Publisher's Summary

When Ron Williamson signed with the Oakland A's in 1971, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada, Oklahoma, 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 20 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 reasons that were never clear, police 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.

Listen to John Grisham's interview with Charlie Rose.

©2006 John Grisham; (P)2006 Random House, Inc.