I have read a couple of Jack Jordan's previous books and absolutely loved them, but sadly this one did not stand up to his usual high standard for me.

The main issue I had was (as other reviewers have also mentioned) that the central premise is VERY similar to his cracker of a thriller, Do No Harm i.e. a woman is blackmailed into compromising her professional integrity. This meant I was not as engaged with the story from the off, and actually found it quite hard to keep reading because I just wasn't that interested in continuing. In addition there was only 1 real twist I hadn't already guessed before getting to it.

I am not sure how I would have reacted to this book if I had NOT read Do No Harm - perhaps it would have been a much better read if it was the first of the two. I will still definitely read future books from Jack Jordan as he is a much better author than I think this book represents.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. This was an excellent read.
Thoroughly recommended

Guilty, or not guilty? That is the question that needs to be answered, and in this case it applies to the defence counsel almost as much as the accused. Hired as the defence Barrister in one of the most talked about cases in the country, Neve Harper knows that this will be a career defining case. Wade Darling stands accused of murdering his entire family, a crime to which he professes his innocence, claiming a mystery man killed them all before leaving Wade to die in the fire that engulfs their home. So far, so standard - this is a courtroom drama after all. You would expect an accused and a defence team. But Neve is no ordinary Barrister and she is nursing a dark secret that someone is seeking to exploit. Neve must ensure that her client is found guilty or face being exposed in a life changing, career ending way. Not only that, but there is a very real physical threat against her family, one she simply cannot ignore.

What would you do?

That is one of the questions posed to us in this very tricky and twisted thriller. It is perhaps the simplest and yet most complex of moral dilemmas. Do you guarantee your safety and freedom, or that of your client? What if you truly believed that your client was innocent? That is certainly the position Neve finds herself in, or at least with enough contradictory evidence to suggest that the case against Wade is not as strong as it could be. Watching those flaws in the prosecution case being uncovered really drew me into the story. I found myself wondering just how they fit in and whether or not it really proved Wade's story, or was just a red herring, a distraction, to counter an unconscionable truth.

And there are plenty of red herrings and much misdirection in this tale, as well an overwhelming tension and sense of threat which follows Neve throughout the book. I must admit that I really kind of liked Neve, even if she is clearly someone with a skeleton or two in her closet. She is complicated, no question, and there are quirks to her character which start to shine a light on what her dark secret might be. Perhaps that is the part of the story that I had guessed relatively early on but the reveal, when it comes, is still shocking and excellently framed. As for Wade's story, and that of his family, it is emotive and damning and questionable all at the same time. Jack Jordan plays a canny game, creating enough reasonable doubt to make either case completely plausible. I can't say with any 'conviction' that I had a clue as to the truth of this whole story as we followed Neve through her own investigations.

There is a secondary story beyond Wade Darling's court case, one which links into the threat against Neve. These scenes are short, sharp and packed with menace. Those are the scenes where the pace picks up, as does the heart rate, both Neve's and my own, wondering how everything would be resolved. There were a fair share of unexpected moments, as well as those where I felt Neve, in her naivety, needed a good shake. Those moments of inevitability that had me rolling my eyes whilst keeping absolutely glued to the story. And the ending ... Is justice served? Well you'll have to read to find out but let's just say it satisfied, right up to the very last page.

Pacy, engrossing, packed with threat and complex double crossing, it will certainly have you wondering how you would behave if you were caught in a similar situation. Fans of the author will eat it up.

Wow, this book was tense. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started reading Conviction, but then it turned on its heel. And then everything changed all over again. There was twist after turn and it was all so real and intense, I actually had to stop reading at one point to settle!

Neve Harper is a kick-arse barrister who is brought in at the last minute to fight an extremely high-profile murder case that looks virtually unwinnable. Trying to hit the ground running after the previous barrister’s unexpected death, she is thrown into a story that has been all over the news for months and for most people the verdict seems inevitable. But inside, the details are murky.

