Crime fiction is one of my favourite genres. I do work in the law enforcement area and so I'm very picky when it comes to crime fiction because there is sometimes a bit too much artistic licence. However, this thriller is written by an actual lawyer and therefore all the politicking and grandstanding are written so well!

The murder of a retired teacher has hit the headlines and is now progressing through court. Each accused has their own barrister so the theatrics, blame shuffling have begun. The multi-POV really lets you see what's going on from differing perspectives. As the storyline progresses you see that the initial story may not be as clean cut as we thought.

The lawyers are a real mixed bunch, not one would I be friendly with! They're over the top with a knife ready to cut their fellow lawyers' arguments to shreds. The courtroom scenes are taut and I enjoyed the "inside thoughts" of the characters, some of which showed their very dark humour.

A very worthy and real-world feel to this thriller and honestly depicts how unwieldy the justice system can occasionally be.

Bernard Cooper, a retired headteacher, realises he doesn’t have any champagne to toast the New Year 2024 with his wife. He goes out to buy some, but never returns as he is brutally murdered. The police are quick to act, and Craig Mervyn-Scott, Arron Freeman and Jamal Lowton are all charged with the murder. We cut to the pending legal case, and Aliyah Arshad is both delighted and apprehensive in equal measure to be told she is the prosecutor on the case in front of Judge Jeremy Letts. Facing her will be Miss Rennie representing Jamal, Mr Evans KC representing Arron and Mr Wyatt KC representing Craig. The story proceeds almost entirely from the courtroom.
There are many players in this story, and we hear from almost all of them as it is told from multiple points of view. On the face of it, this should not work, but it does so superbly, as it sheds light on the nuances of this complex case. Details of the case are grim, brutal and almost unreadable, but once you get caught up in the case, you have to plough on.
As the trial thoroughly gets underway, the KCs are both provocative and tested in equal measure. Then, just as you think, you have all the facts sorted in your own mind, there is a stupendous twist, which you could never have envisaged.
This is a tour-de-force of a legal thriller, and I would go on to say the best book I have read this year. You will certainly question the delineation of truth and justice. It is certainly a book I will highly recommend, and it’s 5 very easy stars from me.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, S J Fleet and especially Picador for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The story of a murder trial told from multiple viewpoints: the three defendants; lawyers and judge which was sometimes confusing as I lost track of who I was listening to at any given time. The story was good but overlong and overwhelmed at times by the procedural and contextual information.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Well that was unexpected!!
A brilliant legal thriller and I think this would really transfer well to a TV series.
I really enjoyed this and couldn't put it down - twists throughout!
Well written, great characters and believable - I want to be on the jury in a murder trial now!
I hope the mysterious S. J. Fleet has more of these planned as I need more

Synopsis
Three teenagers are on trial for the murder of an elderly man on New Years Eve. This book follows the trial as the jury have to decide if all or any of them are guilty.

The Cut Throat Trial is told in multiple POV, including the prosecutor, the judge, 2 of the teenage boys and one of the defending lawyers.

Review
I loved how this book took you through the trial, and you saw some of the inner workings of the UK legal system.

The case on trial was so interesting and I just wanted to keep reading to get more information. I loved how the information was given to you in stages but it also didn't feel unnatural.

The lawyers and the judge in this case were generally unlikeable, which was a contrast to the teenage boys which I loved. It was very well done and written. Despite the amount of characters I was invested in them all and actually wanted more of their backgrounds, especially the boys and the 2 female lawyers!

I will definitely be picking up the non-fiction books from this author and am looking forward to seeing more fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley, S.J Fleet and Pan Macmillan

This is the story of a murder trial told from the points of view of all the participants, the judge, the prosecutor, the three defendants and their respective defence teams. None of the characters are particularly likeable and at times the technical legal details overwhelmed the narrative. Whilst well written, a different edit may have improved the book which I felt was overlong.

