In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams br...
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reviews
Dec 28, 2007
Daniel
rated it: 
I've enjoyed a few Grisham's in my day, and of course seen a few of the films... But this book is stunning, and it's his first non-fiction.
I myself practice criminal law, and of course if you asked me, I'd say there are bad cops out there, and bad prosecutors, and bad defense attorneys and bad judges, but I would not have imagined the devastating travesty that unfolds on these pages.
This is a story of small town justice going way south. It wasn't vigilante but it wasn't More...
I myself practice criminal law, and of course if you asked me, I'd say there are bad cops out there, and bad prosecutors, and bad defense attorneys and bad judges, but I would not have imagined the devastating travesty that unfolds on these pages.
This is a story of small town justice going way south. It wasn't vigilante but it wasn't More...
Jun 06, 2010
babyhippoface
rated it: 
If you're going to read this, don't stop there. Go online and read Bill Petersen's account as well. It's only fair. And after all, "fair" is what this book is all about, right?http://www.billpetersondistrictattorney.com/
The Innocent Man alternates between a compelling account of a murder investigation and a tedious account of a man's stupidity/petty criminal activity/insanity.
I had great respect for John Grisham until I read both this book and responses to the More...
The Innocent Man alternates between a compelling account of a murder investigation and a tedious account of a man's stupidity/petty criminal activity/insanity.
I had great respect for John Grisham until I read both this book and responses to the More...
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Jul 19, 2011
Nenette
rated it: 
The pull of this story is the fact that it is not fiction. The book was tagged as something every American should read…..but this is not happening only across the USA. It is a very sad fact that applies globally. After I’ve read this, I am left with a couple of thoughts about law enforcement personnel who would go to extreme measures to solve a case even at the expense of prosecuting the non-guilty – can they really be that bad to the core, or are they just so much in a hurry to resolve a ca
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(3 people liked it)
Dec 07, 2008
Trevor
rated it:
Set in the quiet Bible Belt town of Ada, Oklahoma, The Innocent Man is a very well written novel about a man named Ronald Williamson, who was wrongly accused of a murder. Grisham describes the town perfectly when he says, “Had it not been for two notorious murders in the early 1980s, Ada would have gone unnoticed by the world.” In this book, the author, John Grisham, takes you through all of the details of the murder and explains why Ron Williamson was wrongly accused.
Ron Will More...
Mar 05, 2009
Karen & Gerard
rated it:
This is a very disturbing nonfiction book about our judicial system, a heinous crime and a wasted life. It showed how several innocent men were convicted of murder and that in reality, one is really guilty until proven innocent rather than the other way around. It is a very sad documentary about a talented high school athlete who really ruined his life with drinking, drugs and got framed for murder, and developed mental and physical illness. It's unbelievable how these innocent men spent 12 year
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 12, 2008
Steve
rated it:
Great book ... well, I like all the book by Grisham. "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." All we need is a few more good men and women in America. :-)
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Aug 15, 2008
Bonnie
rated it:
I preferred this (and Time to Kill) because he deviated from his usual "prescriptive" writing.
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(4 people liked it)
May 27, 2011
booklady
rated it: 
Originally I wanted to give this book five stars for its readability, research and relevance. My primary reservation was the overall disturbing nature of the book. It's about an horrendous travesty of justice in my own state against two innocent men which explored the all-too common occurance of incarceration and even execution of those who never had anything to do with the crime(s) in question.
Upon doing a little more research, I discovered that the author Mr. Grisham, may not hav More...
Upon doing a little more research, I discovered that the author Mr. Grisham, may not hav More...
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Jun 18, 2008
Karen
rated it:
This book is a change from John Grisham's normal books, it is the account of a true event that was lived by the people in a small town in Oklahoma.
The characters in this book were wonderful, interesting, multi-layered and very engaging or very horrible. The fact that these are real people not fictional characters makes them even more interesting.
