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Book Summary and Reviews of The Verdict by Nick Stone

The Verdict by Nick Stone

The Verdict

by Nick Stone

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  • Published:
  • Dec 2015, 512 pages
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Book Summary

When Terry Flynt gets the chance to defend a millionaire accused of murder he knows that the case could make his career, but the accused man is Flynt's greatest enemy - can he defend a man who ruined his life?

Terry Flynt is a struggling legal clerk, desperately trying to get promoted. And then he is given the biggest opportunity of his career: to help defend a millionaire accused of murdering a woman in his hotel suite.

The only problem is that the accused man, Vernon James, turns out to be not only someone he knows, but someone he loathes. This case could potentially make Terry's career, but how can he defend a former friend who betrayed him so badly?

With the trial date looming, Terry delves deeper into Vernon's life and is forced to confront secrets from their shared past that could have devastating consequences for them both. For years he has wanted to witness Vernon's downfall, but with so much at stake, how can Terry be sure that he is guilty? And what choices must he make to ensure that justice is done?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Though not all the plot strands tie up as tightly as one might wish, the Machiavellian plotting, Old Bailey fireworks, and almost Dickensian richness of character and setting make this a standout." - Publishers Weekly

"Starred Review. This fast-paced legal thriller by the award-winning author of The Clarinetis destined to grab the attention of American readers for its complexity of plot, its depth of character development, and for the nitty-gritty portrayal of London's seamier side. " - Library Journal

"Starred Review. The suspense never lets up in this terrific courtroom drama. Fans of John Grisham will love it. It's definitely movie material." - Kirkus

"A terrific legal thriller in which long-buried secrets acquire the force of deadly weapons. The writing is vivid and energetic, and Stone has John Grisham's flair in the court scenes." - The Guardian (UK)

"Terrific stuff. An unrelenting narrative grip right up to its courtroom climax." -The Daily Express (UK)

"It's a relief to have English courtroom scenes described by an author who knows better than to scatter the dialogue with cries of 'objection' and the sound of a gavel, and a pleasure to read someone who so understands legal practice. A very enjoyable legal thriller." - Literary Review (UK)

"Now and then there's a book worth really shouting about. So listen up, this is the best legal thriller in years." - Peterborough Evening Telegraph (UK)

This information about The Verdict was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Nick Stone

Nick Stone's first novel, Mr. Clarinet, was a critical and commercial success, winning several international awards including, in the UK, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller of the year, the International Thriller Writers Award for best first novel, and the Macavity Award for best first novel, in the USA, both in 2007. The French translation, Tonton Clarinette, won the public-voted SNCF Prix du Polar in 2009. Nick lives in Cambridge.

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