Scott Turow

The American Civil Liberties Union partners with award-winning authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman in this “forceful, beautifully written” (Associated Press) collection that brings together many of our greatest living writers, each contributing an original piece inspired by a historic ACLU case. On January 19, 1920, a small group of idealists and visionaries, including Helen Keller, Jane Addams, Roger Baldwin, and Crystal Eastman, founded the American Civil Liberties Union. A century after its creation, the ACLU remains the nation’s premier defender of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. In collaboration with the ACLU, authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman have curated an anthology of essays “full of struggle, emotion, fear, resilience, hope, and triumph” (Los Angeles Review of Books) about landmark cases in the organization’s one-hundred-year history. Fight of the Century takes you inside the trials and the stories that have shaped modern life. Some of the most prominent cases that the ACLU has been involved in—Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona—need little introduction. Others you may never even have heard of, yet their outcomes quietly defined the world we live in now. Familiar or little-known, each case springs to vivid life in the hands of the acclaimed writers who dive into the history, narrate their personal experiences, and debate the questions at the heart of each issue. Hector Tobar introduces us to Ernesto Miranda, the felon whose wrongful conviction inspired the now-iconic Miranda rights—which the police would later read to the man suspected of killing him. Yaa Gyasi confronts the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the ACLU submitted a friend of- the-court brief questioning why a nation that has sent men to the moon still has public schools so unequal that they may as well be on different planets. True to the ACLU’s spirit of principled dissent, Scott Turow offers a blistering critique of the ACLU’s stance on campaign finance. These powerful stories, along with essays from Neil Gaiman, Meg Wolitzer, Salman Rushdie, Ann Patchett, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Louise Erdrich, George Saunders, and many more, remind us that the issues the ACLU has engaged over the past one hundred years remain as vital as ever today, and that we can never take our liberties for granted. Chabon and Waldman are donating their advance to the ACLU and the contributors are forgoing payment.

To mark its 100-year anniversary, the American Civil Liberties Union partners with award-winning authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman to bring together many of our greatest living writers, each contributing an original piece inspired by a historic ACLU case.On January 19, 1920, a small group of idealists and visionaries, including Helen Keller, Jane Addams, Roger Baldwin, and Crystal Eastman, founded the American Civil Liberties Union. A century after its creation, the ACLU remains the nation’s premier defender of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. In collaboration with the ACLU, authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman have curated an anthology of essays about landmark cases in the organization’s one-hundred-year history. Fight of the Century takes you inside the trials and the stories that have shaped modern life. Some of the most prominent cases that the ACLU has been involved in—Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona—need little introduction. Others you may never even have heard of, yet their outcomes quietly defined the world we live in now. Familiar or little-known, each case springs to vivid life in the hands of the acclaimed writers who dive into the history, narrate their personal experiences, and debate the questions at the heart of each issue. Hector Tobar introduces us to Ernesto Miranda, the felon whose wrongful conviction inspired the now-iconic Miranda rights—which the police would later read to the man suspected of killing him. Yaa Gyasi confronts the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the ACLU submitted a friend of- the-court brief questioning why a nation that has sent men to the moon still has public schools so unequal that they may as well be on different planets. True to the ACLU’s spirit of principled dissent, Scott Turow offers a blistering critique of the ACLU’s stance on campaign finance. These powerful stories, along with essays from Neil Gaiman, Meg Wolitzer, Salman Rushdie, Ann Patchett, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Louise Erdrich, George Saunders, and many more, remind us that the issues the ACLU has engaged over the past one hundred years remain as vital as ever today, and that we can never take our liberties for granted. Chabon and Waldman are donating their advance to the ACLU and the contributors are forgoing payment.

