True Crime fans and Grisham fans alike will enjoy this collection of stories of those who faced unimaginable injustice at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them. These stories will have you questioning how anyone could make such a terrible mistake. Grisham and McCloskey takes turns recounting the detailed stories, and both do it well. While at times the narrative can be slowed down by the numerous court decisions and legalese, slightly more that a typical Grisham novel, the authors try to be as concise as possible without leaving out important details. Each of these stories could be their own book or movie, and readers will no doubt want to investigate one or two further.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is a compilation of stories which are written by two different authors. Each one tells a story of where a person or multitude of people were erroneously convicted and sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit. Each story tells of the crime that resulted in each conviction. It then goes into detail how law enforcement, prosecutors and even judges worked to prevent disclosure of evidence which would have exonerated the. The police made up their mind that the party was guilty and made no effort to find if someone else was responsible. Most of the cases bring to mind the time of the good old days where individuals that were considered outsides became the main suspects.

This is definitely a book that you need to read and will leave you questioning how many other similar instances are still around.

Riveting, sad, stupidity, loss of trust, prejudice people, lacking the ability to say your wrong, downright asinine are just a few of the things that went through my head as I read these stories. Well written, researched, heartfelt care and determination are what make this book. You'll never look at the world again through rose-colored glasses. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this galley. It was a difficult, heart wrenching read, but shared a very important message; one that stays with the reader long after the final page has been read. A must read for anyone with a conscience.

Several weeks ago I read an opinion piece in the New York Times that argued for the abolishment of the death penalty. While it was a very well written piece, I was still undecided on the issue.

Then I read Framed, co-written by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey. As someone who was raised to always obey a police officer, believe in our judicial system, and uphold the concept of innocent until proven guilty, this book was shocking. Each author wrote 5 different stories of individuals who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. There was police corruption, witnesses tampering and judicial misconduct just to name a few of the misdeeds.

This book has changed my opinion on the death penalty. Is the death penalty ever justified? That is a question that each individual has to answer.

I’m not looking to get political. I realize this can be a sensitive topic. Reading Framed can be an important source of information for anyone who is struggling with an answer.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. The publication date is October 15, 2024.

I have been a fan of John Grisham for a long time. I didn’t discover his first novel, A Time to Kill, until it’s second release after The Firm and The Pelican Brief (which I devoured) shot up the bestseller lists. Experts say to write what you know. Grisham certainly knows the law since he was a practicing attorney long before he retired to write full-time.

In this non-fiction work, Grisham teams up with Jim McCloskey, retired founder of Centurion, a non-profit organization dedicated to seeking the overturning of wrongful convictions. The two authors outline the facts of five cases each, telling in detail how mistakes were made and sometimes outright lies were coerced. Even in the face of clear evidence of innocence, some of the convicted never were exonerated. One of the men was even executed for something he didn’t do.

As I read the first chapter of Framed, I felt shocked at how badly the case was bungled, at how manipulative the police and the prosecutors were. It made me realize what lengths people will sometimes go to in order to avoid admitting that they made a mistake or how focused they get on one suspect and ignore all evidence that proves they have it wrong. I kept thinking it couldn’t get worse, but it always got worse.

Then I read the second chapter and the third. Chapter after chapter, case after case, all with a common theme—law enforcement and prosecutors so focused on manipulating the narrative to the detriment of the truth. It made me sad…and shocked…and angry that these kinds of things happen. In all of the cases, clear evidence is uncovered and ignored, sometimes for decades. This book is a testament to the fact that our justice system is far from perfect.

I don’t know that I could continue to fight as long as some of these defendants did. In so many of the cases, we read about confessions that were given just to stop the hours upon hours of interrogation, about suspects so sleep-deprived they start to believe they actually did what they were accused of. I cannot imagine being in their situations, let alone knowing how I would handle them.

I would never say that all police are bad. I won’t even say most are bad. Plenty of my friends and family include people in law enforcement. My grandmother was a clerk in the Circuit Court, so we learned very young what to do if we were ever stopped by the police. (And no, it was not to give her name. 😉) Knock on wood, I have never had a negative interaction with law enforcement. I also recognize that I come from a place of privilege to be able to say that.

I am not a huge reader of non-fiction. I sought this one out because John Grisham’s name is on the cover. It is worth the time you will spend on it. It can seem convoluted at times, but I feel like that’s the nature of these cases. Lover of true crime? Pick this one up. Believe in “truth, justice, and the American way”? Pick this one up. Think that these things could never happen to you? Definitely pick this one up. You won’t be sorry you did.

Framed is a collection of ten short stories based on the United States Judicial system. I use the word "stories" lightly as they are are all true wrongful convictions and the book written by best selling author John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, founder of Centurion Ministries who has worked for 45 years trying to free the innocent parties to these and many many more wrongful convictions.

I read this book with fascination and incredulousness as these stories are completely outrageous as to how the interrogations and gathering of false evidence took place, from wrongful interrogations to judges who refused to be budged by the truth and "experts" in their fields who had done no more than take a very short course and clearly had no real knowledge of the subject.

