A Book A Week

I’m continuing my attempt to read more of the books I already own rather than constantly chasing the latest shiny new releases. This week, I turned my attention to a title that returned to my radar after it was adapted into a gripping series on Apple TV a couple of years ago. Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, his 1987 debut, was released to both critical and commercial acclaim, spawned a film adaptation starring Harrison Ford, and reignited the legal thriller genre for modern readers. When I dusted off my paperback copy and cracked it open, it didn’t take long to see why it became such a phenomenon.

The novel opens in the aftermath of a murder that has shaken the DA’s office in Kindle County to its core. One of their own—rising star prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus—has been killed, and now her colleagues must investigate her death and prosecute her killer. The timing couldn’t be worse. District Attorney Raymond Horgan is in the middle of a losing reelection campaign against Nico Della Guardia, a former protégé turned political rival. Della Guardia is already using the unsolved murder as ammunition, turning tragedy into campaign fodder.

Desperate to stop the bleeding, Horgan assigns his right-hand man, Rusty Sabich, to lead the investigation. What he doesn’t realize is just how personal the case is about to become.

Rusty and Carolyn shared a history that extended far beyond their professional roles. They were former lovers. Their affair ended months earlier, and Rusty returned to his wife, chastened and determined to move on. Conflict of interest aside, what should be a straightforward investigation quickly becomes anything but. Rusty is forced to navigate the wreckage of a relationship he thought he had neatly compartmentalized. As evidence mounts, buried secrets, office politics, and private betrayals rise to the surface. Before long, the seasoned prosecutor finds himself in an unthinkable position. He's the sole suspect in the murder of his former lover and colleague.

He swears he’s innocent. But as the trial unfolds, the question becomes not only who killed Carolyn, but whether anyone involved can truly be presumed innocent.

With Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow transforms the familiar courtroom thriller into an intimate and unsettling character study, tracing the slow, suffocating unraveling of reputation, marriage, ambition, and truth. The novel takes its time at the outset, carefully establishing its cast and their tangled relationships.  But once the investigation gains momentum, it pulls you in and refuses to let go.

I was especially impressed by how Turow makes us care about characters who so often teeter between ego and justice. I found myself rooting for Rusty even when I wasn’t entirely convinced of his innocence. That tension between belief and doubt drives the novel forward with remarkable force. By the end, it’s clear that innocence is anything but simple, and that truth can shift depending on who is claiming it.

The final revelation is as riveting as it is heartbreaking. It's not exactly a twist in the traditional sense, but a moral reckoning. With Presumed Innocent, Turow doesn’t merely set the standard for the modern legal thriller; he redefines what the genre is capable of.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2026, 17)