This week on Crime Wave: Scott Turow talks about life, writing, and PRESUMED GUILTY, the long-anticipated third thriller in his Rusty Sabich series.
Rusty comes out of retirement to defend his soon-to-be stepson, the lead suspect in the death of a young woman from a prominent family with whom the young man had a tumultuous relationship.
The title PRESUMED GUILTY is not merely a callback to Turow’s earlier Rusty Sabich novels but is a reflection on whether the system to which Rusty has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty. Five stars!
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Retired judge Rusty Sabich comes full circle in this new book in the Kindle County series (and no, you don‘t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one)

Rusty, who found himself the accused in „Presumed Innocent“, now in his mid-seventies and about to get married for the third time, hesitantly comes out of retirement to defend his fiancée‘s young adult son, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend. What follows is a well done courtroom drama that manifests Turow‘s reputation as one of the best in the genre.

Presumed Guilty is the next (last) book in the 'Presumed' trilogy. The book definitely kept my attention and the story flowed well. I enjoyed the characters and by the ends you felt you really knew them.
I will keep at 4 stars as Mr. Turow can get verbose at times so there were some sections with long exposition I had to skip, The ending did not feel rushed and was satisfying,
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Scott Turow has still got it. Presumed Guilty is just as good Presumed Innocent and Innocent. The plot is compelling and keeps you turning pages well past time you should put the books down. It does start out a bit slow but that is quickly rectified.

This is Scott Turow's 3rd book in the 'Presumed Trilogy and it does not disappoint. Scott has a way with characters and setting that is pretty much unparalled in American thrillers. You won't forget Rusty, Bea, or Bea's son who Rusty defends. Put this at the top of your list.

Genre: Legal Thriller Series
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub. Date: Jan. 24, 2025

“Presumed Guilty” is part of Scott Turow’s legal thriller trilogy. All three books follow Rožat “Rusty” Sabich. In “Presumed Innocent,” Rusty is a prosecutor in his early 40s. In the later book “Innocent,” he is a 60-year-old judge. In “Presumed Guilty,” Rusty is now 77 years old and retired. This novel can be read as a standalone book. Here, Rusty lives in the Midwest with his fiancée, Bea Houslea, a considerably younger woman in her early 40s, and her adopted twenty-two-year-old African American son, Aaron. He is one of the few Black residents in the small rural community they live in. Once again, the author delves into the rules of law without boring his readers. This takes talent unless you are interested in the complexities of law. In “Presumed Guilty,” Turow also explores the impact of racial bias.
Aaron is on probation for a drug possession conviction. Aaron has been working to turn his life around. He is written as a sweet kid who experimented with drugs and has learned his lesson. Rusty and Aaron have a good relationship. Early in the book, Aaron is arrested for murdering his white girlfriend.
For fear of going up against the local prosecutor, few lawyers are willing to defend Aaron. Additionally, possible racial issues will pose a challenge for the defense. Despite his inexperience as a defense lawyer, Rusty takes on the case and once again is in a courtroom. In classic Turow fashion, the truth of the murderer is withheld until the very end. Throughout the book, the author keeps you guessing. I was not happy with the ending. I cannot say why, as it would be a major spoiler.
I wonder if the author believes the age gap between Rusty and Bea is credible because of Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Rusty in the film adaptation of “Presumed Innocent,” where Rusty is a ruggedly handsome man. On the other hand, maybe it is simply because I have a movie star crush on the actor. Either way, Scott Turow is my favorite author in this genre. I recommend “Presumed Guilty.”

Rusty Sabich is back! Now in his seventies and living in a rural county north of Kindle County, IL, the setting in Presumed Innocent, with his fiancée, Bea. Bea's son, Aaron, a Black boy adopted at birth into a white family in a predominantly white area, has been eighteen months sober and is currently on probation after a drug arrest. But now he is missing, and he hasn't checked in with Rusty and Bea as per the stipulation of his release from prison. Aaron eventually shows up, but without the girlfriend he went camping with, Mae. Their relationship is tumultuous, and Aaron is fed up with Mae's destructive behavior. After two weeks with no news from Mae, her body is discovered in a state park, and Aaron is charged with her murder.

This is an immensely entertaining legal thriller sure to please fans of the genre or mysteries in general. It's a little on the long side at nearly 600 pages, but it reads quite easily, and there's no extraneous text to bog down the narrative. The first third sets up the story and introduces many of the characters, leading up to the courtroom drama that forms the core of the novel. The pacing is perfect, and the plot unfolds with many interesting and surprising details. The twists are enjoyable and not predictable, and the whole experience of the book is very satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

To say this book is bloated is the world‘s biggest understatement. I actually started laughing at it and reading sections of an out loud on our vacation because I just could not believe that an editor would let this book get this weighed down with so much extraneous meandering. How did it happen?

The story itself is fairly predictable from the very beginning. But, it’s fun to be back in the company of Rusty Savage and get to know him as an older, almost 70-year-old man. But very quickly we realize that good old rusty at 70 has way too many words. And he loves to hear himself talk. Or think. Or pontificate to anyone around him. It was ridiculously infuriating.

So, while the ending wrapped up in a tidy little bow, and at least I didn’t walk away from this not knowing the full resolution, the journey to get there was one of the biggest slogs of my life.

