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Presumed Innocent #3
by Scott Turow
Read Scott Turow's new "unputdownable" courtroom drama from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent, the phenomenon that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+'s most-watched drama series ever (Kristin Hannah, #1 NYT bestselling author).
Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that's taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea's young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn't return soon, he will be sent back to jail.
Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn't returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first-degree murder.
Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent—it's whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.
What are you reading this week? (5/15/2025)
I'm enjoying Scott Turow's 2025 book Presumed Guilty. I think he writes lawyer procedurals that balance lawyerly knowledge with plot. Just finished The Lilac People by Milo Todd. A great read that took me on an emotional journey.
-Robin_G
What book or books are you reading this week? (02/13/2025)
Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow
-Lin_Z
What book or books are you reading this week? (01/16/2025)
PRESUMED GUILTY by Scott Turow. I was fortunate to attend a luncheon this week where he was the guest.
-Cindy_R
"The trial that follows is a master class in legal suspense as Turow weaves together the devastation of Aaron and Bea's families, simmering racial prejudice, and the impact of smalltown politics within a framework of deliciously tense courtroom dynamics. This is manna for legal-thriller fans." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Turow keeps readers guessing...This easily ranks among Turow's best." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"No one stages courtroom scenes better than this celebrated Chicago attorney. An absorbing and entertaining read." ―Kirkus Reviews
"A compelling, unputdownable legal thriller that explores the dark side of justice in a small town and on a fractured family. Scott Turow is at the top of his game with this complex, emotionally charged courtroom drama that will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can." ―Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Presumed Guilty takes you out of your comfort zone and challenges you to think long and hard about the most important issues we face as a country. Every time I pick up a new Scott Turow book, I am reminded what a national treasure he is. Few novelists are his peer when it comes to prose, plot, and character. No one does it better." ―David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author
This information about Presumed Guilty was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo credit: Greg Martin
Scott Turow continues to work as an attorney, and is a partner in the
Chicago office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, a national law firm
with 600 lawyers. His practice centers on white collar
criminal litigation and he devotes a substantial part of his
practice now to pro bono work, including representations in
cases involving the death penalty. In one of these matters,
Alejandro Hernandez, co-defendant of Rolando Cruz, was exonerated
after 11 years in prison.
He was born on April 12, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated
with high honors from Amherst College in 1970. That year, he
received an Edith Mirrielees Fellowship to the Stanford University
Creative Writing Center, ...
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