The Holdout

This was the second novel I have read by Graham Moore.  It is very different from The Sherlockian which was the first one I had read.  I am glad I read this one.  One of the underlying topics of the book is racism and what constitutes it.  The author represents the discussion from multiple perspectives and I found it to be a well rounded, thought provoking approach to discuss the topic within the context of a fiction work.   He does a great job of taking different approaches to the topic and different perspectives without it being an in your face black vs white issue.  At the heart of it he has a black character state it isn't about the color of the accused, rather whether you can see the good in the person.   I firmly believe this is at the core of what is wrong in our society today.  We need to treat each other with respect and assume that we are all good people.  I try to hold this to heart until someone proves otherwise to me. 

We can always find the bad or guilt in everyone if we look for it or look at a single aspect in an isolated vacuum.  This is another theme that Moore hits on in the novel in the context of whether someone is guilty or innocent in a court case.   He points out the media plays a role in the story as well, especially if they only report the piece of information that fits the dialogue they are looking to express.

All in all this was an excellent book that left me thinking about many of the topics that surround our legal system today.  I can highly recommend the book.  It has plenty of action and substories to keep the reader engaged and a big twist that makes it an interesting finish til the end.





The Holdout by Graham Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book does a wonderful job of balancing a thriller with a twist will including discussion of many perspectives relative to current events. I enjoyed the fact the story bounces between the trial 10years earlier and present day. The reflection in the past alternates between different jurors as the narrator. This was a very good story that approached a sensitive topic from different perspectives while being respectful and well rounded. The characters represent many perspectives and are developed in a manner such that the reader has emotional responses to them while also absorbing their perspectives to the same events. The twists to the story are very unexpected and make a great bonus to the novel


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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge -  Book #67
2. Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book  #53
3. Medical Examiner-  2 Toe Tags