The Verdict

by C.J. Cooper

One morning, a jury summons arrives on Natalie's doorstep.

She is one of twelve people to decide whether a man is innocent or guilty of a horrific crime.

But in the weeks after the trial, Natalie can't shake the feeling that the verdict was a terrible mistake. That they let a guilty man walk free.

So when she crosses paths with the accused by chance, she decides to do whatever it takes to find the truth.

Because as Natalie knows, sometimes you have to take justice into your own hands . . .

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2021

About the author

Claire Cooper grew up in a small village in south Wales before moving to London as a student. She graduated with a degree in Ancient History and Egyptology and spent seven months as a development worker in Nepal. On her return to Britain she joined the civil service, where she worked for 17 years on topics ranging from housing support to flooding. She hung up her bowler hat when she discovered that she much preferred writing about psychotic killers to Ministerial speeches. She now lives with her husband by the sea in Pembrokeshire.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful! The main character was hideously unlikable, and the book was full of stupid and unnecessary plot diversions that completely waste your time. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

[Vanessa Humphries · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well! Rarely have I encountered such an unpleasant "heroine". Completely unlikeable and unempathetic.

[Allie Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Verdict so much!

The first part of the book was my favourite, with the main character Natalie, a civil servant, called up for jury service. The author precisely and hilariously captured the forced putting-together of strangers for the jury.

I just LOVED the dark humour in Natalie's voice.
Some of my favourite quotes:
1. We trooped out trailing scarves and bags and lined up against the wall of the waiting room as if about to face a firing squad.
2. E.A.O.W. You wouldn't want to put her initials on things, would you? EAOW! It's like a noise a cat might make if you pulled its tail.
3. Lorraine, one of the fellow jurors can't read her own writing, so Natalie from that point on thinks of her as Can't-Read-My-Own-Writing Lorraine.

Then came some crazy plot twists that I really didn't expect. But the main character, Natalie, was so relatable and the author put us so firmly in her shoes and fed us enough of her backstory and inner thoughts that her actions seemed credible.

Sinister, funny, compulsive and highly entertaining!

[Julie Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read but one where you need to suspend belief in some places.
Natalie is called up for jury service and it’s a case where a man is being accused of rape.
As there’s not enough evidence to find him guilty he is not charged.
The next bit is the bizarre part where Natalie goes out of her way to find Ian and starts a relationship with him.
At times when she’s asking him what really happened, Ian questions why she’d be with a man she thought was a rapist, and I tend to agree.
It’s a bit of a strange one but I think in her own way Natalie knows what she’s doing.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Shaelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 very disappointing stars. I don't have time to write a full review at the moment but will very soon.
UPDATE: 2/4/22 THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN RE-TITLED AS ' LIE TO ME'. I just wanted to let other people know in case they make the same mistake I did and buy this twice! I barely remember reading it but when I checked under this title it was the exact same description . And there's no notice about a title change like they typically offer.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird one. The main character is so unlikeable but you can’t help reading more. And her actions in her warped world make you question was it actually right and wrong. I’ve given it three stars as the ending is a bit pants sadly…there’s no big revelation or a tie up of all the storylines as I’d hoped. But it’s still an entertaining book

[czarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 ⭐

[Laura- Jayne Breed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

What a great read, I loved Natalie and related so heavily with her. I wish that there was more, Natalie is a fantastic protagonist.

I'm now off to read the book the same before this one, the one that has been languishing on my Kindle for a while . I shamefully judged the previous book by its cover and now I'm hoping for absolution and I'm going to read The Book Club now.
Hopefully it's not too long to wait for CJ Coopers next book

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another random library pick and it wasn't too bad at all.

I keep seeing reviews saying how "unlikeable" and "unreasonable" Natalie was, and I'm here like - duuuuh. Obviously, the bitch was dead-ass crazy! It's not immediately apparent - that's the brilliance of this book. She was written in a way for us to progressively discover how unhinged she truly is beneath her polished exterior. We were never meant to love her.

(I'm only slightly concerned with the fact that some of Natalie's thoughts on humanity and the world around her mirror mine...)

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I never saw that end coming! I really enjoyed this book despite my nagging doubts of the beginning, asking myself ‘really though?’
An extraordinary woman on a jury thinks she made a mistake and can’t let it go! Putting herself in possibly a lot of danger! Liked it a lot.

[Ian Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a bit of a strange book. The main character was a lunatic and with hardly any redeeming qualities.
The premise was good, but the actions of Natalie were bat shit crazy!
Couldn't wait to finish it to be honest.

[Sarah Berry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn’t keen on this book felt it never really went anywhere and nothing really happened just plodded along and found it boring

[Helen Hicks · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character was so unlikeable, as were the other characters.
Really disappointed as it sounded so promising, I’m left feeling I wasted hours of my time on this book.

[Jessica Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Natalie is a mystery to me. She comes off as a psychopath but we’re meant to believe she cares at all about Chantelle getting justice?

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I found the storyline of the book interesting and unique, I was disappointed to find that I didn’t click with any of the characters. I also found the sub-plot with her ex unnecessary. Fine to read as an ‘in-between’ book though.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, slightly better than the book club in a small way. Did find the main character annoying and kept shouting at the book thinking what a stupid person you are you really doing that!
The ending was unpredictable I didn’t expect it at all. She made the character nice to start then turn at the end.

