"The Confession" - I Confess, I Liked It!

"Better that ten guilty persons escape
than that one innocent suffer."
- William Blackstone

As a bibliophile, I will pretty much read anything and everything.  I enjoy reading pop fiction as much classic literature and have Jane Austen, Shakespeare and Dickens sitting on the same book shelf as Janet Evanovich and Dean Koontz.  I am certain that this review will horrify my snobby literature friends that I actually read John Grisham's novel, The Confession.  I equally admit that I have read nearly all of Grisham's novels and, in general, find his writing to be enjoyable if somewhat formulaic. While it's not brilliant literature, Grisham's novels are fast, fun reads, which often present interesting moral issues.  The Confession fits into this category. The theory behind the story I found fascinating.

Synopsis: The novel focuses on a career criminal, Travis Boyette, who has, upon release from prison, been diagnosed with an inoperable terminal brain tumor. Nine years earlier in a small town in Texas, an African-American youth (Donte Drumm) had been found guilty and condemned to death row for the murder of a white high school cheerleader. Boyette committed this murder and while not feeling guilty over this miscarriage of justice, he would like to set the record straight and help Drumm.  The story starts three days before the death sentence is to be applied. Boyette along with Drumm's attorney and a minister from Kansas, attempt to right this wrong.

Review: One of the aspects that I enjoy about Grisham's novels are the moral issues that he presents.  Whether or not insurance companies should be responsible for their dying customers (The Rainmaker), or whether or not tobacco companies are at fault when a cigarette smoker dies of lung cancer (The Runaway Jury), Grisham's novels provide interesting commentary on controversies that Grisham clearly finds important and he often makes compelling arguments in which readers can discuss the merits of his claims.  The Confession is no different.  Grisham is preaching to the choir with me on the death penalty.  Personally, I abhor the death penalty and believe it should be eradicated. Death Penalty Focus, "one of the largest nonprofit advocacy organizations in the nation [who is] dedicated to the abolition of capital punishment," lists 10 sound reasons for opposing the death penalty.  In a civilized society, putting people to death for their heinous crimes is nothing short of vigilantism. It's cruel and does nothing to deter violent crime, add to that the chance of putting to death an innocent person.

I will not give away if or how the wrongful death penalty case is resolved in Grisham's novel.  You should read that for yourself. I do know you will find yourself infuriated by the callous nature that this case was handled.  Even though the reader knows that this is a fictional account, the reality is that this type of scenario can be found.  Since 1973, 138 people in 26 states have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence.  There is no way of knowing how many out of the 1,000+ people executed since 1975 may have been innocent.  But it stands to reason that there had to be at least 1 person put to death for a crime they never committed and that's 1 too many. Okay, I'll get down off my soapbox...for the moment.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars