Presumed Innocent, By Scott Turow
(Reviewed by Dom)

Okay, so I was more than twenty years late to the party. At least I finally got there!

I’m talking about Scott Turow’s breakthrough novel, Presumed Innocent, which originally rocketed up the best-seller lists in the late 80s, then went on to become a hit motion picture starring Harrison Ford.

But forget the movie: the book is terrific.

Rusty Sabich is a prosecuting attorney with a problem. It started when he had an affair with a co-worker. But when that co-worker ends up murdered…well, Rusty’s suddenly facing a jury as a defendant instead of as the prosecutor. …

This story is truly a page-turner. I remember when it first came out, and everyone talked about how Turow (himself a practicing attorney) had hit a home run with his first novel. I’m now kicking myself that I waited so long to read it. He lays out the tale very meticulously, with not only a great eye for detail, but with just the right touch of legal-talk. It would have been easy for an attorney to write a story that dripped with legalese and inside jabber that the rest of us wouldn’t get. But Turow didn’t do that; you can tell he knows his stuff, but it’s wound within the framework of great story-telling.

I’m a sucker for good courtroom drama, both books and movies. I read the 50s classic, Anatomy of a Murder, and this one was just as fascinating. It blends strong character development, sex, corruption, vengeance, marital strife, and - oh yeah - a great murder mystery.

It’s perfect for curling up with on a cold November night.  Pick up your copy for 20% off this month at all Tattered Cover Book Store locations!

This entry was posted on Monday, November 1st, 2010 at 4:31 AM and is filed under Dom and Jane Book Club. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.