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Wanted to read this as it‘s his only nonfiction book. Found it recently in an op shop. I think it would have been an eye opener in it‘s time 2006 when DNA was beginning to get innocent people out of prison. I skipped over the pages as I knew the outcome of course. Having watched and read about many such cases , I felt there are too many other books in my TBR shelf to spend anymore time on this one.
#joysbooks2021
@MrsMalaprop

I watched the series a while ago and remember enjoying it quite a bit. The book is a little more of a biography of Ron Williamson than I remember the series being, although I still found it incredibly interesting. It leans a little heavy on the legal end of the crime (which I expected from Grisham) and I learned a lot.

Have any of my #TrueCrime buffs checked out 'The Innocent Man' on Netflix? It's a documentary that follows the murder case which John Grisham wrote his only nonfiction book about.

I'm starting the second episode right now while working on holiday gifts. So far it's very interesting, and had a way higher production value than most true crime shows.

#NovelNovember #Challenge2021

Not my favourite true crime however, I did thoroughly enjoy the verbal jabs of sarcasm that were included.

1982 In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. Ron Williamson was charged, tried, and sentenced to death. He was skilled baseball playing and was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. He had to quit baseball due to a mental illness. The trial was littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man's already broken life and let a true killer go free.

OK read

#MoviesInApril @Klou
Prompt: Cookie's Fortune

This was an interesting story. Makes you wonder exactly how many people are wrongfully convicted, how many lives have truly been destroyed? The Netflix series is very well done. I feel for all the families affected by these tragedies. #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Not read a John Grisham book for years and really enjoyed this one. A shocking true story of two men wrongly convicted of rape and murder. The criminal justice system can really be quite scary 😬
#ReadtheUSA2020 #Oklahoma (26th state) #Murder2020 (book 59)

I read this because I want to watch the Netflix series.

It started out strong, but the more people introduced, the more the writing started to feel not as cohesive. I appreciate Grisham writing about the injustices in our system, but as a true crime novel, this just wasn't as well done as other authors in this genre.

This book was stressful to me. I get that it‘s a true story, but I think what I found particularly bothersome was the sheer number of people stripped of their agency and victimized, by both the murderer and law enforcement. The book was well-written but too much for me during this anxious time.

Finished book 1 for #stayhome24in48
The story is well told and sad. It‘s so fitting to read about the injustice of our judicial system and to know that stories like these aren‘t uncommon. May we always strive for better. I did find some of the writing to be a bit disjointed, probably due to Grisham‘s first foray into true crime writing. He‘s no Ann Rule. 🤷🏼‍♀️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #quarantinereads

Oh goodness. This book is frightening, perhaps not in the typical Halloween definition, but frightening nonetheless - and heartbreaking. Now I must watch the Netflix movie.

Time for a new lunch break book, I took my previous one home to finish last weekend. I am excited to see how John Grisham tackles non-fiction.

It‘s been awhile since I‘ve read a book that caused so many emotions. Pardon my language but holy shit. I was actually a little teary-eyed by the time I finished it. And I read it in TWO days, while at work in between phone calls. It‘s such a compelling book. What these men went through was just awful. I‘ll say right now that this is my favorite book I‘ve read all year. I really don‘t think much else can come close.

⭐️: 5/5

This photo is heartbreaking. Ron Williamson was only 51 when he died.

I still haven‘t received Mindhunter in the mail, so I‘m going to read this one. I haven‘t seen the Netflix special for it yet; but I definitely will after reading it. I‘m almost finished with Mindhunter (the show). If you haven‘t watched it, do! It‘s so good!

📖: 38/52

#MayMovieMagic

(Day 25 - #Vindicated)

*A lot of you have probably read this book, which Netflix has turned into a six-part series. If not, I recommend it highly—it‘s Grisham‘s only nonfiction book—though it‘s not particularly pretty. Williamson, unfortunately, died a mere five years after his release.
Pictured from top left (clockwise): John Grisham; founders of the Innocence Project (aided in Williamson‘s exoneration); Netflix promo; the book.

Compulsively readable true crime about two murders in a small town and the miscarriages of justice that allowed for innocent men to be imprisoned, with one headed to death row. First half leading up to the trial was a bit slower; second half moved quickly, though it was a bit difficult to keep all the different players in the story straight. Overall, very much a pick.

