Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Reading this novel reminded me of returning to Indiana University one year and being picked up for speeding in the middle of the state by a trooper who I never saw until he was on my butt. I was instructed to follow him to a local small town where the "judge" held court in the back of his furniture store. He gave me the choice of a heavy fine or jail time. This was in 1974 and $350.00 was a lot of money for a college kid. I had no desire to learn about their terms of incarceration. John Grisham has picked a mythical small town in northern Florida to tell us a horrifying tale of a man falsely accused, arrested, and sentenced to death. These small towns exist throughout the United States and are often controlled by a local politician or a wealthy family. Woe be to those who cross these powerful people. I still remember my parents cautioning me from straying off the interstates and stopping in small towns in the 'Deep South'. The author has written a well-researched novel concerning a small town resident conveniently arrested as a cover to what was happening locally. Some readers may be somewhat 'put off' by the voluminous detail involved in trying to free someone illegally convicted, but I love learning new things when reading. Add in the sword constantly hanging over the falsely convicted prisoner and the fact that there are literally thousands of innocent prisoners currently serving prison terms, and you can't help putting yourself in their places. This novel is not a "beach read' and requires the reader to pay attention and do some critical thinking. Mr. Grisham describes a badly flawed system that can cause the victim to make the ultimate sacrifice. Cleanly and clearly written, the author provides a thought provoking novel with a deeply disturbing story.