Ten years ago, a rich, pretty, white teenage girl disappeared and her teacher, a young black man, was accused of her murder. Maya was on the jury that tried him. Her doubts got Bobby acquitted. The rest of the world disagreed violently with this verdict, but Maya never backed down and eventually became a successful lawyer. Now, a Netflix series is tearing open old wounds with new evidence uncovered by Maya's fellow juror (and old flame) Rick. Then Rick ends up dead in Maya's hotel room, forcing her to solve both cases to clear her name. Two enjoyably twisted mysteries for the price of one.

Plotwise, it was both original and believable. In flashbacks, you see pieces of the trial of Bobby Nock, a 24-year-old black male English teacher accused of murdering his 15-year-old (or thereabouts) white female student. (So it's also got some thematic social justice issues going for it as well.) When it comes time to deliberate, Maya is the only one who thinks he's innocent and systematically begins trying to convince the other jurors. Ten years later, a documentary team gathers the jurors from the infamous case together for a weird sort of reunion, and when one of the other jurors ends up dead, holdout Maya is the number one suspect. I mean, what a plot! There's the dual mystery of whether Bobby was guilty and then who killed the juror with a giant helping of suspense as Maya, now a defense attorney, of all things, has to hire her own firm to prove her innocence. What a ride!

I also loved the narrative format as it alternated between the two timelines with a focus on Maya in the "present" and alternating between different jurors in the past. The jurors are an incredibly diverse group—old, young; male, female; white, black, Asian; straight, gay; uneducated, educated; poor, well-off; idealistic, uncaring... basically a slice of society as a jury should be. Being able to get a glimpse of each person's personality and thought processes firsthand significantly fleshed out the novel. My biggest complaint was that the murdered juror's motivations never made much sense to me, and since he was basically the only character that didn't get a chance to speak for himself, it was kind of frustrating.

Overall, this book was smart and fun. Highly recommended. So should I try some more legal thrillers now?

P.S. I rarely comment unless it's misleading about the plot, but I just want to say that I think this book has a great cover.

An extremely clever procedural, that I did not want to put this down. Ten years ago the trial of the century took place, and ten years later the jurors of that trial meet for a television reunion.

Maya is your central character. She was a juror on a trial, and when it came down to the decision she was the only holdout of not guilty. She slowly persuades the jury to her side and the defendant a young African American man was found not guilty.

We go forward to present time, Maya is a lawyer now, and she is asked to participate is a documentary with the jury of of this trial. On the first evening, one of the other juror’s is found dead in her room. This juror was the only one that positive that the defendant was guilty on that Jury.

What ensues a thriller of a book. The story’s chapters alternate between present and ten years ago during the trial from the point of view of each juror. This is a book that once you think you figured it out, another twist happens. The author does a wonderful job keeping these twists to the very last chapter.

I had a ton of fun reading this. This felt very locked room as far as the mystery goes, but the pool of suspects is so vast it did not feel “locked room”. I think if you are fans of Agatha Christie you will love this book. This book is so much more than this mystery, he provides for discussion of race and how it affects trials, and ones that are close to the case, great for book club discussions.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Holdout" is an excellent mystery by author Graham Moore. This novel contains several twists and turns, and keeps you guessing until the very last page! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Holdout is a fascinating study of jurors sequestered and tasked with deciding the fate of a young man accused of murder, A reunion ten years after the trial brings us a murder mystery. We learn about what really happened during the trial and the many secrets these people have. It is a captivating book which I have already recommended to others as a must read.

Thanks to Random House Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Whew. What a ride. And I enjoyed every minute of it! Here are a few reasons why:

1. Multiple Points of View

The book uses a dual timeline. Maya narrates the present day sections, while she and the other jurors take turns narrating the events of the trial.

I enjoyed reading the different points of view. Each of the jurors has a distinct personality and a unique way of looking at the world. Between the multiple timelines and the many points of view, the story could've been a confusing mess, with no unifying thread or focal point. Yet Moore makes it work.

And what's more, it works to serve the story. He's not simply throwing in each juror's thoughts for no reason. We need to know their thought processes to know two things.

First, why they ultimately sided with Maya during the trial and found Bobby Nock "not guilty."

Second, what motivates them at a later point in the novel.

It also effectively shows that Maya's not the only person who had a motivation to kill Rick.

Maya's investigation takes her to some strange places. An artists' colony where drugs and art mingle freely. A town of convicted sex offenders. The office of the billionaire whose daughter has disappeared. Moore does a great job of creating these mini-worlds to feel real. He has a beautiful way with words, and has obviously honed his craft for many years.

