Click to receive personalized book recommendations daily.
Before you go...
Check Out These
21 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read
See the List
Best Seller
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

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Nonfiction

Category: Audiobooks

Category: Audiobooks

Category: Audiobooks

Mass Market Paperback $9.99

Mar 27, 2012 | 448 Pages

Paperback $16.00

Nov 20, 2007 | 400 Pages

Hardcover $30.00

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
    Mass Market Paperback
    Mar 27, 2012 | 448 Pages
    See All Formats (6) +

    Paperback (2)
    –

    Hardcover
    +

    • Hardcover $30.00

      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 • In the vein of Serial and Making a Murderer, John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence. Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, it’s a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    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.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has written both an American tragedy and his strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    “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

    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, John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction reads like a page-turning legal thriller. It is a book that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence—a book no American can afford to miss.

    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 • In the vein of Serial and Making a Murderer, John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence. Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, it’s a book no American can afford to miss.
     
    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.
     
    Praise for The Innocent Man
     
    “Grisham has written both an American tragedy and his strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    “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.


    From the Hardcover edition.

    About The Innocent Man

    When Ron Williamson signed with the Oakland A’s in 1971, 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. He moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.
    In 1982, a twenty-one-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were arrested and charged with capital murder.
    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 audiobook 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

    When Ron Williamson signed with the Oakland A’s in 1971, 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. He moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.
    In 1982, a twenty-one-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were arrested and charged with capital murder.
    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 audiobook 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.

    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 Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    See all books by John Grisham

    Also by John Grisham

    The Reckoning
    The Rooster Bar
    Camino Island
    The Whistler
    Witness to a Trial
    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

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

    Category: Nonfiction

    Paperback | $16.00
    Published by Delta
    Nov 20, 2007 | 400 Pages | 5-1/4 x 8 | ISBN 9780385340915

    Category: Nonfiction

    Hardcover | $30.00
    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

    ‹ ›
    The Wicked Boy
    Ghettoside
    The Run of His Life
    Empire of Sin
    Duel with the Devil
    Midnight in Peking
    Notes on a Killing
    In Cold Blood
    Fatal Vision
    Murder on a Lonely Road
    Death in the City of Light
    The Killer of Little Shepherds
    The Girls of Murder City
    The Murder Room
    Hellhound On His Trail
    The Poisoner's Handbook
    The Devil and Sherlock Holmes
    The Murder of Helen Jewett
    The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
    Vanished Smile
    Capitol Offense
    American Lightning
    American Eve
    A Criminal Injustice
    The Devil's Gentleman
    The Suspect
    The Beautiful Cigar Girl
    Zodiac Unmasked
    The Dreams of Ada
    Tacoma Confidential
    Starvation Heights
    Blood Done Sign My Name
    And the Dead Shall Rise
    Death's Acre
    Under the Banner of Heaven
    Invisible Eden
    The Devil in the White City
    Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley
    The Burning of Bridget Cleary
    The Shark Net
    The Orchid Thief
    Critical Mass
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
    My Dark Places
    Echoes in the Darkness

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Praise

    “Grisham has written both an American tragedy and his strongest legal thriller yet, all the more gripping because it happens to be true.”—Entertainment Weekly
     
    “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

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

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Books for Better Living

    Inspiration for the best you

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    Signature

    Making Well-Read Sense of the World

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!
    First to Read

    First to Read

    Early access to Penguin Random House’s hottest new titles
    Unbound Worlds

    Unbound Worlds

    Exploring the science fiction and fantasy universe