Wow I loved everything about this book, the way it was written and the fast paced twists and turns. I did not want to put it down, a definite must read for anyone that loves a thriller 5/5

Absolute page turner, such a hard book to put down until you finish it. There are more twist and turns than fair ground ride.
It keeps you engaged with multiple subplots and multi layered characters right up till the final page.
Fantastic piece of writing.

Wow. This was my first novel by Olivia Isaac-Henry, but it won't be my last! She had me guessing until the final pages.
Julia Winter is introduced in this novel as a pitiable character. She is living paycheck to paycheck, recently separated from her husband because she had an affair, and her only son refuses to speak to her. If matters couldn't get worse for Julia, she has just received news that the body of a roommate/ex-fling Brandon was found nearby their shared living space in Guildford, after he went "missing" 20+ years ago. She begins receiving threatening text messages and phone calls telling her to get her story straight before the police show up at her doorstep. Could she have had something to do with his murder? The reader is left to fill in the blanks, as memories from her time living in the strange house in Guildford are exposed during the Brandon's murder trial.

While Julia's story is anything but light, Isaac-Henry brings perfectly-timed comic relief through supporting characters. Maybe the most relatable (and complex) character is Julia's mother, Audrey. She might be batshit crazy, but she is fiercely protective of Julia, particularly through the trial. We all know/have an Audrey in our life!

I love a good mystery when told from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, and Isaac-Henry delivers. Her writing style actually reminded me a lot of Donna Tartt's in The Secret History, (which btw, I loved). So, if you haven't already, put this one on your TBR list!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an advanced reader copy of this page-turning book!

I found this book a little slow to start and I had thought it was going to be kind of wishy washy but once I really got into it there were so many little intricacies and sub-stories that made it great to read.

This book is written around 4 housemates and their landlady from the perspective of 1994 and the present day.
This book had many twists as one of the housemates body is found 20 years after his death. At the same time of his disappearance, £45,000 also goes missing.
We learn of the lives and relationships of these 4 people alongside their eccentric land lady who is in unaccepting that her son is dead.
I absolutely loved this book, full of twists that made you gasp and characters that were definetly not as they are first pitrayed. I would absolutely recommend this book.

I always enjoy a book where the author alternates between the present day and the past, I feel it keeps the reader's attention and this one certainly kept me rapt. From chapter to chapter my opinion of each character changed so that I had no idea who the killer or killers were. I certainly hadn't a clue how the court case was going to go. Exactly what I want from a psychological thriller. Add on an epilogue with a twist like the author does her and you get a 5 star book.

The Verdict

This is not a high speed thriller. It is relentless as it ekes out the pieces to a mystery of which you’re just dying to know the answer. It’s delicious.

At first I wasn’t sure I was going to finish. At seven chapters in I was bored (I’m an adrenaline junky of the book variety) it seemed to be dawdling along. A few more chapters in and I wasn’t sure I cared for the out of order flashbacks. Then I realized this was a jigsaw puzzle book! I love jigsaw puzzles! That’s when the fun began.

The pieces of flashbacks are out of order for a good reason. When you do a puzzle you don’t complete it line by line, it’s scattered until you get closer to the end. This is what happens in The Verdict.

When you start forming a theory of what happened the night Brandon Wells died you still can’t quite see how everything got to be where it is in the present. Trying to solve it was pure delirious torture.

One twist had me almost drop my book and say, “Wait... WHAT?! How did that happen?!” There are several twists to follow but it’s the final two that will never let you forget “The Verdict”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me this excellent early read. I loved it.

Wow! Wow! WOW! A dark and compelling read from an author who was new to me, but one I will return to again! This psych-thriller had me pointing fingers, biting my nails and turning the pages so fast, I thought I may break my kindle!
*****
Set over a now and then timeline in Guilford and London the reader is immersed in a story where guilt, jealousy, friendships, fear, conspiracy, secrets, lies, coercion, manipulation, threats and greed are all intertwined in the search for the truth and justice.
OMG BOOM! What an opening. It is short and sharp but delivers that killerhook that had me itching to know more. But that wasn’t it – Oh no…the author decides to throw in another WTAF chapter that made sure I wasn’t leaving my chair until I finished the book! Brilliant! Told from the first person POV, and a timeline that takes us into the past while reminding us of the current situation, pieces of the puzzle are neatly dropped in to tease the reader. Although elements of the story were paced quickly, there is a deliciously slow build up of suspense and when the penny drops…well jaysus, I was thrown and loved every minute of it! I would describe this novel as a psychological/legal thriller but only because of the court room scenes which added a great flair to the revelations.

This novel was full of some diverse and interesting characters, from the eccentric to the downright sinister, the reader will find themselves wondering who they should believe. Julia Winter is, however, the main character and the story is told through her eyes in the main. Poor, poor Julia. At 48 years old she is living in a bedsit after the collapse of her marriage. She’s insecure, unsure, but there is a strength within her that slowly comes to the surface once she receives a text that will change her life. I found her to be realistic and relatable although at times I did just want to shake her – she was certainly a well developed character that pulled on the emotions, whether that be sympathy, empathy or downright frustration!

A few other characters really stood out, although everyone mentioned in novel has a part to play, I definitely was drawn to the following peeps for various reasons. The landlady is an eccentric, substance misuser who has a haunting past and opens up her home to lodgers. What a character! She totally creeped me out at times and I had this Betty Davis like picture in my mind every time she was mentioned in the novel.

Brandon was another one that stuck out. I didn’t find him to be very likeable at all, yet I wanted to know more about him. Weird right?!

