The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small TownThe Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
Score Modern
What it's about
Ron Williamson was a baseball star in small-town Oklahoma who dreamed of the major leagues. When that dream faded and mental illness set in, he drifted. In 1988 he was convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman, on flimsy evidence and the word of jailhouse informants, and sentenced to death. Eleven years later, DNA evidence proved he was innocent.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It's John Grisham's first nonfiction book, and a damning look at wrongful convictions.
You'll love it if you liked
The Chamber
A Lesson Before Dying
In Cold BloodGood to know
It describes the murder and death row conditions. It became a Netflix documentary series.
By the numbers
- Readers20 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller60 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
- #247 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #1172 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2161 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, True story, Dark
More by John Grisham
The Pelican Brief
The Widow
The Client
The RainmakerIf you like this, read next
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
I'll Be Gone in the Dark
13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #2,161 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town about?
Ron Williamson was a baseball star in small-town Oklahoma who dreamed of the major leagues. When that dream faded and mental illness set in, he drifted. In 1988 he was convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman, on flimsy evidence and the word of jailhouse informants, and sentenced to death. Eleven years later, DNA evidence proved he was innocent.
How long does it take to read The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town?
About 9 hours (360 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town?
If you liked it, try The Chamber by John Grisham, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines or In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.