Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This collection of true stories is as infuriating as it is heartbreaking. It is hard to believe how blatantly our legal system has failed so many innocent people. The fact that it was literally impossible for most of these innocent people to commit the crimes they were imprisoned for committing meant nothing to the prosecutors, investigators and detectives. It will make me second guess even reporting a crime if I ever witness one because apparently that can get you life in prison depending on which detectives and prosecutors are assigned to the case. These stories were all insane. I highly recommend this for anyone that is interested in true crime (or even fictional crime because most of these stories are unbelievable even though they are true).

For a nonfiction this was quite engaging and gives readers an insight into the depths of our justice system. I really enjoyed reading this one!

For those of you that love a good suspenseful John Grisham book this may not be for you. This non fiction account of inmates wrongfully accused of crimes is interesting and frustrating at the same time, a combination of hopeful after fighting for justice and just plain bad luck for the person from the justice system for even putting them behind bars to begin with. This book will make you question how many others are behind bars truly innocent and put there from bad police work or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This book needed to be written to shine light on what is happening to people. I would highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, John Gresham, Jim Mcloskey, and Doubleday books for allowing me to review this ARC!

I want to caution readers that going into this book you will want to prepare your mind for the heartbreaking stories of innocent people that have suffered the injustices of wrongful incarceration. There are so many stories of corruption, incompetence and outright manipulation. It gets really hard to read story after story of these people and that any one of us could find ourselves in these same situations. Many of these stories are from decades ago and we hope that our legal system has improved on many of these mistakes that make up these stories but you just can imagine that it could happen to anyone again if you found yourself in similar circumstances. I was especially shocked about how many of these cases were in Texas and the southern states.
True Crime followers may find these stories interesting but also sometimes very hard to read. Rating this book is based upon the mountains of research gone into each story and also about the level of detail. I could picture the scene described so vividly. .

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

John Grisham's Framed isn't your typical legal thriller. Instead of a fictional courtroom drama, it delves into the chilling reality of wrongful convictions in the United States. Co-written with Jim McCloskey, a lawyer known for exonerating the wrongly accused, Framed offers a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of a broken system.

The book unfolds through ten true stories of individuals who were imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit. Grisham's masterful storytelling brings each case to life, showcasing the devastating impact on victims who lose years, even decades, of their lives. The book exposes the factors that lead to wrongful convictions, including racism, police misconduct, flawed witness testimony, and a justice system more concerned with securing convictions than uncovering the truth.

Framed isn't an easy read. The stories are heartbreaking, and the portrayal of injustice can be infuriating. However, Grisham's clear and concise writing makes the book accessible to a wide audience. It's a wake-up call, forcing readers to confront the harsh realities of the American legal system.

The fragility of innocence: The book highlights how easily lives can be shattered by a flawed investigation or a single piece of faulty evidence.

The human cost of injustice: Beyond the legal ramifications, wrongful convictions leave a lasting emotional scar on individuals and their families.
The need for reform: Framed serves as a call to action, urging readers to advocate for changes within the justice system to prevent such tragedies from occurring.

Whether you're a longtime Grisham fan or simply interested in social justice issues, Framed is a powerful and important read. It's a reminder that the fight for justice is ongoing, and that we all have a role to play in ensuring a fairer legal system.

However, it's important to note that this book is non-fiction. If you're looking for Grisham's usual fast-paced legal thrillers with fictional narratives, Framed might not be your cup of tea.

The book’s subject was interesting, but I felt it got into the weeds at times and my mind would start to wander…3⭐️
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced reader copy of the e-book.

This book will open your eyes to the injustices done in the legal process in trying to obtain and prosecute a person for a crime. You will read about 10 cases where the innocent is found guilty, spent even decades in prison before being released due to dedicated individuals working tirelessly for years to prove their innocent. I have always had great respect for all levels of our law enforcement community from police up to and including our court system. But I must admit after reading this book, my faith in our judicial process has waned considerably. The lengths prosecutors go to to get a conviction is quite disturbing: tunnel vision, suborning perjury, intimidating witnesses to change their accounts on their statements, hiding or ignoring evidence, unqualified "expert" witnesses, to promote their own political or career advancements and the list could go on and on. I am not saying our entire system throughout our country is corrupt but it makes you wonder. The one thing I found most disturbing is the lack of prosecution or reprimand for the individuals in law enforcement all the way up to our judges, who actually broke the law, which was proven,

My heart goes out to the innocent who were wrongly convicted because of these practices done by law enforcement and what they had to endure. Since these practices have been going on for decades, makes you wonder how many innocent people are imprisoned. My hat goes off to the many groups and individuals, named in the book, trying to correct the injustices done by corrupt law enforcement. Follow the evidence, explore every lead and don't disregard or ignore because it doesn't support your original theory of the crime. Humiliation is worth enduring rather than sending an innocent person to death row. Admit when you make a mistake, you will garner respect from the people in showing you are not infallible but willing to correct your wrongs.

Needless to say, this is a well written book which will elicit a wide range of emotions for the reader.

I received an ARC and this is my voluntary honest review.

Soooooo fascinating! I was totally immersed in each of these stories of exoneration, and read the book in record time. Grisham and McCloskey coordinated their efforts in exposing some of the absolute horrors of the legal system, and how some innocent people end up suffering for years needlessly. This was an eye opener for me, as I am one who has always had confidence in the law, and in law enforcement, and now I'm second guessing what I have believed in. And several of these events happened in my home state of Texas, which is even more concerning.

These accounts are quite detailed and I did have trouble keeping up with names and positions in some of the stories - that is more my problem then that of these exceptional writers. But I did get a little lost from time to time. I will say that I am a changed person after reading Framed, and I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy a good legal story, with these being the best because they are true!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Framed.

