Get personalized recommendations and earn points toward a free book!
Before you go...
Check Out
The Bestselling Books of All Time
See the List
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
Read An Excerpt

Look Inside | Reading Guide

Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt

The Innocent Man

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham

By John Grisham
Read by Dennis Boutsikaris

By John Grisham
Read by Dennis Boutsikaris

By John Grisham
Read by Craig Wasson

By John Grisham
Read by Craig Wasson

By John Grisham
Read by Dennis Boutsikaris

By John Grisham
Read by Dennis Boutsikaris

Best Seller

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Audiobooks

Category: Audiobooks

Category: Audiobooks

Paperback $17.00

Nov 20, 2007 | 400 Pages

Mass Market Paperback $9.99

Mar 27, 2012 | 448 Pages *This format is not eligible to earn points towards the Reader Rewards program

Hardcover $32.50

Oct 10, 2006 | 368 Pages

Ebook $9.99

Mar 16, 2010 | 448 Pages

CD $19.99

Apr 01, 2008 | 360 Minutes

Audiobook Download $22.50

Oct 10, 2006 | 750 Minutes

Audiobook Download $15.00

Oct 10, 2006 | 360 Minutes

All Formats
+
    The Innocent Man by John Grisham
    Paperback
    Nov 20, 2007 | 400 Pages
    See All Formats (6) +

    Paperback (2)
    –

    • Paperback $17.00

      Nov 20, 2007 | 400 Pages

    • Mass Market Paperback $9.99

      Mar 27, 2012 | 448 Pages

      *This format is not eligible to earn points towards the Reader Rewards program

    Hardcover
    +

    • Hardcover $32.50

      Oct 10, 2006 | 368 Pages

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook $9.99

      Mar 16, 2010 | 448 Pages

    Audio (3)
    +

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About The Innocent Man

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction: a true crime story that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence.
     
    NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
     
    “Both an American tragedy and [Grisham’s] strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s home, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. The investigation led nowhere. Until, on the flimsiest evidence, it led to Ron Williamson. The washed-up small-town hero was charged, tried, and sentenced to death—in a trial littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man’s already broken life, and let a true killer go free.
     
    Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, The Innocent Man reads like a page-turning legal thriller. It is a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his bestselling fiction.”—The Boston Globe
     
    “A gritty, harrowing true-crime story.”—Time
     
    “A triumph.”—The Seattle Times

    About The Innocent Man

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction: a true crime story that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence.
     
    NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
     
    “Both an American tragedy and [Grisham’s] strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s home, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. The investigation led nowhere. Until, on the flimsiest evidence, it led to Ron Williamson. The washed-up small-town hero was charged, tried, and sentenced to death—in a trial littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man’s already broken life, and let a true killer go free.
     
    Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, The Innocent Man reads like a page-turning legal thriller. It is a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his bestselling fiction.”—The Boston Globe
     
    “A gritty, harrowing true-crime story.”—Time
     
    “A triumph.”—The Seattle Times

    About The Innocent Man

    John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.

    In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league 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 twenty hours a day on her sofa.

    In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital 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.

    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.

    About The Innocent Man

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction: a true crime story that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence.
     
    NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
     
    “Both an American tragedy and [Grisham’s] strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s home, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. The investigation led nowhere. Until, on the flimsiest evidence, it led to Ron Williamson. The washed-up small-town hero was charged, tried, and sentenced to death—in a trial littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man’s already broken life, and let a true killer go free.
     
    Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, The Innocent Man reads like a page-turning legal thriller. It is a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his bestselling fiction.”—The Boston Globe
     
    “A gritty, harrowing true-crime story.”—Time
     
    “A triumph.”—The Seattle Times

    BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from John Grisham’s The Litigators.

    About The Innocent Man


    In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league 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 twenty hours a day on her sofa.
    In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital 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.
    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.

    About The Innocent Man

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction: a true crime story that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence.
     
