways. GM created a very diverse jury, so it made for very interesting commentary and opinions. i also like the conclusion to this case (the disappearance of a young girl) much more than the resolution to the present day situation (the death of the juror). it felt much more intricate to me and showed just how complex people really are.
overall, a great legal mystery that had me hooked right until the final page.
↠ 4 stars
February 24, 2020
Ten years ago, Maya, the lone holdout on a jury, convinced 11 of her fellow jurors to acquit a black teacher accused of murdering his white teenage student. Was justice served?
One juror, Rick, doesn’t think so and he’s written a book holding Maya responsible for letting a guilty man go free. He hints that he has a new evidence and 10 years post-trial, on the eve of a documentary about the case, the jury reassembles. On the first night of their reunion a juror is found dead in Maya’s room and she is the prime suspect. From here the story alternates between the still unsolved 10-year-old case to the present day murder investigation.
I expect to suspend some disbelief when I’m reading fiction but there’s a limit to my ability to do so before my eyes start to roll. I was engaged for the first 50% but then the story took a turn I couldn’t get behind, starting with a lawyer going rogue investigating her own case.
I think the author had some thoughtful things to say about the justice system but the story would have benefited by tackling fewer social issues. To compound the problem, the narrative was interrupted multiple times by preachy commentary. I get that it’s hard for authors to resist the impulse but I prefer the issues to be presented in a more nuanced manner that is integral to the story. I found the ending to be convoluted and ridiculous.
I prefer a more literary approach to police procedurals and courtroom dramas. While I found this book to be the literary equivalent of a Lifetime movie, it might be an entertaining way to spend time on a long flight or an afternoon at the beach. Many have enjoyed this book more than I did so please check other reviews.
*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own
* This was a buddy read with Marialyce. For our duo review of this book and others please visit https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
One juror, Rick, doesn’t think so and he’s written a book holding Maya responsible for letting a guilty man go free. He hints that he has a new evidence and 10 years post-trial, on the eve of a documentary about the case, the jury reassembles. On the first night of their reunion a juror is found dead in Maya’s room and she is the prime suspect. From here the story alternates between the still unsolved 10-year-old case to the present day murder investigation.
I expect to suspend some disbelief when I’m reading fiction but there’s a limit to my ability to do so before my eyes start to roll. I was engaged for the first 50% but then the story took a turn I couldn’t get behind, starting with a lawyer going rogue investigating her own case.
I think the author had some thoughtful things to say about the justice system but the story would have benefited by tackling fewer social issues. To compound the problem, the narrative was interrupted multiple times by preachy commentary. I get that it’s hard for authors to resist the impulse but I prefer the issues to be presented in a more nuanced manner that is integral to the story. I found the ending to be convoluted and ridiculous.
I prefer a more literary approach to police procedurals and courtroom dramas. While I found this book to be the literary equivalent of a Lifetime movie, it might be an entertaining way to spend time on a long flight or an afternoon at the beach. Many have enjoyed this book more than I did so please check other reviews.
*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own
* This was a buddy read with Marialyce. For our duo review of this book and others please visit https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
October 4, 2024
I'm always drawn to legal thrillers and decided to give this one a go (even with so many mixed reviews). Glad I did because it was a nice distraction and I always looked forward to picking it up and seeing what mayhem would develop (and it Always did!!).
You get a murder case, a jury some behind the scenes deliberations, and lots of second guessing by most of the characters.
I did have issues with some of the plot/ and the many side stories going on, BUT nevertheless, I was still pulled into the whole murder mystery and really had to know who did it.
Who did it? Did the "holdout" get it right?!! I couldn't stop until I found out.
A solid four stars for me.
You get a murder case, a jury some behind the scenes deliberations, and lots of second guessing by most of the characters.
I did have issues with some of the plot/ and the many side stories going on, BUT nevertheless, I was still pulled into the whole murder mystery and really had to know who did it.
Who did it? Did the "holdout" get it right?!! I couldn't stop until I found out.
A solid four stars for me.
Read
February 13, 2020DNF @ 51%
I just can't finish this one.
Maybe it's the third person narrative, I don't know, but I'm so disconnected from this book that my red low-battery icon has been showing since around 20% into it.
Don't let me discourage you from picking it up, different books for different fry cooks, amiright? ... sorry, that's all I could come up with *sees myself out*.
** I was provided an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **
I just can't finish this one.
Maybe it's the third person narrative, I don't know, but I'm so disconnected from this book that my red low-battery icon has been showing since around 20% into it.
Don't let me discourage you from picking it up, different books for different fry cooks, amiright? ... sorry, that's all I could come up with *sees myself out*.
** I was provided an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **
May 28, 2020
2.0 stars— “The Holdout” is the first book by Graham Moore I have ever read. I really wanted to like this book, since I have read several clunkers in a row, but I just didn’t. “The Holdout” violates the first rule of a good book in that the main character, Maya, is not likable and not someone that I rooted for. I can’t remember a novel I really loved where I didn’t like the main character at least a little bit. The book begins with the story of a jury on a high profile murder case in which one holdout juror was able to eventually convince the 11 others that the defendant was not guilty. The aftermath of that verdict and what happened at the ten year reunion of the jurors is the subject of the book. The book switches from 10 years ago to the present to give a full picture of the backgrounds and relationships between the jurors and how they handle an awful crime that occurs at the reunion. The flashback scenes of juror deliberations are very simplistic and unrealistic as to the reasons jurors’ votes are swayed to Not Guilty. The current mystery is also a dud, with the jurors coming back together 10 years later to administer their own version of justice in a very serious case. This was in a word stupid — and in two words stupid and unbelievable. Top the ridiculous plot off with an arrogant, manipulative main character that has the uncanny and unbelievable ability to get a group of strangers to do exactly what she wants them to do ... twice— then you can imagine why the book was not for me.
February 22, 2020
This is an intriguing book that mostly keeps my interest throughout. The start certainly catches your attention and let’s just say it’s a head turner! Ten years ago Jessica Silver, daughter of wealthy Lou Silver, goes missing and her body never found. Her teacher Bobby Nock is eventually charged with her murder and the case goes to trial. The evidence against Nock is not overwhelming but is suggestive and one things for sure, the trial is an absolute shambles. The jurors are expected to return a guilty verdict but one juror, Maya Searle, is not convinced of guilt. After days and days of debate and counter debate the jurors reach a not guilty verdict much to the outrage of the court of public opinion. It’s this element of the book I find most disturbing as public opinion ruins many of the jurors lives. Ten years on, one juror believes he has irrefutable evidence of Nock’s guilt and the jury reassemble for a TV programme. What happens next is unexpected and twisty demonstrating that the trial sets of a chain reaction of catastrophic events with an impact similar to a runaway train. The story is told in alternate storylines from each jurors perspective at the time of the trial and now, principally from Maya’s point of view. This works well for most of the book but I think that towards the end of the book the final remaining jurors stories do not seem so relevant.
