Conviction

A Novel

By: Richard North Patterson

Narrated by: Patricia Kalember

Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

When the body of nine-year old Thuy Sen is found in the San Francisco Bay, the police quickly charge Rennell and Payton Price with her grisly murder. A 12-person jury, abetted by an incompetent defense lawyer, is nearly as quick to find the brothers guilty, and to sentence them both to die for their crimes.

Fifteen years later, overworked pro bono laywer Teresa Peralta Paget, her husband Chris, and stepson Carlo, a recent Harvard law graduate, become convinced not only that Rennell didn't receive a fair trial but that he may well be innocent. Racing against the clock and facing enormous legal obstacles, Teresa, Chris, and Carlo desperately try to stay Rennell's execution, taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court, and to an enormously moving and powerful conclusion.

©2005 Richard North Patterson (P)2005 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"As with his previous novels, Patterson examines a complex issue through the lens of a compelling, gripping story. Readers familiar with his characters and those looking for a powerful courtroom drama will not be disappointed." (Booklist)

Excessive graphic abuse

I have enjoyed other books by this author but I had to stop listening to this one before the end of the first downloaded section. If you're upset by horrific abuse, especially dealing with children, you may want to stay away from this one.

Long and drawn out

This book started well, but quickly became mired in an overly extended journey through the justice system, which was interesting to start, but quickly became monotonous and added very little to the book. To my mind, the story could have been told in half the time / pages. I many times debated just not finishing it.

And the book goes on and on and on...

Rarely do I purchase an abridged version of a book when the unabridged is available. However, this book was a lesson that this practice is not always best. Patterson's most recent books take up various social issues as a theme, and the death penalty is the one Conviction covers. However, Patterson beat this one "to death" by going on and on and on and on...What he said in 17 hours could certainly haven been covered in 6 hours and I might have even enjoyed it w/a 6-hour length.

Ho Hum..and, what's

I had prepared a lengthy critique of this lengthy, preachy novel. Then I saw that Alicia from neighboring Indianapolis said it perfectly. If there was ever a book that I wish I had read an abridged edition of, it's this one. To say that it is preachy, didactic, propagandized, and about twice as long as it should be is to give it more importance than it deserves! I found it arrogant that the characters constantly used phrases like "freestanding innocence," which I still don't know the meaning of; and a parcel of acronyms, which I couldn't keep straight. Perhaps if the "book" were in front of me, I could keep checking back; but this doesn't work on my Otis. I'd have spent several hours jumping back and forth. Like yet another reviewer, I'd have been happy to have skipped the entire mid-section. But then I hated the ending so much that maybe I should have just read Part I, and let it go at that. I have tried to read two regular books by this author, and never got far. Now I remember why. Ah, well, I certainly had it reinforced that the liberals are all good guys and the conservatives...well...the meanies! A tiresome cliche.

Too long, too little plot

I have enjoyed many of Patterson's novels but this one lacked plot. It was more of the author's view on capital punishment and less of a mystery. I happen to agree with his views but the story dragged. If you must listen to it, go for the abridged version. I stopped listening 3/4 of the way through and found another book with more interest. I rarely do that.

A great read on an important issue!

I definitely recommend this book.

A Lecture... Not a Novel

I've enjoyed Patterson's other books, but this was just one, long, dull lecture about the process involved in a death row appeal. It's unrelentingly grim-- unbelievably so. Everyone who isn't the lawyer and her friends is a cheat, a junkie, a murderer, and/or a child molester. I'm no death penalty advocate, but boy, by the end of this book, I was thinking the human race was doomed to evil forever, so how bad could the death penalty be? I mean, really, the characters were almost uniformly nasty.

The main character was sort of boring. She and her colleagues were given to long involved lectures about procedure and precedent. They never sounded realistic to me. And they all seemed to exist just to prove some point about the death penalty-- that most of the people sentenced to death are poor and mentally unstable. That most attorneys are incompetent. Etc.

This book shows the danger of centering a novel around an idea instead of a plot and characters. It's "worthy", but dull.

Not his best work

I am a fan of this author's books, but this one is not even close to his usual standard. I found myself constantly backing up to listen to sections again because my mind had drifted. There was way too much legal detail in what otherwise could have been a good story. The abridged version might be better. Don't let this be your first Richard North Patterson book or you probably won't read any of his other work -- that would be sad because he really is a good story teller.

Conviction

So very dissapointing! Richard North Patterson must have written this book with a legal dictionary next to him to try to fit in as many BIG words as possbile withou adding substance to the story. The book does not flow and was frankly painful to listen to. I was very dissapointed as I consider myself a big Richard North Patterson fan.

Don't Waste Your Time!!!

Not only is it long and dull and disgusting--I agree with what other reviewers said--it is also racist! This book portrays poor people, especially black poor, as if they are animals and savages. I couldn't even finish and I usually listen to everything. I've enjoyed other books by this author in the past but this book has turned me off to even thinking about reading his future works.