Conviction by Jack Jordan

 

Neve Harper is a successful and ambitious barrister. When a colleague commits suicide she is asked to take over an infamous case he was working on. Although there is little time to prepare, Neve sees this as an opportunity to further her career. As Neve prepares her defense strategy she is approached by a stranger who threatens to reveal her darkest secret if she doesn't ensure her client is convicted.

Right from the opening page there is an air of mystery to this story. You're immediately asking questions. What is the crime that has happened? What happened to the previous barrister? The first question is answered relatively quickly, as for the second, there is a nagging doubt that we know the real answer.

Fans of Jack Jordan's previous novel, Do No Harm, won't be surprised by the premise of Conviction. The protagonist, Neve, is being blackmailed to ignore the ethics of her profession to ensure that her client is found guilty. The blackmail threat is actually twofold, not only is she being threatened with violence, there is the risk that her darkest secret will be uncovered.

Neve is a formidable character; intelligent, driven, resourceful. As the novel opened I had a lot of sympathy for Neve. Unfortunately this sympathy waned as the story progressed but it didn't stop me from willing her on, wondering if she would be able to overcome the obstacles in her path.

The story-line is fast paced, from the opening pages which are only a few days before the trial starts, to the trial itself which lasts only a few days. Conviction shows that the English judicial system is nothing like the American shows we regularly see on TV. Even though this removes some of the possible explosive elements of the story the compact timeline means that the momentum never falters as we wonder which direction Neve will take.

Conviction by Jack Jordan will be published on 22nd June 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for a review copy.