Scott Turow's Presumed Guilty
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 11:35 pm
I just finished the NetGalley copy I received and am working up my review. This is the third novel in a series about attorney Rusty Sabich, played by Harrison Ford and Jake Gyllenhaal in two versions of Turow's earlier Presumed Innocent. This time Sabich actually gets to go into court to defend his fiancee's adopted son who is accused of murdering his girlfriend. Nobody writes courtroom scenes better than Turow, and 2/3 of this book is a description of the murder trial. This is the first legal thriller I've read where the author goes over every witness's testimony in detail and devotes a lengthy chapter to showing the opening statements of the prosecution and defense. You might think this would be boring, but it's not. I found the courtroom byplay fascinating. It's a long book, but once they get into court, it's tough to put down.
Like Michael Connelly, who has aged Harry Bosch over the years, Turow aged Rusty since he wrote Presumed Innocent. He's now in his 70s and retired and Harrison Ford could credibly play him again if this book ever gets made into a movie.
Like Michael Connelly, who has aged Harry Bosch over the years, Turow aged Rusty since he wrote Presumed Innocent. He's now in his 70s and retired and Harrison Ford could credibly play him again if this book ever gets made into a movie.