X-Book

The Innocent Man

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

***NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES***

A gripping true-crime story of a shocking miscarriage of justice, from international bestselling thriller author John Grisham, author of A Time to Kill, The Firm and The Whistler.

In the baseball draft of 1971, Ron Williamson was the first player chosen from Oklahoma. Signing with Oakland, he said goodbye to his small home town and left for California to pursue his dreams of glory.

Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits - drinking, drugs and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept 20 hours a day on her sofa.

In 1982, a 21 year-old cocktail waitress, Debra Sue Carter, was raped and murdered, and for five years the crime went unsolved. Finally, desperate for someone to blame, police came to suspect Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with murder.

With no physical evidence, the prosecution's case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence.

Ron Williamson was sent to Death Row.

But as Grisham methodically lays out, there was no case against him. Ron Williamson was wrongly condemned to die.

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.

In 2018, THE INNOCENT MAN was adapted by Netflix into a gripping six-part true crime series.

'A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos' - Irish Independent

'John Grisham is the master of legal fiction' - Jodi Picoult

'The best thriller writer alive' - Ken Follett

©2006 John Grisham (P)2006 Random House

Critics Review

A true story, very well told – a true Grisham classic
London Evening Standard
A true story, very well told
i
horrifying, but gripping
EVENT magazine, The Mail on Sunday
Such strong emotions are, for me at least, the sign that a True Crime book has done a complete and comprehensive job of telling the story. I think the book will have wide appeal. Fans of John Grisham's fiction will not be disappointed and should definitely be enticed to make the move to his non-fiction. For those readers interested in the American justice system and the question of Death Row then I believe this book offers a close look into the inner machinations of that system. And for lovers of True Crime - like me, then this book is most certainly up there with some of the better ones I have read.” 4 ½ star review
TheBookbag.co.uk
carefully plotted, absorbing
Real Crime
Like Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, The Innocent Man brings a novelist's eye to re-creating a complex chain of events and human reaction surrounding a crime and its aftermath. There are plenty of twists and turns in this tale, but the dominant note is one of compassion for the innocent man.
Sunday Times
A sincere, readable, lively book that raises important questions
The Times
At times it is harrowing, but above all, it is a testament to self-belief and the enduring love of his family
Daily Express
A work of art...this is a terrible and beautiful book. The terror is in the casual ease with which men, for the meanest of motives, can carelessly condemn another human being to rot from the inside out. The beauty not only lies with Ron Williamson...but also the burning care and respect for his fellow man shown by Grisham, which permeates and warms every page
Sunday Express
A blistering attack on corrupt politicians, the death penalty and the failures of the judicial system
The Daily Telegraph
Author John Grisham
Narrator Dennis Boutsikaris
Duration 5 hours and 53 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781407001555
Format Audiobook
Publisher Random House
Genre Biography: general, Legal ethics and professional conduct, Police law and police procedures, True crime
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.