Gideon reminded me of those slimy salespeople or that character from the Netflix film – YOU. I took an instant dislike to him, but if you asked me why – I wouldn’t be able to pin point it.

Alan was just a follower. Jealous of others and probably scared of his own shadow. I didn’t take to him either.

What I loved about this novel was that even though you could see things about the characters in hindsight, you can never quite put your finger on what there importance is…until HOLY FRIGGIN SH*TBALLS – you’re given one hell of an OMG-moment and all becomes a little more clear…or does it?
So what’s my VERDICT? If you are looking for a novel that will have you reeling, one full of intensity, conflict, suspense and some cracking twists – then this is the book for you! Highly recommended – grab a copy of The Verdict today!

It took me few chapters to get into this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It jumps from present day back to the 1990s when a crime was committed. and then back to present day, where the story unfolds bit by bit. There are only a few main characters, each with a possible part to play in murder. I was on the edge of my seat at times, trying to work out who did what and who was guilty. The way the story unfolds when the trial begins is incredible. Twists and turns in a whodunnit, right to the very last page. Highly recommended. I give it 4 stars because it took me a little while to get used to the story jumping between the various timelines.

This book gripped my from the beginning. The books chapters jump from past to present, they are dated which makes it easier to follow. The characters are likeable and intriguing. The book follows a lady called Julia who is accused of the murder of her housemate. This book is shocking and literally kept me on the edge of my seat. It has plenty of twists, which I love. I really recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Olivia Isaac-Henry for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I was initially hesitant about this book when I saw the amount of chapters it contained and that it would be jumping back in forth so much in time in very short bursts. However this concern was quickly put to rest as the format worked very well for the trickle of the past events to cascade into a dramatic ending. It was a satisfying read with characters that had interesting, complex personalities.

I’m glad I gave it a go as it was very enjoyable in a mysterious way and I will try to track down the author’s previous book on the strength of this reading experience.

The Verdict is a shocker! Jumping between the past and present to find out what happened to one of Julias housemates. I was kept guessing right til the end.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read.

Ugh. This was so messy to read and hard to follow. If i put it down, id have to reread the last few pages to see where I was . Not for me

The Verdict was an entertaining read. I enjoy books which flip from the present to the past in succeeding chapters as a method to draw in the reader and provide details of the story in a methodical manner. Whether or not Julia was a murderer was not clear to me until the last few chapters which is a plus.

That being said, I think the book could have been shortened by about 50 pages for a more dramatic flow of events. It did lag a bit midway through and then picked up again in the last quarter of the book. This made it a four star book rather than a five star effort in my eyes.

If you enjoy the psychological thriller genre, I don't think that you will be disappointed in choosing The Verdict!

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I enjoyed this unusual book and was not put off by the fact that the story is being told in the present and the past. Olivia developed a story that kept me wanting to see what was going to be the conclusion. I was not disappointed as this is a book that I will be recommending to my wide group of contacts..

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through and did not expect the twist at the end.

The Verdict was an interesting, well-written book. It is told from one character’s (Julia) POV and it skips around in time a bit. Every chapter is titled with the year in which it occurred, so it wasn’t too difficult to keep track of events.

I was slightly disappointed, since it was labeled as a thriller, but was more of a courtroom drama. Even so, I was intrigued trying to figure out what really happened twenty years ago. I will be looking up more books by this author!

Will a lifetime of bad decisions bring Julia a guilty verdict? She is an adulterer and an absentee mom, but is she also a murderer? What was really going on in that house 20+ years ago? If you love well developed characters, a fast moving plot and an unbelievable ending...this is a book for you!

I received The Verdict by Olivia Isaac-Henry by Netgalley for an honest review. This book was “good enough.” I really hate to sound mean, I’m really not aggressive. I just had a hard time with this book. I saw the ending coming. It was predictable. Very well written, but predictable. I tend to read a lot of mystery books and thrillers and for that reason, I tend to be able to see what’s coming in the stories. The book was very descriptive and would keep anyone entertained, it did me. I would recommend it to anyone I know and plan to. I found the book to be an easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. There was one twist that threw me for a loop (who married who?)! WHOA! Never saw that coming, those are the types of twists that keep me going! And, this courtroom drama kept me on the edge of my seat though with the little twists thrown my way as well as waiting to see if my guesses were correct. Thank you Olivia for the amazing read!

What a brilliant book.........The Verdict by Olivia Isaac-Henry was. This is a book that will have you hooked within the first few pages. So if you love courtroom drama's this is a for you.

Julia Winter is a cheating Wife, an estranged mother...............But is she guilty of murder?

Hmmmmmmm This is the Question?

Its for you to decide! - But........Don't start reading this book if you have something planned for the day! or you read just before you go to Sleep!!! Once you start this book you will want to find out more about Julia............

So Julia Winter Please raise your right hand.

An affair at work has cost Julia Winter her job and her marriage. There’s no denying she has let her family down.

Please remain standing.

A body is discovered on the North Downs, it hits local headlines. But for Julia, the news is doubly shocking because the body was buried just opposite the house she lived in over twenty years ago. And it is one of her former housemates.

Please resume your seat.

Up on the stand, Julia’s not the only person to have secrets that are unearthed during the trial. But the evidence against her is overwhelming.

And yet one question remains: is she the murderer, or the victim?

Jurors, you may be excused.

Readers, what is your verdict?

Is Julia Guilty? Or Innocent?

What a great Book! Highly recommend The Verdict.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!