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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
This may not be a regular 4 star book but it was for me. Classic crime drama, this of 1940, dripping with all the best elements of melodrama and its time. Substantive stereotyping across the board with a motley selection of jury who we meet individually in the first section of the book. The criminal element is set on a rural estate with old retainers and wickedness asunder. The third part describes the jury discussions, which although given a level of gravitas, also had wonderful hints of an Ealing comedy.
It is rare to describe a crime novel as a joy but this is such a great example.
It is rare to describe a crime novel as a joy but this is such a great example.
Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate is a story about the twelve members forming the Jury of a case & the trial of that case itself told as an old fashioned British courtroom drama. The crime itself is revealed one third into the book & thus keeps up the suspense. It’s divided into four parts.
The Jury – where we are introduced to the members and their personal history.
The case – The people involved and what had happened.
The trial and Verdict – The scenes in the court room and examination of the evidence and witness and closing Arguments.
Postscript – A final conclusion.
I loved the plot structure. It was refreshing and very insightful as to how the background of the jurors can or might affect the verdict. But I felt the the author was pretty dispassionate in its execution including the the story behind the case. Like who am I rooting for? It felt very disconnected. Maybe that’s what he was going for, I dunno.
CHECK OUT FULL REVIEW ON WWW.BIBLIOGYAN.COM
The Jury – where we are introduced to the members and their personal history.
The case – The people involved and what had happened.
The trial and Verdict – The scenes in the court room and examination of the evidence and witness and closing Arguments.
Postscript – A final conclusion.
I loved the plot structure. It was refreshing and very insightful as to how the background of the jurors can or might affect the verdict. But I felt the the author was pretty dispassionate in its execution including the the story behind the case. Like who am I rooting for? It felt very disconnected. Maybe that’s what he was going for, I dunno.
CHECK OUT FULL REVIEW ON WWW.BIBLIOGYAN.COM
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
I’m finding this one difficult to rate. I loved the character descriptions of the jurors & the events leading up to the trial. I didn’t enjoy the rest so much.
In Verdict of the Twelve, author Raymond Postgate tell us about a murder case through the different participants at the trial.
The book is barely 250 pages long yet offers so much to its reader. On the face of it, the book deals with a murder case and the trial after. But the way the author has presented it to the readers makes it so much more than a murder case or a trial drama. In the first section of the book, the author takes his time in introducing each of the twelve jurors in detail with details about their lives and their backgrounds. That is when we realize the diversity of the society we live in. The second section of the book deals with the murder case and its representation in the trial. This is where the readers get to consider the nitty-gritties of the evidence and motives of the case. The final section of the book we see the jurors as they deliberate and reach a verdict. Will you agree with it or will the ending drive you crazy?
The wide variety of characters involved keeps the book interesting as the readers are kept on their toes by wondering how each piece of information is being received by each individual and how that would affect the big picture. The case itself was interesting as it could be seen as open and shut case and yet leave you wondering if there was something more going on. The author’s language and style of narration is in line with that of typical British crime classics and build up a feeling of nostalgia at the same time.
Have you ever considered how you can experience something that millions other have before you, yet the way you experience it is never exactly the same with any of them? Have you ever realized, while in a crowd, that you may have nothing in common with any of the others? Have you ever considered why you think the way you do or how you react to a situation can be a culmination of several past experiences or how you can build up prejudices or mistrust of some people or something without even realizing it? These are just some of the things that the book will compel you to think about long after you have turned the last page.
I recommend this book to all crime genre enthusiasts and to people who like books that highlight various aspects of human nature.
The book is barely 250 pages long yet offers so much to its reader. On the face of it, the book deals with a murder case and the trial after. But the way the author has presented it to the readers makes it so much more than a murder case or a trial drama. In the first section of the book, the author takes his time in introducing each of the twelve jurors in detail with details about their lives and their backgrounds. That is when we realize the diversity of the society we live in. The second section of the book deals with the murder case and its representation in the trial. This is where the readers get to consider the nitty-gritties of the evidence and motives of the case. The final section of the book we see the jurors as they deliberate and reach a verdict. Will you agree with it or will the ending drive you crazy?
The wide variety of characters involved keeps the book interesting as the readers are kept on their toes by wondering how each piece of information is being received by each individual and how that would affect the big picture. The case itself was interesting as it could be seen as open and shut case and yet leave you wondering if there was something more going on. The author’s language and style of narration is in line with that of typical British crime classics and build up a feeling of nostalgia at the same time.
Have you ever considered how you can experience something that millions other have before you, yet the way you experience it is never exactly the same with any of them? Have you ever realized, while in a crowd, that you may have nothing in common with any of the others? Have you ever considered why you think the way you do or how you react to a situation can be a culmination of several past experiences or how you can build up prejudices or mistrust of some people or something without even realizing it? These are just some of the things that the book will compel you to think about long after you have turned the last page.
I recommend this book to all crime genre enthusiasts and to people who like books that highlight various aspects of human nature.
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm rating this 4 stars although initially I wasn't too impressed and would've happily given this between 2 and 3 stars. The story is plotted well, the first part we are given snapshots of the lives of 12 jurors who have been brought to court to decide the fate of one woman. The second part summarises the crime and the third part we are in deliberation with the jurors working out guilty or not guilty. The beginning seemed a bit messy and thrown together, but by the middle of the second part I was really enjoying it and fascinated by the story, although it was pretty obvious what the ending would be.
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The older I get (and possibly because of the fiction I choose to read), the less I trust the jury system. Raymond Postgate’s Verdict of Twelve might have put the last nail in the coffin. This twisty, brilliant short novel (originally published in 1940) follows a group of jurors who are tasked with finding an accused murderer guilty or innocent. As readers, we know more than they do, so watching them deliberate is an absolute torment—but in a way that makes me want to get other readers to read this book just for the joy of watching them get all the way to the end and hearing them yell when they figure out what really happened...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration.