I like the idea of this book, and it was interesting, but it’s easy to get lost in the details and names from one story to the next. It was hard for my mind to close one case and move onto the next without getting stories and people intertwined. Overall a 3 and average read for me. Interesting enough, but not captivating.

WOW what a book! I was given an ARC copy for a review. While the ARC copy I got did not have photos included I plan to look at a print copy to see the photos I missed. This one was quite an eye-opener for me. I've heard stories about innocent people going to jail but I guess never thought that much about it. After reading this book, I think I'll be a lot less trusting of police, although hopefully I never find myself in a situation like any of these people. One poor lady was only trying to help out by reporting what she saw and ended up in jail. Scary stuff. I even copied down some other titles mentioned and may look into them in the future. Pick this one up in October, you won't be disappointed!

Framed is a collection of ten stories focusing on the corruption of our judicial system — ranging from law enforcement to the courts. Hard to imagine that such corruption exists, but the stories tell a different tale. It was mind-boggling to learn of the unbelievable lengths that the courts, police and prosecutors went through to land or garner high conviction rates.

The collection of ten stories represent just a smidgen of the number of wrongful convictions in the United States. It’s unimaginable how the unbelievable narratives shaped the guilty perceptions among the jurors as well as law enforcement, thus convicting innocent men, tearing their families apart and ruining their lives forever.

Framed contains the stuff of movies, but the stories are inconceivably true. A collaborative effort by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, Framed is a definite must read for non-fiction/true crime fans. Five excellent stars!

Reading 2024
Book 142: Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

Got this one from #NetGalley. Haven’t read a John Grisham book in a long time and it is nonfiction so thought why not. Pub date is October 15, 2024.

Synopsis: In his first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man, #1 bestselling author John Grisham and Centurion Ministries Founder Jim McCloskey share ten harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions. Impeccably researched and grippingly told, Framed offers an inside look at the injustice faced by the victims of the United States criminal justice system.

Review: WOW! This book is astonishing! The stories told in this book are so out there, beyond the realm of believable, I was shaking my head while reading every single one. The book may have you down a Google hole as you look at each story to see where the people in the stories are now. I enjoyed the reading experience of John Grisham’s chapters better than the McCloskey chapters. My rating 3.5⭐️.

I have to say, "WOW." This book on injustice and racism in the law enforcement and judicial systems is unique. As someone who typically finds non-fiction books a bit dull, I found this one a pleasant surprise. Each chapter vividly portrayed the struggles of those who were wrongly arrested and imprisoned, often due to coerced witnesses and judges who turned a blind eye to evidence. The authors' skillful presentation of each case's facts and impact on individuals and their families was commendable.



I was given a free copy of the book by the publisher and NetGalley and I was not compensated for my review

What an interesting book. No snap judgments since you can ruin a person's life. Anyone that is interested in law should read this book and to get an in depth look at what really happens.

John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. Together, Framed offers an inside look at the many injustices in our criminal justice system and the true stories of wrongful convictions.

The chapter titled Guilty Until Proven Innocent seems to happen more than we probably know, especially with people of color or past criminal history. The chapter titled Autopsy Games discussed fascinating facts and the chapter was captivating.

The book was engaging and upsetting at times in how justice was not served for many many years. I would recommend this book.

#Framed #NetGalley @doubledaypub

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for "Framed".

This new short story collection, co-authored by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, prompts its readers to ask imploring questions of America's policing and justice systems. There are ten cases McCloskey and Grisham take turns laying out for readers.

Though each story is organized slightly differently, there’s a mission made true in the compiled volume. These authors pick apart evidence rather than focus as much on the wrongfully alleged perpetrators, which is a brilliant approach that comes across as putting the convictions themselves on trial. Each story is a lament: a scathing evisceration of prosecutorial and political misconduct, topped off with bleak glimmers of what could have been; what should have been, if the case had been handled properly.

The injustices of “justice” are laid out for readers like crime scene photos slide across an interview table. “Framed” slyly puts on trial the very trust (specifically, white) Americans are raised to have in police, in lawyers, in the government, elected leaders and “science”. It calls into question the very foundations of how investigations are handled and crimes litigated.

This book is a collection of ten heartbreaking stories of persons wrongly accused of crime. So many lives are lost, devastated due to neglect, lies, and corruption. The stories are well told and factual. Really makes you wonder just how many prisoners are really in this situation while the real criminal roams our streets and neighborhoods!

This book was informative, captivating and educational. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it and it made me think long after I turned the last page. Grateful for John Grisham and Jim McCloskey for writing such an amazing book and the research they did for the accuracy between the pages.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and did not have to write a review. All opinions are solely mine.

Heartbreaking, infuriating, and shocking. The ignorance, narcissistic, stupidity put forth by both judges, juries, and law enforcement almost had me pulling out my hair! I did shout out an obscenity or two. This book hurts. Its embarrassing to those of us who believe in the good guys aka the cops. I highly recommend this for the simple reason that it proves, without a doubt, that you almost....almost....can't trust anyone. Learn from the wrongfully convicted people in here, in case you get arrested or blamed for something you didn't do.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book was eye opening in many ways. It tells the stories of real individuals who were convicted and sent to jail for crimes they did not commit. This book is a must read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

John Grisham needs no introduction! Jim McCloskey is the founder of Centurion Ministries, a nonprofit organization that fights to free the innocent. Together, these co-authors present ten true stories of wrongful convictions. The stories are well-researched and, in the case of McCloskey, he has been intimately involved in the aftermath of the initial trials while working to overturn the convictions.

The stories are gripping, revealing the pain felt by the victims and the wrongfully convicted, neither of whom receive true justice, as well as the devastation brought to all families involved. If you think these stories are just about a case of mistaken identity, you would be so wrong. They are an eye-opening look at coerced confessions, malfeasance by law enforcement, prosecutors and judges, and perjured testimony. Some of the stories veer into absurdity, and it is hard to believe this is really our justice system at work. Even harder for me to understand is how a person can lie knowing they are sending someone to years on death row and eventual execution.

This book grabbed me from the start, didn’t let go and left a lasting impression. Lots to think about.

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

Thank you to #Doubleday and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #Framed. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Going back about 50 years, this is a riveting, heartbreaking account of 10 different wrongful convictions in the US criminal justice system. 5 stories are written by Grisham based on extensive research while the other 5 stories are written by McCloskey, who was personally involved in the cases thru his Centurion Ministries. While advances in science and forensics (like DNA analysis) has allowed for the re-examination of these cases, it is mind boggling how tightly the investigators, prosecutors and judges cling to the original verdict, how corrupt the system can be and how slowly the appeals proceed (i.e. decades).

Along with Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy and The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, this should be required reading for all US citizens.

John Grisham and Jim McCloskey's "Framed" is an anthology of miscarriages of justice and wrongful convictions in the United States. Each author describes five of the most unforgettable tales of wrongful conviction that they have encountered. The profiles are very clearly extremely well researched; the authors left no stone unturned in their quest for the facts. However, I ultimately felt that each profile was too wordy and the focus in each story was unbalanced--many, many pages were dedicated to describing what lead up to the innocent victim's arrest/conviction, court proceedings, and appeals processes, but very little room was dedicated to describing the ultimate fates of these wrongfully convicted citizens. It was also emotionally disheartening to read page after page of the corruption and willful negligence amongst police officers, district attorneys, judges, and other civil servants that led to these wrongful convictions, without the inclusion of any sort of corrective action or political movement in present day to account for the egregious errors that resulted in each miscarriage of justice. I commend the authors for taking on such a heavy undertaking, and I think that the stories of these innocent victims are worth learning about, but there was also a palpable tone of sarcasm throughout each of Grisham's profiles, which felt misplaced and inappropriate. I could recommend this for lawyers, policy makers, and advocates interested in wrongful conviction work, however, apart from that I don't think I would recommend this book to the casual reader.

Framed is a nonfiction piece of work, co-authored by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey. It tells the heartbreaking stories of ten wrongful convictions in recent U.S. history (1970’s and beyond). It was eye opening and distressing and disappointing. How much can and does go wrong with convictions- tunnel vision by law enforcement that they “have the right guy,” the unethical techniques used by the police to elicit confessions, the absurdity of unscientific testimony and unqualified “experts”(named as such sometimes after only a 40hr class and paper certificate), and the overuse of unreliable jailhouse snitches. It is quite frankly scary how easily these false convictions happened. My hope is that our nation is learning from its mistakes and putting in place changes so this doesn’t happen. However, I fear this may not be the case. We are lucky to have organizations like the Innocent Project and Centurion who have made it their missions to help.
If you enjoy the law and reading about it in detail, then this would definitely be a great choice. But honestly, this is so powerful that I think everyone should read it. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for my ARC.

John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, founder of Centurion Ministries, join forces to share ten unbelievable stories of wrongful convictions within the U.S. It amazed me the consistent issues of prosecutors who diligently work with snitches to incarcerate an innocent man while providing leniency or freedom to someone who is guilty. The blatant evidence ignored or withheld is mind boggling for prosecutors “hell-bent on clearing cases or gaining a conviction through a wide variety of illicit mean…” Kudos to the authors for a well-written book to raise awareness.

The authors state that their “goal with this book is to raise awareness of wrongful convictions and in some small way help to prevent more of them.” I hope this book is successful in attaining the goal! These stories are heart wrenching. No other way to put it. Everyone in the United States should be aware of this so we can all work toward equitable justice.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the injustices in the United States. Read it, you won’t regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! This book tells of wrongful convictions and how some of these innocent people are still locked up. How horrifying! Well written and very engaging.

Talk about man's inhumanity to man!

Framed is not an easy book to read. In fact, after reading the first story I was unsure if I would be able to read any more. These are stories of corruption and outright manipulation by the systems that are supposed to protect us. As I read the tragic occurrences of innocent people being convicted (and their lives destroyed) I found the stories to be equal parts horrifying and heartwrenching.

It's not a book I will soon forget.

My thanks to both #DoubledayBooks and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Framed. This book has an expected publication date of October 15, 2024.

#JohnGrisham #JimMcCloskey #Nonfiction #WrongfulConvictions

True crime lovers will definitely want to pick up a copy of Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions. This collection of actual accounts of wrongful convictions is informational and highly emotional. I found myself fluctuating between enraged, saddened, and bewildered at the behaviors and thinking of those involved in convicting those featured in these stories.

The cases chosen were very interesting and highly detailed. Both writers deftly sucked me into the emotional roller coaster of each story, due in large part, I’m sure, to their personal involvement with many of the cases. Throughout my reading I kept thinking that these stories demonstrate how much we need police/prosecutorial/judicial reform.

Some of the cases I’d heard of, and most, if not all sent me down the rabbit hole looking for more info. And I suppose if I had one beef about the book, it’s that some stories deserved more attention than they received in this collection. I am grateful to both authors for including source books and articles for me to read!

After each chapter I felt a bit hollow. What about the victim? Generally with these wrongful convictions the actual perpetrator(s) is never caught. Injustice on top of injustice.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.