2. Courtroom Dynamics

I really enjoyed the dynamics of this courtroom drama. Not being a lawyer, I can't tell if the courtroom scenes are realistic or not. To me, they felt real. Because of that, I suspended disbelief when certain things became implausible.

Moore has some fascinating insights into the legal process, its onlookers (media, the public), and its participants, particularly how the psychology of the jurors' relationships influences cases. During drawn-out cases, such as Bobby Nock's trial, the jurors form a special bond with one another.

Yet this bond isn't all positive. Alliances are made, rivalries develop, personalities clash. Without a shared history, the jurors form opinions of one another (and how they will vote!) based on obvious details like gender, race, or ethnicity. It's rather like And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, minus the actual locked room aspect. (Moore pays homage to more than one Christie classic in his novel.)

3. Characterization

As characters went, I found most of them believable.

They are fascinating people apart from the trial. A few I'd love to have coffee with, a few I'd love to shake some sense into, and a few I'd avoid. Yasmine cracked me up. Lila made me want to hug her. I cheered for Kathy as she grew self-confidence, and Fran as she dealt with her grief by helping another juror, and wanted to kick Peter where it hurts--hard.

All of them have secrets--some horrifying, others embarrassing--and all of them struggle with whether their original verdict was or was not "just."

But what does a "just" verdict look like, The Holdout begs us to consider. Is it when the whole truth is put into the open? What if that truth does more harm than good? What if the truth is, as Maya puts it, a lousy defense?

Ultimately, this is a terrific, well-paced thriller. I recommend it to everyone who loves legal thrillers.

(This review will be posted on my blog on February 29, 2020.)

When I decide on what star rating I'm going to give a book on this site, especially for NetGalley, personal reading preference weighs heavily, but I also consider what others with different reading tastes may enjoy and prefer. I'm mentioning this because I think my five star rating on this book is based primarily on my enjoyment and the quickness in which I devoured it. Do I think it's the best book you'll read this year, or even that I will read this year, probably not, but I can't deny that I couldn't put it down and that I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I hope someone options this for the screen, because I'd love to see it!
Enjoy!

I liked this one. As a former lawyer (albeit never a trial attorney), I'm always fascinated to see how writers choose to relay attorney protocol and ethical dilemmas and courtroom procedure and issues. While admitting I'm no expert, I think Moore did a fine job with these aspects of the story - they felt weighty but not overblown, with equal measures of respect for the system and a recognition that the system is inherently (IMHO) limited (if not outright flawed) in its ability to balance truth and justice. But by far, I think he did a finer job walking the line on issues of personal responsibility, guilt, and the complications of being a human player attempting that balancing act between truth and justice...

I enjoyed the back-and-forth nature of the narrative, finding the interplay between then and now in the relationships between characters and the outcomes of their decisions to be well-crafted and well-delivered. The story held my attention from the get-go. I was angry, uncomfortable, guilty, and self-satisfied throughout - sometimes all at the same time - and felt like my descent into the effortless roil of emotions was a natural outcome of the engaging writing style.

I have enjoyed Moore before - although we don't always meld. I loved reading The Sherlockian and watching The Imitation Game and found myself immediately catapulted into those stories as I was into this one - but struggled mightily with The Last Days of Night and ultimately wasn't able to find my way into the story enough to finish it. In The Holdout, I think he brought the intensity of TIG and TLDoN while maintaining the storytelling flow of TS, and it worked well for me and for this tale. I think he's a very talented writer, capable of evoking a sense of time and place that feels authentic and when he does so, it pulls the reader into the created world hook, line, and sinker.

There were a couple of twists here that I really think added to the tension and emotional resonance of the story. They were well-managed and dropped in almost casually, in a way that I think added to their impact. Too many authors seem to feel the need to aim for an obnoxious sense of shock value with their revelations; it's getting old for me and the heavy-handed nature feels forced and often disrupts the flow of the tale. Not so at all here; the twisty-turny bits were deftly added in at just the right time with just the right amount of emotional attachment. It made for a thoroughly engaging read that I would recommend in a heartbeat. I think that, based on this read, I will have to give TLDoN another look - and will definitely be on the lookout for his next book...

After reading this legal thriller, I sure am glad I didn’t get picked for the jury in an upcoming capital murder case! What do you get when 12 random people are thrown together and sequestered for weeks on end? Either they work together or they become fractured.
What happens with this jury? It’s interesting to find out!

They made a decision, only to face harassment by the public and be left wondering years later if they made a mistake. When the jurors gather 10 years later for a reunion, one juror turns up dead and another juror is accused. Problem is, they all know the accused is innocent of the crime. But who would have done it?