It is completely outrageous how so many innocent people, families and lives have been ruined by these miscarriages of justice. A big well done to Jim and the lawyers and many others involved who fought on every occasion, but so much time and lives have been lost in the process.

I'm glad I read this book and hope perhaps that some of these stories may be made into movies or tv shows to bring to the forefront of more people's minds in the hope that things like this don't continue to happen.

Framed by Jim McCloskey and John Grisham is a book full of stories about men and women convicted of murders on basically no evidence and then spending years in prison before getting justice. Imagine stopping to ask a police woman for directions only to be arrested and charged with murder less than an hour later and spending the next 24 years in prison or going to wash the family laundry and stopping to get more quarters and the next day finding out the reason the cashier was nowhere around it was because he was murdered and when you call the police to tell them what you saw you soon find yourself arrested and blamed for his murder. This book is full of egregious examples of why it is okay to believe in the system but never in the people who run it. There were those who got arrested because they were black they have those who were arrested because there were white in those who were arrested just because they were convenient you will want to throw this book across the room it made me so angry and another reason why most people don’t trust the law or policeman. The saddest part of this book was the fact there were so many stories and it in no way got close to being most of them there’s so many innocent people in prison spending years in prison just because they don’t have access to good attorneys, they get lazy detectives or it’s a campaign year. I think John Grisham and Jim McCluskey did an awesome job with the stories in this book I promise you if the stories in this book don’t move you an outrage you, you need to get therapy… I am so serious. #NetGalley,#Double day books, #Jim McCloskey, #John Grisham, #framed,

I found "Framed" ten stories of wrongful convictions, a mind-blowing and absolute gripping read. The author's, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey each chose five meticulously researched and beautifully written stories of real people, locked up, some for decades. We should all be outraged by convictions based on ridiculous police investigations, jail-house snitches, junk science, and interrogations that are more like torturous breakdowns of the suspects ability to think. Writing "Framed" surely took incredible work and I thank the author's for this important book. I hope to see it sitting on the bestseller list for a long time. Thank you Netgalley, publisher and authors for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.

This is a collection of true stories of wrongful convictions as told by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey. Each story has similarities: someone is accused despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, regardless of other evidence they are still pursued as the guilty party, appeals are usually denied, and the reader is left wondering how the heck our justice system could so blatantly fail. What is significantly different are the endings. Each wrongly convicted person has a different outcome, some much more heartbreaking than others. Although these stories weren’t easy to get through, reading this seemed to fly by. By the fourth, fifth, even tenth story I was still blown away by the incompetence of those that are supposed to carry out the law and protect its citizens. Sad to say that so many of them took place in the very state I live it, although I’m not at all surprised.
My only complaint of this book was how at times someone was referred to by their first name and then in the next sentence by their last name. Some of these situations had so many people involved it was already difficult to keep track of who was who. Besides that, this was an easy 4 1/2 ⭐️. Highly recommend.
***Thank you NetGalley, Doubleday Books, Jim McCloskey, and John Grisham for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

Framed is a collection of ten true stories of people that have been wrongfully convicted of a crime. John Grisham writes five of the stories and Jim McCloskey writes the other five stories. Each story tells the story of someone that is wrongfully convicted of a crime. Many times law enforcement is trying to wrap up a case quickly and believes supposed "witnesses" without checking out their stories or the alibis that the convicted person may have. A lot of the stories have DNA to prove the wrongfully convicted person is innocent. You will be amazed as you read the stories and see how convoluted things can be when law enforcement is quick to judgement. Many of the people spent 20 plus years in prison before getting another trial that proved their innocence. Some of the people in these stories are still incarcerated hoping to get another trial. This is a very interesting book that is eye opening. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review. #netgalley #doubledaybooks

The subtitle is spot on--astonishing! While these true stories were hard to read, what's even harder to take is how often the authors say this happens. Gripping and evocative. For fans of true crime or anyone wanting to learn more about the justice system and wrongful convictions. Truly unbelievable!

I've been a Grisham fan since I was a teenager, but I haven't loved his more recent books. I was really excited to find his second non-fiction book about wrongful convictions was coming out on October 15th. It was hands down the best Grisham book I've read in a long time! Thank you to Netgalley, Doubleday, John Grisham, and Jim McCloskey for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Framed.

John Grisham partners with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, a leading organization in exonerating innocent people who've been wrongfully convicted to tell the mind-bending stories of ten different wrongful conviction cases. The mental gymnastics that were required to keep up with the corrupt police and judicial practices, trumped up motives, and outright bias in just the first chapter alone made my brain smoke, and seriously question the way America does justice. I've read several books on this topic, and each and every one of these stories are important because they showcase the dire need for reform in the justice system that never comes. There are certainly people who should be imprisoned, but jailing just one innocent person for years, decades, or taking their life is an unconscionable "travesty of justice."

My thanks to Net Galley and Doubleday for allowing me this arc.

