Innocent - Hardcover

Scott Turow is a writer and attorney. He is the author of seven best-selling novels: Presumed Innocent (1987), The Burden of Proof (1990), Pleading Guilty (1993), The Laws of Our Fathers (1996), Personal Injuries (1999), Reversible Errors (2002) and Ordinary Heroes (2005). A novella, Limitations, was published as a paperback original in November 2006 by Picador following its serialization in the New York Times Magazine. His works of non-fiction include One L (1977) about his experience as a law student, and Ultimate Punishment (2003), a reflection on the death penalty. He frequently contributes essays and op-ed pieces to publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Playboy and The Atlantic. Mr. Turow's books have won a number of literary awards, including the Heartland Prize in 2003 for Reversible Errors and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award in 2004 for Ultimate Punishment and Time Magazine's Best Work of Fiction, 1999 for Personal Injuries. His books have been translated into more than 25 languages, sold more than 25 million copies world-wide and have been adapted into one full length film and two television miniseries.

Scott Turow's latest legal thriller is a sequel to his 1987 blockbuster, PRESUMED INNOCENT, in which DA Rusty Sabich was accused of murdering his lover, another female prosecutor. Twenty-three years later, Rusty is now an appellate judge; despite his best intentions, he's involved in another affair and soon finds himself accused of murdering his wife, whom he finds dead in their bed. There are so many twists and turns in this one you'll never guess what really happened. The story is expertly narrated from the main characters' points of view by Edward Herrmann in the male parts and Orlagh Cassidy as the female characters (though Cassidy gets no written billing). Herrmann masterfully portrays the stoic Savich, his confused adult son, and the relentless defense lawyer Sandy Stern, who is weakened by cancer. Cassidy is superb as Anna, Savich's new lover, and Marta, Stern's daughter, who bolsters her father's defense team. The frequent switches in point of view have the potential to be confusing, but the dual narrators make them work. Although this is clearly a sequel, one needn't have read PRESUMED INNOCENT to enjoy it. Further, the quality of the writing is high, and the narration sterling. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine