The Holdout by Graham Moore

I have always loved legal thrillers, there’s something about them that just seems to make them standout from other thrillers. I love delving into the dynamics of how jurors interact with one another as they come to a decision and understanding their individual thoughts as they absorb the information presented to them in court.

For that reason, The Holdout instantly grabbed my attention as it offered such an unusual scenario. When the jurors took their first vote, all but one voted Bobby Nock guilty. Maya was on her own in her views that there was no hard evidence to prove that Bobby was guilty, and so she set about persuading the others to change their vote. She achieved, what I believed as the impossible, and Bobby Nock was freed. As the jurors leave the court house, they’re struck by the opinions of the outside world who believe the jury made the wrong decision… so who was right?

Flash forward ten years and the jurors reunite for a podcast to discuss their controversial decision. Over the years, many of the jurors have regretted what they did, with one even going so far as to write a book about it… so the atmosphere in the room is tense.

That night, one of the jurors ends up dead, and all fingers point to Maya being the prime suspect. We, as the readers, know she’s innocent, but as the police investigate and find no other strong leads, it’s up to Maya and her lawyers to get her out of this mess.

She starts investigating her fellow jurors and delving into the past…

Moore uses multiple POVs to draw suspicion to the other jurors and reveal explosive secrets. With the focus so heavily surrounding the events of the trial, Maya must dissect the case all over again, and now that she’s a lawyer, her approach is different… will she discover evidence that was overlooked or uncover a new suspect?? Well you’ll have to read it to find out.

I devoured this story in a day, Moore’s writing style had a momentum that just kept shifting into a higher gear with every plot twist. I loved the multiple POVs that kept me guessing the true killer and with so much going on, I generally was shocked by the end reveal.

There is no doubt that Moore has a flare for writing a complex and well developed plot, and with the sheer volume of suspense and pace within The Holdout, what’s not to like?!

The Holdout is out in hardback versions TOMORROW and the eBook version is out now from Orion! Many thanks to Alex for sending me a proof copy – very grateful to have read this book early!

Until next time, Chloé x