Graham Moore (CC ‘03) is not just a Columbia grad, but an Academy Award winning screenplay writer and a New York Times bestselling author whose 2020 novel, The Holdout, is both riveting and thought provoking.

The main character of Graham Moore’s The Holdout, Maya Seale, knows tragedy. As a former juror on an infamous murder case involving a teenage girl and now a criminal defense attorney, she is familiar with murder but would never expect to be suspected of such a crime. However, after a reunion with her former jurors from the case turns deadly, all eyes are on Maya.

Maya is part of the rich literary collective created by Graham Moore (CC ’03). A religious history major here at Columbia, Moore has gone on to write four novels, two films, and one play. One of his most notable works is the film The Imitation Game, which follows the mathematical genius Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, as he solves Nazi codes to aid the British government. Moore’s script for the film won the 2015 Oscar for Best Writing. Though Moore has also directed films like The Outfit from 2022, his literary pursuits are, in my opinion, where he excels most.

I first read The Holdout after my mom recommended it to me when I was bored out of my mind during the 2020 COVID quarantine, and I honestly think this book is what really got me back into reading. Throughout the legal thriller, I couldn’t decide if I fully trusted Maya, the main character, and when it comes to a murder mystery, what is more captivating than an unreliable narrator? Maya’s fellow jurors also help make up the rich cast of characters in The Holdout. To name a few, there is Jessica Silver, the murder victim of the original trial and the daughter of a billionaire property developer; Rick Leonard, the murder victim whose death leads to suspicion toward Maya and who has palpable tension with her; and Lona Maldonado, another former juror and a social worker with a strong moral compass.

Moore’s The Holdout asks the reader questions about justice, race, and how convictions can lead to manipulation and evolving mindsets. It’s not just the rich narrative that intrigues us in The Holdout but the edge-of-your-seat thrill you feel as you turn each page of the novel.

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