The Innocent Man [Hardcover]

"* 'a nall biting story' The Sun 'a killer combination of sheer story-telling nous and no-nonsense prose' Independent 'Grisham hasn't lost his touch' Daily Mirror"

Murder and injustice in a small town --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

John Grisham's first work of non-fiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, in his most extraordinary legal thriller yet. In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A's, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory. Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits - drinking, drugs and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept 20 hours a day on her sofa. In 1982, a 21 year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder. With no physical evidence, the prosecution's case was built on junk science and the testimony of jaihouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to Death Row. If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.

Murder and injustice in a Small Town

Ron Williamson was a star college baseball player in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma. When he left to pursue his dreams he seemed destined for glory. But years of injury, drinking, drugs and women took their toll.

He returned to Ada a lonely drifter. In 1982, a 21 year-old cocktail waitress was raped and murdered. After five years of fruitless investigation the police arrested Williamson for want of any other suspect. The case against him was built on bogus evidence and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. He was found guilty at trial and sent to Death Row.

This is a true story of the criminal justice system gone terribly wrong. Of vengeful prosecutors and incompetent defence lawyers. Of a man's journey to hell. A journey from which he nearly didn't return.

'John Grisham has built his stunning writing career on producing brilliant, fast moving, utterly believable legal thrillers. His 19th book however, is so harrowing and gruesome that it just doesn't seem conceivable. Yet it's true - all of it' The Mirror

'A work of art...this is a terrible and beautiful book. The burning care and respect for

his fellow man shown by Grisham permeates and warms every page'Sunday Express

'Like Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, The Innocent Man brings a novelist's eye to re-creating a complex chain of events and human reaction surrounding a crime and its aftermath' Sunday Times

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

John Grisham is the author of eighteen bestselling novels. He lives with his family in Virginia and Mississipi.