There is a lot I like about this book. The case is really interesting, the trial is fascinating if flawed and the juror dynamics is excellent. I like the dialogue between Maya and the other jurors and it feels a bit like knights armed combat. You get two mysteries for the price of one, the story unfolds really well with a feeling of suspense and tension and it feels a bit like a movie. There are some really good twists, more than one shocker and the end is very unexpected. I like that the author makes you think long and hard about the jury system and how one person with a strong point of view can persuade others to change their minds. However, whether you have a jury or judges you will always have opinion because we are human and our brains are wired that way.
My only reservations about the book lie with its length, it’s a bit overlong and the end is rather convoluted. Overall, though I did enjoy it as I like the concept, the characters are really interesting especially Maya and the law aspect is intriguing and thought provoking.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC. Publication date in UK 20/2/20.
There is a lot I like about this book. The case is really interesting, the trial is fascinating if flawed and the juror dynamics is excellent. I like the dialogue between Maya and the other jurors and it feels a bit like knights armed combat. You get two mysteries for the price of one, the story unfolds really well with a feeling of suspense and tension and it feels a bit like a movie. There are some really good twists, more than one shocker and the end is very unexpected. I like that the author makes you think long and hard about the jury system and how one person with a strong point of view can persuade others to change their minds. However, whether you have a jury or judges you will always have opinion because we are human and our brains are wired that way.
My only reservations about the book lie with its length, it’s a bit overlong and the end is rather convoluted. Overall, though I did enjoy it as I like the concept, the characters are really interesting especially Maya and the law aspect is intriguing and thought provoking.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC. Publication date in UK 20/2/20.
February 13, 2020
I was a huge fan of The Last Days of Night, so I was curious to see what Moore would write next. Don’t look for another historical fiction, this book is a legal thriller. But it’s equally as good.
Ten years ago, Maya Seale convinced her fellow jury members to acquit Bobby Nock for the murder of Jennifer Silver. The question being was he guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. As so often happens, the court of public opinion thought the jury got it wrong and each jury member suffered the fallout. “He gestured around the room. “Do you think any of us were allowed to go back to real life?”” Now, Rick Leonard, one of the jury members, has convinced a documentary series that he has new evidence that proves Bobby guilty. The series gathers all the jury members together again. And then, Rick is killed in Maya’s hotel room. Of course, the police think she must have killed him.
Once again, Moore's writing is very strong and makes excellent points about racial identity among other topics. He also knows the legal system. The start of the book, with Maya trying to get damning evidence excluded was equal parts hysterical and unnerving. Like Maya during the murder trial, I found myself fascinated by the ins and outs of the law. I could totally understand the frustration of not being able to share their beliefs about the trial with anyone, even the other jurors. I would have lost my mind!
The book alternates between the current day and the time of the trial. The present day is all told from Maya’s perspective, but the past is told using a variety of different jurors. The book deals with both mysteries - was Bobby guilty and who killed Rick. I was correct in my guess about one mystery but the other caught me totally off guard. And there continue to be twists even after we knew the who part of the whodunit. Yes, it's a little unbelievable at the end, but it works.
Our human psychology is on full display here; the blame game in particular. Also, how quickly alliances can be made and then fall apart. I loved how Moore developed Maya as a character.
This is a well thought out mystery sure to entertain fans of Louise Penny and John Lescroat.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Ten years ago, Maya Seale convinced her fellow jury members to acquit Bobby Nock for the murder of Jennifer Silver. The question being was he guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. As so often happens, the court of public opinion thought the jury got it wrong and each jury member suffered the fallout. “He gestured around the room. “Do you think any of us were allowed to go back to real life?”” Now, Rick Leonard, one of the jury members, has convinced a documentary series that he has new evidence that proves Bobby guilty. The series gathers all the jury members together again. And then, Rick is killed in Maya’s hotel room. Of course, the police think she must have killed him.
Once again, Moore's writing is very strong and makes excellent points about racial identity among other topics. He also knows the legal system. The start of the book, with Maya trying to get damning evidence excluded was equal parts hysterical and unnerving. Like Maya during the murder trial, I found myself fascinated by the ins and outs of the law. I could totally understand the frustration of not being able to share their beliefs about the trial with anyone, even the other jurors. I would have lost my mind!
The book alternates between the current day and the time of the trial. The present day is all told from Maya’s perspective, but the past is told using a variety of different jurors. The book deals with both mysteries - was Bobby guilty and who killed Rick. I was correct in my guess about one mystery but the other caught me totally off guard. And there continue to be twists even after we knew the who part of the whodunit. Yes, it's a little unbelievable at the end, but it works.
Our human psychology is on full display here; the blame game in particular. Also, how quickly alliances can be made and then fall apart. I loved how Moore developed Maya as a character.
This is a well thought out mystery sure to entertain fans of Louise Penny and John Lescroat.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
August 23, 2020
This was my February BOTM, and while I love courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, this one completely missed the mark for me.
One of the recurring themes in reviews of this book is that "if you can suspend believability, this is a great read...." Often times I can suspend believability and thoroughly enjoy a book, especially when it's a subject on which I have limited knowledge; however, when it comes to courtroom procedures (which are pretty cut and dry with not a lot of variables), I should have known better. Don't read this book if you want an accurate picture of attorneys, trial procedures, juries, etc., because The Holdout is not that book.
Instead of rehashing the entire book, I'm just going to list the major reasons why I'm the holdout of anything greater than 2 stars on this book:
1. The way it jumped from present day to ten years prior with different jurors. There were too many jurors/storylines to make it flow cohesively. Also, Moore goes into great depth to explain why certain jurors changed their mind, but with others, little to no explanation. Quite frankly, the browbeating and reasons that the jurors changed their minds were deplorable and unlikely.
2. Protagonist Maya was just too over-the-top. No matter how just and righteous her cause, her actions were not consistent with a criminal defense attorney. Believing she was about to be charged with murder, she runs rogue and does her own investigation and somehow gets all of these people to talk to her and give her information, even when those people suspect she is probably the killer. Just a big eye roll.
3. The two murder storylines didn't work. While they unfold concurrently - one in 2009, and one in 2019, they were convoluted and flat. The 2009 murder of 15-year-old Jessica Silver was rushed in order to get to jury deliberations, and hence, the controversial plot. The 2019 murder of Rick Leonard just felt off. It was stilted and sort of a throw-in to try and make the plot more relevant.
4. God-awful characters. I didn't like a single one of them, and while I appreciate that Moore was attempting to address race relations and jury prejudices, etc., the characters were all very cliched. I felt like Moore spent so much time pointing out the race of each character and trying to make that a focal point of why they should or should not vote a certain way or act a certain way that it was frankly, a turn-off for me. [SPOILER ALERT: one of the most bothersome parts of the book for me was the explanation of the text messages between Bobby and Jessica. Seriously? She took his phone and sent them to herself as a joke?! We once had a criminal client whose defense was that his accuser hacked into his various social media accounts and sent similar type messages to herself just to set him up - it wasn't believable in "real life," and it was just as unbelievable in a fiction book. I get trying to make Bobby a sympathetic character, but I think it would have been more believable if he had been a sleaze, but just not a murderer].
