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Innocent  By  cover art

Innocent

By: Scott Turow
Narrated by: Edward Herrmann,Orlagh Cassidy
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Publisher's summary

The sequel to the genre-defining, landmark best seller Presumed Innocent, Innocent continues the story of Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto who are, once again, 20 years later, pitted against each other in a riveting psychological match after the mysterious death of Rusty's wife.

Rusty is the prime suspect. Reunited with his charismatic lawyer Sandy Stern, he will do anything to convince his beloved son, Nat, of his innocence. But what is he hiding?

In an explosive trial which will expose lies, jealousy, revenge, corruption, and the darker side of human nature, Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto will battle it out to finally discover the real meaning of truth, and of justice.

©2010 Scott Turow (P)2010 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Mesmerizing prose and intricate plotting lift Turow's superlative legal thriller, his best novel since his bestselling debut, Presumed Innocent....Once again, Turow displays an uncanny ability for making the passions and contradictions of his main characters accessible and understandable." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Innocent

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Terrific Book

This is really part two of a previous book by Turow, Presumed Innocent. Although not entirely necessary to read the first of this two part series, I think doing so brings the listener a much better understanding of the story line. That book was quite good also.
This book kept my interest throughout.
I found myself engrossed in the characters lives and story. The ending is satisfying; the exception being a few paragraphs that are narrated by a female portraying one of the main characters, that just didn't fit in with the rest of the well written novel.
Nevertheless, Turow is skilled in bringing the listener along as his characters are faced with choices and dilemmas in their lives, making the story so interesting and engrossing.
The narrator, Edward Hermann, in both of these books is so very expertise in his tone, pace and challenging accents.
If you like stories about lawyers, crime, and courtroom drama, you should enjoy this book, as well as Presumed Innocent.
Happy listening!

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43 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous!

This book is a proverbial page turner; you won't be able to stop listening. The plot is exquisite, as multi-faceted as one of Cartier's finest diamonds. The characters almost leap off the page, they are that real.

If, like me, you've ever wondered why men of great intelligence, prestige, power and wealth, throw it all away over a pretty young woman, this book supplies the answers in a very personal way. Rusty Sabich illuminates the all-too-common spectacle without sparing himself. In the process he gets himself into a real mess. It makes for fine reading.

The narration is spot-on.

I can't praise this book enough. I loved it, and highly recommend it.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wish it had never ended!

I read Presumed Innocent over twenty years ago and always considered it one the best books I'd ever read. It definitely turned me in to a Scott Turow fan and I have read everything he's written since then.
This new book "Innocent" is a great follow-up to Presumed Innocent but I would recommend that if you haven't read Presumed Innocent you should do so before starting Innocent. You will be able to relate to the characters and follow the story line much better.
Scott Turow has created a terrific story to bring all these old characters back to life. The plot was entirely believable but had enough twists and turns to keep you guessing almost until the end. I did not want the book to end.
Also Edward Hermann is a masterful narrator. The fact that he is an esteemed actor really comes through.
I listen to a lot of books (and read even more)and this is by far one of the best books
I've read (heard) in several years.
I hope that they make a movie of it. Harrison Ford could still play the lead!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Echoes of Sadness

Innocent by Scott Turow is a haunting tale of secrets, half-truths, and deceptions. The story is told from the points of view of the four major characters, which gives the reader greater insight into them. The story continues with Rusty Sabich who is accused of murdering his wife of more than 30 years. In one of the most poignant places in the dialogue, the son confronts his father with a half question". . . then I would have to believe that mom was a murderer." Of course, we(along with Rusty)know that mom was a murderer. But like Rusty, we want to spare Nat this painful truth. The various twists and turns, revelations, and near revelations kept me pushing toward the next chapter. A ghostly sadness provides a haunting backdrop to a story that began some twenty years earlier and threatens to end as tragically as the first one did. I found the story compelling and intriguing, particularly because it involves actions and motivations which define the human family.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Scott Turow Really Nails It

When I read "Presumed Innocent" in 1987, it was my first experience with a book that I simply could not put down. I read it cover-to-cover without stopping to sleep. "Innocent" is not quite that engrossing, but it is still a worthy successor. It is a fine story, well told.

I'm obviously no professional book critic, but I cannot resist mentioning just two reasons why I think this book is special.

