The Verdict

Starred review from September 21, 2015
This propulsive legal thriller from Thriller Award–winner Stone (Mr. Clarinet) centers on the arrest and impending trial—seemingly a certain prosecutorial slam dunk—of multimillionaire hedge funder Vernon James, a poor West Indian immigrant’s son, for the murder of the young blond whose strangled body is found in his luxury suite at the London hotel where only hours earlier he accepted an award from the Hoffmann Trust, a liberal umbrella organization, as “Ethical Person of the Year.” James’s predicament should come as catnip to Terry Flynt—at 38 hanging on by his fingernails to a job as a lowly legal clerk—who blames James, his former childhood best friend, for getting him booted out of Cambridge and starting him on the downward spiral of booze and depression that nearly destroyed his life. But, as Flynt is stunned to discover when he’s tapped to work on the defense team, his feelings are significantly more complicated, especially once the evidence he starts to uncover suggests that James might be innocent. 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. Agent: Jane Gregory, Jane Gregory Literary Agency (U.K.).

September 1, 2015

Terry Flynt has the formidable task not only of serving as law clerk for a high-profile case in which his onetime childhood friend Vernon James stands charged with murder, but, as narrator, plays Nick Carraway to Vernon's Jay Gatsby, then transforms into Dante's Virgil leading the reader through the ins and outs of the British court system. Along the way Terry must wrestle with his own conflicts and demons--growing family commitments, a faltering career path, the temptations of a recovering alcoholic--while maneuvering through the treacheries and dark secrets lurking behind the day-to-day transactions of a successful law firm. Meanwhile, evidence mounts in Vernon's favor despite bungled police work and the machinations of a far-reaching conspiracy. VERDICT This fast-paced legal thriller by the award-winning author of The Clarinet is 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. Fans of the BBC's numerous popular crime series can now curl up with similar sophisticated fare in book form. [See Editors' Picks, p. 29.]--Nancy McNicol, Hamden P.L., CT

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