Preview
  • Confessions of an Innocent Man

  • A Novel
  • By: David R. Dow
  • Narrated by: Henry Levya
  • Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (339 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Confessions of an Innocent Man

By: David R. Dow
Narrated by: Henry Levya
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

“Every person wrongfully convicted of a crime at some point dreams of getting revenge against the system. In Confessions of an Innocent Man, the dream comes true and in a spectacular way.” (John Grisham, New York Times best-selling author of The Reckoning)

A thrillingly suspenseful debut novel and a fierce howl of rage that questions the true meaning of justice.

Rafael Zhettah relishes the simplicity and freedom of his life. He is the owner and head chef of a promising Houston restaurant, a pilot with open access to the boundless Texas horizon, and a bachelor, content with having few personal or material attachments that ground him. Then, lightning strikes. When he finds Tieresse - billionaire, philanthropist, sophisticate, bombshell - sitting at one of his tables, he also finds his soul mate, and his life starts again. And just as fast, when she is brutally murdered in their home, when he is convicted of the crime, when he is sentenced to die, it is all ripped away. But for Rafael Zhettah, death row is not the end. It is only the beginning. Now, with his recaptured freedom, he will stop at nothing to deliver justice to those who stole everything from him.

This is a heart-stoppingly suspenseful, devastating, pause-resisting debut novel. A thriller with a relentless grip that wants you to listen to it in one sitting. David R. Dow has dedicated his life to the fight against capital punishment - to righting the horrific injustices of the death-penalty regime in Texas. He delivers the perfect modern parable for exploring our complex, uneasy relationships with punishment and reparation in a terribly unjust world.

©2019 David R. Dow (P)2019 Penguin Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

Best Mystery Books of 2019 - The Wall Street Journal

“Suppose you were arrested, tried, and sentenced to die for a murder you didn’t commit, then vindicated and freed at the last possible minute. What would you do? Would you try to go back to the old life you’d nearly lost? Or would you punish those who’d stolen it from you? In Confessions of an Innocent Man, David R. Dow, who knows more about death row than any other person who’s never lived there, puts you in the place of a victim of the system whose soul has been shriveled by rage, then invites you to take a look in the mirror. The result is a terrifying modern-day revenger’s tale, one whose furious, irresistible momentum will sweep you up - and make you think.” (Terry Teachout, drama critic, The Wall Street Journal)

“An impressive fiction debut.... The plot is a page-turner, and the addition of Dow’s knowledge of the legal machinery of death and his nuanced characterization of his lead elevate this above similarly themed legal thrillers.” (Publishers Weekly)

“A debut novel that's a page-turner with a message...[Dow’s] criminal justice work is a clear influence on this novel, and his passion bleeds through on every page. The claustrophobic nature of prisons, the routine cruelty, the anonymous suffering, the decrepit conditions - they all come through in straightforward, well-written prose.... A solidly suspenseful novel.” (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Confessions of an Innocent Man

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    215
  • 4 Stars
    90
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    236
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    194
  • 4 Stars
    69
  • 3 Stars
    25
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Confessions of an innocent listener......

TRUE CONFESSION: This book was engrossing and compelling with superb narration. However, the last portion of the book completely fell short and that is why this book did not earn a 5-star review from me.

Did the author lose steam??? Not quite sure. The beginning of the book was outstanding.

I was disappointed with the last 2 hours of the book because the storyline became unrealistic and the ending was very abrupt. Since I don't want to reveal any spoilers, I am omitting the facts needed to support my opinion.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and do recommend the title.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story. End a little disappointing

The ending was too neat. Thought writer was more interested in the first half of the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking

How true that we are multilayered. Every one of us. In this time of seeing people in extremes, this gripping story poses important questions without being obvious. I will listen again. Quite good narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Read!

It’s been a long time since I’ve head a book that I’ve considered “un-put-downable” but this one is definitely one that held me from start to finish. It hit all the right notes. Had me in suspense, horrified me, made me laugh, made me cry, and definitely made me angry lol. I’m very glad I purchased this one, as I just happened to come across it searching for other books by familiar authors. Very thankful for the Audible recommendations!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story and fabulous narration

This narrator is one of the best i've ever heard. The story is riveting and done well in parts. If you can overlook the author's obvious political bias this book is good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good Book But Mixed Feelings...

I personally enjoy any book, regardless of the genre, that provokes my mind to explore my thoughts on controversial issues of humanity beyond the authors story. In this context, Confessions of an Innocent Man is a good book that overall I enjoyed. However, ultimately I did not find this to be a thriller or even suspenseful in any way as the published summary reads. The story is about an innocent man struggles, his sentenced to death row, the his love for his wife, and his path to retribution once gaining his freedom. In this way, if you’re looking for a story that will provoke your own thoughts then I think you’re going to enjoy the book too. But if you’re looking for a pulse-stopping, suspenseful, action-filled thriller than this book might be a tad boring.

The narrator’s performance is great.

I only gave 3 stars for the story because I found the author’s use of writing style when characters are have a conversation... “he said” blah blah blah “she said” blah blah blah... to be very distracting and unnatural to the story. I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if the dialogue would have been written a different way. All I could focus on is how many times I heard the words “he said” & “she said” like you might expect in young adult or new authors.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I didn't want it to end

At first, the cussing was not easy to listen to and I'm a cuss-er(?).... It was just a bit aggressive. BUT I kept listening (based solely on John Grisham's opinion of the book) and I'm so glad I did. It was a great book! I've imagined a whole series on it already.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

This was a great story overall. It was hard to follow at times because the story switches between the present and the past. The plot was interesting and kept me engaged with this story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Jreader

I expected something different, but I really liked it anyway. It was well worth the credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The review sounded kick a-s. But it was more about love, with some payback on the side.

I truly enjoyed this listen. Finished it in one day. The author crafted each character too be the real deal. Some you loved, others you did not. At the end the author had the “did not’s” somewhat a little like able.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!