Thank You, NetGalley and Doubleday Books

Publish Date: October 15th, 2024

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book recounts ten cases of wrongful convictions, presenting intriguing yet, unsettling and crazy stories. It's frustrating to realize that a person can lose their life due to another's actions. The narratives flow seamlessly, and the book is well-written.

I highly recommend it once it's out in October

Framed is disturbing. It chronicles cases where innocent people were framed by the police, either because of ineptitude or racial bias or often a combination of both. It is well-written - the stories move right along - but it is not easy to read.

These are the stories of those wrongly convicted of crimes, primarily murder. While some may believe that our criminal justice system is the best that can be found in an imperfect world and that yes, they may be right about that belief, it is disturbing to be shown so clearly that terrible injustices remain more than a rare occurrence. It is even more disturbing to be shown so clearly that some in positions of power create those injustices to further their own political and personal positions and ambitions. Framed is a book that should receive wide circulation and should be read by everyone called to jury duty.
I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

This was such an interesting read. It was nothing short of mind blowing! Some of these stories are crazy and the corrupt people involved I don’t even have words!! It’s sad that one persons false accusations can steal your life!

I was very eager to start this book, I have read every book that John Grisham has published (I think) and was very excited to see him involved in another non-fiction.

Now let's talk about the content. The book features many stories of real-life people who have been incarcerated for a murder they did not commit. The ten stories have parts that are hard to read, not because of content or graphics but because the subjects were tried and convicted, and not one of them committed the crime.

This book is riveting. I could not put it down. I just had to know how the story would play out, hoping that the jury would find them innocent at the last second.

I am very grateful to the authors for opening my eyes to this injustice and to the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this one.

I highly recommend this book to all.

"Framed" is an extremely important book. Imagine being falsely imprisoned, sometimes for more than 20 years before someone comes to your aid. This book is maddening and heartbreaking.

Both authors, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, have worked to free the innocent. Grisham serves on the boards of the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries. McCloskey founded Centurion Ministries, which has rescued 70 innocent people from life or death sentences.

This book contains 10 heart-wrenching accounts of crimes where the wrong people were blamed. In several cases, corrupt police officers or prosecutors covered up exculpatory evidence. In another, a man was executed for killing his children by burning down their house. Local experts said this was a case of arson. It was not. No crime had been committed--except for the killing of an innocent man.

I recommend "Framed." The accounts are well-written and clearly describe the events surrounding the cases. Again, the book will make you furious and it will break your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy. This is my honest review.

A very disturbing, non fiction fact based book that includes hours and hours of research to find the truth. Eye opening is too weak of a description as the reader learns about a sick, corrupted, politically based justice system. Highly recommended.

good book about 10 cases and where it got messed up for the defendant and the crime. it showed how crazy the system is with different cases

This is an interesting but disturbing non-fiction book. The two authors John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, decided to write a book exposing the United States' abysmal record within the criminal justice system. Grisham is well know for his suspense fiction while McClosky is the founder of the Centurion (1983) - the first innocence organization in the world.

The authors were well aware of thousands of cases where the innocent were convicted and falsely imprisoned. As they couldn't write about all of them, they each chose 5 cases. Each one is carefully explained from the crime, investigation, trial and outcome. Experts think 6-8% of American inmates are innocent.

Each case is incredibly detailed. Some of the cases are heartbreaking and make me ill.

I am in not any way a criminology expert. Nor am I a fan on true crime books. But I am a follower of the Innocence Project and Innocence Network. Both groups have been successful in freeing hundreds. I will be following Centurion as well. For those unfamiliar with the groups, To Date: Centarion has exonerated 70+, the Innocence Project 750, and Innocence Network 86+.

There is utter outright open racism There are illustatations of total incompetence of law enforcement investigations. There are botched forensics, the insistance of junk science, outdated inadmissible interrogations tactics, and the use of self serving jailhouse snitches. Seriously, reading these cases make the criminal justice system look down right apocalyptic sounding.

It is not a quick read.

Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham, Jim McCloskey
Two authors with their own true life stories of how something could go so wrong that their clients end up in prison.
What I really is the organization behind it all, the lawyers, ministry and so many more.
Like that the story starts when everything was fine with the clients world then one day something goes wrong and before they know it they are the ones being accused of a murder.
Goes through the whole court scenes, evidence collected and the solutions that they come to.
Sometimes the cops persuade the clients that the death was their fault, sometimes the judge is corrupt, sometimes it's somebody else totally.
After imprisonment then he team really start working. They talk to those who were eye witnesses and how they really didn't see a thing and before you know it the client is freed. Some take years to gather the information.
Sometimes it's not so easy, sometimes it's too late because the court has the death penalty in place but the outcome was changed
even after their death.
Love the team and hope they find the time to help more that have been imprisoned wrongly and are released and given the money they are deserving of to exist on the outside.
So many intricate details the lawyers point out them all. So many emotions while reading this. Kept me up a few nights and I was so sad I cried at some of the outcomes.
Received this review copy from Doubleday Books Doubleday via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#Framed #NetGalley

I was haunted by Grisham’s other non-fiction book, The Innocent Man. So it was a no-brainer for me to read this one as well. I was not disappointed. The authors each shared 5 stories of exoneration from their years of being around, and working with Centurion Ministeries. Many of the cases were new to me, and one even gave me a different look at a case I’d see on ID and believed the guy was guilty.

This is a book I was invited to review. This is probably a book that should be some type of required reading, or at least put on the radar of the general public so people can become aware of the hundreds of people that this book applies to, and then learn about how our judicial system does, and doesn't work. This is not a book I would have picked up on my own to read, because the underlying theme of being framed with such serious consequences is truly terrifying. However, this book is well-researched and sheds light on all the ways our judicial system needs change.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Book for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.