Neve is a strong character fighting in both her work and private life after the mysterious and still unexplained disappearance of her husband several years ago. Trying to protect his daughter Hannah, she gets caught up in forces beyond her control and has to fight with everything she has to preserve what matters most from the ravages and risks of her professional life.

Wade Darling, accused of killing his family and burning his house down, is unresponsive and shocked for most of the book. This brick wall throws Neve up against her own reactions and assumptions, and as the reader we are deeply immersed in her world as the walls close in around her, putting both her own future, and the safety of those she loves at risk.

I really enjoyed Jack Jordan’s previous book, Do No Harm, but I loved this one even more. It was so compulsive and exciting, and the twists kept me guessing right until the end.

Conviction by Jack Jordan
I give this book 4.75 stars

Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children.
After the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she is approached by a man,she must lose this case or the secret of her own will be revealed.
Should she put a potentially innocent man in prison, or risk putting those she loves in mortal danger.

The master of the moral dilemma is back and this time we’re transported straight into the legal world.Such a thought provoking concept …….. how far would you go to save your loved ones lives?
Chapters that leave you wanting more,strong characterisation,true to life drama,no fillers and tension that accelerates at a breakneck pace.
A twisty,unpredictable thriller that kept me guessing the whole time …… l LOVED IT!
A compulsive must read for 2023
With thanks to Netgalley,Jack Jordan and Simon and Schuster UK for my chance to read and review this book

A fantastic read by Jack, as always. It was exciting and I kept trying to work out who I was rooting for, whether I wanted a good ending or a bad ending! The characters will all pretty grim but that fefinitely added to the drama. Looking forward to more from Jack in the future :)

I’ve read some of Jack Jordan’s other books so was excited to receive an advance copy of his new book, Conviction, published on 22nd June. Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for my copy.

The story follows Neve Harper who has been asked to step in as defence barrister for Wade Darling, accused of murdering his family.
Neve’s husband has been missing for three years, does she know more than she’s letting on?
Neve is followed by a dodgy character who blackmails her. Will she go through with his demands even though it goes against her morals and the law?

There’s a lot going on for Neve in the story, and at times I felt it was a bit implausible. I couldn’t connect to Neve as a character and I wonder if this is because there was so much focus on what was happening in her life, rather than developing her character. Having said that, there weren’t really any characters in the story I particularly liked or connected with.

Despite this, I still wanted to keep reading and find out what was happening. Some parts were a little predictable and some I felt were a bit unrealistic, but there’s still enough to keep you turning the pages.

It’s the kind of book I would have read in a couple of sittings if I’d had the time to.

I would recommend the book and give it 3.5 stars, rounded to 3.

Wade darling is accused of shooting his wife and children as they slept and then setting fire to the house, he survived but is he innocent or guilty. Barrister Neve Harper is given the case at short notice after the death of the previous barrister and knows this could be a career changing opportunity but someone wants her to lose the case and knows a lot about Neve things she cannot let anyone find out about ever because Neve isn’t the person she seems to be.
Well so much going on this story and had me on the edge of my seat as it progressed and the twists and turns were so damn good. The one thing I really liked was the character of Neve I started out really liking her but quite soon realised what a dislikable person she really was and actually deserved all the grief she was getting she was such a well written person. I flew through the read mainly because I just couldn’t decide where the story was going and omg what a brilliant ending it had I loved it !
A fabulous read and one I can highly recommend, many thanks to Jack Jordan for keeping me guessing.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved his previous book Do No Harm so I was thrilled to get my hands on this. A legal thriller that offers moral dilemmas this is right up my alley. This was a compelling read that I couldn’t put down.

Wade Darling stands trial accused of killing this wife and teenage children. When the case lands on barrister Neve Harpers desk, she knows it could be the career making case she’s been waiting for. A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must lose this case or the secret about her own husbands disappearance will be revealed.