5. The ending. Just a big NO. Talk about implausible and again, cliched. I don't want to give anything away, but for a myriad of reasons, that just wouldn't happen.
Overall, for me, it was all a stretch. Maybe it's because I just recently finished Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, which while it is a true accounting, it also masterfully addresses racial injustice, corrupt officials, and on-point court proceedings; and in comparison, The Holdout feels forced and weak. I think it's also likely though, that it just isn't a great book, but is getting better than deserved reviews because of its subject matter. Either way, it was a 2-star read for me.
One of the recurring themes in reviews of this book is that "if you can suspend believability, this is a great read...." Often times I can suspend believability and thoroughly enjoy a book, especially when it's a subject on which I have limited knowledge; however, when it comes to courtroom procedures (which are pretty cut and dry with not a lot of variables), I should have known better. Don't read this book if you want an accurate picture of attorneys, trial procedures, juries, etc., because The Holdout is not that book.
Instead of rehashing the entire book, I'm just going to list the major reasons why I'm the holdout of anything greater than 2 stars on this book:
1. The way it jumped from present day to ten years prior with different jurors. There were too many jurors/storylines to make it flow cohesively. Also, Moore goes into great depth to explain why certain jurors changed their mind, but with others, little to no explanation. Quite frankly, the browbeating and reasons that the jurors changed their minds were deplorable and unlikely.
2. Protagonist Maya was just too over-the-top. No matter how just and righteous her cause, her actions were not consistent with a criminal defense attorney. Believing she was about to be charged with murder, she runs rogue and does her own investigation and somehow gets all of these people to talk to her and give her information, even when those people suspect she is probably the killer. Just a big eye roll.
3. The two murder storylines didn't work. While they unfold concurrently - one in 2009, and one in 2019, they were convoluted and flat. The 2009 murder of 15-year-old Jessica Silver was rushed in order to get to jury deliberations, and hence, the controversial plot. The 2019 murder of Rick Leonard just felt off. It was stilted and sort of a throw-in to try and make the plot more relevant.
4. God-awful characters. I didn't like a single one of them, and while I appreciate that Moore was attempting to address race relations and jury prejudices, etc., the characters were all very cliched. I felt like Moore spent so much time pointing out the race of each character and trying to make that a focal point of why they should or should not vote a certain way or act a certain way that it was frankly, a turn-off for me. [SPOILER ALERT: one of the most bothersome parts of the book for me was the explanation of the text messages between Bobby and Jessica. Seriously? She took his phone and sent them to herself as a joke?! We once had a criminal client whose defense was that his accuser hacked into his various social media accounts and sent similar type messages to herself just to set him up - it wasn't believable in "real life," and it was just as unbelievable in a fiction book. I get trying to make Bobby a sympathetic character, but I think it would have been more believable if he had been a sleaze, but just not a murderer].
5. The ending. Just a big NO. Talk about implausible and again, cliched. I don't want to give anything away, but for a myriad of reasons, that just wouldn't happen.
Overall, for me, it was all a stretch. Maybe it's because I just recently finished Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, which while it is a true accounting, it also masterfully addresses racial injustice, corrupt officials, and on-point court proceedings; and in comparison, The Holdout feels forced and weak. I think it's also likely though, that it just isn't a great book, but is getting better than deserved reviews because of its subject matter. Either way, it was a 2-star read for me.
May 11, 2020
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Graham Moore's latest book, The Holdout , is a pretty great legal thriller, one which I could totally see becoming a movie.
Ten years ago the trial rocked the country. A black teacher was on trial for murdering his white teenage student, the daughter of a prominent real estate developer in LA. During the trial text messages hinted at an inappropriate relationship between the teacher and student.
When the jury got together, all but one juror, Maya, were ready to convict. Little by little, after weeks of deliberation and argument, she wore them down with her assessments and they voted to acquit the defendant. The verdict—and their participation in the jury—changes their lives immeasurably.
"You ever think about all the fucked-up shit we end up doing because we tell ourselves we're helping?"
Now, 10 years later, a true-crime documentary is focused on the trial and brings the jury together, in the same hotel where they were once sequestered. One juror is purported to have “explosive” new evidence. And then another murder occurs, which sets off a high-stakes race to find the truth, before someone else dies.
I really enjoyed this book. It switches between past and present, and looks at each of the jurors and how they came to their decision to acquit, as well as whatever secrets they might have been hiding. There were lots of twists and turns in the plot, and while I had some suspicions about how things might resolve themselves, I was definitely surprised by some of what happened.
While I didn’t feel the book read like a movie, it certainly could be adapted into one, and that’s not surprising considering the author is an Oscar-winning screenwriter. (He wrote The Imitation Game .) But I felt Moore did a good job giving his characters depth as much as he crafted suspense.
No objections to this legal thriller! (Dad joke.)
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Graham Moore's latest book, The Holdout , is a pretty great legal thriller, one which I could totally see becoming a movie.
Ten years ago the trial rocked the country. A black teacher was on trial for murdering his white teenage student, the daughter of a prominent real estate developer in LA. During the trial text messages hinted at an inappropriate relationship between the teacher and student.
When the jury got together, all but one juror, Maya, were ready to convict. Little by little, after weeks of deliberation and argument, she wore them down with her assessments and they voted to acquit the defendant. The verdict—and their participation in the jury—changes their lives immeasurably.
"You ever think about all the fucked-up shit we end up doing because we tell ourselves we're helping?"
Now, 10 years later, a true-crime documentary is focused on the trial and brings the jury together, in the same hotel where they were once sequestered. One juror is purported to have “explosive” new evidence. And then another murder occurs, which sets off a high-stakes race to find the truth, before someone else dies.
I really enjoyed this book. It switches between past and present, and looks at each of the jurors and how they came to their decision to acquit, as well as whatever secrets they might have been hiding. There were lots of twists and turns in the plot, and while I had some suspicions about how things might resolve themselves, I was definitely surprised by some of what happened.
While I didn’t feel the book read like a movie, it certainly could be adapted into one, and that’s not surprising considering the author is an Oscar-winning screenwriter. (He wrote The Imitation Game .) But I felt Moore did a good job giving his characters depth as much as he crafted suspense.
No objections to this legal thriller! (Dad joke.)