Presumed Guilty is a must-read for fans of legal thrillers and a welcome return to the world of Rusty Sabich. Turow's skillful storytelling, combined with his exploration of timely social issues, makes this novel both entertaining and thought-provoking.

This was my first time to read a book by this author, and he did not disappoint. I was immediately drawn into the mystery, and the plot twist at the end had my jaw on the floor. I wish I could rate this book five stars, but I found a lot of the details of the case to be overly repetitive. I thought it could have been about 100 pages shorter and still had the same impact on the reader. I think part of this is due to the structure of the book (investigation, pre-trial, trial, post-trial), so many details are rehashed several times throughout the book. Overall, it was a solid read, and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys true crime or legal thrillers.

Another Scott Turow classic legal thriller. It is what you would expect: very detailed (meaning a bit long) novel that has deep detail and interesting. story. Can’t wait for him to write another one.

Top-tier legal thriller that certainly rivals Turow's first bestseller, Presumed Innocent. Once again, the protagonist is Rusty Sabich. A very different Rusty Sabich from the earliest book. It's decades later and he's semi-retired living with a fiancee and her son. Her son is adopted, on probation from a drug conviction and Black. When his girlfriend is found dead, the son is soon arrested for her murder.

Admittedly the book is long at close to 600 pages and the first quarter of the book is mostly the setting of the scene and the characters. Once the trial gets underway it's riveting, almost unputdownable. Shrewd machinations in the courtroom combine with savvy insights into characters, motivations and the harsh realities of society, including racism. One of the most gripping elements is how it did not follow the expected beats of a typical legal thriller and the emphasis on how a murder trial can pummel the souls of all the participants, including families. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rusty Sabich is back for another outing in the courtroom. He's pressed, much against his will, into acting as a defense attorney when his fiancée's son Aaron is arrested and charged with murder. Aaron had a volatile relationship with his girlfriend Mae, and when she doesn't come home from a camping trip the two of them took together, suspicion immediately falls on him. It doesn't help that he's had several drug-related convictions in his past. Although Rusty is a retired judge, acting as a defense attorney is something he's not comfortable with. No one wants to go against the victim's powerful family by representing her alleged killer, so Rusty is Aaron's only hope.

I was expecting the book to be a legal thriller, and for sure, there was plenty of courtroom drama to be had. The pace of the book was just really, really slow, with the first quarter taken up with everyone searching for Aaron and then Mae. Then the long, drawn-out court scenes took up the majority of the book, with lots of legalese that had to be explained. I found the eventual explanation for the death to be preposterous, so that definitely ended the book on a sour note for me.

Scott Turow has been one of my favorites since reading One L, and this proves he is still at the top of his game in the genre. Thank you, Scott Turow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Presumed Guilty.

I loved PRESUMED INNOCENT and I love PRESUMED GUILTY, as well. Turow's writing is brilliant and he's the kind of the original simile and metaphor. All writers can learn something here. He's scheduled to be on my podcast, Writers on Writing, and I can't wait. Love the story and the writing.

I love books by Scott Turow! Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Presumed Guilty. This is the third installment of the story that began with Presumed Innocent, which is a must read.

Presumed Guilty follows Rusty, who now is a retired judge and is planning to be married to Bea. His life, he feels, finally feels settled down from the dramatics of years prior. Bea’s adult son Aaron is staying with them while he is in probation for drug possession. That is, until he disappears. He does end of reappearing and gives kind of haphazard story of a camping trip with his girlfriend Mae. She also has issues of her own. Then she goes missing, except unlike Aaron, she doesn’t come back, because she is found dead and Aaron is accused of her murder. Bea begs Rusty to come out of retirement and defend Aaron.

This was so good, but I expected no less. Turow’s books, while they tell a great story, they always teach a little along the way in my opinion. Highly recommend.

4.5 stars. This is a Scott Turow legal thriller. It starts slowly but once the trial started, I could not put it down. I read Presumed Innocent a long time ago. Here he brings back the main character in later life. Rusty defends his fiancé's son from murder charges.

PRESUMED GUILTY - My first by this author and now I want to start this series. Well written with a variety of characters and secrets, interesting story lines, misdirection and a good pace. I like the writing style of Mr. Turow and found myself reluctant to put the book down. It was easy to get immersed in the pages and not surface for a spell. Source: Netgalley. 5*

3.5 trial stars. Not rounded up

Turow’s writing is solid, but nothing special in this 'case.'. “Shrunken by age, he can’t be more than five two now, and stands there with his metal cane in a pair of bib overalls.” The writing is ‘distant lawyerly’ straight forward. As in his past books, Presumed Guilty is one you read for the plot and to gain insights into law trials.

The beginning of the book introduces characters in detail and has loads of backstory. The book picks up around 20% in, when a body is found. Turow has some surprises, but on the other hand, nothing really surprised me. Presumed Guilty is enjoyable, but not spectacular. Perhaps this is because Rusty, the main character, a 70-year-old male judge was just not to my liking. I did like Aaron, the accused, and his quiet ways.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There were pages and pages of backstory and information, along with descriptive passages, that did nothing to move the story along.

I read as an escape from the current political climate. The author chose to insert politics into his story. Authors should restrain themselves when writing fiction.