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The Simple Truth

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Member Reviews

Another unknown author for me, but another lucky choice! When I realised a main character was a lawyer I thought 'oh no ' but it wasn't a slow courtroom thriller (no courtroom ) but a plot full of action and twists. The characters were easy to care about and the ending another twist. I enjoyed reading this.

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A great book that kept me gripped from the first page. Fast paced and numerous twists and turns, maybe a few too many but it didn't take away my enjoyment of the book. It shows what a young lawyer is prepared to do for a wealthy client in the hope of advancing his career. I enjoyed this and will look to read more by this author.

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Fans of John Grisham will absolutely love this book. A lot of intriguing layers to a seemingly simple case. Extremely well written.

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Lewis Miller, a solicitor desperately trying to step up the career ladder is surprised when he receives a call from the practice owner to deliver a cheque for settlement of a case on behalf of an important client. When meeting the intended recipient of the cheque, Lewis discovers the cheque is a pay off following the suicide of an employee. However, the mother is adamant her daughter would never commit suicide and is a coverup for what really happened. Lewis is determined, at all costs, to find out the truth.
A fast paced book, with some intriguing twists. An full action thriller and keen to see if Lewis will return for another instalment.

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4 stars

Sometimes bad things happen to good people which proves to be very true here. It all starts when Maria Brennan commits suicide in her car at the empty wetlands of Coldharbour marshes. Lewis Miller, a young ambitious lawyer is tasked by his boss with delivering an NDA and a cheque to an East London Law firm on behalf of the client Robert Carlson, a green energy tech entrepreneur. Why does Carlson want Maria’s family to sign an NDA? What exactly is he worried about? Why does he get an unwelcome reception from her family when he takes flowers to the site at which Maria dies? As for Lewis, is his errand a poison chalice? After all, he is viewed with suspicion by his co-lawyers at the prestigious firm as he is born in the “wrong” area of London and went to the “wrong“ school pulling himself up by his bootstraps. Good for him, I like him already! This well written thriller illuminates two different sides of London, the dark underbelly and those on the corporate side. Two worlds but is there actually much difference when surfaces are scratched? The story is told from several points of view which works well with a storyline that flows.

This is immersive right from the beginning and possibly Lewis might later reflect that drinking from the chalice may have been less painful than stepping on the landmines as he treads a dangerous path and on several toes he maybe wishes he hadn’t! He’s an excellent central protagonist being very likeable and certainly doesn’t deserve the setup he finds himself in. He is smart, has a strong sense of justice and is brave which he has to be.

The pace is fast and I like the style and tone with short, sharp well focused chapters that keep you in the game. There is never a dull moment as we lurch from one situation to another as the mystery builds and intensifies. Some twisty reveals explode your expectations as the answers emerge piecemeal. There are thrills and spills in the plot but it also feels very plausible.

It would be good to see what happens to Lewis next! If you like a well thought out, intelligent thriller then this may fit the bill.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

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This is a very fast paced easy read. I think the book would have been improved by having less twists and turns, it is a bit of more is less here but nevertheless I enjoyed it.

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Fast paced thriller with a gripping storyline
Plenty of twists and turns
Good writing, good characteristics
Found I read this book quite quick
Recommend this for a holiday read

Thank you netgalley, James Buckled and Random House UK

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different to what I normally read but I enjoyed this and finished it quickly will definitely be recommending it to my fellow readers

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Fast paced and intense with a gripping storyline that was twisty, unpredictable and full of suspense. A really great read.

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A great read.

A young but ambitious lawyer from the wrong part of London is given a simple task to carry out by his experienced boss, get a signature on a NDA, how difficult could it be?

This is a fast paced and gritty novel with a great plot and a main character you will root for. There are a few twists along the way to add to the intrigue.

4/5 I would highly recommend it.

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Fast paced drama, twists and turns galore. Well worth reading. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

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Brilliant book. It pulled me in from the start and is an exceptional thriller. I read this in two days and I will be buying books by this author.

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Lewis Miller, a young corporate lawyer but originally from the wrong side of the tracks, is cherry-picked by a senior partner at his law firm requesting that he visit a family and ask them to sign a NDA. Sounds simple. Too simple perhaps. What could possibly go wrong.

I loved reading this pacy thriller that criss crosses the different divided worlds that make up London. I particularly enjoyed Lewis’s journey from overworked corporate lawyer to investigator.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this rollercoaster thriller, The Simple Truth, by James Buckler.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, for making this ARC available to me for a fair and honest review.

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The Simple Truth by James Buckler
Published Date - 10 November 2022
Format - Book
Star Rating - 4

When I started this book, I did not connect and wondered if the book was for me. Then, my interest piqued and I was hooked and had to know what happens. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. The chapters short and sharp. The protagonist, Lewis Miller was my favourite with Robert Carlson a close second. There are good, bad & evil characters to like and dislike. Not a rollercoaster of a read but highly entertaining albeit a slow start. I did enjoy the book.

I would recommend this novel.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REPLY

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Fast paced and exciting read about what a young lawyer will do for a wealthy client. Good pacing and characters and atmosphere.

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The Simple Truth....what a read!

A wealthy client turns to a young lawyer which then sets him on a slippery slope.
A fantastic who done it which will keep you guessing.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for my copy.

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#ASimpleTruth #NetGalley
Awesome.
A very wealthy client needs a favour. You're newly qualified as a lawyer and this could be your big break, so you jump at the chance.
All you have to do is talk to a family, ask them to sign some papers. How difficult could it be? Their daughter was found dead at a beauty spot on the outskirts of London in what you're told was a tragic suicide.
I loved it very much.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for giving me an advance copy.

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I initially thought this was a court room drama but it wasn’t. It twists and turns and leaves your head in a spin.

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This book kicks off reading a little like an inversion of The Firm - a young lawyer stuck doing menial things with a big law firm is tasked with a seemingly mundane task by the head of the company - the simple delivery and signature acquisition on an NDA. He accepts in the hope he'll get noticed but unfortunately for him things aren't as they seem.
This had a great premise and starts with a bang. An innocent trying to do the right thing getting sucked further into a world of deception and intrigue against seemingly all-knowing nemesis. The pace doesn't let up: this is more foot chases and slippery escapes than courtroom wranglings so if you're looking for an action adventure rather than a legal thriller, this may well be for you. While the twists and turns before the big reveals may be a little obvious for those looking for the more complex types of mystery/ whodunnits, it never lets up.

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