Presumed Guilty

By: Scott Turow

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Listen to 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).

“No one does it better.”―David Baldacci, #1 NYT Bestselling Author
“The truth is, Turow is just better at this than the rest of us.”―Greg Iles, #1 NYT Bestselling Author
“This is manna for legal-thriller fans."―Booklist, starred review
“This easily ranks among Turow’s best."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An absorbing and entertaining read.” ―Kirkus

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.

©2025 Scott Turow (P)2025 Grand Central Publishing

Plot & Characters!

Scott Turow at his finest! Intriguing plot, perfect amount of legal education, and interesting, believable, multi-dimensional characters I really cared about. Thank you, Scott Turow!

Such an extraordinary well written novel.

What a pleasure to find that Scott Turow can continue the Rusty Sabich story after all these years! And deliver a substantial and well written story.
I enjoyed every sentence in every chapter.
This should be made into a movie!

Bye Rusty! Be well.

A slow start, but builds. Nice to see a man who has aged well, though unevenly, in print and I actually enjoyed reading about some of the judicial rules and approaches.
The characters are all imperfect. The denouement does not end up in a bow. This is life.
Scott Turow excels even now, was a really well-done audio experience!

Couldn’t stop listening

The plot was engaging and meant I couldn’t stop listening. The reader was also wonderful

Classic Turow

Loved the story. Classic Turow, and a beautifully told story, once again, of the trials and travails of Rusty Sabich. The murderer turns out to be the person you’d least expect, justifying the crime through the lens of their own sketchy moral view. Really enjoyable!

Turrows prose is super The story is just OK

Turow is a master wordsmith Unfortunately the story was only fair Great explanation of court room tactics

Great book

Scott Turow is such a good writer! Many twists and turns in the narrative kept me riveted.

Another great yarn from Scott Turow.

The criminal justice system is portrayed accurately and the strategy and preparation are spot on.

Tense moments of intrigue

This third book of the Turow series did not disappoint. Well written courtroom drama. Quite unexpected ending was disturbing but tied up all the loose ends tidily. Maybe a bit too tidy but acceptable on theory.

Great bookend for Scott Turow

Well written and a compelling listen (read) to the last page. Life observations as a parallel were a nice addition.