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
February 13, 2020
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Graham Moore and Random House for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
When this Graham Moore novel crossed my radar, I could not help but be interested to see how he’d spin this story about a jury faced with a murder trial. The book ended up being so much more, perfect for those who love a good legal drama with a mystery mixed into the plot. Maya Seale is a successful criminal defence attorney in Los Angeles, able to see things from the accused’s point of view with ease. However, she has not always had this wonderful job, having served on a highly-controversial jury a decade before. In 2009, Maya and fourteen others were gathered to hear the case of The People vs. Robert Nock, in which the defendant is accused of killing one of his high school students. Maya engages with the other jurors, none more so than Rick Leonard, as they listen to the evidence and form their own opinions about his guilt. The story depicts how this collection of everyday citizens made the baffling decision to find Nock not guilty, which created immediate vilification by the public. As the story progresses, Moore introduces a second narrative in which the jurors are brought together by a production company to revisit their decision a decade later. While Maya awkwardly encounters Rick Leonard again, the man who shared her bed during the trial and then stabbed her in the back during a tell-all book after the trial, she also gets the chance to remember a lot of what happened during the trial. When Leonard is found dead in Maya’s hotel room, all eyes turn to her as the most likely suspect. Maya, wanting to cleaner her name, collects a number of portfolios Leonard left behind and discovers new and scandalous information about their fellow jurors. As the story flips between 2009 and the present, the readers can fill in all the pieces, from the trial and the current investigation to find out who might have killed Rick Leonard. Additionally, there is the question of what really happened and how the jury’s deliberations turned on a dime. An intriguing legal drama that will leave the reader wondering how much they think they know about an apparent open and shut case, as well as the plight of those tasked with judging a man’s life with filtered evidence. Recommended to those who love all things courtroom, as well as the reader who likes a mystery that slowly unfolds.
I always enjoy something with a legal flavour, particularly when it strays from the cookie-cutter style of writing and leaves me wondering where things will go. Maya Seale takes up the role as the protagonist in this piece, whose role is important in both the 2009 and modern narrative streams. She went into the trial and was sure she could convince any of her fellow jurors of the truth she saw, thinking that Rick Leonard would be the least of her worries. However, she was wrong and spent much of the flashback sections trying to convince them, while seeking to stay one step ahead in the present day narrative as she is accused of killing her one-time lover who sought to hang her out to dry. As she discovers new truths about her fellow jurors, she also must piece together what happened leading up to the trial that split the country. Many other characters make their impact throughout, particularly through a narrative technique that Moore uses, allowing the reader to see things through a variety of perspectives. This, in turn, permits the reader to have a better handle on all aspects of the story and the trial at its core. Graham Moore does a masterful job at presenting a case to the reader, develops the courtroom arguments and pushes the reader into the deliberation room as well. By writing chapters that tell things from the perspective of all the jurors, the reader is given the opportunity to see the story in a new light. Adding the current time period narrative, the story’s plot thickens even more and everything that the reader (and jurors) thought they knew soon goes up in smoke. Powerful in its delivery and easily read in short order, Moore treats the reader to a wonderful legal tale that is anything but straightforward.
Kudos, Mr. Moore, for a lovely way to introduce me to your writing. I will surely be back to read more in the coming months.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
When this Graham Moore novel crossed my radar, I could not help but be interested to see how he’d spin this story about a jury faced with a murder trial. The book ended up being so much more, perfect for those who love a good legal drama with a mystery mixed into the plot. Maya Seale is a successful criminal defence attorney in Los Angeles, able to see things from the accused’s point of view with ease. However, she has not always had this wonderful job, having served on a highly-controversial jury a decade before. In 2009, Maya and fourteen others were gathered to hear the case of The People vs. Robert Nock, in which the defendant is accused of killing one of his high school students. Maya engages with the other jurors, none more so than Rick Leonard, as they listen to the evidence and form their own opinions about his guilt. The story depicts how this collection of everyday citizens made the baffling decision to find Nock not guilty, which created immediate vilification by the public. As the story progresses, Moore introduces a second narrative in which the jurors are brought together by a production company to revisit their decision a decade later. While Maya awkwardly encounters Rick Leonard again, the man who shared her bed during the trial and then stabbed her in the back during a tell-all book after the trial, she also gets the chance to remember a lot of what happened during the trial. When Leonard is found dead in Maya’s hotel room, all eyes turn to her as the most likely suspect. Maya, wanting to cleaner her name, collects a number of portfolios Leonard left behind and discovers new and scandalous information about their fellow jurors. As the story flips between 2009 and the present, the readers can fill in all the pieces, from the trial and the current investigation to find out who might have killed Rick Leonard. Additionally, there is the question of what really happened and how the jury’s deliberations turned on a dime. An intriguing legal drama that will leave the reader wondering how much they think they know about an apparent open and shut case, as well as the plight of those tasked with judging a man’s life with filtered evidence. Recommended to those who love all things courtroom, as well as the reader who likes a mystery that slowly unfolds.
I always enjoy something with a legal flavour, particularly when it strays from the cookie-cutter style of writing and leaves me wondering where things will go. Maya Seale takes up the role as the protagonist in this piece, whose role is important in both the 2009 and modern narrative streams. She went into the trial and was sure she could convince any of her fellow jurors of the truth she saw, thinking that Rick Leonard would be the least of her worries. However, she was wrong and spent much of the flashback sections trying to convince them, while seeking to stay one step ahead in the present day narrative as she is accused of killing her one-time lover who sought to hang her out to dry. As she discovers new truths about her fellow jurors, she also must piece together what happened leading up to the trial that split the country. Many other characters make their impact throughout, particularly through a narrative technique that Moore uses, allowing the reader to see things through a variety of perspectives. This, in turn, permits the reader to have a better handle on all aspects of the story and the trial at its core. Graham Moore does a masterful job at presenting a case to the reader, develops the courtroom arguments and pushes the reader into the deliberation room as well. By writing chapters that tell things from the perspective of all the jurors, the reader is given the opportunity to see the story in a new light. Adding the current time period narrative, the story’s plot thickens even more and everything that the reader (and jurors) thought they knew soon goes up in smoke. Powerful in its delivery and easily read in short order, Moore treats the reader to a wonderful legal tale that is anything but straightforward.
Kudos, Mr. Moore, for a lovely way to introduce me to your writing. I will surely be back to read more in the coming months.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
January 1, 2024
3.5 stars
In 2009, 25-year-old high school music teacher Bobby Nock was tried for the murder of his 15-year-old student Jessica Silver.
When Jessica - the daughter of billionaire Lou Silver - disappeared, the police found sexy text messages between herself and Nock and found traces of Jessica's blood in Nock's car.
The fact that Nock was black and Jessica was white exacerbated matters, and the teacher was quickly arrested and prosecuted.
Maya Seale was one of a diverse bag of jurors at Nock's trial, and though the evidence against the teacher was strong, Maya had reasonable doubt.
Thus, though the eleven other jurors wanted to vote guilty, Maya turned them one by one.....and Nock got a not guilty verdict. Nock's acquittal resulted in vicious backlash from the public.
The fallout caused many jurors to regret their decision to let Nock off. The most sorry of all was an African American juror named Rick Leonard, who wrote a scathing book that blamed Maya for the reviled verdict.
Ten years later Maya, who believes "it's better that ten guilty men go free than one innocent be wrongly punished" is a criminal defense attorney who'd prefer to hear nothing more about Bobby Nock. Unfortunately Maya is out of luck because the producers of a podcast called 'Murder Town' are making an 8-hour docuseries about Nock, to be aired on Netflix.
