I've read two Nick Stone books before, "Mr Clarinet" and "Voodoo Eyes". I really enjoyed them so I ordered "The Verdict".
Loved it! This is every bit as good as the reviews say it is. Others have summed up the plot really well, so I won't add to that, except to say that there are some very unexpected twists in the tale, and you won't see the ending coming. Most of the reviewers have singled out the courtroom finale in particular for praise. I too give it top marks.
There are some "laugh out loud" moments in "The Verdict", mostly in the way the narrator Terry copes and deals with a horrible work colleague he has nicknamed Adolph, and some of my favourite lines in the book come early when Terry describes his attitude to office life. This is just one of the examples of what makes Nick Stone stand out of the crowd, he does not just write a good story. All the characters are well rounded and the descriptions make you feel like you are actually there, as he has done with his previous books.
I'm a big fan of legal thrillers, especially John Grisham "The Verdict" is every bit as good as the best of his work. It is paced and structured in the style of an American legal thriller, without sacrificing its Britishness – yes Nick Stone is one of our own.
It's fast, furious and very difficult to put down, but it is not a book to discard after reading as you will want to read it again to find all the clues.
I don't know if Nick Stone plans to write another "Terry Flynt" book or more legal thrillers, but I certainly hope so. "The Verdict" is great.