The Innocent Man by John Grisham
| The Innocent Man by John Grisham | |
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| Category: True Crime | |
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Reviewer: Denise Ramsay
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| Summary: Fascinating from the outset. The failings of the American justice system are explored through the case of one man whose life was turned upside down by the people sworn to protect him. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 528 | Date: July 2017 |
| Publisher: Arrow | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781784759414 | |
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Many readers may be drawn by the fact that the internationally bestselling John Grisham is the author here. I however, must admit that although I have enjoyed some of the films based on his books, I have never actually read any of them. This hasn't been due to deliberate avoidance, I just haven't gotten around to it. I was keen then to read this True Crime title and see what Grisham would bring to the table, so to speak.
I was immediately compelled by the mugshot on the front cover. I wanted to know who was this man? What was he accused of? How do we know he's innocent? What followed was a somewhat frenzied attempt on my part to get through the book in order to answer these questions. I found that as each chapter ended I was desperate to get onto the next one to see what happened. Surely the mark of all good thrillers - if it wasn't for the sad realisation that this is a true story and that a man's life really was at stake.
At the heart of the book is the story of Ron Williamson, a man with debilitating mental illness whose liberty was stolen and life ultimately threatened by the very people who swore an oath to protect his human and constitutional rights. The book goes all the way back to Ron's childhood and chronologically follows his life through failed dreams of athletic stardom, a failed marriage and an eventual spiral downwards into a life marred with petty crime and ultimately burdened by the crippling effects of severe mental illness. Running alongside the story of Ron's life we are also witness to the seemingly unrelated events of two brutal murders and the police investigation which follows. It soon becomes clear that these separate strands of the book will become intertwined as Williamson is arrested on suspicion of the two murders and eventually goes to trial where he is found guilty of the crimes and ultimately incarcerated on Death Row. As a reader we are left in no doubt that Ron Williamson is the victim in a case of presumed guilt and rush to judgement. However, Grisham tells the story with some interesting light and shade and Williamson is not always portrayed in a positive light. His many transgressions are well documented as is his often belligerent behaviour. Nor does Grisham shy away from including accounts of the previous allegations of sexual assault levelled at the man we have come to feel such sympathy for.
Grisham has a spellbinding capacity to engage readers and captivate with what could otherwise be a laborious recounting of American legal proceedings. This is no doubt why his books have been read by so many for so long. As an author and former attorney he has taken his knowledge of the American justice system and made it accessible for non-Americans and non-academics. Grisham is a master of pace and he certainly keeps you engrossed. I would suggest though that whilst entertaining, his tone throughout remains deferential. Time and again the questions of a defendant's mental fitness to stand trial and the right of a man not to be incarcerated without due process and significant evidence are raised. What is also consistent throughout Grisham's writing is the underlying emphasis on the right of a man to be presumed INNOCENT until proven guilty, a right Ron Williamson clearly had withheld from him.
To talk about the progress of the book or its conclusion would do it a disservice as it should really be read cover to cover by the reader who will form their own opinions. What I will say is that by the end of the book I was left overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the injustice and felt indignant that such a travesty should be allowed to happen. My overriding emotion however, was one of sadness for the man who was in no way the architect of his downfall. Such strong emotions are, for me at least, the sign that a True Crime book has done a complete and comprehensive job of telling the story. I think the book will have wide appeal. Fans of John Grisham's fiction will not be disappointed and should definitely be enticed to make the move to his non-fiction. For those readers interested in the American justice system and the question of Death Row then I believe this book offers a close look into the inner machinations of that system. And for lovers of True Crime - like me, then this book is most certainly up there with some of the better ones I have read.
If you enjoyed The Innocent Man then I would highly recommend reading A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger which follows the case of The Boston Strangler in the nineteen sixties. While the book looks more at American society as a whole, the themes of prejudice and presumption of guilt are again visited.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Innocent Man by John Grisham at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Innocent Man by John Grisham at Amazon.com.
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