Innocent is the sequel to Scott Turow's novel Presumed Innocent.

I can see it is not like others that are dependent on one having read the first book to truly understand and get to grips with the action in this one.

That said, just the knowledge that it is a sequel left me uneasy. It is a knowledge that can sometimes make reading less enjoyable if you have not read the first book.

Rusty Sabich is chief judge of the appellate court.

The novel starts with him sitting over his wife's dead body.

He has reported her death only 24 hours after realising she is dead.

Something a judge would certainly know is just not done, especially if said judge is linked to the death 20 years earlier, under suspicious circumstances, of his lover.

Tommy Molto is the acting district attorney who has to |move on prosecuting Sabich |for his wife's murder.

The twist in the tale is that 20 years ago he was Sabich's good friend - until he tried to prosecute him for the murder of his lover.

Molto was burnt badly in that drama and it has taken 20 years for him to rebuild his personal life as well as his career.

Suffice to say, he is not keen on going head-to-head with Sabich until he has all his ducks in a row and he is absolutely certain of a court victory.

In the sub-plot things are developing in a potentially dangerous way as Rusty's son becomes involved with his last mistress.

Innocent is raw emotion perfectly coupled with high courtroom drama.

While it deals with high-powered lives and the power struggles and deceit that take place around high-profile crimes, it also deals with the emotional and psychological effects of power and crime on individuals.

It was an engrossing read