She Treads Softly: Presumed Guilty

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Presumed Guilty

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow
1/14/25; 544 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Presumed innocent #3

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow is an exceptional, very highly recommended legal thriller. This is Turow's third legal thriller featuring former Kindle County prosecutor Rusty Sabich which can also be enjoyed as a standalone.

Rusty, 77, is a retired judge living with his younger, soon-to-be wife, Bea. Bea has a young adult son, Aaron, 22, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession. When Aaron disappears for a couple days with out a word to anyone, he returns a few days later explaining that he was on a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae. He thought their relationship had a chance but circumstances during the trip made it clear that they were done. Aaron hitchhiked home and expected Mae to already be back.

When Mae doesn't return and days pass, Aaron is increasingly looked at with suspicion. Then Mae is discovered dead and Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first degree murder. Rusty returns to court one last time to defend Aaron. After having been falsely convicted of murder himself years ago, Rusty understands how the justice system works.

This is a skillfully written, excellent legal thriller, especially for readers who appreciate all of the courtroom drama, suspense, and arguments laid out in detail as most of the massive novel is following the trial. The trial is followed in detail, so it reads like a movie. All the details, discoveries, and nuances of the arguments are clearly presented alongside evenhanded observations about the justice system. The twists and surprises are woven into the plot seamlessly.

The characters are all portrayed as fully realized, complicated individuals with both strengths and weaknesses. This includes the secondary characters too. Everyone in the novel comes to life, which makes the narrative richer and more impactful.

Presumed Guilty is an outstanding legal thriller that you will absolutely want to read. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.