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Sunday 17 February 2013

John Grisham - The Confession




 Review live on bookshow by Brian Lowen 7th Feb 2013
Whilst I realise that J G’s expertise lies in the law, it would be nice to have a story that did not include lots of legalise for a change because he does write a good novel.

Travis Boyette is a murderer. In 1998, in the small east Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body where it would never be found, then watched and waited as Police and Prosecutors arrested Donte Drumm, a young black football star with no connection to the crime. Tried, convicted and sentenced, Drumm was sent to death row: his fate had been decided.

Nine years later, Donte Drumm is four days from execution. Over 400 miles away in Kansas, Travis faces a fate of his own: an inoperable brain tumour will soon end his life. Reflecting on his miserable life, he decides to do what is right and goes into a local church to confess to the priest, Keith. He believes his story and manages to convince Donte Drumm’s lawyer, Robbie that he has a chance of saving Donte’s life.

And so the rush starts to convince lawyers, judges and politicians that they are about to execute an innocent man.
There is an unusual ending to a great story that illustrates the amount of distrust and ill feeling between the black and white population in the deep south of America.

I enjoyed it and would recommend it, but it cannot really be called a thriller as stated on the cover.

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