First of all, Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for sending me an advanced reading copy of this. I love a courtroom based thriller so I knew this was going to be right up my street. Boy oh boy did it not disappoint. It was an absolute whirlwind from start to finish. The suspense kept building with every page the closer we got to the start of the trial wondering what Neve was going to do. The characters were also so well written throughout, I felt so sorry for moral dilemma Neve had to deal with and also a few twists throughout I did not see coming.

I also cannot believe this is my first Jack Jordan novel, I need to read his previous book and if that is just as good he will definitely become an auto-buy author for me.

If you love a good fast paced thriller then get this on your pre-order list ASAP

This is the second book from Jack Jordan that I’ve read and I loved it just as much as the first.
This is a gripping courtroom drama with the threat of harm running alongside it.
Neve is excited to be representing Wade Darling but when a colleague is killed and her family threatened if she doesn’t get Wade convicted, Neve is left feeling troubled.
We learn that Neve’s husband disappeared three years ago and with her step daughter wanting to spend more time with her, Neve has her hands full with the case as well. She’s also hiding a huge secret from her step daughter and struggles with her guilt.
I loved the way this story came across and there was just enough courtroom action to make it intriguing.
This is a great read that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

After Reading Do No Harm, I knew I needed to read this one. This is an extremely well plotted, multilayered psychological thriller. It hooked me in from the start and just keep me engulfed.

Defence lawyer Neve Harper is selected to defend Wade Darling on a familicide charge. Days before the trial is due to begin she is stalked by The messenger who tells her to lose the case otherwise she and her family are in danger. She has to choose between herself or her client.........
This a tense, well written and compelling psychological thriller that really ramps up in the final quarter to provide a satisfying ending.
I recommend it to readers who like legal thrillers.

This is a gripping thriller that follows Neve Harper as she is tasked with defending a man accused of killing his wife and kids. We quickly learn that Neve has some secrets of her own and as the trial approaches she is blackmailed and threatened in order to ensure her client is found guilty.
The plot is fast paced and builds a brilliant sense of suspense as we question what the right thing to do and who is really innocent or guilty. There is a decent amount of legal and court details that are well explained and easy to follow.
This is a gripping courtroom thriller that has plenty of twists and turns, as well as moral and ethical questions that will leave the reader questioning what is the right thing to do.

After reading do no harm by this author I had to prioritise this one and it hooked me from the start. The writing was intense and captivating and really kept my attention. I started to lose focus slightly about the half way point, I found it a bit too far fetched in places and a little longer than perhaps it needed to be. Great writing though and plot and I would love to hear other thoughts on this.

One fateful night in January 2019 Yolanda Darling and her two children die in a fire in their home. Further investigation shows that they were already dead when the fire started. They were shot dead including the horses in their stables. and the person arrested for this crime is her husband Wade who claims he is innocent.
Barrister Neve Harper receives Wade’s case on her desk, it’s a high-profile case which could elevate her career, so she accepts. She has had cases like this before which have been successful. But this one is different. When someone finds out about the disappearance of her husband Mathew. They blackmail Neve to lose the case or she will lose the people she loves the most. Can she do what they are asking? Which could ruin her own career in the process.
I am not usually a reader of court room dramas. But it saw this Conviction by talented Jack Jordan, and I thought I would give it a go and I wasn’t disappointed. After a bit of a slow start I found this to be a riveting read that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This has a cleverly written storyline, with a lot of twists and turns and it plays with your conscience whether the protagonist should do right or wrong in eyes of the law. 4.5 stars from me.
Thank you, Simon & Shuster, for an advanced copy.

I literally tried to hunt down a proof of this one, I really did not want to have to wait until June 2023 to get my hands on Conviction, thank you so much Simon & Schuster for granting me an eArc, I'm super grateful!

I went to the Do No Harm launch last year and absolutely fell in love with Jack Jordan and the book so I knew Conviction wasn't going to be a book to be slept on, and that it was going to be fantastic - I was not disappointed!