This is a great legal thriller with plenty of twists and turns.
Three seventeen year old boys stand accused of brutally murdering a teacher on New Year’s Eve. Each teenager blames someone else, and it falls to their defence teams to try and win over the jury.
Each chapter gives a different perspective from the judge, the prosecution, the defence barristers and the defendants.
It's a tricky one to review, without giving too much away, but this story will definitely keep you on your toes.
This is a great courtroom drama.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this book.

An extremely detailed account of a murder trial involving three suspects. Bernard Hooper is an elderly gentleman shopping for celebratory champagne late on New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately he encounters some young men intent on violence. Bernard ends up dead in a pool of blood after a frenzied knife attack. There are few witnesses and intermittent CCTV. The trial is narrated from the point of view of several characters; the prosecutor, the judge, defence lawyers and the three defendants. The writing is exceptional in that each character’s story is written without any doubt as to the type of person it portrays. The educated but pompous judge, the stressed prosecutor who is being judged herself, the defense lawyer who has a tragic past and drinks to dull the pain and the three defendants who are all victims of their upbringing but hugely misguided. Are they all guilty of murder though? The lengthy trial is told without cutting any corners and my only criticism is that in places it dragged a little but I understand that every aspect had to be told, as it would be in court. to allow the reader to draw their conclusions. It was interesting and explained some of the enormous quantity of work that has to go into a trial of this magnitude. The ending felt a little ambiguous but added to the drama.

A cut throat trial - a cut throat read! A fast paced plot driven thriller that will keep you reading until the end. Pacy, unputdownable and compellingly authentic

A court room drama that is told through the eyes of the main players Judge, Prosecutor, the defendants lawyers and the three defendants thet are accused of murdering an old man. This is a thrilling and twisty book and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author takes you inside the workings of a trial. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this review ARC.

The plot was gripping, there were twists and turns that kept me guessing with a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. The final reveal was complete and satisfying. I wanted to root for everyone - suspect, judge, prosecutor and defence lawyers. The characters were realistic and flawed.

Well... wasn't this book the gift that kept on giving! An not necessarily in a good way... hence the rounding down of the 3.5 stars.
In it, we follow the trial of three 17 year old boys who are accused of the brutal murder of an old man on NYE. Basically, they all deny it, and not only that, each point the finger at the others.
As regards the case, it's better to go in with as little preconception as possible as the key points of evidence are well times by the author and it would be a shame to spoil even one. What I can say is that the way it is played out in court is sublime. The KCs - 2 on the defence, one on the prosecution - are all completely different in style and are fascinating to watch as they make their cases. And then there's the other defence barrister who works in a completely different way. And then there's the Judge.
Obviously the author, anonymous though they may be, is a Barrister so definitely knows their onions, although that said, it does get a wee bit caught up in the technical side of things on occasion which is usually a symptom of an author trying a wee bit too hard. Honestly, the rest of the book is good enough for them not to do this and I hope it is toned down a tad in future books!
The trial ticks along as expected. The evidence being added to and changed along the way as more is "discovered" and "disclosed". And this would probably have been enough for me but then there's the "after" which obviously I can't go into here but which actually almost spoiled the book for me rather than making it end on a surprising high, and I actually felt swindled cos it literally came out of nowhere. Maybe it's not so surprising for people who regularly read / follow / attend court proceedings. Maybe I missed something that could have got lost in the sheer amount of technical stuff that could have been trimmed for a better read that I had already ploughed through. But it just left me not feeling as satisfied as I hoped I would be.
That said, it's not enough to put me off the author for their next book. The positives do outweigh the negatives. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

4.5 stars

Told through several POV's - barristers, defendants, prosecutor, the judge - this story captures all the tension, strategy and human drama you would expect in a high-stakes murder trial. The legal detail feels sharp and real, while the twists and moral ambiguities keep you hooked to the last page. Smart, tense and thought-provoking, this is the perfect read for fans of courtroom dramas.

