The Holdout by Graham Moore (2020)
Part legal thriller, part murder mystery.
Laura’s Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Plot: The teenage daughter of a billionaire disappears on her way home from school. Her teacher, Bobby Knock, is the prime suspect, and it appears that the case is pretty open and shut. In a highly publicized turn of events, one juror, Maya, convinces the rest of the deadlocked jury that Knock is innocent and he is acquitted. Ten years later, the jurors reunite for a true-crime documentary. When a fellow juror is found dead in Maya’s room, her innocence and that of Bobby Knock is thrown into question once again. Can Maya solve the case before it’s too late?
Analysis: My main issue with this book is the lack of believability. The plot gets a bit ridiculous and far-fetched, especially toward the end. I saw some of the twists coming and others were unsatisfying. Also, despite the characters having extensive knowledge of the legal system (including actual criminal attorneys), the book uses the terms jail and prison incorrectly. While not a huge deal, the characters would certainly know the difference and the error is frustrating.
I did like that the book addresses racial tensions and assumptions, but not always in the way you might think. Racism can often work against defendants of color, but does that mean jurors should sympathize and assume innocence instead? Race, class, and power are all examined as part of the case and part of society.
I think The Holdout had a lot of potential and good concepts but it ended up being just okay. An interesting concept for a thriller but nothing special and it spiraled out of control by the end.
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