First, I've practiced law as a lawyer and judge for 31 years, and I just go crazy when fiction writers bend the law or legal procedure to fit their story. Turow, who is a lawyer, constructs his story to fit neatly and believably within the law. That attention to detail makes it much easier for me to suspend my disbelief and become absorbed in the tale.

Second, in "Innocent," Turow really nails the psyche of the sixty-ish male professional. Rusty Sabich's fears, ambitions, regrets and longings ring true time after time. For me, the novel was as much about Rusty's change from man to older man as it was about crime and death.

I simply cannot recommend this novel highly enough. If you have not already read "Presumed Innocent," read that first, but in any event, read this book.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A bit murky but good

I thought the writing was excellent, especially the unfolding of events as reported by witnesses during the trial, instead of in real time. The reader needs patience and must wade through the all the chatter in the first half of the book in order to get to the trial and see the complete picture of what actually happened. Interesting narrative technique.

I did find the attitudes toward women a bit dated. As in 1950's dated. It doesn't make sense any more in 2010 for a woman with a future in one of the most lucrative professions to hook up with someone 30 years her senior and to cultivate a relationship that has no possibility of long-term success and one that could negatively affect her career. It's not a relatable story line. Especially when that same woman, after defining Rusty as her crack and she'll just absolutely perish without him, goes for his son as her new drug. Successful women just don't need this any more and Turow should know that.

I also thought the death was ambiguous. I've read the ending 3-4 times and I still can't tell if it was a homicide that turned into a suicide, a planned suicide, or a complete accident. Surely Turow is a skillful enough writer to be more specific without sacrificing art.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Dissapointed

After listening to half of the book I still have not found a protaganist. There is simply no one to warm up to and pull for in the book. The narration is well done and has kept me listening far more than the material. I expected more and would not recommend it.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Turow sells a lotta books.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Its length! Can I say that again? Are you really in the mood for six solid hours of courtroom drama? I had a hard time with it. Certainly Mr. Turow and his editors don't care a fig about how I feel here, but something tells me that I have some company here. Ir's just too damn long! The plot is very clever, the writing is smooth and masterful, the narrator does a fine job, but even given all these, they lost me somewhere in the third hour of courtroom back and forth. And, I am interested in the law to begin with. I am a psychologist who has worked (some of my time) with lawyers and judges, and the issues addressed there still interest me. However, I have made my point. As I have said previously, brevity is the soul of wit.

Would you be willing to try another book from Scott Turow? Why or why not?

Probably not. I can't see him cutting down the length of his books, as this is the standard length of a novel now. Nonetheless, someone some day (I have a niece in the publishing business; I'll call her) will take a risk and fiddle with this tradition. Mr. Turow does not seem like a fiddler. The world of law is the highest upholder of conventionalism in our society.

Did Edward Hermann and Orlagh Cassidy do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

They did. I have no complaints about either of them. Mr. Hermann is a well-known actor, and his stage presence, so to speak, is considerable. I have not heard of Ms. Cassidy before, but she, too has a very pleasant voice, very easy to listen to.

Was Innocent worth the listening time?

I have to say no here. Over twelve hours, most of it spent in a dusty courtroom...Even though the plot is really extremely clever, a bit soap-opera-ish, but still you do want to find out if the judge really did murder his wife. And also who offed Carolyn Polhemus twenty years ago. It's just the mind-numbing details, and the trivia of what gets dissected to no end in a trial (I do know whereof I speak; testifying in a trial makes it clear to you that trials are BORING). It is well-nigh impossible to keep up the suspense over such a long time. I will admit that The Testament, Polar Star, and The Ice Limit are all books that kept me totally involved through the ends, but those three are true masterworks. You just don't find many of those. I will keep looking.

Any additional comments?

I think I saw another review in which the reviewer said that the Mom did the killing, although I am sure he/she meant the first killing, of Carolyn Polhemus, out of sheer enraged jealousy. She surely didn't kill herself. Or did she?????

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Scott Turow: Consistently inconsistent

Innocent may be Turow's best legal thriller; at least it the best I have read or listened to. The narration pair, Edward Hermann and Orlagh Cassidy, are especially effective.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Satisfying

I watched Presumed Innocent before listening to remind me of the story line and the characters and recommend this approach for those whose memory of P.I. is fuzzy. Overall, a nice sequel. Thought provoking but not life changing. I agree with someone else who posted that Harrison Ford should star again when the movie comes out.

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