The producers ask the original jurors to cooperate with the show, and Maya - who's still being excoriated by the public - refuses. However Rick Leonard claims that he's found definitive proof of Nock's guilt, which he'll reveal when he's interviewed for the podcast. Maya can't resist hearing this 'proof', and reluctantly agrees to participate in the program.
The jurors are assembled at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles, where they were sequestered during the trial, and are even given their old rooms. The attendees meet for an ice breaker on the evening before the interviews, and talk about the trial and the podcast.
Later that night a juror is found dead in Maya's room. In the ultimate ironic twist, Maya is arrested for the juror's murder.
The book is a dual mystery in which two cases are highlighted: the killing of Jessica Silver and the murder of the juror. Maya, who's out on bail, aims to prove she's innocent. Hence she noses around against the explicit instructions of her defense attorney, Craig Richards, who tells her to lay low.
In fact Craig wants Maya to claim she killed Rick in self-defense - even if she's completely innocent - to ensure she doesn't go to prison. (Apparently Craig doesn't care if the 'real killer' is caught.)
The murder trial of Bobby Nock has a whiff of racism and classism, which continues later, when Nock is convicted of disseminating child pornography. As a result Nock has to register as a sex offender, which means that he'll be persecuted by the media forever.
The book is told from the rotating points of view of Maya and other jurors, so we know what people were thinking and doing during and after Nock's trial, and what they're up to at the present time. There are some surprising revelations and the strong suggestion that lawyers don't care who's innocent or guilty....they just want to win.
I'd recommend this novel to readers who enjoy mysteries and legal thrillers.
Thanks to Netgalley, Graham Moore, and the Random House for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
March 1, 2020
They decided to serve because, supposedly, it was their Civic duty. The trial that of a young, black teacher who is accused of murdering his white student. The motive is that they were having an affair and she was going to tell. Problem is there is no body. This trial would change all their lives
Written as a made for tv mini series, this dialogue laden novel requires a certain suspension of belief. Is it possible for all these jurors to have facts that they withheld from the court? Would a former juror, now a seasoned attorney herself act the way she does? Going around investigating when her lawyer told her to do nothing? I just couldn't go there.
The story does reveal constant new threads, which muddies the water, and I did want to find out the resolution. Who actually killed this young woman? It does wrap thing up but I found the ending rushed and the way it was portrayed unsatisfactory.
So, just okay for me, but better for those who can buy into it book, line and sinker.
Written as a made for tv mini series, this dialogue laden novel requires a certain suspension of belief. Is it possible for all these jurors to have facts that they withheld from the court? Would a former juror, now a seasoned attorney herself act the way she does? Going around investigating when her lawyer told her to do nothing? I just couldn't go there.
The story does reveal constant new threads, which muddies the water, and I did want to find out the resolution. Who actually killed this young woman? It does wrap thing up but I found the ending rushed and the way it was portrayed unsatisfactory.
So, just okay for me, but better for those who can buy into it book, line and sinker.
March 8, 2020
I just finished this audiobook while sweating in the sauna.... and I am now speaking into the phone while soaking in the pool.
Anyone who hangs around Goodreads has at least seen this book..... with the eye-catching cover..... so I figure there are plenty of reviews covering many points of views from other readers -
one more from me — describing the plot or naming the key characters is kinda unnecessary.
So instead, I’ll add some of my thoughts:
.....I was hoping I’d like it as much as “The Body of Questions” by Jill Ciment. - it ‘wasn’t’ AS GREAT OR EXCITING OR FUN....
But.....
.....The beginning was engaging ( crazy first page opening)....
.....The set-up story sounded good - it ‘was’ good!
.....The middle portion of this book was tedious and borderline-boring.
.....The last chapters in the book were twisty - a surprise- one I never saw ahead of time. Not sure satisfying- but surprising.
.....I liked the idea of this book: I certainly did not hate it.... but I’m not left ecstatic either.
.....I’m glad I took my turn reading it —-
.....or shall I say LISTENING to it. The voice narrator highlighted the tension-dialogue scenes brilliantly—-( those scenes of yelling, arguing and swearing between two characters were my favorites because their anger felt F#%king REAL......
but.....
.....much of the story ‘didn’t’ feel real (totally improbable actually).
Overall.... entertaining: the beginning and ending were the best parts.
Also.... I agree wholeheartedly 100% that “Holdout” would make better TV-screen entertainment than in book-form!
3.5-3.7 rating.
Anyone who hangs around Goodreads has at least seen this book..... with the eye-catching cover..... so I figure there are plenty of reviews covering many points of views from other readers -
one more from me — describing the plot or naming the key characters is kinda unnecessary.
So instead, I’ll add some of my thoughts:
.....I was hoping I’d like it as much as “The Body of Questions” by Jill Ciment. - it ‘wasn’t’ AS GREAT OR EXCITING OR FUN....
But.....
.....The beginning was engaging ( crazy first page opening)....
.....The set-up story sounded good - it ‘was’ good!
.....The middle portion of this book was tedious and borderline-boring.
.....The last chapters in the book were twisty - a surprise- one I never saw ahead of time. Not sure satisfying- but surprising.
.....I liked the idea of this book: I certainly did not hate it.... but I’m not left ecstatic either.
.....I’m glad I took my turn reading it —-
.....or shall I say LISTENING to it. The voice narrator highlighted the tension-dialogue scenes brilliantly—-( those scenes of yelling, arguing and swearing between two characters were my favorites because their anger felt F#%king REAL......
but.....
.....much of the story ‘didn’t’ feel real (totally improbable actually).
Overall.... entertaining: the beginning and ending were the best parts.
Also.... I agree wholeheartedly 100% that “Holdout” would make better TV-screen entertainment than in book-form!
3.5-3.7 rating.
August 26, 2020
Have you ever served jury duty? Did you walk away confident you made the right decision...no second thoughts? What if your decision put a killer back on the streets? Equally disturbing, what if your choice sent an innocent person to prison! Could you live with that guilt? Just cast it aside like a bad dream and move on with your life?
Ten years have passed since Maya sat for a well publicized murder trial. She was able deliver a convincing argument, swaying the jury in her direction. Now a fellow juror approaches her revealing new information regarding the trial.
All but one of the jurors are reuniting, spending the night in the hotel where they were sequestered all those years ago. The following morning there would be one less juror at the breakfast table.
Now Maya finds herself in quite a pickle, realizing she may find herself facing a jury of her own.
I’ve always been a big fan of legal thrillers and this one had it all. Explosive courtroom and jury drama supported by a well-crafted back story.
I toggled back and forth between written and audio version, depending on where I was. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing both the characters and the story-line to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC to read and review.
Ten years have passed since Maya sat for a well publicized murder trial. She was able deliver a convincing argument, swaying the jury in her direction. Now a fellow juror approaches her revealing new information regarding the trial.
All but one of the jurors are reuniting, spending the night in the hotel where they were sequestered all those years ago. The following morning there would be one less juror at the breakfast table.
Now Maya finds herself in quite a pickle, realizing she may find herself facing a jury of her own.
I’ve always been a big fan of legal thrillers and this one had it all. Explosive courtroom and jury drama supported by a well-crafted back story.
