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Book Review of The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
reviewed on + 5 more book reviews


I liked this book very much. Most of Grisham's books are novels, but this is a true-life story. The central character is a young man with great potential in baseball -- but his pride and indiscipline ruin him. Through a series of law enforcement bungles, he is convicted of murder and ends up on death row.

As I read the book, part of me thought, "This guy wasn't much of a loss! -- no one to cry over!" -- but then I remembered that (1) there was still a killer on the loose and (2) this kind of injustice can happen to anyone.

I enjoyed learning how good counsel made a difference (finally) in this young man's life. It was also fun to read about the public embarrassment suffered by the law enforcement officials who so determinedly bungled the young man's arrest and trial in the first place.