The Cut Throat Trial by S J Fleet: The Secret Barrister is a legal thriller of a murder case with three teenage boys as defendants. In this storyline each character is shown as a flawed individual, all of them be it the judge, one of the barrister or one of the defendants, no one person involved in the trial is shown in a positive manner.
The storyline follows the defendants, the barristers, the policeman and the judge from the beginning of the trial through to the end. It is a brutal and bloody murder of a former retired teacher, who again is portrayed as someone who is not portrayed as he really was. Maybe he wasn’t the innocent victim of an unprovoked attack. Or was he?
The barristers all have their own agendas to ensure that their individual client is shown in his best light as performed by his barrister during their court performance, despite or because of their own personal experience, .i.e whether one barrister is drinking throughout the trial to get her through her day or whether another barrister’s own teenage son was found guilty of a serious knife crime.
The prosecutor who needs to win this case despite or because of the personal failings of the senior police officer in charge of compiling the evidence.
Only when we reach the end does the whole story become clear or does it?
Very different approach to a legal thriller.
Highly recommended

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Not sure about this read, it was okay but the storyline was a bit confusing at times.

4.5 stars.
A gripping courtroom drama.
We hear from each of the three defendants accused of murder, their barristers, and Judge Letts.
At first, I found it hard to follow who was who, but it soon all clicked into place.
Having done jury service myself, I could easily picture the courtroom and the procedures.
There is some graphic content, but it was also peppered with black humour, especially from the judge, which are just his thoughts. But it definitely helped to lighten what was, at times, a lot of blood and gore.
I could kind of predict the outcome, but the twist at the end was brilliant.
I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyable read about the trial of the murder of a retired school teacher. The narrative from the three defendants and their barristers is excellently written and keeps you guessing to who is telling the truth.

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily
I do occasionally like a good legal thriller, but tend to stick to the same authors. So when I was given the chance to read this I knew next to nothing about the author. Well this will be an author that will definitely be on my radar going forward. This was an outstanding, unique and very clever piece of storytelling. The author did a brilliant job of making you feel you were actually in the courtroom watching it all play out. It's gripping , it's tense and highly fascinating as it leads up to the ending - and it is some ending! Told from different perspectives of the players in the game is where this book starts to show its originality. Maybe a little too rich in detail for the layman but that minor gripe aside it's an absolutely cracking read. 4.5⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. It is the story of a trial. 3 young men are accused of the brutal murder of a pensioner. Each say they're innocent and blame the other two. The story is told from a number of different perspectives, including 2 of the accused, the judge himself and the prosecution barrister. I found it interesting from the point of view of the court procedures as well as the story itself. This kept me on the edge of my seat to the end, and I'm glad the true account of what happened is revealed to the reader at the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I had high hopes for The Cut Throat Trial based on the blurb but found that it just didn’t grab my attention and the use of multiple points of view to tell the story just didn’t work as it made it too confusing as the characters were not distinct enough.

So overall, not a great read for me.

Aliyah has been chosen to represent the crown in prosecuting three seventeen year old's for the murder of an elderly man on New Years Eve.
For Aliyah this is a way to get her career back on track. She needs to win this case and the evidence against the three appears overwhelming.
For the defendants it will define the rest of their lives. They are all blaming each other, their stories all have slight differences. Much will depend on how their defence barristers represent them. They each need to convince a jury they are innocent, their lives are in other people's hands.
This is not your standard crime thriller. It’s told from the point of view of the Judge, prosecutor, defence council and defendants in the trial.
There are many twists and turns. The witnesses and defendants tying themselves in knots and tripping up. Changing their stories.
This is not a quick read, not an easy read, but it is a very good read.

When you start reading ‘The Cut Throat Trial’, you know you are reading a book written by an expert, in this case, the Secret Barrister. Three teenage defendants are in the dock for the murder of an old age pensioner. The case appears straight-forward and the narration is in real-time with the witnesses and chapters outlining the view points of the defence barristers (allowing fighting to avoid the conviction of their client) and of the defendants. It highlights the deprived backgrounds that are familiar to many when reading about murder trials in the UK. It is nuanced and realistic and ultimately is a sad reflection on modern society. However, SJ Fleet adds humour with some great one-liners, no doubt some of these are from his/her practice. Not only compelling but a very clever ending that you definitely won’t see coming.

A different slant to a murder mystery book, at times I found all the legal speech way too much however the story itself was great.

This suspenseful book offers a fascinating glimpse into the curious drama of the British legal system. It reveals how very complicated it can be for the jurors to assess and attribute innocence or guilt.

Even an experienced prosecutor or defence counsel or presiding judge feels the weightiness of trying to balance personal and professional opinions and to get their point of view across.

We meet the three teenage defendants who, at first, on the surface, look as guilty as hell. Then as the case unfolds and we hear the story from various viewpoints, note the evidence or lack thereof, see the bigger picture, that certainty begins to waiver.