#nonfiction2019
#somethingaboutsurvival
@Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Proving to be a terrifying read illustrating our (in)justice system. #maymadness #booktomovie @Clwojick @RadicalReader @TheReadingMermaid

Plan is to dive into this, if I can (a) be strong and avoid the inflight entertainment and (b) stay awake!

Tried posting this last night but Litsy was being weird, but my weighted blanket came in the mail yesterday so I spent my evening reading all snuggled up underneath it.😊❤️ #cozyreads #cozyreading

Enjoying some true crime & the first fire in our house!🔥🔥🔥

This was very well researched and well written. The author really shows a passion for this story and the topic. I found it to be very interesting and definitely want to watch the Netflix original now!

I'm on a roll lately. Keeping it going with another True Crime pick. 🧐☠😱

Yes!! I've been in a bit of an audiobook slump lately, nothing has really kept my attention. But something tells me this #truecrime library hold that just came through might be what breaks it! 👏🏽

Incredibly sad real story of a man wrongly convicted to death room for a crime he didn't commit. One of the greatest examples of why I'm not in favor of death row.

Finally finished this. It definitely shouldn't have taken me a week to finish 350 pages. This book was a hard read in many ways. The content is heavy with Ron Williamson's mental illness. It weighs heavy on you in the way he was treated by everyone involved in his case. It was also a hard read bc of Grisham's flow. He couldn't decide how he wanted to reference Dennis Fritz. He switched back and forth between both names frequently. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

I watched this on Netflix and then decided to pick up the book. With each new paragraph about Ron Williamson my heart breaks a little more. His mental health decline is covered thoroughly in Grisham's book. The docuseries mentions it a few times, but not to this extent.

"God help us, if ever in this great country we turn our heads while those who have not had fair trials are executed. That almost happened in this case."

This was an incredible true story that happened in a town less than 3 hours from me. I'm so glad for organizations like The Innocence Project and Amnesty International. I also can't believe that the DA didn't lose his job over such a disgusting misappropriation of his power.

Wow! Pick this up before you watch the Netflix show!

I can't rate the book, but I can surely tell you that the Netflix series is fascinating and intriguing and infuriating. Everyone should watch it.

I haven't read John Graham's only nonfiction book, but was completely absorbed by the new Netflix docuseries based on it! An addictive, chilling watch for true crime fans looking for a "making a murderer" fix. Anyone else checked it out?

PS: I've been a bit MIA lately and having a hard time focusing on a book. True crime shows/podcasts aren't really helping my anxiety, but strangely enough are all that I can seem to focus on right now!

There is a 6 month+ wait on both the ebook and audiobook version of this! I'll cancel whichever comes in last, but for now, I put holds on both options.

A true crime masterpiece. I was hooked from the very beginning of this story with John Grisham‘s impeccable details and captivating storytelling. This gripping tale spans decades and kept my attention the entire time! I highly recommend it before checking out the new docuseries on Netflix.

"We just don‘t expect the police to play dirty. It‘s all about winning. And along the way, if the truth gets blurred or twisted, that‘s too bad.” Grisham's only nonfiction book will have you questioning your beliefs about the death penalty & U.S. justice system. As timely & important as when first published in 2006, it's been adapted by NetFlix into a 6-part documentary. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full review: https://tinyurl.com/ybarrqgc

I won't lie, I picked up this book to read with the idea that it was part of my book purge project. By the end of it, my opinion had changed! Because it's a true crime novel and because of what I do for a living, I didn't believe I would enjoy it as much as fiction or that it wouldn't leave a lasting impression, and I was wrong.

Another Grisham read up next for me! This is his first nonfiction (which I've already read, of course), but it reads like his works of fiction! Looking forward to digging into this again.

I finally got around to reading this book. I ❤️ John Grisham and true crime, so this was a perfect combination. A very sad and heartbreaking story about wrong men being convicted of a murder they did not commit. Highly recommend!

Reading what happens to the four young men in this true - crime story was horrible. A travesty. It drove me to Google to read up on the Innocent Project.
(Sorry for that irrating flash reflection)

Who really was into this book

Loved the story. Hated reading it. Reading this book was hard and slightly excruciating. Finishing it was a relief, and looking back the story was really great, but it was just....told. Dry and slow. 😑

A sad and frustrating tale, told competently yet excruciatingly slowly by Grisham. The pace picks up in the second half, but the first hundred pages or so were a trudge.

Wow! A disturbing look at the American justice system. Reminiscent of Serial or Making if a Murderer. While the narrator wasn't the best, the story was still impeccable. 4/5