Our Scott Martelle had a piece in the Los Angeles Times over the weekend on Scott Turow and his sequel to the 1987 groundbreaking novel, "Presumed Innocent." Turow's new novel, "Innocent," picks up with lawyer -- now judge -- Rusty Sabich, whose trial formed the core of the original novel. And yes, Sabich is accused of murder again. From the story:
[I]t helped make Turow a rich man. In a harbinger of Hollywood deals to come, Sydney Pollack bought the film rights for $1 million before the book even came out in August 1987. The paperback rights quickly sold for $3 million — a record for a debut novel.
Yet "Presumed Innocent" also propelled what had been a marginal genre — the legal thriller — to the top of the bestseller list, paving the way for successors such as John Grisham.
And now, 23 years later, Sabich is back in full as the main character in "Innocent" (Grand Central: 408 pp., $27.99), Turow's latest. Another body has been found, and this time the victim is Sabich's wife. While Sabich's innocence is again presumed, it's not so clear that he really is.
"When you write books, something grabs at you, and it's often years later that you understand what it is you're trying to do, and what it is that's moving you," Turow says. "For whatever reason, it felt like I just needed to check back in with this guy."
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