The Holdout

A Novel

By: Graham Moore

Narrated by: Abby Craden

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times Best Seller •

One juror changed the verdict. What if she was wrong? From the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of The Imitation Game and best-selling author of The Last Days of Night....

An ID Book Club Selection •

“Exhilarating...a fiendishly slippery game of cat-and-mouse suspense and a provocative, urgent inquiry into American justice (and injustice) in the 21st century.” (A. J. Finn, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Woman in the Window)

It’s the most sensational case of the decade. Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar real estate fortune, vanishes on her way home from school, and her teacher, Bobby Nock, a 25-year-old African American man, is the prime suspect. The subsequent trial taps straight into America’s most pressing preoccupations: race, class, sex, law enforcement, and the lurid sins of the rich and famous. It’s an open-and-shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed - until Maya Seale, a young woman on the jury, convinced of Nock’s innocence, persuades the rest of the jurors to return the verdict of not guilty, a controversial decision that will change all their lives forever.

Flash forward ten years. A true-crime docuseries reassembles the jury, with particular focus on Maya, now a defense attorney herself. When one of the jurors is found dead in Maya’s hotel room, all evidence points to her as the killer. Now, she must prove her own innocence - by getting to the bottom of a case that is far from closed.

As the present-day murder investigation entwines with the story of what really happened during their deliberation, told by each of the jurors in turn, the secrets they have all been keeping threaten to come out - with drastic consequences for all involved.

©2020 Graham Moore (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“The twists are sharp and the flashbacks that uncover what each juror knows are placed for maximum impact in this rollicking legal thriller.... Moore expertly combines deft character work with mounting bombshell revelations in a story that will attract new readers and also seems primed for the big screen.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“This stellar novel from bestseller [Graham] Moore takes a searing look at the U.S. justice system, media scrutiny, and racism.... Moore has set a new standard for legal thrillers.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“[A] stemwinder of a murder mystery wrapped in a legal thriller.... The story is gripping, and the pace is furious.” (Booklist)

How done it

The ending was unexpected, I thought I had it figured out but there was a plot twist.

Clever, well-crafted, great plot.

Not “ripped from the headlines” as one might expect, but original with well-drawn characters. I began to figure out the real story, all of it, but had to listen all the way through anyway, as the story is superbly told. Some sadness, not zero-sum. Satisfying ending in most ways.

Very enjoyable

Really enjoyed the store. I thought the book was about just the trial but it's full of murder, secrets, and a surprising end. I found it ironic that there is references to Agatha Christie books being enjoyable for a mystery rule this book did not use but that is my only complaint. Will definitely be finding more Graham Moore to read.

Too many f bombs

Not necessary to swear this much. It adds nothing to the story and does not improve the characters. I don’t enjoy listening to swearing appreciate when reviews note the level included in the novel. I hope this helps someone before they get too far into the book thinking it will lessen.

Lots of twists...mostly expected

Enjoyed this book, but as other listeners have noted the male voices are not good (rather cartoonish) and this detracts from the story. I enjoyed the procedural nature of much of the narration and the structure of the story bouncing between past and present juror story lines.

Worth a credit - held my attention on a long drive

Pros:
Good story arc; it was an ambitious effort to fit all of that in a marketable book. I can't help that there was some vicious editing.
Clever format the way time swung back and forth. I had a great deal of difficulty keeping the many characters straight but it seemed to work out in the end.
Some good commentary on stereotypes and racism and it was interesting having the main character be a racist
Many plot twists that kept the story moving. It kept my attention on a 12 hour drive to visit my mother on her birthday

Cons:
1. The best mysteries are the ones that give you the information and challenge you to figure out the solution. This one does not. It kind of brings in a reveal at the end for which there was only one clue throughout the whole book.
2. I really wanted the main character to go to jail. She was arrogant, sanctimonious, and selfish to the point that I could not root for her even though that was clearly intended.

Minor plot complaint: text messages have time stamps. If the story happened the way they are described, it would have aided the defense.

Excellent murder mystery.

If you enjoy Harlan Conan books, you will love this one. It kept my interest from beginning to the end.
The Audible version was excellent, Abby’s use of different voices gave the feeling of listening to Agatha Christie novel!

What a ride through twists and turns!

Great story with so many twists and turns! Keeps suspense going until the very end.

Wonderful Story!

I was a bit surprised about how much I enjoyed this book! Wonderful characters, interesting plot, behind the scenes look at 'jury duty', amazed at the connection of these folks. Good read!

Story vs narration

The storyline held my attention ~twists and turns all the way~ but please, female narrators, enough with the attempt at male voices! Here, they were overly baritone with such precise diction that was stilted and often angry sounding. Even so, I enjoyed the book.