An elderly teacher, popping out on New Year’s Eve to buy a celebratory bottle of champagne for his wife, is walked into a dark alley. Over sixty wounds later - slashes, stabs, kicks, punches and virtual decapitation - he lies dead. Three seventeen-year-old young men, Craig, Arron and Jamal, stand accused of his murder with a brutal looking sixteen inch blade zombie knife and this story begins at the start of their trial where a cut-throat defence is in place, each pleading innocence and blaming one another. Was it a random sickening attack? What could make anyone do that to another person? And most importantly, who is responsible for the murder? The story is related from the POV of the judge, prosecutor Aliyah, two of the defendants and one defence barrister. The defendants’ families, backgrounds and lifestyles are all explored by the author as the jury members have to make a life changing decision on who is or isn’t guilty. A man died in a terrible manner and the truth must be sought. But with all the lies and hidden secrets, will it ever really be known?
The constant switching between narrators was a bit annoying at first but it soon became clear it was vital in order to enable the various sides of the story to be revealed in a plot where there are so many conflicting accounts of what happened that night. It’s a sad indictment of current times that the premise of this tale is all too credible. The story has all the requisite characters one would expect, ranging from the pompous judge and barristers varying from experienced and supercilious to battling underdogs, some with demons of their own, through to confused or merely unhelpful witnesses, the three defendants, all spinning their own tales to save their own skins, and of course, an incompetent detective. It’s a long story but definitely worth sticking with and just when you think it’s all over, the author delivers a shocking final blow to make the reader question everything.

I am afraid this book did not really grab me. Far too much confusion and unnecessary detail of unimportant facts that for me could and should have been edited out. I have read many far more gripping and entertaining courtroom dramas than this. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

There’s a lot to unpack with this book. Three teenagers are accused of the brutal murder of an elderly teacher on New Year’s Eve. Each boy denies it and points the finger at the other two. But surely they can’t all be innocent. Three defence barristers are appointed to defend their respective clients and prove they didn’t do it, but they are up against a prosecutor who is determined to win the case no matter the cost. This is a gripping thriller of a book set right in the heart of the court action. It’s told from multiple points of view so you get a real in depth knowledge of the different characters and it will have you hooked to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, Pan MacMillan and the author for the chance to review.

A unique written book.

I found the fist 3rd of the book hard work who was who and struggled with were I was within the story

But as the case unfolds who I telling the truth which lawyer is doing the best job and why did the defendant say that.

Is the prosecution the best is the evidence right.

The end nicely tied it all up and you won't believe it

It is one of the biggest trials of the year. Three seventeen-year-old boys are accused of the brutal murder of an elderly teacher on New Year's Eve. Each boy denies it. Each points the finger at the other two. The three defence barristers have only one to persuade the jury that their client is not guilty. But they’re up against a prosecutor who needs to win the case, no matter the cost.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author so it was a bit of a leap into the dark. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was compelling & I was drawn in from the start, the crime was violent, the barristers are intelligent & cut throat – each wants to win. There is some dark humour & also twists & turns. I certainly wasn’t expecting the ending! It certainly won’t be the last book I read by the author
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

After an old man is brutally murdered on New Year's Eve, 3 young lads are put on trial. I liked the way the story is set out as the trial progresses day by day, we get bits of the story told by all the main characters - the judge, the prosecution, the 3 lads and their 3 lawyers. It was an interesting take and worked well for me.

This is an extremely clever, well-written novel about every side of a court case - one that's focused on the murder of an old man in an alleyway, the accused three teen boys who are more likely to throw shade on one another than tell the truth.

It's also slightly depressing, but we'll get onto that.

The Cut Throat Trial features numerous points of view - barristers, judge and accused, so that we get a well-rounded view of every aspect of the trial.

It's quite densely written in its cleverness and I found the beginning quite tough to get into. But once I'd made an initial breakthrough and connected to a couple of characters, I was firmly in til the end. The case is brutal, very of the moment, and one in which there are no true winners. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and their foibles, and thought they were all brought to life very niftly.

It's a dark story, and the truth of it comes out right at the end - changing everything - or maybe not. Sorry for the vagueness, but it's ultimately a story of failed youths. Very good. And just a little depressing in its realness.

Would certainly read this author again!