Two women within a very short time were murdered in this small town, the main goal of the police and D.A. was to find someone to blam More...
The characters in this book were wonderful, interesting, multi-layered and very engaging or very horrible. The fact that these are real people not fictional characters makes them even more interesting.
Two women within a very short time were murdered in this small town, the main goal of the police and D.A. was to find someone to blam More...
Jan 20, 2008
Basham!
rated it:
I wasn't going to put this book here because, well, it's Grisham and I'm just reading it for class. Still, for those unfamiliar with the criminal justice system, who despise public defenders, or take their liberty for granted, this book is a good introduction.
Early in his book, Grisham relates a 1909 incident from the “colorful” history of the small Oklahoma town of Ada (the main setting in the book). It is striking story of vigilante action triggered by the murder of a local farme More...
Early in his book, Grisham relates a 1909 incident from the “colorful” history of the small Oklahoma town of Ada (the main setting in the book). It is striking story of vigilante action triggered by the murder of a local farme More...
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Jan 01, 2008
Kate
rated it:
Grisham's first foray into the world of true crime/non-fiction writing is a stunner. Literally, we could not stop reading it. The book is the story of a mentally ill young man in Oklahoma who is accused and convicted of a murder he did not commit. There is no doubt from the first that he and his friend are innocent, but due to inept defense lawyers, crooked prosecutors and investigators, and a skewed system of justice, two men are convicted of the murder and sent to prison. Ron Williamson awaits
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Mar 28, 2009
Luann
rated it:
John Grisham's nonfiction book of "murder and injustice in a small town" is well written, well researched, and completely engrossing. It's hard to believe that so many could be wrongly convicted of such heinous crimes, yet the evidence is there that it has happened. Scary. The hope is that we will learn from past mistakes and not allow things like this to happen so easily to innocent people.
Nov 21, 2008
Rebecca
rated it: 
I preface this review by saying that John Grisham is one of my favorite authors of all time. Despite that, this was possible the worst book I have ever forced myself to finish. I finished it only because it was a Grisham novel, but it was downright awful. It is my understanding that this was Grisham’s first non-fiction book. It is his research and retelling of a man who is wrongly convicted of murder and put on death row. The book reads like a poorly written legal memo with insane amounts o
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Nov 10, 2008
Elly
rated it:
Sarah, read this book ! ! This is Grisham's first work of non-fiction, and what a grabber it is. Ada, Oklahoma - small town - wrongful murder convictions. Grisham lays out the life of a young boy with a bright future, who develops a mental illness, complete with drug and alcohol abuse. He's the town crazy, so he gets nailed when the police are out to put someone in jail for a horrific rape and murder of a young resident. You won't believe what happens to the young man, and several others lik
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Apr 18, 2010
This novel was gripping albeit the long narration here and there – and that until I reached the middle part of the book where they put few pages of photographs of the “characters” in the novel. That’s when I knew that this wasn’t a fiction after all – and that the story is real and that it actually happened to someone.
…..and then the novel or the book – whatever you might call it – influenced me even more the further I went reading. How could someone be exposed to such injustice that More...
…..and then the novel or the book – whatever you might call it – influenced me even more the further I went reading. How could someone be exposed to such injustice that More...
Apr 01, 2009
Roshea
rated it:
This is John Grisham's first and only non-fiction book. It is about the injustice experienced by Ron Williamson who was wrongly convicted of murder and consequently spent 11 years on Oklahoma's death row before advances in DNA technology proved him innocent. This book highlights the flaws in America's death penalty laws. Grisham meticulously documents the harrowing and deplorable treatment experienced by death row inmates by cruel and sadistic prison guards. This book invoked a lot of anger and
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Feb 15, 2009
Stephen
rated it:
I usually don't like these kind of books. I started reading it because I was bored. I finished it in one day.
The book is about a man Roy Williamson. He was a small town boy who had high asperations. He was drafted into the MLB, and had hope to make the majors one day. Life through him some curveballs and he flamed out of baseball. He then dedicated his life to drinking and drugs.
