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A review by carolpk
Innocent by Scott Turow
4.0
Do you ever wonder why you pick up a book? I had put Innocent on my list when it was first published. I had really liked Presumed Innocent when I read it in the 80's. The more I thought about it the more reluctant I became to read this sequel. I think I worried it would ruin my love of the first. Did I really care what happened to Rusty Sabich? Cheez, that was twenty years ago. As fate would have it while visiting our library, there was the audiobook, staring me smack in the face and I needed something to listen too so home it came with me.
At first, my initial concerns were confirmed. Rusty is in trouble again. His wife Barbara is dead, seemingly a suicide. Rusty waits more than a day to report this death, some suspect murder and as in Presumed Innocent, he becomes the logical suspect. Old hat. Then something changed and as I listened to InnocentI quickly became engrossed in the story, the plotting, the thrill of the hunt for the truth. I couldn't walk long enough or listen fast enough so dumped the audio and got the book. Finished it in a day and would rate it right up there with Rusty's first appearance.
I think you could easily read either as a stand-alone but having the background (though sketched in Innocent) does make for a better read. I loved the characters, particularly those that reappeared from Presumed Innocent. It was good to see their growth or not. As I turned the last page I was glad I fit this book into my reading schedule and enjoyed Turow's expertise in Turow bringing the plot twists together. Though some found improbabilities, none stood out enough to bother me. The courtroom scenes are informative and up there with the best of the lawyers who are writers. What really made Innocent for me was that most of my theories were wrong, never figuring it out and was surprised by the ending. I like that!
At first, my initial concerns were confirmed. Rusty is in trouble again. His wife Barbara is dead, seemingly a suicide. Rusty waits more than a day to report this death, some suspect murder and as in Presumed Innocent, he becomes the logical suspect. Old hat. Then something changed and as I listened to InnocentI quickly became engrossed in the story, the plotting, the thrill of the hunt for the truth. I couldn't walk long enough or listen fast enough so dumped the audio and got the book. Finished it in a day and would rate it right up there with Rusty's first appearance.
I think you could easily read either as a stand-alone but having the background (though sketched in Innocent) does make for a better read. I loved the characters, particularly those that reappeared from Presumed Innocent. It was good to see their growth or not. As I turned the last page I was glad I fit this book into my reading schedule and enjoyed Turow's expertise in Turow bringing the plot twists together. Though some found improbabilities, none stood out enough to bother me. The courtroom scenes are informative and up there with the best of the lawyers who are writers. What really made Innocent for me was that most of my theories were wrong, never figuring it out and was surprised by the ending. I like that!