Book Summary and Reviews of The Verdict by Nick Stone

The Verdict by Nick Stone

The Verdict

by Nick Stone

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Dec 2015, 512 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

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?

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

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.

Reader Reviews

Click here and be the first to review this book!

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

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.

More Author Information

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Verdict, try these:

  • The Plea jacket

    The Plea

    by Steve Cavanagh

    Published 2018

    About this book

    An innocent client. A wife in jeopardy. A locked room mystery. Who will take The Plea?

  • The Innocent Man jacket

    The Innocent Man

    by John Grisham

    Published 2007

    About this book

    John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.

  • In The Shadow of The Law jacket

    In The Shadow of The Law

    by Kermit Roosevelt

    Published 2006

    About this book

    In this complex, ambitious, and gripping first novel, Kermit Roosevelt vividly illustrates the subtle and stark effects of the law on the lives of a group of lawyers, and also on communities and private citizens.

We have 10 read-alikes for The Verdict, but non-members are limited to three results. Join free to see the complete list of recommendations.
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!
Book Club Giveaway!
Win L.A. Women

L.A. Women by Ella Berman

Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.

Enter

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Days of Sun and Shadow
    by India Hayford
    A young woman’s coming-of-age story set in the early American frontier, shaped by tragedy, nature, and resilience.
  • Book Jacket
    Merry-Go-Round Broke Down
    by David Woo, Margalit Shinar
    Nine linked stories reveal how globalization sparks life-changing consequences across continents.
  • Book Jacket
    Chelsea Girls
    by Catherine Lloyd
    A glamorous biographical novel on Mary Quant, whose daring design of the miniskirt revolutionized fashion.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket
    Summer of Love
    by Kerri Maher
    Three women reshape their family's Napa Valley winery after the 1967 Summer of Love.
  • Book Jacket
    An Infinite Love Story
    by Chanel Cleeton
    “A tender, romantic drama that soars as high as it’s astronauts.” —Kate Quinn
Book
Trivia
  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

The C is A R

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.