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

Difficult listening

Although I love Grisham this book seemed redundant resulting in my loss of interest. I forced myself to listen to the end and hoping for more excitement, which never came. My first Grisham disappointment.

wonderful book !

love his books on the court trials
good narrating. always look forward to his new novel!

Excellent read

Excellent book, that tugs at your emotions throughout. I will be reading more from this author.

Love a good John Grisham story

Performance was superb. The narrator really had a feel for Mr. Grisham's masterfully created characters.

Great story, but so sad

Would you consider the audio edition of The Confession to be better than the print version?

Half way through, I figured out where Grisham was taking me. I didn't like it, and I hoped I was wrong, but... well listen for yourself. Very entertaining as you would expect from Grisham.

Would you be willing to try another book from John Grisham? Why or why not?

yes.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sad. cry.

Couldn't put it down

Loved it! The different perceptions of all the lives touched by one murder. Well written and except for the preachers wife... The performance nailed the characters.... Worth listening to again...

The Confession

Excellent book......Very detailed and close to the end surprising. You always think it is going to work out at the end.......Surprise........Narration was excellent. Recommend.

Everyone needs to read this.

We have to get rid of the death penalty for this reason alone! So upsetting

Book wraps up well.

I feel some of Grisham's books end like it had a deadline rather than a wrap up of the story. This one is compelling - one that you'll think about in terms of what is happening in our society.

Society's Nightmare

Excellent depiction of an unfortunately very real possibility and one of society's worst nightmares- wrongful conviction. The scenario in this story probably has happened more than we want to think possible, especially in areas with deep institutional prejudice.