Review of Presumed Innocent (1990) by Tolik T — 23 Jun 2015

"Just catch me a bad guy," he orders Sabich. From this simple directive, Presumed Innocent turns into a delicately interwoven entanglement of private, public and self-interest. The ingenious premise of the mystery is simple: What if the "bad guy" is the prosecutor? Turow, himself an experienced prosecutor, knows the terrain, and his insider's grasp of how the system really works has been richly captured by Pakula.

The case against Sabich grows more persuasive, and he is further undermined by the way he has handled the evidence. He had an adulterous and torrid affair with Polhemus that she broke off, creating the suspicion that the murder was the enraged act of a rejected lover. Factors and constituencies beyond his control and even his understanding come into play, and he is formally charged with the killing.