The Confession

A Novel

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Scott Sowers

Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

An innocent man is about to be executed.

Only a guilty man can save him.

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high-school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?

"John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we’ve got in the United States these days." ( The New York Times Book Review)

©2010 Belfry Holdings, Inc (P)2010 Random House Audio

The Confession

This is not one of the books you cannot stand to put down- It is fair and while not awful- it is a disapppointment for this writer. He had set the goal so high that when a book is just average- it is a loser for him. You expectations are so high.

Story was over why 4 more hours?

I liked it but I believe the story was over and did not need the last 4 hours.

Audible amazon pushy

audible will not let me shop and select a new book unless I write a review. obnoxious

Too much of a propaganda book

Too much anti death penalty propoganda. I think it could have been a little more subtle.

Very good

Sometimes I am a bit disappointed in Grisham but not this time. Good listen, kept my interest. Looking for another.

Has its moments

I've enjoyed every John Grisham novel I've read. I especially liked the book of short stories he put out a couple of years ago. But I have mixed feelings on this one. Mainly because it's too politically correct for my taste. Death penalty: Bad (because supposedly all defendants are innocent). Blacks: Good. Whites: Bad ( aside from a few tokens) I especially liked the comment about how a white football team couldn't win a game. Apparently, Mr. Grisham hasn't heard of Steve Young or Joe Montana. That said, I liked the twist at the end concerning Travis Boyette. All in all, worth a listen, but he needs to create more nuanced characters.

Provocatively entertaining and delivers the sad truth!

Excellent! If you love small town American football, are proud of kids who find success in it, despise dime a dozen criminals who, although occasionally attempt to right their wrongs, eventually get what's due, and love a human (and innocent humans) interest story that turns out good- then read and listen on!
I LOVE John Grisham's stories- have from the very first! - Like all others, this provokes thought, entertains, subject matter is relevant, the truths and irony are clear! Selfish humans will ALWAYS provide topics into which JG thoroughly delves; he never fails to deliver!

great book!

loved the book, John is an awesome author. will be listening to more of his books!

Good Read

Loved it
Changed my belief on capital punishment. Too many self-serving people in government and criminal justice .

Slanted Left

Lately what I’ve listened to has been very left leaning. Only half of your audience is. If that. Stop it.