[Amy L S · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read 😳 I cringed throughout this book, but had to read it.

[Annie Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bizarre book, feels like the author planned one plot and then couldn't figure it out so ended it differently
The main character is irritating and her actions follow no logic
Also hate the sudden turn at the end to it being her "confession" ridiculous

[Jessica McBride · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read this authors first book and enjoyed it I didn’t hesitate to buy her next book. Unfortunately for me there were too many unknowns at the end of the book. If you’re someone who enjoys this kind of story then I highly recommend but if you’re like me and need all the loose ends tied up then I wouldn’t recommend you read it.

It’s a pity as the blurb on the back of the book had me hooked. We can’t all like the same things though unfortunately.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!
Although the story is crazy. Who would have a rapist in her house and sleep with them in order to get the truth. She should know she would never get the truth. She should of made sure he went down guilty in the first place if it was her fault.
But it was a great read. I enjoyed the whole book and the ending was fantastic. She was planning to kill him all along. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be in her bad books.

[Chloe]

✎― DNF.

❛ The moment she had sex with Ian, I closed the book shut and intend on never opening it again. ❜

[Charlotte Murrell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Sloppy. Crappy unlikeable main character. "Ooh I started dating a known rapist and was surprised when I found out he's a bad person boohoo" shut up.

[McBreakneck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie Wright is on jury service, the foreperson in a rape trial. The evidence is inconclusive and they find the defendant, Ian Nash, not guilty.

Natalie becomes obsessed with the case and the verdict, triggering an obsessive need to try to uncover the truth.

I've never read a plot along these lines before and CJ Cooper delivers it beautifully. Natalie's narration is confessional and self aware and it makes for addictive and compelling reading. As the story unfolds we learn about Natalie's grudges and devious streak, a wonderfully flawed character driven by her own moral code.

I raced through this book, loved reading about Natalie and getting to know her, the plot perhaps tailed off (or grew more conventional) towards the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it overall, feeling totally immersed with Natalie's character and her distinctive voice and mindset.

Definitely recommended if you love a more introspective, thought provoking psychological thriller.


Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group

[Janaya Kabamba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book really did completely blow me away. The plot is so original and you'll have absolutely no idea where its going to take you! The ending literally had my jaw on the floor. It's not full or drama or anything like that but it gets under your skin and has you racing along to see just what is going to happen next. Its just such a breath of fresh air and something I've never come across before the characters are well written and relatable and you do find yourself kind of seeing the logic I the main characters decisions. I could not put this down and loved every second of it. Its just such a fresh take on the genre and its almost entirely without Ny of the usual thriller clichés or stereotypes. Even once you get to that last page, you'll still find yourself trying to untage what just happened and how you feel about the outcome! It also leaves so many questions which just makes it that little but more interesting since you're left to try and puzzle it all out and decide if justice was done or not. Amazing!!

[ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5.

Interesting book!

The plot was really new to me and I’m glad I read it. Jury duty has always been so interesting to me and I’d never considered how guilty I’d feel after giving a verdict so I enjoyed reading a plot surrounding the subject.

The main character was unlikeable and awful, tbh. Absolutely crazy women who didn’t have many redeeming qualities. Made it draining to read the story but I wanted to finish to find out the truth/what happened at the end.

Think the end would’ve been a bit better if it was dealt with legally - it would’ve wrapped the story up a bit better and given answers. Also would have given Chantelle the justice she deserved, though I suppose this is also delivered through the ending of the book.

After learning about the original title (The Verdict), I wish the author had stuck with it as it captures the story a lot better.

[Zoe Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book; it got me hooked right from the first page.
The story centres around Natalie, who is called up for jury service and decides that she’s going to do the best job she can only to get pulled into the case in a horrific way.
Natalie’s voice is compelling, she is such a good protagonist. Seeing the world from her viewpoint was captivating, especially when all the twists and turns began. I found myself gripped, turning the pages, not knowing what was to come next.
It’s the type of book that keeps you up at night, that you don’t want to put down, and I raced to get to the end to see how it would all turn out.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend, it’s a brilliant rollercoaster of a read and you won’t want to leave it alone.

[Gabrielle V. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most disappointing book for my year so far.

I didn’t have a problem with the main character being unlikeable as the rest of the reviewers state. Natalie was not meant to be liked. However, if creating a ‘crazy’ character (obviously has to be if she wants to get an alleged rapist in her bed) I’d assume the author would make sure to give the character some intelligence. Not our case here though.. could barely stand the stupid ‘logic’ Natalie was trying to explain her just-as-stupid actions with..

I saw a lot of potential in this story, yet it was thrown in the bin.. the ending was nothing but an absolute flop. If anything - a strong and thrilling ending would have probably saved the whole book. Yet again - wasted potential.

[Lovetoread2023 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie receives a jury summons,she's now one of twelve people who have to decide if a man is innocent or guilty of a horrendous crime.
Weeks after the trail she feels they made a terrible mistake, they let an innocent man go free.
By chance she crosses paths with him and now she'll do whatever it takes to find out what really happened.
She knows to get the right result you have to take matters into your own hands.
An enjoyable read but at times I found things dragging on a bit.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group U.K for the ARC