As someone from New Zealand, I have to admit when it comes to New Zealand fiction - I either end up DNF'ing it or the ones that I do finish, I end up loving and enjoying. There tends to be no in-between for me. Like UK Fiction, NZ fiction can be quite slow-paced and this book was no different as it does take a long time to read and that's coming from someone who is normally quite a fast reader though it was good, I felt in parts that it did drag on and since it was set in a courtroom trial - there was a lot of repetition from the witnesses and the people on trial, etc. The book is set in Rotorua which I loved as since my partner is from there and I have been there quite a few times, I was able to visualize and imagine the location of where the story was set and some of the places mentioned in the book - I too had been there a few times like The Fat Dog Cafe. Dice tells the story of a teenage sex game that has been created between four high school boys. Each number on the dice represented a sexual act that they were to do with their chosen girl. Some of the girls participated freely, but then for others like Maia and Amy, the game went too far and ended up in rape and sexual assault which is what these twelve jurors will now have to decide which party is telling the truth and what should be or shouldn't be charged as like most cases including rape, without evidence it becomes a he said/she said case and there is always two sides to a story. If you love courtroom dramas and thrillers based around the #metoo movement and even better a New Zealand fiction thriller, then check out Dice by Claire Baylis as this will be one everyone will enjoy just as I did.

An unusual, harrowing and important crime fiction read, as legal researcher Claire Baylis takes us behind the curtain of modern-day jury deliberations in a fictional sexual assault case inspired by real-life events. Usually courtroom thrillers are told from the lawyers perspective, or others who work in the criminal justice field professionally. Instead, Baylis delivers a nuanced and provocative thriller via the eyes of the jury, those 'ordinary citizens' tasked with weighing varying accounts of troubling events and trying to find justice. Baylis does a great job luring readers in, and shows rather than tells how our justice system struggles in so many ways, particularly when it comes to sexual assault cases where alcohol, drugs, and teenage hormones complicate an already complex area, and societal prejudices and past experiences colour understandings of right and wrong, criminal or 'icky', and more... a terrific and important read.

What a fascinating, compelling and at times disturbing read this has been! Dice is centred around a sex game dreamed up by a group of teenage boys. Most of the action takes place in court, where we see the story unravel largely through the eyes of the 12 jurors and the three complainants. The disturbing aspects of the book revolve around the graphic sex scenes and the psychological trauma faced by the girls in the story. I was fascinated to see the way the various jurors framed their respnse to the case based on their own life experience and I was definitely compelled to keep reading. The only downside for me, something that can be fixed easily by inclusind a glossary, was the huge number of te reo Maori words that were used in the story. The frequency with which I was pulled out of story to discver the meaning of a wordinterrupted my reading flow. As an Australian, who has visited New Zealand many times including the Rotorua area where this story takes place, I struggled to understand whether some of the words related to flra and fauna, people, places or actions. I can’t imagine how challenging it might be for an American reader. That said, this is a fabulous book, well written and definitely a page turner.

This book really opens your eyes to how the courts work and how our society thinks about not only sex crimes but all crimes. Told from the perspective of the members of the jury this is a book that will make you sit up and take note.

Four teenage boys, a game of Dice and the women they abused. This is a riveting tale and one that grabs you from the start and doesn't let go until the final sentence. It will have you on the edge of your seat and it will question you as to what the outcome will be.

This is a strong, emotional and gripping debut and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sometimes you can tell from the first chapter that this is going to grab you and hold onto you long after you've read the last page.
This is a tale for our day about women discovering their voices and demanding that their rights be heard and upheld in many different countries.
As a result of several young men being accused of sexual offences while participating in the game Dice, the trial that results becomes the focal point of the narrative.
In a trial that may be quite upsetting at times, Claire Baylis Clevely utilises the jury to cast light on various views. 
A powerful story well written, excellent characters and deserves five stars.
If this book were to be published outside of New Zealand, a glossary of Maori phrases and sayings might be useful.
An independent review for NetGalley / Allen & Unwin