Presumed Innocent

By: Scott Turow

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

NOW AN APPLE ORIGINAL SERIES FROM APPLE TV+ STARRING JAKE GYLLENHAAL

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades, this story brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes.

Rusty Sabich, family man and the number-two prosecutor of Kindle County, is handed an explosive case—the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover. A shocking turn of events suddenly transforms him from the accuser into the accused... and plunges him into a nightmare world where nothing seems real and no one can be PRESUMED INNOCENT.

It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial—including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you...long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.

©1987 Scott Turow (P)2010 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Spellbinding.... The suspense is relentless.... Surprise follows surprise.... The work of a profoundly gifted writer." (The New York Times)

Ready for the Musical

Nobody's reading reviews of this book trying to decide if it's worth reading. Scott Turow's fame plus the fact that Presumed Innocent was made into a Harrison Ford movie pretty much guarantees that.

But is it worth reading again? Absolutely. I had previously read the print version and seen the movie, and now I've listened to the audio version. Knowing whodunnit from the outset didn't take anything away from Turow's artistry - it's just a treat to hear a great storyteller tell a great story. And Edward Herrmann is just the right guy to give voice to this excellent bit of courtroom drama.

So, if they make it a musical, I'll go see that too!

Worth going back to

I enjoyed so much the sequel to this book ( Innocent) that I went back to the original, also read and very well by Edward Herrmann, whom I had not heard before. It's an even better book than the sequel and Herrmann captures Rusty Sabich's (spelling? I never saw it in print) anguish as well as can be imagined. Never thought I would compliment a reader except Frank Muller so extravagantly. Read this again. We all did in the 1980s when it was a unique venture into courtroom drama, and it is just as fresh today. You will have forgotten the detail that make it such fine literature.

I thought this Mystery Novel was GREAT!!

This was a great novel and definitely kept me interested throughout . . . didn't want to turn it off. It kept me trying to guess who the murderer was because the author gave no clues. Very entertaining.

Now I have downloaded the next book "Innocent" and can't wait to start listening to it.

The narrator Edward Hermann was excellent and I'm glad to learn that he is also the narrator for "Innocent."

So problematic I had to quit listening.

Every racist, sexist hard boiled detective trope thrown into this slow cooked lazy writer stew. Can’t remember why I liked Turow or maybe he’s changed. I’ll just leave it at it’s me not you but baby I gotta role.

Lots of bad language

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. To much bad language

Any additional comments?

The story was good but the language was offensive. it did not add to the story and the author could have used other words rather than taking the name of the Lord in vain.

Worth it for the Courtroom Drama

This is a very good mystery but the highlight for me is Sandy Stern and his brilliant courtroom presence. Edward Herrmann nailed it.

Great!

Excellent story line and the way the performer changed his voice for the different characters was phenomenal. Loved it!!!!

Keeps you guessing!

Where does Presumed Innocent rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At the top of the list..it keeps you curious as to the hidden relationships of the characters and how they play into solving the crime.

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

Good accents that capture and separate the characters personalities.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When you find out the mystery of the glass.

Foreign accents

Would you consider the audio edition of Presumed Innocent to be better than the print version?

no

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

The performance was very enjoyable except for the representation of the character of Alejandro Stern. If there is a foreign accent to be rendered, the narrator should do extensive phonetic preparation. Living in a Latin country, I hear the accent of Alejandro Stern, who is Argentinian, a little off. I hear someone from Transylvania. This is not the first rendering of a Latin accent which veers to the Eastern European, that is perceivable on an Audible recording . Before I purchase The Burden of Proof, also by Scott Turow, which is centered on this fascinating character, I will listen to a preview.

Great thriller ..

Not easy to get through the first few hours, but believe me, it's worth it at the end.