There have been a few authors try to take us into the jury room to look at how a jury have come to a verdict. In this book Lyons explores the dynamics of the jury and the influence stronger characters can have.
At the same he gives the reader a unique look at the crime by narrating it in the first person from 4 peoples points of view
The Victim Sabrina, a young, attractive, well dressed woman who was out working when she bumped into the three defendants
The 3 defendants: Jason a soon to be retired international footballer, and his two life long best friends. Li, a nice young man of Korean decent who seems to be the voice of reason. Zachary, the mouthy arrogant one of the three.
Sabrina has accused the three of rape, a charge they all deny.
The jury have heard the evidence and discuss their thoughts on who is telling the truth about the night of the crime, and the validity of the evidence given by the 4
The reader gets to see the night unfiltered from all four of the main characters. What they said, what they did, and how the interpreted what was happening.
And that’s where the unique part comes. By letting each of the characters tell their own story, letting the night of the crime unfold, the reader is left to make their own decision about what happened.
The jury reaches their verdict, and in the very last few lines the reader finds out and and if they, along with the jury, got it right.
A clever book which deals with the jury room as well as any book I’ve ever read.
Pages: 314.