‘A superb, sexy sequel to Presumed Innocent’ Sunday Times ‘A legend of suspense fiction’ Steve Cavanagh ‘The master of the courtroom drama’ Daniel Silva ‘A writer with few peers in any genre’ David Baldacci Daily Mail Books to Watch 2025 The Times Best Thrillers of 2025 So Far In a sequel to Presumed Innocent, the book that redefined the legal thriller, judge and lawyer Rusty Sabich returns to the courtroom to defend his step-son against a racially-charged murder indictment as the boy’s life – and perhaps Rusty’s last chance at happiness – hang in the balance. Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that’s taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea’s young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn’t return soon, he will be sent back to jail. Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn’t returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first degree murder. Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent – it’s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty. 5* READER REVIEWS 'Absolutely brilliant' 'Scott Turow at his very best' 'A great legal thriller ... Kept me riveted' 'Fantastic. It will draw you in from the first page' 'Scott Turow is the master of the legal, court room drama' 'A masterpiece - one of the best legal thrillers I have read' 'This is what you call a proper legal thriller'

Scott Turow's "unputdownable" courtroom drama from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent, the phenomenon that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+'s most-watched drama series ever (Kristin Hannah, #1 NYT bestselling author). "No one does it better."―David Baldacci, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "The truth is, Turow is just better at this than the rest of us."―Greg Iles, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "This is manna for legal-thriller fans."―Booklist, starred review "This easily ranks among Turow's best."―Publishers Weekly, starred review "An absorbing and entertaining read." ―Kirkus Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that's taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea's young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn't return soon, he will be sent back to jail. Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn't returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first-degree murder. Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent--it's whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.

‘A superb, sexy sequel to Presumed Innocent’ Sunday Times ‘A legend of suspense fiction’ Steve Cavanagh ‘The master of the courtroom drama’ Daniel Silva ‘A writer with few peers in any genre’ David Baldacci Daily Mail Books to Watch 2025 The Times Best Thrillers of 2025 So Far In a sequel to Presumed Innocent, the book that redefined the legal thriller, judge and lawyer Rusty Sabich returns to the courtroom to defend his step-son against a racially-charged murder indictment as the boy’s life – and perhaps Rusty’s last chance at happiness – hang in the balance. Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that’s taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea’s young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn’t return soon, he will be sent back to jail. Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn’t returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first degree murder. Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent – it’s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty. 5* READER REVIEWS 'Absolutely brilliant' 'Scott Turow at his very best' 'A great legal thriller ... Kept me riveted' 'Fantastic. It will draw you in from the first page' 'Scott Turow is the master of the legal, court room drama' 'A masterpiece - one of the best legal thrillers I have read' 'This is what you call a proper legal thriller'

New from the author of Presumed Innocent, the #1 bestseller that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+'s most-watched drama series ever.

Read Scott Turow's new "unputdownable" courtroom drama from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent, the phenomenon that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+'s most-watched drama series ever (Kristin Hannah, #1 NYT bestselling author). "No one does it better."―David Baldacci, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "The truth is, Turow is just better at this than the rest of us."―Greg Iles, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "This is manna for legal-thriller fans."―Booklist, starred review "This easily ranks among Turow's best."―Publishers Weekly, starred review "An absorbing and entertaining read." ―Kirkus Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that's taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea's young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn't return soon, he will be sent back to jail. Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn't returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first-degree murder. Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent--it's whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.

Read Scott Turow's new "unputdownable" courtroom drama from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent, the phenomenon that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+'s most-watched drama series ever (Kristin Hannah, #1 NYT bestselling author). "No one does it better."―David Baldacci, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "The truth is, Turow is just better at this than the rest of us."―Greg Iles, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "This is manna for legal-thriller fans."―Booklist, starred review "This easily ranks among Turow's best."―Publishers Weekly, starred review "An absorbing and entertaining read." ―Kirkus Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife, Bea, with whom he shares both a restful home on an idyllic lake in the rural Midwest and a plaintive hope that this marriage will be his best, and his last. But the peace that's taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea's young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears. If Aaron doesn't return soon, he will be sent back to jail. Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae, that ended in a fight and a long hitchhike home. Days later, when she still hasn't returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first-degree murder. Faced with few choices and even fewer hopes, Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son and to save their last best hope for happiness. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent--it's whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.