I toggled back and forth between written and audio version, depending on where I was. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing both the characters and the story-line to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC to read and review.
January 26, 2022
While I am reading a book I usually take notes to remind myself of both positive and negative things that stand out about a book. This time, I didn’t make a single note. I didn’t dislike the book, but it just didn’t make much of an impression on me. It wasn’t suspenseful, the characters weren’t likable, there were huge ethical lapses and the ending didn’t satisfy me at all. So I guess that’s my impression. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
February 13, 2020
3.5 stars
Held my interest and although I have some mixed feelings with some of the stuff at the end, overall this was a good read. It was almost like I was getting two mysteries for the price of one as the story alternated between the jury trial from ten years ago as well the murder that occurred in the present time.
Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, vanished ten years ago. The case made national news as her family has money, lots of it. Jessica's teacher, Bobby Nock, a twenty-five-year-old African American man, is suspected of murdering her and the case goes to trial. Given the evidence, it seems likely the jury will convict. However, juror Maya Seale is convinced Bobby is innocent and manages to change the minds of the rest of the jury members. When they come back with a not guilty verdict, it is controversial and it certainly has an impact on their lives to say the least. Ten years later a docuseries is being produced and the jury gets together to discuss the trial. But one of the jury members winds up dead, and now Maya is the main suspect in his murder. So, what exactly happened now and what exactly happened to Jessica ten years ago?
This was a fairly quick read and I think that is due to a couple reasons. One, the alternating timelines as well as switching back and forth between characters keeps the action going at a good pace. You could say Maya is the main character in this book but eventually you get to know the other jury members as well. I also thought the author's screenwriting background shone through a bit with this book. The writing is simple and to the point. If you are looking for overly descriptive passages, this isn't the book for you. That's not to say it isn't well-written, as my interest level was high throughout the book.
The author brings some substance to the story as race is one of the subjects that is explored throughout the book. The story doesn't have a simple ending as there are multiple layers and there was one piece of the puzzle I didn't care for as it ventured out of realistic territory for me. I also didn't find anything to be all that surprising or shocking but to be fair despite that I still enjoyed reading this book. I think if you enjoy legal thrillers this is a pretty safe bet.
I was provided an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Held my interest and although I have some mixed feelings with some of the stuff at the end, overall this was a good read. It was almost like I was getting two mysteries for the price of one as the story alternated between the jury trial from ten years ago as well the murder that occurred in the present time.
Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, vanished ten years ago. The case made national news as her family has money, lots of it. Jessica's teacher, Bobby Nock, a twenty-five-year-old African American man, is suspected of murdering her and the case goes to trial. Given the evidence, it seems likely the jury will convict. However, juror Maya Seale is convinced Bobby is innocent and manages to change the minds of the rest of the jury members. When they come back with a not guilty verdict, it is controversial and it certainly has an impact on their lives to say the least. Ten years later a docuseries is being produced and the jury gets together to discuss the trial. But one of the jury members winds up dead, and now Maya is the main suspect in his murder. So, what exactly happened now and what exactly happened to Jessica ten years ago?
This was a fairly quick read and I think that is due to a couple reasons. One, the alternating timelines as well as switching back and forth between characters keeps the action going at a good pace. You could say Maya is the main character in this book but eventually you get to know the other jury members as well. I also thought the author's screenwriting background shone through a bit with this book. The writing is simple and to the point. If you are looking for overly descriptive passages, this isn't the book for you. That's not to say it isn't well-written, as my interest level was high throughout the book.
The author brings some substance to the story as race is one of the subjects that is explored throughout the book. The story doesn't have a simple ending as there are multiple layers and there was one piece of the puzzle I didn't care for as it ventured out of realistic territory for me. I also didn't find anything to be all that surprising or shocking but to be fair despite that I still enjoyed reading this book. I think if you enjoy legal thrillers this is a pretty safe bet.
I was provided an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2020
Some books and their authors believe they have to cram every bit of information into their stories. While often it works well, in this book it seemed to muddle some really important concepts and ideas.
Ten years ago, Maya Seale, sat on a jury and was the instrumental force in the way the verdict was determined. Spurred on by her experience as a juror, Maya becomes a criminal defense attorney. However, her world is about to be rocked as a show, driven on and assisted by one of the former jurors, Rick Leonard, decide to bring the jurors together and try to come to terms with their previous decision. Most of the jurors are anxious to participate while Maya has qualms. During the initial trial, Maya and Rick, another juror, became quite close and after the trial as these two battled their way through the decision, that closeness disappeared and later become the source of a scathing book penned by Rick. The jurors meet and then one of them turns up dead and the race is on to find not only the murderer of one of the jurors, but also to come to terms with the verdict made ten years prior.
Ten years ago, Jessica Silver, the daughter of an extremely wealthy man went missing. Bobby Nock, a teacher of Jessica's, becomes the lead suspect in her disappearance and what is presumed to be her death. Bobby is black and he and Jessica had carried on a sexual relationship while Jessica was fifteen and his student. Jessica is gone and Bobby is the one that everyone suspects. The trial occurs and the jurors come together with their verdict, bringing their own misconceptions, preconceptions, and prejudices along with them.
The book flips back and forth between the trial, the aftermath, and many characters. We get a glimpse into the questions of race, of police procedures, the way trials are conducted, the deals that are made, and the makeup of juries. Represented as well, is the notoriety of the case using social media as a point of information.
While there were many elements to ponder, the book did get caught up in too many issues. While it did hold my interest, through the bulk of the story, the ending just seemed quite contrived and convoluted. However, overall, it did raise some really intriguing questions, and I did enjoy thinking about the many answers there might have be to some particularly probing and relevant questions.
Thank you to the Graham Moore, Random House, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out February 18, 2020.
Ten years ago, Maya Seale, sat on a jury and was the instrumental force in the way the verdict was determined. Spurred on by her experience as a juror, Maya becomes a criminal defense attorney. However, her world is about to be rocked as a show, driven on and assisted by one of the former jurors, Rick Leonard, decide to bring the jurors together and try to come to terms with their previous decision. Most of the jurors are anxious to participate while Maya has qualms. During the initial trial, Maya and Rick, another juror, became quite close and after the trial as these two battled their way through the decision, that closeness disappeared and later become the source of a scathing book penned by Rick. The jurors meet and then one of them turns up dead and the race is on to find not only the murderer of one of the jurors, but also to come to terms with the verdict made ten years prior.
Ten years ago, Jessica Silver, the daughter of an extremely wealthy man went missing. Bobby Nock, a teacher of Jessica's, becomes the lead suspect in her disappearance and what is presumed to be her death. Bobby is black and he and Jessica had carried on a sexual relationship while Jessica was fifteen and his student. Jessica is gone and Bobby is the one that everyone suspects. The trial occurs and the jurors come together with their verdict, bringing their own misconceptions, preconceptions, and prejudices along with them.
The book flips back and forth between the trial, the aftermath, and many characters. We get a glimpse into the questions of race, of police procedures, the way trials are conducted, the deals that are made, and the makeup of juries. Represented as well, is the notoriety of the case using social media as a point of information.
