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Book Reviews of Presumed Innocent

Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent
Author: Scott Turow
ISBN: 191974
Publication Date: 5/1988
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 2

3.3 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Warner Books
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Write a Review

52 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

punkinema avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 305 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
It seemed at first I had read this book but, if I did, I only remembered parts of it. It is a LONG book and written in the first person. Scott Turow is a great story-teller but the story is dark and sad. You don't know who perpetrated the crime until the very end and although it is a surprise, it really isn't.
buzzby avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 6062 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is still the best mysteries I've ever read. Turow uses a scalpel where Grisham uses a chainsaw.
buzzby avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 6062 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is one of my all-time favorite novels. I've read it several times.
scrapbooklady avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 472 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I have been reading courtroom thrillers for more than 35 years and this one is among the best. Scott Turow is a lawyer and talented writer and in his first work of fiction, "Presumed Innocent", he has set the bar very high. Plan to not put this down until you finish it and then read it again to make sure you fully absorb the nuances, character development, and foreshadowing.
joyofboox avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on
Helpful Score: 2
One of the best legal thrillers I've read. Turow has written a gripping novel about the law - and also made the characters very believable.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 42 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
wow -- Scott Turow just keeps those plot twists coming!!
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 30 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
PRESUMED INNOCENT brings to life our worst nightmare, that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife. and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trail--including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. It will hold you and haunt you..longs after you have reached it's shattering conclusion.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 612 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this book.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 117 more book reviews
Good read !
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 14 more book reviews
Awesome! A real twister a the end
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 27 more book reviews
Scary in that this could happen to the ordinary person.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 85 more book reviews
Great book, shocking end.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on
How does a well respected man prove his innocence when accused of murdering his lover when all the evidence points to him?
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 205 more book reviews
This is the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial, including his own life.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 17 more book reviews
An ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of crimes and how his all consuming fatal attraction puts everything he loves on trial.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 30 more book reviews
Very good legal thriller; difficult to put down.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 29 more book reviews
Greatly recommended. Also based on the movie.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 3 more book reviews
really good
WhidbeyIslander avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 715 more book reviews
If you enjoy golden age or cozy mysteries, this might not be for you. I enjoy those types and gave up on this about 80 pages in. Writing was ok, but I didn't care about all the tangents we were taken on or the characters themselves.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 115 more book reviews
Not only really exciting, but extremely well-written with believable characters. Unusually for a book told in the first person, the narrator was human and flawed. Apart from the twists in the tale, I also liked the descriptions of Kindle County etc., which made me feel as though I was there. I would certainly recommend reading this before seeing the movie if I had my choice, but don't skip it even if you already know the ending. The writing here is just plain excellent and I give this one a very strong recommendation.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 219 more book reviews
great stuff
reviewed Presumed Innocent on
Still my favorite Scott Turow book. An assistant DA is murdered
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 6 more book reviews
Good Thriller
Bernie avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on
In Presumed Innocent, Rusty Sabich, family man and the number-two prosecutor of Kindle County, is handed an explosive casethe brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover. A shocking turn of events suddenly transforms him from the accuser into the accused and plunges him into a nightmare world where nothing seems real and no one can be presumed innocent.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 88 more book reviews
Suspense is relentless
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 93 more book reviews
I loved it and the ending is awesome!!
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 8 more book reviews
An excellent legal thriller by Scott Turow, lawyer turned author. This was his first novel.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 75 more book reviews
Hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades. Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nighmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It's the stunning protrayal of one man's all too human all consuming gatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife. And the story of how his obsession puts everthing he loves and values on trial-including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shcking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depth of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you- long after you have reached the shattering conclusion.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 683 more book reviews
A great work of fiction, a blood-chilling,accutate depiction of the criminal justice system.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 91 more book reviews
Blood chilling-good read
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 6 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this book. I found it interesting and I appreciated that I was not able to figure out the "mystery" right out of the gate, which is fairly typical for me. Good read.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 28 more book reviews
Loved this book. A true crime classic; kept me spellbound and up reading all night.
emeraldfire avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on
Kindle County's chief deputy prosecutor, Rusty Sabich, has recently been asked to investigate the murder of one of his colleagues, Carolyn Polhemus. The only thing that his boss, the chief prosecuting attorney, Raymond Horgan, doesn't know is that Carolyn and Rusty were having an affair at the time of her death. Since Prosecutor Horgan is in the midst of a vicious re-election campaign, his opponent - Nico Della Guardia would like nothing more than to find proof that Raymond Horgan is somehow unfit to be Kindle County's chief prosecutor.

As he nears forty, both Rusty's marriage and his career seem stalled; almost stagnant. His wife Barbara seems so uncaring and cold - actively avoiding Rusty as much as she can. Subsequently, he focuses all his attention and energies on his son Nathaniel, and his desperate, unhappy love for Carolyn. Rusty's investigation fuels his fantasies of what might have been between Carolyn and himself, although he makes very little progress in finding the killer.

Citing the slowness of the murder investigation, and using the fact that the Prosecutor apparently can't find the murderer of someone who worked in his office, Nico gains more popularity in the polls. Claiming that Kindle County deserves a change in its office, he handily wins the election. He then sets his sights on prosecuting Carolyn Polhemus' murderer - in the case of the People versus Rozat K. Sabich - who is known as the chief deputy prosecutor, Rusty Sabich.

Now, Rusty is put on trial, facing possible conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. This is a stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession ultimately endangers everything he loves and values - eventually putting everything on trial - including his own life.

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow reveals a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. It's a story that will alternately hold you spellbound and will haunt you...long after you have turned the final page and reached its shattering conclusion.

I must say that this is actually the first book by Scott Turow that I've ever read, although I do have several more on my bookshelf. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I was absolutely dying to know how the story turned out. Although this was somewhat heavy reading for me in parts - with such a strong focus on politics and a very detailed look at the intricacies of the prosecutor's office - I still enjoyed the story immensely and give the book a definite A+!

I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Mareena reminded me that I had actually received the book fairly recently, after we noticed that the 1990 movie adaptation starring Harrison Ford and Brian Dennehy was on television several days ago.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 224 more book reviews
A mans all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everthing he loves and values on trial, including his life!
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 8 more book reviews
Ending was a surprise. I had to stay up late to finish this book
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 8 more book reviews
Very suspenseful and surprising about an ordinary person facing unordinary situations wrapped in the criminal justice system-page turner.
WestofMars avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 162 more book reviews
I read this years ago. It's a classic of legal lit.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 18 more book reviews
Now available in trade paperback, "Presumed Innocent" brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of crimes. Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is transformed from accuser to accused when he is handed an explosive case--that of the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 8 more book reviews
very interesting didn't want to put the book down read the book in one day.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 23 more book reviews
Engrossing-Hard To put down.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 51 more book reviews
This book will grab your attention until the last page!
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 22 more book reviews
Wonderful plot that your mind has to pay attention to!
sugarsmom avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 167 more book reviews
Fiction - better tahn the movie
reviewed Presumed Innocent on
Good courtroom drama
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 14 more book reviews
**** This is great "escapist" fiction - excellent for plane trips, long delays in the airport, being snowbound, etc.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 18 more book reviews
Basis for the Harrison Ford movie by the same name.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 335 more book reviews
From the back of the book...
Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-huma, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial - including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you...long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.
barbsis avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 1076 more book reviews
Rusty Sabich, a deputy prosecuting attorney, is ousted after his boss is defeated for re-election and Rusty's rival, Nico is elected as prosecuting attorney. The rape and murder of Carolyn Polhemus, Rusty
s mistress and another lawyer in the prosecutors office, is pinned on Rusty. His trial is the main focus of the book.

This is well written and has great surprises and an ending I truly did not see coming. I thought I had this one figured out early on but boy I was way off base.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 22 more book reviews
I think the best of Turow. Such great twists and turns. Un-put-downable!
fbclibrarian avatar reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 107 more book reviews
Too much profanity for me.
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 42 more book reviews
I haven't read this yet I had 2 copies I have heard all positive reports on this book as well as other Scott Turow books
reviewed Presumed Innocent on + 47 more book reviews
It's gray, gritty early spring in the midsize Mid-western city that is the setting for Scott Turow's spellbinding book, already widely hailed as the most brilliant novel about lawyers and the law to appear in many years. Rusty Sabich, Kindle County's longtime chief deputy prosecutor, has been asked to investigate the rape and murder of one of his colleagues. Carolyn Polhernus was strong, sensuous, and magnetic; she was also clearly ambitious and quite possibly unscrupulous. Her murder has been an embarrassment to Rusty's boss, Raymond Horgan, who is facing a serious challenge in the upcoming election and who looks to Rusty for a fast solution to the case that will help save him politically. What Horgan doesn't know is that, only a few months before she was murdered, Carolyn Polhemus and Rusty Sabich were lovers.

Rusty is a passionate, brooding, fundamentally lonely man. As he nears forty, both his marriage and his career seem to be stagnating. His feelings are focused on his love for his son, Nat, and his desperate, enduring fantasies about Carolyn, who had abruptly ended their affair six months ago. Rusty's investigation allows him to indulge relentlessly in his obsession, but he apparently makes little progress in finding the killer. Then, when Horgan loses the election, Rusty suddenly, incredibly, finds himself accused of Carolyn's murder.