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    The Confession: A Novel
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    The Confession: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Confession: A Novel
    Ebook536 pages8 hours

    The Confession: A Novel

    By John Grisham

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An innocent man is about to be executed. Only a guilty man can save him.
     
    In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, Travis Boyette 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?

    Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateOct 26, 2010
    ISBN9780385534130
    Unavailable
    The Confession: A Novel

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    Reviews for The Confession

    3.5/5

    984 ratings97 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Excellent but sad. Heart wrenching when Roberta is washing her son's body.
    • 4/5
      I read this when it first came out and enjoyed it. I am not going to write a full review now as I would not be able to do it justice.
    • 5/5
      Grisham always is good, but I was hesitant to continue reading this book because it seemed so slow starting. I was about 150 pages into it when I realized I was hooked. This story about the death sentence is intriguing. Makes a strong, strong case against putting people to death, even for the most heinous crimes. Grisham emphasizes the anti-death penalty point of view, but he ignores the argument for death. When there is absolutely no doubt that a person is a killer, why should society continue to pay to support him/her for the rest of her/his life? The biblical injunction against killing jiust does not seem sufficient when we face some of the most horrible killers in history.
    • 2/5
      Not much to say about this one really. It started out like one of his earlier books and then just started to go down hill. There was just so much useless detail and I found myself doing a lot of skimming.
    • 4/5
      Not Grisham's finest, but the man can write a good story. Unfortunately here, he gets really preachy in his loathing of the death penalty (and Texas). Consequently, the characters stop being interesting and become mere voices for his talking points. Corruption, yes, racial prejudice, certainly, but reducing the principal characters to all good and all bad doesn't make great reading. An okay beach read and that's about it.
    • 5/5
      Very interesting. The main body of the book was Grisham at his absolute best. Just when you thought the story was going to end (Wait! what are all these extra pages?)... he took you beyond the end of the story, and you realized that this was what you were waiting for. Then, when you though the story would REALLY end (but there are still more pages?) Grisham got a bit preachy and political, but in such a way that it was totally in keeping with the book.

      Well done.
    • 4/5
      Grisham's usual page-turner, this one focuses on the human cost of capital punishment in Texas especially of the innocent, The main character, a Lutheran minister, drawn into the case almost by chance, is sympathetically drawn.
    • 5/5
      One of the few books that actually made me cry. Great writing as always.
    • 5/5
      excellent portrayal of a judicial system, hopefully not a true portrayal of the Texas system.
    • 1/5
      John Grisham's diatribe against (1) the death penalty (DP) and (2) Texas.The problem with political and religious diatribes pretending to be novels is that the plots are obvious from the beginning and the characters have the depth and color of monochromatic paper-dolls. The characters in The Confession are not monochromatic paper-dolls because paper-dolls are two dimensional and these characters are one dimensional. Grisham hates the DP and his 'proof' is that in a state where every single public official is totally corrupt, i.e. Texas, it is possible that an innocent person may be convicted and executed.Well, duh? A valid 'proof' against the DP would not be a novel but a history of the DP along with a cogent argument that even the worst offender in history, e.g. Himmler, should be spared. The story centers on a black high school football player who was convicted of murdering a white high school cheerleader--although no body was found and only one girl was missing. But then, just before the sentence is to be carried out, a low life, who is dying of cancer, confesses to the main character. The MC is a lawyer--of course--who tries to get a stay of execution in time to dig up the body. [Warning: Plot spoiler next sentence.] He fails because every official in Texas, including the Federal judges, is totally corrupt and also a white supremacist, anti-black racist. Grisham tries but fails to make this believable. The Pope has a better argument against the DP. You may google it online. But the Pope doesn't hate Texas. So if you hate Texas and the DP, you might enjoy this book.
    • 2/5
      This could have been an interesting subject but the book was too predictable. At some point I realized that I didn't like any of the characters and didn't care what they did or what happened to them.
    • 5/5
      I thought this was one of the best Grisham novels since his early classics like A Time to Kill and The Chamber. Like those, this deals with weighty issues such as racism in the criminal justice system and in American society more generally, and the principles behind and application of the death penalty. The plot concerns the nine year imprisonment of a young black man Donte Drumm, after a confession is forced out of him to having murdered his white girlfriend. The action of the story concerns the confession of the real killer in the days leading up Drumm's execution date and the frantic efforts to save the latter from being executed for a crime he did not commit. It's gripping stuff and a great liberal novel, though perhaps not handled with quite the delicacy of those earlier classics.
    • 1/5
      The problem with reading clubs is that occasionally someone suggests a dud and one feels forced to finish the book out of courtesy to the other participants. That's what happened here.