While there were many elements to ponder, the book did get caught up in too many issues. While it did hold my interest, through the bulk of the story, the ending just seemed quite contrived and convoluted. However, overall, it did raise some really intriguing questions, and I did enjoy thinking about the many answers there might have be to some particularly probing and relevant questions.
Thank you to the Graham Moore, Random House, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out February 18, 2020.
Want to read
February 19, 2020
I don't want to alarm anybody, but the February BOTM selections are up.
This was my selection and I am freaking excited about it!!
Go and get 'em, people!!!!
March 7, 2020
It appears, as of 6 days ago, that Hulu has purchased the rights to The Holdout...looks like we'll be seeing Maya and the gang on the television before long.
This story is a two-fer; the reader gets two murder mysteries in one novel. Unfortunately, both felt superficial. Touching on topics such as racism, the power of the media, and juror misconduct, again, Graham Moore just skimmed the surface of topics that deserve significantly more depth.
Narrated primarily by Maya, but with flashbacks to 2009 from various jurors on the Jessica Silver trial, the pacing was decent. My biggest gripe was how far-reaching the plot became. There is no way Maya, a trial attorney, would do the things she did...running around like some sort of crazy vigilante.
And in the flashbacks, when we learned the prosecution only allowed for a premeditated, murder one verdict--what kind of moronic prosecutor would do that without a body or weapon? The story mentions frequently how pissed America was by the jury's verdict, but how could they do anything else? Given only vague circumstantial evidence, how could they possibly convict a man of premeditated murder?
Final thoughts: Not my favorite, but still a decent read.
Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
This story is a two-fer; the reader gets two murder mysteries in one novel. Unfortunately, both felt superficial. Touching on topics such as racism, the power of the media, and juror misconduct, again, Graham Moore just skimmed the surface of topics that deserve significantly more depth.
Narrated primarily by Maya, but with flashbacks to 2009 from various jurors on the Jessica Silver trial, the pacing was decent. My biggest gripe was how far-reaching the plot became. There is no way Maya, a trial attorney, would do the things she did...running around like some sort of crazy vigilante.
And in the flashbacks, when we learned the prosecution only allowed for a premeditated, murder one verdict--what kind of moronic prosecutor would do that without a body or weapon? The story mentions frequently how pissed America was by the jury's verdict, but how could they do anything else? Given only vague circumstantial evidence, how could they possibly convict a man of premeditated murder?
Final thoughts: Not my favorite, but still a decent read.
Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
November 23, 2020
3ish stars.
I liked it mostly the whole way through, but it ended up disappointing me. The ending () was a real letdown.
I thought I had figured it out fairly early on and ended up only being partially right. Maybe I need some humbling because I often think I'm far cleverer than most mystery writers when it comes to their own stories.
Hear me out: . That story would have been way better.
I appreciated the legal perspective, especially the explanation that telling the truth is often not the best way to serve justice. It's all about telling the right story. I also liked the examination of social justice, like racial profiling and white savior complex (fitting at the time of my reading in the midst of George Floyd's killing), and how it highlighted the way the justice system can (and often does) fail to administer justice, which itself can be a matter of perspective. Other than that, the rest (characters, prose, plotting) was only decent.
Posted in Mr. Philip's Library
I liked it mostly the whole way through, but it ended up disappointing me. The ending () was a real letdown.
I thought I had figured it out fairly early on and ended up only being partially right. Maybe I need some humbling because I often think I'm far cleverer than most mystery writers when it comes to their own stories.
Hear me out: . That story would have been way better.
I appreciated the legal perspective, especially the explanation that telling the truth is often not the best way to serve justice. It's all about telling the right story. I also liked the examination of social justice, like racial profiling and white savior complex (fitting at the time of my reading in the midst of George Floyd's killing), and how it highlighted the way the justice system can (and often does) fail to administer justice, which itself can be a matter of perspective. Other than that, the rest (characters, prose, plotting) was only decent.
Posted in Mr. Philip's Library
March 1, 2020
Love a good legal thriller! The Holdout is a much talked about book in the blogging world and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint. It is a fast paced and an exciting story that will keep you turning those pages well past your bedtime so be warned. It certainly will keep you guessing right until the last few pages and I love that in a book. The only part that I wasn't too keen on was the way that the ending seemed rushed. So much happened in the last 50 pages or so and I feel that it could maybe have been stretched out a bit.
10 years ago Maya Seale was the holdout on the jury on a very high profile case. She managed to convince her 11 fellow jurors that black teacher Bobby Nock killed his white student Jessica Silver. Jessica came from a well known family in LA and the prosecutor believed that they had a slam dunk conviction. The press and the public went wild over the acquittal and the jurors became famous. 10 years later and they are all back at the hotel they called home during the trial. Maya is now a lawyer herself but finds herself the prime suspect when one of the other jurors is murdered in her hotel room. She must use everything she knows to try to clear her name and find the real killer.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
10 years ago Maya Seale was the holdout on the jury on a very high profile case. She managed to convince her 11 fellow jurors that black teacher Bobby Nock killed his white student Jessica Silver. Jessica came from a well known family in LA and the prosecutor believed that they had a slam dunk conviction. The press and the public went wild over the acquittal and the jurors became famous. 10 years later and they are all back at the hotel they called home during the trial. Maya is now a lawyer herself but finds herself the prime suspect when one of the other jurors is murdered in her hotel room. She must use everything she knows to try to clear her name and find the real killer.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
August 17, 2022
4.5 stars: I loved this book! It was very well-crafted and highly interesting. There were more than one mystery to solve and I enjoyed how everything was tied up in the end.
Even though it's a legal thriller, the focus is not specifically on the court. It's more about the juror duty (in the past) and about the new murder to solve (in the present). Yes, because one of the jurors is found dead ten years later!
I would definitely watch a TV adaptation of this story!
Even though it's a legal thriller, the focus is not specifically on the court. It's more about the juror duty (in the past) and about the new murder to solve (in the present). Yes, because one of the jurors is found dead ten years later!
I would definitely watch a TV adaptation of this story!
December 11, 2019
Being a juror on a high profile murder case has got to be a thrill ride and a half: looking at the bloody evidence and weighing witness statements, the savage craziness of the media interest, then finally getting to decide the fate of a man charged with murder. It’s got to be just like tv, right? Exciting. Maybe even a shot at your own fame… 15 minutes or otherwise.
But what Maya Seale got wasn’t quite fame, it was INFAMY. Not convinced of Bobby Nock’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt, she campaigned for a Not Guilty verdict and eventually persuaded, or wore down, all the other jurors. The result was spectacularly unpopular, provoking uproar in both the courtroom and the real world, and changing the jurors’ lives forever.
Now it’s 10 years later and they’re back together again. Apparently there’s new evidence to consider and more questions to be asked. Everyone wants to know if they got it wrong. But when one juror ends up dead, it looks like someone’s willing to kill to keep their secrets buried for good.
