by Jack Jordan
SYNOPSIS
TO STEAL A MAN'S FREEDOM ALL IT TAKES IS . . . CONVICTION
Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children as they slept before burning the family home to the ground.
When the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she knows it could be the career making case she’s been waiting for. But only if she can prove Wade’s innocence.
A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must lose this case or the secret about her own husband’s disappearance will be revealed.
Failing that, he will kill everyone she cares about until she follows orders.
Neve must make a choice – betray every principle she has ever had by putting a potentially innocent man in prison, or risk putting those she loves in mortal danger.
REVIEW
Since the disappearance of her husband three years earlier, there are only two things that Neve Harper holds dear to her - her stepdaughter Hannah, and her work as a criminal barrister. Neve soon finds herself in the enviable position of defending in a dream trial, the landmark case having been handed to her after the sudden death of a colleague. She knows that a win in this case would see her career skyrocket and she is determined to make an impression with both the media and her peers, but at the same time, give her client the fair trial he is owed.
However, Neve's elation quickly turns when she is approached by a man on her way home. He tells Neve that he knows details about her husband's disappearance that she would not want anyone to find out. If she loses the case, her secrets will be safe. If she refuses, her career will be over and her family will be put in serious danger.
I was a big fan of Do No Harm when I read it last year but I have to say that Conviction takes the author's trademark 'will they, won't they?' tension and ramps it up to a completely different level. My opinion on whether Wade was innocent or guilty honestly switched every other chapter. As if that wasn't enough, Neve's indecision about whether she should throw the trial, how she would go about it without making it obvious and whether there was any way she could play the men who were blackmailing her, all built up to create an incredibly stressful and compelling psychological thriller.
The 'ethical dilemma' theme runs throughout the story but what makes this so interesting in this book is the main character. Neve obviously has secrets, she has a story to tell but we don't know exactly what that involves. Is she no stranger to murder herself? Would she really have issues throwing her client under the bus based on the things she has done in the past? In some ways she seems so cold and detached, but she is obviously dealing with some trauma and is considering risking everything to keep Hannah safe. Neve is exactly the strong and unique character needed to carry through this breakneck thriller.
The perfect choice for fans of Jeffrey Deaver, John Grisham's The Whistler series and the Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanagh.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, and Night by Night and an Amazon No.1 bestseller in the UK, Canada, and Australia. After selling at auction in the UK and numerous foreign territories, Do No Harm is set to be the thriller of the summer in 2022. The idea for Do No Harm came to Jack after undergoing a minor medical procedure where he had to be sedated and trust strangers with his welfare. After the anaesthesia wore off, Jack began scribbling his notes, wondering to himself just how iron-clad a surgeon's oath is, and what it would take to break it… To find out more, follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram Twitter: @JackJordanBooks Instagram: @jackjordan_author
Thanks to Anne Cater @RandomTTours Simon Schuster @simonschusterUK and Jack Jordan @JackJordanBooks for the opportunity to read and review.
Genre: Thriller / Legal Thriller / Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
ISBN: 978-1398505711
Pages: 432pp
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