    SOON TO BE A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
     
    “Both an American tragedy and [Grisham’s] strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s home, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. The investigation led nowhere. Until, on the flimsiest evidence, it led to Ron Williamson. The washed-up small-town hero was charged, tried, and sentenced to death—in a trial littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man’s already broken life, and let a true killer go free.
     
    Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, this audio edition of The Innocent Man reads like an edge-of-your-seat legal thriller. It is a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his bestselling fiction.”—The Boston Globe
     
    “A gritty, harrowing true-crime story.”—Time
     
    “A triumph.”—The Seattle Times

    About The Innocent Man

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction: a true crime story that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence.
     
    SOON TO BE A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
     
    “Both an American tragedy and [Grisham’s] strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s home, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. The investigation led nowhere. Until, on the flimsiest evidence, it led to Ron Williamson. The washed-up small-town hero was charged, tried, and sentenced to death—in a trial littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man’s already broken life, and let a true killer go free.
     
    Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, this audio edition of The Innocent Man reads like an edge-of-your-seat legal thriller. It is a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his bestselling fiction.”—The Boston Globe
     
    “A gritty, harrowing true-crime story.”—Time
     
    “A triumph.”—The Seattle Times

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Guardians
    The Reckoning
    Theodore Boone 6-Book Box Set
    Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
    Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
    See all books by John Grisham

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    About John Grisham

    John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.

    Product Details

    Category: Nonfiction

    Paperback | $17.00
    Published by Bantam
    Nov 20, 2007 | 400 Pages | 5-1/4 x 8 | ISBN 9780385340915

    Category: Nonfiction

    Mass Market Paperback | $9.99
    Published by Dell
    Mar 27, 2012 | 448 Pages | 4-3/16 x 7-1/2 | ISBN 9780345532015

    Category: Nonfiction

    Hardcover | $32.50
    Published by Doubleday
    Oct 10, 2006 | 368 Pages | 6-1/8 x 9-1/4 | ISBN 9780385517232

    Category: Nonfiction

    Ebook | $9.99
    Published by Dell
    Mar 16, 2010 | 448 Pages | ISBN 9780307576019

    Category: Audiobooks

    CD | $19.99
    Published by Random House Audio
    Apr 01, 2008 | 360 Minutes | ISBN 9780739365670

    Category: Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $22.50
    Published by Random House Audio
    Oct 10, 2006 | 750 Minutes | ISBN 9780739340493

    Category: Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $15.00
    Published by Random House Audio
    Oct 10, 2006 | 360 Minutes | ISBN 9780739324202

    People Who Read The Innocent Man Also Read

    ‹ ›
    A Brief History of Everything
    Race Matters, 25th Anniversary
    Bitter Remains
    Paris Trout
    Transplant
    The Collini Case
    Cape Fear
    The Ordinary Acrobat
    Tao Te Ching
    Fear of Our Father
    Notes on a Killing
    Enemies
    The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
    Blind Faith
    Murder on a Lonely Road
    Almost Midnight
    Pandora's Seed
    Anatomy of an Epidemic
    Aftermath: The Remnants of War
    Treasure Hunt
    Bridge of Spies
    The War
    Lie After Lie
    The Death and Rebirth of the Seneca
    Capitol Offense
    While They Slept
    The Strongest Tribe
    Intrepid
    You Gotta Have Wa
    A Criminal Injustice
    Beverly Hills Dead
    Medical Apartheid
    First Into Nagasaki
    Deep Ancestry
    The Tree
    The Onion Field
    Sailing from Byzantium
    The Wrong Man
    Chesapeake
    31 Days
    The Dreams of Ada
    Tacoma Confidential
    Double Tap
    Final Witness
    My Dark Places

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Praise

    “A gritty, harrowing true-crime story.” —Time

    “A triumph.” —Seattle Times

    “Grisham has crafted a legal thriller every bit as suspenseful and fast-paced as his best-selling fiction.” —Boston Globe

    Looking for More Great Reads?
    Download our Spring Fiction Sampler Now
    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!