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Average Customer Rating:

Innocent until proven guilty or guilty until proven innocent?

Customer Rating:

This book started out in the town of Ada where Ron Williamson was to be the next Mickey Mantle. He played all through his young career and became good enough to become a professional baseball player. He then left his small town to make his dreams come true and soon he signed with the Oakland A's. He returned to his hometown a couple of years later because he fell into the bad habits of alcohol and drug use. He couldn't maintain a job anymore and ended up moving back home with his mother. In 1982, a waitress named Debbie Carter was murdered. The police were clueless of who the killer was, but they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. Then the two were charged with capital murder and were sentenced to the death penalty. In my opinion, the truth about the criminal justice system in America will shock you. John Grisham did a great job in writing his first non-fiction book. This story was a page turner from the beginning to the end.

Innocent until proven guilty takes on new meaning

Customer Rating:

I admire John Grisham for his work and depth here. It doesn't read like one of his thrillers, but it is gripping. I did find some areas a bit repetitive, but overall this is a fantastic narrative presentation of the facts, exactly how I like it in my favorite book type, true crime. I'm one of those softies who tends to really believe in innocent until proven guilty, and unlike Nancy Grace, I don't believe in circumstantial evidence for homicide cases. It'd be really interesting to get John Grisham (an ex defense lawyer, right?) and Nancy Grace (an ex prosecutor) together on a show. What a match that would be. The book feels long at times, but never bores, and I actually felt so sorry for the victims in this book. It was really interesting to see the photos of Ron Williamson before and after his ordeal. I was so captivated by this whole story, I actually went to the website of the prosecutor mentioned by the author in the book. It is interesting to see him defending himself. Please write more true crime, Mr. Grisham.

Too Far Fetched for Fiction?

Customer Rating:

My first "true crime" book. And wow. I am really shocked that something like this can happen...that people this obviously innocent can be committed and even placed on death row. I suppose I'm a bit naive to the system but I'd like to believe that justice is better served. If this was a fiction book, I'd have never believed this story. I think I'll definitely try some more true crime books. This wasn't the most supremely written book I've ever seen, but it was good. It read well though the names got a bit confusing as there were a lot given without much "characterization" except for the main characters. I think it was an interesting subject, but it could have been presented a bit more clearly.

My Good Mistake

Customer Rating:

John Grisham writes good fiction books that I always read when travelling, fast paced interesting stories with plots twists that keep the pages turning. While some are better than others, I will pick up a book of his when I see his name on the cover. I did that with this book not realizing that it was not his non-fiction standard fare. It was a good purchase because true events make this book even more gripping. Though it is a story that is often heard both in fiction and non-fiction works rlating to people who are innocent of crimes (trials, police investigations, and the rest), the fact that this is non-fiction makes it all the more powerful. It also brings to light things that we have all heard about regarding the justice system. The book is full of details that are important to fully understand the subject and though not as quick/easy reading when compared to his fiction, including them to me just made the book more intriguing and worthwhile. I am glad that I made a "mistake" and picked it up.

More chilling than fiction because it's true

Customer Rating:

I've admired Grisham from the beginning, but this first non'fiction book of his raises his stature even higher in my estimation because he uses his talents to portray a gross miscarriage of justice. The fact that such an event can happen to an ordinary citizen is certainly chilling enough. But the aftermath is even more chilling as we see the attitude of the authorities after the innocence of two men was basically proven. Also chilling is how the citizens of the town reacted to the acquitta. This is a brutal look at law enforcement and the judicial process and certainly deserves being widely read.