This is not what kept me reading. What ket me drawn was that he was wrongly convicted for a l More...
The book is about a man Roy Williamson. He was a small town boy who had high asperations. He was drafted into the MLB, and had hope to make the majors one day. Life through him some curveballs and he flamed out of baseball. He then dedicated his life to drinking and drugs.
This is not what kept me reading. What ket me drawn was that he was wrongly convicted for a l More...
Jan 10, 2009
Antof9
rated it:
Having just finished Martin Chuzzlewit, which took forever, I wanted to read something I knew would go quickly. This was just the ticket! As fast-paced as his fiction, with a little bit less intrigue, this was really interesting.
I suppose any "true crime" story will always be compared to In Cold Blood, and I'm doing it, too. However, where ICB knows what happened and follows the killers from day one to the bitter end, this one follows the unjustly accused, and the crime More...
I suppose any "true crime" story will always be compared to In Cold Blood, and I'm doing it, too. However, where ICB knows what happened and follows the killers from day one to the bitter end, this one follows the unjustly accused, and the crime More...
Dec 06, 2008
Janie
rated it:
This book is a departure from Grisham’s usual fare. For one thing, it’s non-fiction. Also, the style is more direct. He sticks to the bare facts, which in themselves are shocking.
Ron Williamson was falsely accused and sentenced to death for a woman’s murder in Ada, OK in 1981. A man with serious mental illness made much worse by isolation and incarceration, he spent 11 years on death row, protesting his innocence the whole time. The police had nothing but circumstantial evidence, hair samp More...
Ron Williamson was falsely accused and sentenced to death for a woman’s murder in Ada, OK in 1981. A man with serious mental illness made much worse by isolation and incarceration, he spent 11 years on death row, protesting his innocence the whole time. The police had nothing but circumstantial evidence, hair samp More...
Jan 06, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
I think one of the things I missed most about this book was the John Grisham charm. He still added his touches to the story, but you could tell it wasn't his story.
Still, I am shocked and saddened at what happened in this story. Not only the inhumane treatment that Ron suffered at the hands of the guards at McAlester, but just in general that he and Dennis sat in jail and on Death Row for almost twelve years before they were proven innocent. I was outraged everytime I saw Bill Peterso More...
Still, I am shocked and saddened at what happened in this story. Not only the inhumane treatment that Ron suffered at the hands of the guards at McAlester, but just in general that he and Dennis sat in jail and on Death Row for almost twelve years before they were proven innocent. I was outraged everytime I saw Bill Peterso More...
Dec 03, 2011
Annette
rated it:
This book is a gripper. But please, please, please, do not read it without committing to follow it up by reading the rebuttal by the main antagonist as has been suggested by another reviewer:
http://www.billpetersondistrictattorney....
This book should not be classified as non-fiction. Grisham is an amazing novelist, but apparently failed to do thorough research for this book. Grisham's anti-death penalty agenda is obvious. However, I couldn't help but note the irony tha More...
http://www.billpetersondistrictattorney....
This book should not be classified as non-fiction. Grisham is an amazing novelist, but apparently failed to do thorough research for this book. Grisham's anti-death penalty agenda is obvious. However, I couldn't help but note the irony tha More...
Oct 28, 2011
Chrissy
rated it:
The book is well written and hard to believe it is non-fiction. The story shows gross misconduct with the sloppy police work, lazy judges and lawyers that just didn't give a damn about the innocent men. It seems they were all quick to point fingers and speed an unfair trail along so that they could put someone behind bars and send the "guilty" to death.
One could never imagine a worse hell than what the victim had to go through before being killed and their faimly of having More...
One could never imagine a worse hell than what the victim had to go through before being killed and their faimly of having More...