Blestjaschij advokat Alekhandro "Sendi" Stern proslavilsja sposobnostju raz za razom sovershat nevozmozhnoe. Odnako emu uzhe vosemdesjat pjat, i nesmotrja na to, chto razum Sendi po-prezhnemu oster, a dukh - nesokrushim, zdorove nachinaet sdavat. No kogda staryj drug Sterna, Nobelevskij laureat v oblasti meditsiny, doktor Kirill Pafko stalkivaetsja s obvinenijami v insajderskoj torgovle, moshennichestve i ubijstve, Sendi reshaet v poslednij raz vystupit v zale suda. V khode protsessa Stern raz za razom stalkivaetsja s nelitseprijatnymi podrobnostjami zhizni svoego podzaschitnogo i vynuzhden iskat otvety na neprostye voprosy. Nesmotrja na vse svoi mnogochislennye nedostatki, vinoven li Pafko v tom, v chem ego obvinjajut? I esli da, to kak daleko gotov zajti Stern, chtoby spasti svoego druga? Khochet li on voobsche znat pravdu? V poslednem dele Sendi Sterna ego printsipy i vera v torzhestvo pravosudija podvergnutsja poslednemu, reshajuschemu ispytaniju.

El libro que ha inspirado una adaptaci n en Apple TV+, con las actuaci nes de Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, y Peter Sarsgaard Un thriller judicial apasionante sobre la delgada l nea que separa el bien y el mal. Una novela que muestra los mecanismos, la psicolog a, la l gica del mundo de la justicia con tanta verosimilitud que enganchar a sus lectores. Qui n mat a Carolyn Polhemus? La en rgica, fascinante, sensual y ambiciosa ayudante del fiscal general, Raymond Horgan, ha sido violada y asesinada casi al final de la campa a de su jefe por la reelecci n. Horgan necesita que el crimen sea esclarecido lo antes posible y para conseguirlo conf a las investigaciones del caso a Rusty Sabich, un reputado miembro de su oficina. Lo que Horgan desconoce es que, pocos meses antes del asesinato, Carolyn y Rusty eran amantes. Sabich es un hombre melanc lico, apasionado y, sobre todo, solitario. En la frontera de los cuarenta, se ha dado cuenta de que su matrimonio y su carrera se han estancado, y ha volcado sus sentimientos en su hijo Nat, y en la angustiosa fantas a vivida con Carolyn, un romance que ella rompi sin dar explicaciones. El desarrollo de las investigaciones llena a Sabich de recuerdos y obsesiones, y, lejos de descubrirle al asesino, le envuelve en una nebulosa donde nadie es del todo inocente. Scott Turow refleja en esta novela un mundo tan similar al nuestro que su recuerdo seguir obsesionando al lector incluso despu s de resuelto el misterio. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Now a television miniseries on Apple TV+, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, and Peter Sarsgaard From #1 New York Times bestselling author and hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades, this story brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. Rusty Sabich, family man and the number-two prosecutor of Kindle County, is handed an explosive case--the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover. A shocking turn of events suddenly transforms him from the accuser into the accused... and plunges him into a nightmare world where nothing seems real, and no one can be PRESUMED INNOCENT. It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial--including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you...long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent and The Last Trial returns with a riveting legal thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal. For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation--until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies--both outside the police force and within.. Clarice "Pinky" Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressive array of drugs and failing out of various professions, including the police academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she's nothing but a screwup--but she doesn't trust most people's opinions anyway. Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. working for Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman's comp, DUIs and bar fights. Rik's shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from the kinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the law office of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that Chief Gomez's case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to break into the legal big leagues. Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky dives headfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city's criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will need every scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest to her are determined to keep hidden.