You can tell the author has screenwriting experience, The Holdout would be well served as a slick tv series or film. Nevertheless, this is a surprisingly issue led book for something that’s also a hell of a lot of fun. Racism stands front and centre, with the black defendant Bobby Nock identified as the murderer of a pretty blonde girl from the ‘right’ kind of (rich) family in no small part due to the colour of his skin. The intersections of race and justice are examined throughout the novel, particularly through the multifaceted levels of expectation, misunderstanding, and outright prejudice. The notion that race or skin colour has more to do with guilt/innocence than the evidence is cleverly developed through the varied perspectives of the jurors. Multiple POVs reveal the action in a dual timeline, the original period of the trial and the present day search for the killer(s). More than the did-he-do-it mystery or even the who’s-the-killer-now question, it’s the author's examination of ‘justice’ via jury that fascinates. All the big social issues are here in microcosm and while the sideways commentary on fairness, class, race, justice, and the individual are intriguing, I wish there had been more of it. Especially because the plot did edge into the far-fetched at times. Even so, while readers might guess something of the ending if they know the ‘rules’ of storytelling, knowing one of the twists didn’t ruin the finale in any way. The book kept some surprises close.
Fast paced and offering a genuine good time, this is well worth reading before it undoubtedly hits the screen.
ARC via Netgalley
But what Maya Seale got wasn’t quite fame, it was INFAMY. Not convinced of Bobby Nock’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt, she campaigned for a Not Guilty verdict and eventually persuaded, or wore down, all the other jurors. The result was spectacularly unpopular, provoking uproar in both the courtroom and the real world, and changing the jurors’ lives forever.
Now it’s 10 years later and they’re back together again. Apparently there’s new evidence to consider and more questions to be asked. Everyone wants to know if they got it wrong. But when one juror ends up dead, it looks like someone’s willing to kill to keep their secrets buried for good.
You can tell the author has screenwriting experience, The Holdout would be well served as a slick tv series or film. Nevertheless, this is a surprisingly issue led book for something that’s also a hell of a lot of fun. Racism stands front and centre, with the black defendant Bobby Nock identified as the murderer of a pretty blonde girl from the ‘right’ kind of (rich) family in no small part due to the colour of his skin. The intersections of race and justice are examined throughout the novel, particularly through the multifaceted levels of expectation, misunderstanding, and outright prejudice. The notion that race or skin colour has more to do with guilt/innocence than the evidence is cleverly developed through the varied perspectives of the jurors. Multiple POVs reveal the action in a dual timeline, the original period of the trial and the present day search for the killer(s). More than the did-he-do-it mystery or even the who’s-the-killer-now question, it’s the author's examination of ‘justice’ via jury that fascinates. All the big social issues are here in microcosm and while the sideways commentary on fairness, class, race, justice, and the individual are intriguing, I wish there had been more of it. Especially because the plot did edge into the far-fetched at times. Even so, while readers might guess something of the ending if they know the ‘rules’ of storytelling, knowing one of the twists didn’t ruin the finale in any way. The book kept some surprises close.
Fast paced and offering a genuine good time, this is well worth reading before it undoubtedly hits the screen.
ARC via Netgalley
November 29, 2019
Unexpected and thought-provoking!
2009: Fifteen year old heiress Jessica Silver has disappeared on her way home from school and the suspect is her African-American teacher, twenty-five year old, Bobby Nock. It looks to be an open and shut case, until one juror, Maya Seale, not only holds out, but manages to sway all of the eleven other jurors to change their mind.
Their controversial verdict of “not guilty” will alter their lives forever.
The Present: “Murder Town” is going to do a TV adaptation of the Bobby Nock trial. Ten of the jurors will return to the Omni hotel, where they had been sequestered, for five months, to learn of “supposed” new evidence. They have been given their old rooms, which look exactly the same.
But, one will end up dead in Maya’s room before the first night has ended, and now she must prove her own innocence, by getting to the bottom of the case where she served as a juror.
As the scene for this book is set, I expected that the two stories would be woven together (they are) along with perhaps "live"reports from Murder Town (nope) and the police investigation (no, again)
We hear SOME of what the attorney’s argued in court, and SNIPPETS of what was said in the deliberation room, to sway the vote, as told (not always shown) by each of the jurors involved. Sometimes their thoughts got a bit philosophical, or sounded a bit like a lecture, which slowed the pace for a bit...
BUT, what I did find intriguing was the way the story made me REALLY WONDER if your fate being decided by a “jury of your peers” is really the fairest way?
What if one juror BULLIES the rest into seeing things his or her way?
What if a juror votes so that they won’t appear to be making a decision based on a “shared” or “not shared” race?
What if a juror changes their vote for another reason that has NOTHING to do with their belief in the suspect’s guilt or innocence?
The Alpha personality vs. Beta Personality....it happens in all facets of life.
How often does It affect the outcome of a trial?
Despite a person’s good and true intentions going in? 🤔
So while, I did not exactly get what I was expecting from this book, I did get a lot to think about....AND A FEW SURPRISES, by the end!
3.75 rounded up
Thank You to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and Graham Moore for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! Available Feb. 18, 2020!
2009: Fifteen year old heiress Jessica Silver has disappeared on her way home from school and the suspect is her African-American teacher, twenty-five year old, Bobby Nock. It looks to be an open and shut case, until one juror, Maya Seale, not only holds out, but manages to sway all of the eleven other jurors to change their mind.
Their controversial verdict of “not guilty” will alter their lives forever.
The Present: “Murder Town” is going to do a TV adaptation of the Bobby Nock trial. Ten of the jurors will return to the Omni hotel, where they had been sequestered, for five months, to learn of “supposed” new evidence. They have been given their old rooms, which look exactly the same.
But, one will end up dead in Maya’s room before the first night has ended, and now she must prove her own innocence, by getting to the bottom of the case where she served as a juror.
As the scene for this book is set, I expected that the two stories would be woven together (they are) along with perhaps "live"reports from Murder Town (nope) and the police investigation (no, again)
We hear SOME of what the attorney’s argued in court, and SNIPPETS of what was said in the deliberation room, to sway the vote, as told (not always shown) by each of the jurors involved. Sometimes their thoughts got a bit philosophical, or sounded a bit like a lecture, which slowed the pace for a bit...
BUT, what I did find intriguing was the way the story made me REALLY WONDER if your fate being decided by a “jury of your peers” is really the fairest way?
What if one juror BULLIES the rest into seeing things his or her way?
What if a juror votes so that they won’t appear to be making a decision based on a “shared” or “not shared” race?
What if a juror changes their vote for another reason that has NOTHING to do with their belief in the suspect’s guilt or innocence?
The Alpha personality vs. Beta Personality....it happens in all facets of life.
How often does It affect the outcome of a trial?
Despite a person’s good and true intentions going in? 🤔
So while, I did not exactly get what I was expecting from this book, I did get a lot to think about....AND A FEW SURPRISES, by the end!
3.75 rounded up
Thank You to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and Graham Moore for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! Available Feb. 18, 2020!
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