Oct 13, 2011
Collin
rated it:
I really like this book, and it shows many point of views as well. This setting of this book is in Oklahoma around the year 1981. The main plot of this novel is a woman named Debbie Carter is brutally murdered in her apartment, and two are men are suspected of doing this. The two men that are being accused of murder is a baseball player for the Oakland A's named Ron Williamson and his buddy Dennis Fritz. Ron Williamson has played baseball all of his life and when he got hurt he went b
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Sep 14, 2011
Cj
rated it:
Innocent until proven guilty.
This is what the American court system is all about.
The promise of justice, the upholding of the judicial system, to right wrongs, to convict and sentence those who hurt others.
This could never be wrong. Innocent people will be proven innocent, after all, that is what everyone wants right? To find the right person the committed the crime and to make them pay. Right?
Wrong.
This is the first non-fiction no More...
This is what the American court system is all about.
The promise of justice, the upholding of the judicial system, to right wrongs, to convict and sentence those who hurt others.
This could never be wrong. Innocent people will be proven innocent, after all, that is what everyone wants right? To find the right person the committed the crime and to make them pay. Right?
Wrong.
This is the first non-fiction no More...
Sep 14, 2011
Kw
rated it:
The (still) district attorney in Ada, OK has mounted a huge defensive blog, but I am still convinced that he exhibited incredible arrogance and a total disregard for the flimsiness of his
"evidence" in prosecuting Ron Williamson in this sad tale of a life gone out of control.
Williamson had a myriad of problems - mental illness, drug and alcohol issues, unrealized ambitions regarding professional baseball, and more, but his pleas of innocence were completely ignored, and that More...
"evidence" in prosecuting Ron Williamson in this sad tale of a life gone out of control.
Williamson had a myriad of problems - mental illness, drug and alcohol issues, unrealized ambitions regarding professional baseball, and more, but his pleas of innocence were completely ignored, and that More...
Sep 08, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
I'll be honest: it took a while to get into this book. I got bored with all the back story and put it up for a while until I had nothing else to read. Then, someone came into my work a few days ago.. we were talking about Ada, where I went to school, and somehow this story came up. He told me he knew Ron Williamson, one of the two main victims in this book, and his view - and I knew I had to finish it. Once I saw it from another view, it was much more entertaining.
This is the true stor More...
This is the true stor More...
Aug 21, 2011
Kjrstin
rated it:
"In 1982, a twenty-one-year old cocktail waitress in Ada, OK named Debra Carter was reaped and murdered, and for reasons that were never clear the police suspected Ron Williamson and his friends Dennis Friz. The two were arrested and charged with capital murder.
The prosecution's case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilt and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.
I More...
The prosecution's case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilt and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.
I More...
Aug 03, 2011
James
rated it:
Grisham's latest legal thriller, The Innocent Man, is a work of non-fiction. In it, Grisham brings to life the story of Ron Williamson, a troubled young baseball star who is convicted for the brutal rape and murder in Ada, Oklahoma. Grisham follows this true story of a brutal rape and murder in a small town. Progress on the investigation is slow, but finally, after a couple years, suspicion comes to rest on two men, Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz, and they are arrested for the murder
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Jul 26, 2011
There is no doubt that John Grisham is a powerful author whose numerous fictitious novels probe deeply into complex relationships and legal matters. This work of non-fiction, "The Innocent Man," certainly fits his standard style very well, because, as he noted in the postscript, "not in (his) most creative moment could (he) conjure up a story as rich and as layered" as this one. Ron Williamson, a future baseball star from Ada, Oklahoma, had the same high hopes that his fami
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May 13, 2011
Ok, I have now just finished the book, The Innocent Man. It was a great story of how a little town man got caught up in something, even a big town man couldn't fight. Now since there was so many details i'll just briefly summarize it. Ron a small town kid was bound for the big leagues. But through high school he had some speed bumps, but he made it. Then once in the big leagues Ron had trouble and after his fourth season had to call it quits since he got cut. Then once back in Ada, hometown, he
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