Jack has got a bloody amazing way with words and I honestly could not put this book down! I thought the coinciding storylines worked so well together between Wade (the suspect) and Neve Harper (Wade's barrister) - there's definitely a lot more to their stories than meets the eye which created some brilliant twists and turns! I was so shocked by Neve's storyline and at one point it actually brought tears to my eyes, but I can't say any more than that because it's a spoiler! Conviction will definitely keep you guessing.

If you loved Do No Harm then you'll definitely enjoy this one; if you love crime thrillers in general then get this one on your pre-order list because it's brilliant! 👏🏻

Whilst there are similarities with his previous book Do No Harm (which I’ll get on to later), I felt they were quite different in their approach. Whereas Do No Harm was full of action, go go go from the start, a lot of this is talk, is thoughts, is about building that suspense. Which is completely not what I thought I would be getting from this book, but I like that he’s shown two different plot styles.

It is a book that asks a lot of difficult questions. Would you put your life above someone else’s? Not many people have to ponder that, but if you’re in a position of trust - a doctor or a lawyer for instance - then you’re meant to do the right thing above anything else, even if it is your life on the line. And so I liked that dilemma. It is very similar to Do No Harm in regards to those moral questions, and I’m here for it.

There is a lot of court scenes, full of legal terms and whatnot. This had the possibility of being quite boring and long. And I was worried he would step into the wrong side of that line, but he’s managed to restrain himself. It’s exacting, but entertaining.

There are a lot of characters in it, some who are in it for the whole book, and some that dip in and out. It may, at first, feel like you’re going to lose track of them, you get just enough action from them to stick in your mind but not to overwhelm. I won’t go into too much detail as we‘lol be here forever, but my thoughts on a couple of them are as follows.

We have the main character of Neve, who is out on this case that has the potential to blow her career up. She’s grieving and is lost and confused and has her morals brought into question when her safety, and others, is threatened. And then you have Wade, her client. Charged with the deaths of his wife and two children, he is a shell of a man, and you can never be completely sure whether he is innocent or guilty. He feels like the most human character out of all of them. Marvellous character creation.

There are likeable characters and unlikeable characters, but he’s written them in such a way that it’s almost like you’re on everyone’s side. Whilst some may be more “good” than others, this shows that not everyone is 100% good or 100% bad, we’ve all got our breaking points.

Where I think he has excelled is in worming all the stories together. There’s the main story, obviously, but there are all these other little stories going through it and they fit really well, and keep you on your toes. When you think you’ve settled into one and figured it out, another comes along and you’re back to square one. Twists and turns and you just can’t think how it’s going to end. He keeps the suspense going right to the shocking finale.

Now, I know this is only the second book I’ve read of his, but I feel he’s really got the genre of moral thriller down to a T, and I’d love to see what he’s got planned for the future. Like I go to Laura Purcell for gothic thrillers, Jessica Redland for happily-ever-afters, and Raynor Winn or Robin Ince for nonfiction, Jack is another go-to author when I’m after a particular type of story.

It’s called Conviction, and whilst we assume - quite rightly - that we’re talking about the conviction of Wade, there are others it could be alluding to.

As a personal note, I prefer character development over plot, and whilst this was full on plot, there wasn’t as much character development as I would have liked, but I’m aware a lot of people will have the opposite opinion.

It’s so well written and constructed and thought out, and very impressive. I read an early digital copy but I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a physical copy.

This is my second book by this author and the plot gripped me from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the legal drama and the ending was fab too.

This was most definitely one of those "What is going on?!" type thrillers with twists thrown in to distract and highlight the layers involved in this story rather than a hurtle at full pelt from revelation to revelation. I found this made it a very enjoyable read.

Some of the story did seem very familiar to me but I believe that is due to my own interest in true crime and similarities between those in this book and real murders that have happened in this country (the UK)

The way the author has layered this story and paced it with the revelations for all the crimes detailed is masterful and means that I am now finally going to have to hunt down a copy of his other books