Framed is a college of previous wrongly convicted cases that were re tried with current technology and information. Very well written and information.

As a loyal John Grisham fan I was delighted to be able to read this book prior to publication. I found it not to be a typical John Grisham book. This is more true crime in nature as it focuses on multiple cases where innocent people were found guilty of crimes they did not commit. It certainly highlights the fact that this country must do more in the judicial field to be sure innocent people are not placed in such situations. I found the book interesting, sad, and way too lengthy in certain situations. I hope reading this book may enlighten others.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy f this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Very good.

In discussing with a friend, it was suggested to google "Don't Talk to the Police" (corner of YouTube has Regent University / School of Law in bottom right corner). The Fifth Amendment provides "No person ... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.. The second part of this 46 min video provides some insight from Officer George Bruch of the Virginia Beach PD. People are inherently honest and/or they want to tell their story ... and people hate silence. In an interrogation room, the interviewee wants out of the room ... the detective has the opportunity for overtime. You are going to be interviewed by someone who is experienced, you are not. It's an unlevel playing field. (real world ... defendant next to defense attorney - strike 1; detective who is a professional witness - strike 2; confession - strike 3 ... this is a jury of your peers. You need to prove your innocence.) Keep your mouth shut.

Police can lie in interview/interrogation. This came up over and over in FRAMED (and also at the end of the YouTube). Don't write a confession, don't admit that they deceased was gorgeous, just take the fifth.

Framed reviews 10 cases where police wanted to close cases and people were framed. Snitches, sweetheart deals, profiling, "experts" who aren't experts or paid for their testimony. People who went to prison for decades and some who executed. Framed is eye-opening.

Dr. James Grigson (was a forensic psychiatrist ... and career witness) in two of the 10 cases. The press dubbed him Dr. Death and the American Psychiatric Assoc expelled him in 1995 for unethical conduct. He testified in 167 capital trials.

4 - 5 stars ... because there were so many characters and the chapters/individual stories now feel like they have all rather run together. Just so horrifying how interrogators and the "justice" system was able to frame these men.

Many thanks to Doubleday Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Framed by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey in exchange for an honest review. 368 pages. Publication date is Oct 15, 2024. Based on the acknowledgements, the actual book will have photos ... but they were not included in the advance read copy.

Has a wealthy white male ever been wrongfully convicted of a violent crime?

I would honestly like to know.

A 2022 report found that Black people are 7 times more likely than white people to be wrongly convicted of murder.

All wrongful convictions that I’m aware of, regardless of race, have been people from marginalized communities.

FRAMED brings us 10 cases of wrongful convictions. These men spent decades of their lives incarcerated for crimes they had nothing to do with.

Perhaps the worst part, the most appalling aspect, is that in all of these cases, the facts were right there for anyone interested in finding the truth.

The overlap in the shoddy investigations and persecutions (these were not legal prosecutions) blew my mind. Different cities, different cases, same old, tired excuse for a justice system.

I personally prefer longer, in-depth books over the kind of short case summaries presented here. Still, this is an important read that I recommend.

This book was jointly written by two authors. Each innocence case was told by one author. Some of the cases were very wild and in some cases the story followed tangents that made the story difficult to follow. I work in corrections and frankly, criminal cases are very much like that, lots of rabbit holes. That said, some stories challenged my interest to connect the dots. Overall, I am always curious and sad about people that are found guilty and later proven innocent. The evidence in several of the cases involved was bizarre at best, it concerns me that this happens among the professionals we are to trust in the system. I think it is a good reminder to be a critical and objective thinker, and the human condition, how beliefs and emotions can impact the outcomes of matters of liberty.

I am drawn to stories about wrongful convictions. I work in a field that is within the criminal justice area so that isn't unexpected. Our judicial system is highly flawed and sadly once someone in incarcerated, if they are innocent it's so hard for the wrong to be righted. John Grisham and Jim McCloskey each present cases that showcase wrongful convictions. The cases that Jim McCloskey showcases are ones he's worked on with his non-profit, Centurion Ministries. Because of Jim's first hand knowledge of the cases, I found his storytelling more compelling than those provided by John Grisham. It's obvious from both that a lot of research went into all the stories due to the amount of detail provided.

The more we talk about stories of wrongful convictions, the more I hope it'll help to change things in the judicial system. Unless we are willing to deal with racism in the US; however, I find that unlikely. If you think racism doesn't play a role in incarcerate, please read this book along with other stories dealing with false incarceration, such as Just Mercy and The Sing Sing Files.

Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Framed is a powerful and deeply moving collection of real-life stories that shine a light on the devastating impact of wrongful convictions. John Grisham and Jim McCloskey expertly present these cases with compassion, shedding light on the human toll of injustice. Each story is a reminder of the flaws within the justice system and the incredible strength of those who fought for their freedom.

The writing is sharp, engaging, and emotionally resonant, making it impossible to put down. This book is not only an engrossing read but also an important call for reform. Highly recommended for anyone interested in true crime, justice, and human resilience!