This book was very very hard to read. But I'm so glad I did.

It's heartbreaking because it's not a unique story. Things that happened to Grimes have been happening for centuries and are continuing to happen today. I'm glad that he got his story out there.

Everyone should read this as it teaches so much about prison, the inside and the outside. It was deeply honest, moving, and eye opening.

An excellent book, a good story. Well written book It highlights a totally miscarriage of justice that goes on unchecked. I think everyone should read this book. The amount of research this author had to do is completely overwhelming to me. But I’m glad it was done and that I got to read it

I really enjoyed this book. As the teacher in charge of stocking the senior school library, I like to ensure that the books are diverse and the students are exposed to both excellent fiction and excellent modern non-fiction. I think that this is both a fascinating and well-written book that has much to recommend it and will keep the students interests. It is good to stretch their reading interests by providing them with books about subjects they might never have considered before and this definitely does the job well. It is also good to find books that I know the teaching staff might enjoy as well as the students and I definitely think that this applies in both cases. Absolutely recommend wholeheartedly; a fantastic read.

Willie "Woot" Grimes was wrongly convicted in 1988 for the rape of an elderly white woman in North Carolina. Ghost of the Innocent Man by Benjamin Rachlin is the true story of his conviction, trial, and incarceration. Woot Grimes spent 25 years waiting to be exonerated. He was found guilty of first-degree rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. Woot had several people to give him an alibi for the time of the crime, but this did not matter. Instead the prosecutor took the ever changing word of a witness and was able to get a conviction.

Christine Mumma, a cofounder of North Carolina's Innocence Inquiry Commission, took on Willie's case and fought tirelessly to free him.

Benjamin Rachlin has done an amazing job of telling Willie's story as well as how the Innocence Project begins and how they fought to free an innocent man.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

This is a very well written story of Willy Grimes that will stay with you long after you finish reading. Stories of wrongful convictions are often so hard to read yet they shine light on the grave injustices of the criminal justice system and the ability of the human spirit to persevere. What Willie Grimes endured is tragic yet his patience and ability to hope remained steadfast. There were times I felt the talk of the North Carolina Innocent Commission was a bit wordy but I understand the importance of Chris Mumma's determination that led to its formation. A very well-written book

I was not able to get into this book. I found the author's writing style difficult to follow at times. I did not finish reading this book.

This is a very in depth look into a man falsely accused of rape and his nearly 25 year ordeal for the truth to come out. I enjoyed this book and getting to know Mr. Grimes. The details it has is fantastic and really draws you in.

The case of Willie Grimes is shocking, how he was ever convicted in the first place is beyond me! This book opens with the horrendous crime and quickly after follows the arrest of Grimes – I was gripped from the very first page! The treatment of Grimes in his arrest was appalling, the trial itself, and the evidence presented (and not presented) was shocking, to the point where it’s hard to believe this is a true story. With no legal training, you can see from a mile off, this was a miscarriage of justice – you have to read it to believe it, it was simply shocking and appalling.

Incorporated throughout this book are brief looks at other people who were wrongfully convicted and wow, they are just as, if not more, shocking. So shocking it’s scary – it seems you don’t even have to be in the area the crime was committed to be convicted of it, and the next thing you know, you’re serving a life sentence! We can try to seek comfort in the belief that wrongful convictions are rare, but they’re not as rare as you think.

Grimes would likely still be in prison if it were not for Chris Mumma’s determination for justice that led to the creation of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. At times, the parts of the book dedicated to the creation of this commission and the work Mumma and her colleagues did could be a bit long winded. And if you’re not familiar with how thing work in the US, eg. Senate and legal jargon, these bits may make slow reading. I fully understand the importance of the work being carried out but the information on forming the organisation was a bit heavy at times.

There’s no denying Willie Grimes and his quest for freedom is the heart and soul of this book. As you read it, you grow to admire Willie, throughout it all, he held no ill will towards anyone, he just wanted to go home to his family. Reading about his experience in prison was a shock to my system, how can inmates be shipped from prison to prison to prison, many times, placed too far from their friends and family to have them visit.

I always maintain that true crime stories are more chilling than any fiction, and Ghost of the Innocent Man is proof of that. These miscarriages of justice are a chill you can’t shake off – as I read more of these books, I see a trend, these crimes happened so long ago but it’s only recently, within the last 10 years, that these wrongs are being righted. But you can’t give a man back 25 years of his life!

If you are interested in books about wrongful convictions and the workings [and failings] of the criminal justice system, I recommend you read this book.

This is a book for all. If you think innocent people are convicted or, if you think our justice system would never convict an innocent man. This book will either solidify your position or it should really make you re-think your position. Very good read on the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. We learn how it came to be and how much it comes to mean to William Grimes. We get the story from two perspectives. This is a book that must be read. The book grabs you and does not let you go. Wonderful written. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

‪Injustices with a quiet giant, Willie J Grimes.
Unsettling on its revelations, informative on the history of injustices.
Will Grimes will stay with the reader for some time for his patience against the injustice.
This work will have you ruminate on the ones that have been sentenced to death innocents unjustly lost.
They may be some respite in knowing Grimes was one of the lucky ones that was freed eventually.
The life to and fro from prison to prison, the inadequate representations and care, and lack of chances of parole despite the weak evidences against him.
The lack of proper due care or maybe even due respect to process evidences, all things preceding and after his arrest.
Race could come into this failure, but the lawyers representing him had two others, two white males, who where also exonerated after some time of incarceration also mentioned in this book in not so much detail, this book is more about Grimes’s sphere.
Various chapters walk the world around Grimes, his incarceration, his poverty and the pursuit of truth and freedom.
There is also some telling on how the North Carolina's Innocence Inquiry Commission was formed and its first few successful exonerations which started the cogs working for some justice upon a part of this earth.
A well done representation and informative investigative writing on a tragic case of innocent charged as guilty.

Ghost of the Innocent Man by Benjamin Rachlin is one of the best books I have read this year. In 1988 Willie Grimes, a man with no violent record, is convicted of raping a 69 year old woman and sentenced to life in prison. This happened despite the fact several witnesses gave him an alibi for the time of the crime. During the time he was in prison, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission (NCIIC) was formed. This book tells the story of both. Mr. Rachlin did an excellent job of switching between the two and then combining them into the final resolution of Mr. Grimes' story.
Even though this book saddened and at times frightened me, it is well worth reading. I was touched my Mr. Grimes' continued push for justice. I was also hopeful due to the continued work by the NCIIC to seek the truth. Having a person wrongly imprisoned puts a black spot on the justice system of the United States. The story was handled with great care to all involved. I cannot recommend it enough.