Pomoschnik okruzhnogo prokurora Rasti Sebich sdelal uspeshnuju kareru, no vot lichnaja zhizn u nego ne slozhilas. Ustav ot natjanutykh otnoshenij s zhenoj, on zavodit korotkij roman s kollegoj - molodoj i ambitsioznoj assistentkoj Kerolajn.Situatsija rezko menjaetsja, kogda Kerolajn neozhidanno ubivajut. Vzjavshis za rassledovanie ee smerti, Rasti pytaetsja zaputat delo. Odnako, kogda ikh intrizhka perestaet byt tajnoj, Sebich iz sledovatelja prevraschaetsja v glavnogo podozrevaemogo i popadaet na skamju podsudimykh.Pytajas dokazat svoju nevinovnost, Rasti obraschaetsja za pomoschju k sposobnomu sotvorit nevozmozhnoe advokatu Sendi Sternu, s kotorym ne raz stalkivalsja v zale suda.V 1990 godu roman leg v osnovu odnoimennogo filma s Kharrisonom Fordom i Raulem Khulia v glavnykh roljakh.Perevodchik: Zlobin G.

A Times, Express and Daily Mail Book of the Year 2022 The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent returns with a riveting legal thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal Lucia Gomez is a female police chief in a man’s world and she’s walked a fine line to succeed at the top. Now a trio of police officers in Kindle County have accused her of soliciting sex for promotions and she’s in deep. Rik Dudek is an attorney and old friend of Lucia’s. He’s the only one she can trust, but he’s never had a headline criminal case. This ugly smear campaign is already breaking the internet and will be his biggest challenge yet. Clarice ‘Pinky’ Granum is a fearless PI who plays by her own rules. Her 4-D imagination is her biggest asset when it comes to digging up dirt for Rik but not all locks are best picked. It’s cops against cops in this hive of lies. And it will take more than honeyed words from the defence to change the punchline and save the Chief from her own cell.

For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of HighlandIsle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcementmust walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect.She has maintained a spotless reputation - until now. Three male policeofficers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions tohigher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to anold friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation,insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smearcampaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies - both outsidethe police force and within...Clarice "Pinky" Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressivearray of drugs and failing out of various professions, including thepolice academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she's nothingbut a screwup - but she doesn't trust most people's opinions anyway.Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. workingfor Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman's comp, DUIs andbar fights. Rik's shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from thekinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the lawoffice of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that ChiefGomez's case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to breakinto the legal big leagues.Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky divesheadfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses ofthe city's criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will needevery scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest toher are determined to keep hidden.'A writer with few peers in any genre' - David Baldacci

A Times, Express and Daily Mail Book of the Year 2022 The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent returns with a riveting legal thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal Lucia Gomez is a female police chief in a man’s world and she’s walked a fine line to succeed at the top. Now a trio of police officers in Kindle County have accused her of soliciting sex for promotions and she’s in deep. Rik Dudek is an attorney and old friend of Lucia’s. He’s the only one she can trust, but he’s never had a headline criminal case. This ugly smear campaign is already breaking the internet and will be his biggest challenge yet. Clarice ‘Pinky’ Granum is a fearless PI who plays by her own rules. Her 4-D imagination is her biggest asset when it comes to digging up dirt for Rik but not all locks are best picked. It’s cops against cops in this hive of lies. And it will take more than honeyed words from the defence to change the punchline and save the Chief from her own cell.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent and The Last Trial returns with a riveting legal thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal. For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation--until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies--both outside the police force and within.. Clarice "Pinky" Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressive array of drugs and failing out of various professions, including the police academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she's nothing but a screwup--but she doesn't trust most people's opinions anyway. Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. working for Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman's comp, DUIs and bar fights. Rik's shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from the kinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the law office of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that Chief Gomez's case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to break into the legal big leagues. Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky dives headfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city's criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will need every scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest to her are determined to keep hidden.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent and The Last Trial returns with a riveting legal thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal. For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation--until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies--both outside the police force and within.. Clarice "Pinky" Granum spent most of her youth experimenting with an impressive array of drugs and failing out of various professions, including the police academy. Pinky knows that in the eyes of most people, she's nothing but a screwup--but she doesn't trust most people's opinions anyway. Moreover, she finally has a respectable-enough job as a licensed P.I. working for Rik on his roster of mostly minor cases, like workman's comp, DUIs and bar fights. Rik's shabby office and even shabbier cases are a far cry from the kinds of high-profile criminal matters Pinky became familiar with in the law office of her grandfather, Sandy Stern. But Rik and Pinky feel that Chief Gomez's case, which has attracted national attention, is their chance to break into the legal big leagues. Guided by her gut instinct and razor-sharp investigative skills, Pinky dives headfirst into a twisted scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city's criminal networks, as well as the human mind. But she will need every scrap of tenacity and courage to unravel the dark secrets those closest to her are determined to keep hidden.

