Presumed InnocentPresumed Innocent
Score Classic
What it's about
Rusty Sabich is the chief deputy prosecutor in a Midwestern county when a colleague, Carolyn Polhemus, is found raped and murdered. His boss puts him on the case. What Rusty hasn't told anyone is that he and Carolyn had an affair. Then the evidence starts pointing to him.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and essentially created the modern legal thriller. Turow, a former prosecutor, makes the courtroom gripping.
You'll love it if you liked
The Pelican Brief
To Kill a Mockingbird
Gone GirlGood to know
It includes sexual violence and explicit sex. It became a film with Harrison Ford and a 2024 series with Jake Gyllenhaal.
By the numbers
- Readers61 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #115 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #310 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1013 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Scott Turow
If you like this, read next
The Godfather
The Pillars of the Earth
In Cold Blood
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Quick answers
Is Presumed Innocent worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and essentially created the modern legal thriller. It ranks #1,013 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Presumed Innocent about?
Rusty Sabich is the chief deputy prosecutor in a Midwestern county when a colleague, Carolyn Polhemus, is found raped and murdered. His boss puts him on the case. What Rusty hasn't told anyone is that he and Carolyn had an affair. Then the evidence starts pointing to him.
How long does it take to read Presumed Innocent?
About 11 hours (436 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Presumed Innocent?
If you liked it, try The Pelican Brief by John Grisham, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.