Written by an ex-barrister as his first legal thriller, the authenticity of the process hits home with striking awareness. How on earth do you decide? Whose story do you believe over another? Which evidence is damning or slight?

As a juror, the conviction can continually shift. But at the end of the trial, a firm decision must be made. Some semblance of sense must prevail as the tangled threads are pulled apart, examined and discarded, or not.

The numerous twists and turns, alongside descriptions of the legal team’s personal lives and feelings, make this brilliantly written novel a thrilling read where judging the truth is far from straightforward. I look forward to reading more from this accomplished author. Grateful thanks to Picador and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing book, I loved it, a thoroughly good suspenseful read. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
This was a gripping courtroom drama I read within a couple of days. Each character was plausible, each twist a surprise and I had no idea who to believe until the very end. .

Highly recommend.

The Cut Throat Trial by S J Fleet
This is the story of a murder trial involving 3 murder suspects. As such we also have three different defence barristers a judge and a prosecutor. The case is particularly horrific an elderly retired teacher has been the victim of a sustained and violent attack with a long balded weapon on New Year’s Eve. It would seem to be an open and shut case but there are many twists to come before we reach the final verdict. The story is told form the perspective of each of the prisoners and from the point of view of the those prosecuting and defending. The different styles adopted by the defence counsel is interesting to read and the various traps into which the prosecution can fall in relation to disclosures seems myriad.
The case is fascinating the detail can be brutal but it’s totally gripping. The courtroom back-and-forth questioning is so well written that you can understand the confusion which could reign amongst the jurors. The description of the completely incompetent disclosing officer reads well and unfortunately it feels very authentic.
Just as you think you understand what went on a new piece of information emerges which changes everything. This is a persuasive look at the inadequacies of the justice system and the weight of responsibility which rests on the shoulders of the prosecutors.

This is a very good legal thriller which I will be recommending at my various book groups. Thanks go to Net Galley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

What a brilliant legal thriller!
I was hooked from the start and swept up in all the twists and turns.
As a former court reporter, I really enjoyed the trial unfolding through the eyes of the barristers, defendants and judge - truly gripping and a great insight into the criminal justice system.

Thanks to netgalley, publisher and author for an early read of this fantastic courtroom drama. This was such a compelling and very cleverly written book. Told from multiple perspectives there's a lot to take in and you do need to concentrate on who's who but the whole book was so worth it. You've read the book blurb so without any plot spoilers from me just go and make time to enjoy 'The Cut Throat Trial'. Highly recommended. Hopefully more books by S. J. Fleet to come soon.

An absolutely fantastic read. It is a complicated storyline, it is wordy. The reader has to concentrate but I was hooked from the first minute. I've never been in a courtroom but assume, as this is written by the 'Secret Barrister', that it is an accurate portrayal of what goes on during a trial. The story was captivating. My loyalties were all over the place. It made me very glad I'm too old for jury service! I don't know how those people ever agree on a decision. I couldn't even agree with myself! The author is exceptionally good at making the characters so real they almost jump off the page, be they a 17 year old 'blud' or a world weary 'see it all before' judge. I really didn't want it to end but the explosive finale made it worthwhile. I'll definitely be first in the queue for S.J. Fleet's next courtroom drama.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of The Trial by S J Fleet. I was completely hooked from the start – it felt like I was right there in the jury box. Full of twists, turns, and hidden truths, this story kept me guessing throughout. The tension builds brilliantly, and I loved how the layers of lies were gradually peeled away. An addictive, thought-provoking read. Highly recommend!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7738200504

3.5* The Cut Throat Trial - SJ Fleet. One murder, three in the dock and all are pointing the fingers at each other. Who is guilty in this in-depth court room drama.

A man has been found stabbed to death, having left home to pick up a bottle of fizz on New Year’s Eve. Three young men were caught - two fleeing the scene and the third hiding in bushes. The police investigation is less than perfect, the lawyers have complicated family circumstances and large egos. And the judge is a man of his time and particularly unpleasant behind closed doors.

We join the action in the criminal court. Told from multiple points of view - the three accused, each of their respective barristers and the judge. As we try to piece together the truth of the evidence, amidst lies, half truths and desperation, we come to appreciate the difficulty that the jury will have.

This is a well constructed and clever book, continually throwing in additional information and wrong footing the reader. With no exceptions the characters are not likeable and that adds a realism to proceedings. That being said, to my mind (and I am a lawyer but from a different specialism), this book is too detailed and tries to be a little too clever. It would have benefited from an extra edit and thinning a chunk of detail out. Nevertheless enjoyable and a likely hit.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan (Picador) and Netgalley for an ARC.

A really gripping account of a murder trial told through multiple viewpoints - with an interesting twist at the end. As you might expect from this author, this is packed with legal detail. You are really drawn into the trial and the lives of the legal teams and the defendants. An engrossing read.