      I abhor the death penalty. I approve of Grisham's message 100%, but my goodness this book is repetitive and tedious. Not to mention I felt bruised and battered by being hit over the head constantly by the message. I listened to it and found the FF button to be incredibly useful. The irony was I could fast forward 15 minutes and think I hadn't moved forward at all. The characters are stereotypical cardboard cutouts. Their speeches (they don't talk, they proclaim,) are all cookie-cutter, but the dough gets stale quickly. The book would have been much stronger had there been some shades of gray, some ethical tensions. There just are none here.

      For example, did the prosecutors and cops set out to kill an innocent man? Of course, not. They were subject to cultural, racial, and political pressures. An examination of the force of those pressures would have made a much more interesting book. And what if there had been no confession? How about an examination of the legal hurdles that prevent uncovering police malfeasance? Or an examination of the Supreme Court's reasoning that innocence is not a defense? (See Connick v Thomson.) To quote Reason Magazine: "Scalia has written in the past that there's nothing in the Constitution to prevent the government from executing an innocent person. He also apparently believes there's no duty for the government to preserve or turn over evidence that would prove a person's innocence. Finally, from Connick we learn he also believes that prosecutors and municipalities shouldn't be held liable to people who are wrongly convicted and imprisoned, either, even if prosecutors knowingly concealed the evidence that would have exonerated them." Now *that* would have made a fascinating book.

      I don't like giving negative ratings and usually don't review books I didn't like, but in this case I resent the time spent listening to this; it was like trying to move through quicksand. Be interesting to see what the rest of the group thinks, especially since they are a particularly high-minded literary group.

      Do you suppose the moderator got it wrong and it should have been Augustine's Confessions?

    • 3/5
      The Confession? Worth a read but not in the John Grisham league. Would have thought he'd have the experience not to stretch this one as far as he did. The cover notes tell the whole story really
    • 3/5
      Ehhh. It wasn't my favorite Grisham. I really enjoyed parts 1 & 2, but part three was just so explicationexplicationexplication. I had to really push myself through it. Additionally, I don't love when I feel like an author's using a book as a political tract (whether I agree or not), so the end just left me feeling very blah.