The story moved at a fast clip and it was interesting to see how they came together to “solve the crime” and protect those who are innocent. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Great mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. Enjoyed the use of the legal system, trial and jury as the basis for the story. Strong and diverse set of characters, each with their own story and secrets that lead up to a couple of unique twists. Good timely themes. Read very much like an Agatha Christie novel with bits and pieces told from the view point of each of the characters giving clues but not overly foreshadowing the conclusion. Well written and engaging. I did not want to put it down. A definite recommendation for someone who likes mysteries. I am motivated to seek out the other books by the same author.

This is a really compelling legal drama, and I did enjoy it, but the ending didn't quite satisfy me. I would recommend it of the premise sounds interesting to you, but I don't think it's a must-read. We get a dual mystery here, with whether or not Bobby Nock killed Jessica Silver ten years ago, and who killed Maya's fellow juror in the present day, and the narration shifts between various jurors during the original trial as Maya now. The pace is engaging and kept me turning pushes the whole time--this was never boring. I didn't feel a particularly deep connection with Maya, however, and the ending just didn't quite work. So, while I did enjoy this, I didn't love it.

I think the last courtroom drama I read was Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh and I really liked it, I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for a twisty legal drama. The Holdout by Graham Moore brings us to the courtroom and provides a thought-provoking story where a juror believes the man accused of killing a woman is innocent. From that case she is inspired to go to law school and become a lawyer herself.

Fast forward ten years and Maya is brought back to the case where it all started thanks to a documentary looking at the case again. But what happens when a fellow juror is found dead in Maya’s hotel room?

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.

I liked this book! It was a murder case wrapped in another murder case. A book in a book. Two stories in one. The writing was thoughtful, Maya was smart and sympathetic, the story flowed. There was nothing I didn’t enjoy about this novel. A solid and compelling read!

Order this book here, it comes out on February 18!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was very well written and definitely well crafted, but I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. Definitely enjoyable if you like courtroom drama and whodunit, I didn’t believe the main character as a woman, but I’m picky about that. 3.5 rounded up

The Holdout held my interest throughout. Unlike some other reviewers, I thought the alternating chapter of then and now, with each past chapter told from the point of view of an individual juror, to be very effective. The ending is a little more complex than it needed to be and, as with other books of this ilk, depends on timing and coincidence to a larger degree than probable in real life. But, this isn’t real life and readers read for many different reasons. The Holdout is likely to appeal to many readers who are looking for a good book and a complex mystery.

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.

Graham Moore has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in The Holdout. Well worth the time of the read!

3.50

The Holdout started off strong and then lost a bit of its edge. It was still a good read, but not as good as it seemed to promise at the beginning. It’s the second novel I’ve read this past year focused on the dynamics between jury members. In this case, the story is told from Maya’s perspective in two timelines. Maya sat on a jury that acquitted a young teacher accused of murdering his teenage student. Ten years later, Maya is a criminal defence lawyer, and she’s invited to a reunion of all the jury members. The old murder remains unsolved and the reunion leads to another mystery. Clever idea, but it didn’t entirely wow me in its execution. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

What a brilliant book! Enjoyed every page and it was a major page turner. The plot was original and incredibly topical. Can a jury really determine the truth? No it can only seek justice... whose parameters are vague. Can a jury be impartial? No it can only offer a verdict. One’s ethnicity, education and social status are all the unknown factors that cannot be omitted from the process of deciding the fate of a defendant. The author reveals these truths in a wonderfully paced legal drama. The descriptions of the trial, the sequestering of the jury and the rippling effects of their decision create a totally engrossing and fascinating novel that will keep you guessing and discussing long after you finish it. Kudos to Graham Moore! I have become a dedicated new fan.

Maya Seale is searching for a purpose in life. She is selected to be a juror in a high profile trial and that changes her life. After persuading 11 of her fellow jurors to change their mind, the defendant is acquitted of murder. While Maya feels that she has done the right thing not everyone agrees with her. Ten years later, she is a successful criminal defense attorney. Her past comes back when the media wants to revisit the case, especially when one of the jurors claims to have evidence that will prove that the defendant was in fact guilty. Maya reluctantly participates and then one of the jurors is found dead in her hotel room. Now, Maya was prove her innocence by revisiting what happen ten years ago.

This was a fast paced read alternating between the present and the time spent as jurors. We meet each juror and get a little of their background and motivation. There were a few twists and turns along the way. The book also touches on race, the role of the media, and the criminal justice system in general. This is sure to be one of my favorites of the year.

Excellent legal drama!! I can see this as a movie or tv movie. The characters are interesting and vivid, the plot is unusual, and the twists very well done. All that and a very appropriate ending!