The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
by John Grisham
Better than fiction (2/9/2009)
I just finished "The Innocent Man" yesterday. I was completely absorbed by the story from beginning to end. I've only read a few Grisham books and this was my favorite. I tend to prefer modern stories when they are true, but I'm a big fan of the "classics" also.
I thought this story was along the lines of "In Cold Blood," except the cops were the bad guys. After reading what happened to Ron Williamson, Dennis Fritz, and the others, I'll never cooperate with police without consulting a good lawyer.
I only have one slight criticism. Grisham seemed determined to sell Ron's side of the story and made frequent sarcastic unsubstantiated comments against the OK authorities. The comments may have been deserved, but they seemed out of place coming from the teller of this true story. I suppose this was done to create more emotion and interest for the reader, which it does, but it made me feel kind of dirty.
Great book, though. I'd like to see more like this from Grisham.