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The Innocent Man

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

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The Innocent Man

Written by: John Grisham
Narrated by: Craig Wasson
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About this listen

 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LOOK FOR THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES • “Both an American tragedy and [Grisham’s] strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly

John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction: a true crime masterpiece that tells the story of small town justice gone terribly awry.

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. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.

In 1982, a twenty-one-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 jailhouse 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.

Don’t miss Framed, John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man, co-authored with Centurion Ministries founder Jim McCloskey. Crime Criminology Law Murder Social Sciences True Crime Exciting Fiction Thriller Mental Health

What the critics say

“A gritty, harrowing, true-crime story.”—Time

“A triumph.”—Seattle Times

“Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his best-selling fiction.”—Boston Globe

“Grisham’s pared-down prose and matter-of-fact voice make for tense reading.”—People

“Skillfully told . . . An important book.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Meticulously researched . . . a compelling narrative.”—Entertainment Weekly

“John Grisham’s latest book has the usual touches fans have come to expect from the master of the legal thriller: suspense, shock, even a wrongful conviction and near execution. But this time, the tale is true.”—Associated Press
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John Grisham covered the story in great details which are linked together brilliantly. I coukd not put it down

Outstanding narrative of a true story

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I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this - the performance was compelling and natural. I find I’m sometimes distracted from the story when the performance isn’t good, but this was not the case at all. It is also a well-written tragic story that is still taking the lives of two wrongfully convicted men. Much more detail and “character” background than the Netflix series.

This story is specifically focused on Ron Williamson, with some mention of Fontinot and Ward’s cases - I would love a follow up on Ward and Fontinot and the Denice Haraway murder.

Devastating story

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Even better than the documentary. Loved it but the book was way more in depth

Amazing

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John Grisham's first foray into non-fiction is as captivating as his other works! It's well researched and sheds a light on the injustices that fill the criminal justice system.

John Grisham doesn't disappoint

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I don’t understand why the police, judges and attorneys didn’t loose their jobs.
I really enjoyed the read, but what a scary situation. It could be us

Heartbreaking

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