      That said, I usually really like Grisham's writing, and more than half the book was up to his usual standard and held my interest really well. So 3 stars.
    • 4/5
      A lutheran minister listens to an apparently terminally ill guy confess to the rape and murder of a high school student in Texas. An innocent man would soon be executed for this murder. Thus begins John Grisham's latest suspenseful book. Very enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      For 2/3 of this book, Grisham had me. I am a huge fan of his earlier books (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Runaway Jury, etc.), but his books the last five or years have disappointed. I haven't picked up a Grisham novel in quite a while, but the plot of "The Confession" grabbed my interest--a young black man is set to be executed in Texas, and the real killer is ready to confess. The police and prosecutors don't want to hear that they have the wrong man, and it's up to the defense attorney and a minister to set things right.The crazy rush to try and stop the execution was a thrill ride to read--adn I won't ruin it for you and tell you whether or not they were successful.Because of the heart racing pace of the book, I couldn't put it down. In my opinion, it's no coincidence that his main character is a minister, because the author has some preaching to do. This is where the book lost me a bit, and I was disappointed. While I agree with the author's stance on the death penalty, he was far too heavy handed. Her practically beats the reader upside the head with his opinions, and readers don't tend to appreciate that. At one point, he gives a long-winded rundown of the various anti-death penalty groups in the nation. This is in no way central to the story, but is strictly designed for the reader. I imagine Grisham hopes that after reading the novel, we will all immediately go to one of these organizations' web sites and sign up. Grisham even tells us how much it costs to be a member.Had he not delved to far into preachiness, I would have rated this book higher. It truly is a thrill ride, and you don't know what's going to happen until it does. I'd recommend it, but tread lightly at the end.
    • 4/5
      More standard Grisham, although this novel does have a twist to it. The feel is familiar, and the legal arguments abundant. There are humorous moments as well as sad ones. All in all, it's an enjoyable weekend read.
    • 5/5
      GREAT read! Loved every minute of this book. John Grisham is the man when it comes to storytelling!!!
    • 3/5
      No doubt, a brilliant case against death penalty. But though it did have a page-turner quality about it, like most John Grisham's novels, this one was a bit predictable almost from the beginning - as soon as the character of Travis Boyette was introduced and explained. The only thing that still held my attention was the hope that the good deed would be done and execution stopped. But alas, Grisham had to have his dark side prevail.
    • 4/5
      Grisham's extended anti death penalty rant is still a good read. Grisham still knows how to take a reader for a great ride but the extended suspense is missing here as is the twist at the end that marked some of his earlier novels.
    • 3/5
      Book started off pretty good, but less than half way through started to get ho-hum. Was disappointing read.
    • 4/5
      As a career prosecutor, I am most certainly a law-and-order person. I think that punishment should be dealt out according and that the judicial system generally works. Even though this is fiction, it certainly is not beyond the realm of reality....when death is the ultimate punishment, there is no room for errors.Grisham explores the errors that can plague an emotionally charged case: bad cops who use brawn and intimidation, the media visibity of emotionally wrought victims, prosecutors being steadfastly result orientated, appellate courts rubber stamping and affirming, all of which results in the voices of the innocent being ignored, being disregarded or flat out being denied.Of course, when the crime is henious, such as the murder of a young girl (here a 17 year old white cheerleader from Texas), the public cry for retribution is loud. And the many characters in the City of Sloan team together to deliver a result.Grisham tends to have characters in the extreme--the good ones are wholly good and the bad ones are wholly bad. I know this going into the story, so I don't get distracted. I think that formula works well in The Confession, leaving the reader to truly consider the implications of the Death Penalty.After being a life time supporter, I remain committed to pursue death if appropriate as per my job, but personally, I am struggling with the reality of it. Whether that is from age, life experiences, or my Christian view, I am not sure, but this book certainly brought that debate back into the forethought of my mind.
    • 4/5
      This book is very easy reading and is the 20th Grisham book I have read. The lawyer involved in defending the guy who was browbeaten into giving the false confession is a competent and hard-working lawyer, even if excessively flamboyant. I found the book often poignant and was caght up in the account most of the time. It is one of Grisham's better books, though maybe I say that because I do not believe anybody, even the state, should kill with deliberation and malice aforethought except in self-defense..
    • 3/5
      An entertaining read but certainly not one of Grisham's best books.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful case for the abolishment of capital punishment.
    • 5/5
      It isn't often I have a chance to read John Grisham, but when I do, I really enjoy his books. This one had me sitting on the edge of my seat since the clock was ticking as a crusading lawyer, a minister, and an ex-con tried desperately to keep Texas from executing an innocent man.Both side of the controversy are very well represented and the Texas propensity for executing criminals without too much public angst is featured prominently. Given that the prisoner on death row is black and the town he comes from, as well as state officials, are predominantly run by white men, you also have a looming race riot. The mother of the white victim has found her niche in life as she finds media attention and sympathy, until everyone tires of her turning on the waterworks constantly. Donte Drumm, the one convicted of murdering her daughter, has been on death row for nine years so most people have had enough. Then an ex-con living in a halfway house in Kansas comes to talk to a Lutheran minister nearby and tells him that he is the actual killer. His story sounds legitimate. He also says he has a brain tumor and only a few months to live so he wants to confess and not let Texas execute the innocent man. Too bad he is cooperative one minute and anything but cooperative the next. The minister, a well-drawn character, is launched on a life-changing few days as the execution draws nearer and nearer. He will never be the same.There are repercussions for everyone involved in this case and although there are many characters, there is never any confusion about who is who, or who is on what side of the issue. It's Grisham at his best in my opinion. Source: gift. Recommended reading.
    • 5/5
      The Confession engaged me from the first page and didn't let up until the last. In the small town of Slone, Texas, a popular white high school cheerleader is missing; the person who was accused of and confessed through coercion to the murder is a well-liked black football star. For nine years a lawyer Robbie Flak carries on Donte Drumm's defense while Donte sits on Death Row, the days, hours and minutes ticking away.Several states away in Kansas a paroled sex offender living in a half-way house stumbles into a minister's office to come clean about the killing of the cheerleader...after nine years. The minister begins the journey of his life, driving the confessed murderer to Texan to clear Donte of the murder and stop the execution.This is definitely an anti-death penalty book: it shows the nitty gritty about lack of concrete evidence in trials, police confession tactics, the justice system (judges, and lawyers alike), and the impact upon a small town, its citizens and families.
    • 5/5
      In 1998, Travis Boyette raped and murdered a popular high school student in Sloan, Texas. To his amazement, Donte Drumm, the school's football star, was wrongly convicted of his heinous crimes and sent to death row Now nine years later, Travis, who has an inoperable brain tumor and is stricken with guilt, decides to confess in a bid to save Donte, who has just four days before his execution.
    • 5/5
      From the very first sentences I knew that this book would be a quick read as I was drawn ever deeper into the world of Texas Justice and death row. The imminent death of a convicted murderer and the unlikely characters who aim to save his life make this intriguing story one which keeps the reader up late at night wanting to turn the next page to discover what happens next.

      While this is a wonderful work of fiction, the harsh reality of life is that many convicted murderers claim innocence. Some are. Society needs to make sure that the convicted person is, in fact, guilty of the crime for which they have been convicted.