In January 2000, Illinois Governor George Ryan declared a moratorium on executions—the first such action by any governor in the history of the United States. Despite a long history as a death penalty proponent, Ryan was emotionally moved after allowing an execution in 1999. He was also profoundly disturbed by the state’s history—12 men had been executed and 13 had been exonerated since the return of the death penalty in Illinois in 1977. More had been proven innocent than had been executed.Three years later, in 2003, Ryan pardoned four death row inmates based on their actual innocence and then commuted the death sentences of 167 men and women. This was the largest death row commutation in U.S. history. At that time, 12 states and the District of Columbia barred the death penalty. His actions breathed new life into the movement to abolish the death penalty in the United States. Over the next 15 years, Illinois and seven other states would abolish the death penalty—New Jersey, Maryland, New Mexico, Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Washington. Today, the push to reform the criminal justice system has never been stronger in America, a nation that incarcerates more men and women than any other country in the world and also wrongfully convicts hundreds of men and women. Although the number of executions carried out every year continues to drop in the U.S., the death penalty still exists in 31 states. Moreover, in some non-death penalty states, factions seek to reinstate it. Until I Could Be Sure: How I Stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois is, in his own words, the story of George Ryan’s journey from death penalty proponent to death penalty opponent. His story continues to resonate today. He defied the political winds and endured the fury and agony of the families of the victims and the condemned as well as politicians, prosecutors and law enforcement. It is a story of courage and faith. It is a timely reminder of the heroic acts of a Republican Governor who was moved by conscience, his faith and a disturbing factual record of death row exonerations.

Two formidable men collide in this "first-class legal thriller" and New York Times bestseller about a celebrated criminal defense lawyer and the prosecution of his lifelong friend -- a doctor accused of murder (David Baldacci).At eighty-five years old, Alejandro "Sandy" Stern, a brilliant defense lawyer with his health failing but spirit intact, is on the brink of retirement. But when his old friend Dr. Kiril Pafko, a former Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, is faced with charges of insider trading, fraud, and murder, his entire life's work is put in jeopardy, and Stern decides to take on one last trial.In a case that will be the defining coda to both men's accomplished lives, Stern probes beneath the surface of his friend's dazzling veneer as a distinguished cancer researcher. As the trial progresses, he will question everything he thought he knew about his friend. Despite Pafko's many failings, is he innocent of the terrible charges laid against him? How far will Stern go to save his friend, and -- no matter the trial's outcome -- will he ever know the truth?Stern's duty to defend his client and his belief in the power of the judicial system both face a final, terrible test in the courtroom, where the evidence and reality are sometimes worlds apart.Full of the deep insights into the spaces where the fragility of human nature and the justice system collide, Scott Turow's The Last Trial is a masterful legal thriller that unfolds in page-turning suspense -- and questions how we measure a life.