4.5
My thanks to Net Galley, Macmillian Audio and Celadon Books for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

My hurt is full and a bit heavy to be honest after reading this book. I thought there was only a random few innocent people in prison but the more I learn (Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton and now this book), I have to agree something should be done with our justice system.

One journalist (Dan Slepian with Dateline), six innocent men, and a twenty year fight for justice is told in this book by Dan Slepian. I highly recommend the audio narrated by the author with voices from those in his stories. Hearing their stories and the impact on them and their families is powerful, but hearing the injustice done to these men is frustrating and makes me angry. I do have to admire JJ Velazquez's admirable thoughts on his situation all through his over two decades of being wrongfully convicted - everything happens for a reason - and he took the time to fight for his case as well as many others who were innocent and wrongfully convicted. Slepian shares overwhelming evidence of their innocence as well as what he calls a system that is nearly impossible to get anyone out of jail.

I highly recommend this book on audio.

This is an eye-opening look at the criminal justice system in our country. Yes, there are some people rightly convicted and then there are those that have been wrongly convicted, targeted and coerced into some type of confession. NBC Dateline producer, Dan Slepian, learned of an innocent man behind bars serving someone else’s crime which led to an investigation spanning over several years and uncovering the truth of five other innocent men as well. This book is well written and so interesting. It was like watching a Dateline episode — you don’t want to stop until you discover the truth. I highly recommend it on audio as it is narrated by Dan Slepian himself.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for this copy! Please check this one out if you love nonfiction, true crime, Dateline, and want to be appalled by how some prosecutors and some detectives only want to finish cases without caring to find the real truth. It is truly an eye opening read!

Over the years, I've become a faithful Dateline viewer and listener. I listened to Dan Slepian's Dateline specials "13 Alibis" and "Letters from Sing Sing" several times. When I was approved for an audiobook copy, I thought it might be repetitive because I had already listened to the podcast episodes. This was far from that. It's hard to picture what it's like to live day by day without hope and with injustice. Listening to the cases/stories in the book, I became angry and sad. At times, I became teary-eyed thinking of the many people who are currently incarcerated for wrongful convictions. Dan's book shines a light on the issues that existed then and continues to be an issue today. In these cases, there was no impartial jury. There was no physical evidence for a conviction. There was no justice, in my opinion. Out of all the stories in this book, JJ Velazquez's story is the one that brings so much joy and sadness at the same time. Listening to JJ read his own letters and, at times, lose all hope was heartbreaking; however, he never wavered and continued to declare his innocence. I was astonished at his determination not only to get his freedom but also to help others along the way. Because of him, other cases were given a second look. It is true what they say: "Everything happens for a reason," even JJ himself says it. While 20-plus years is a long time to serve in prison for something he didn't do, some good came of it. This truly is a remarkable book, and it's one that I recommend everyone read.

A huge thanks to both @celadonbooks & @macmillan.audio #macaudio2024 for my #gifted copies. #partners

The Sing Sing Files
By Dan Slepian

⚖️ One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice

When I heard that investigative journalist and veteran NBC Dateline producer Dan Slepian had a new book coming out, I knew it was a must read for me! Slepian has worked tirelessly for the past twenty years helping victims of wrongful convictions fight to clear their names, and he lays it all out in The Sing Sing Files.

It all started in 2002, when Slepian was tipped off by a Bronx homicide detective that two men had been wrongfully imprisoned for a 1990 murder, serving sentences of twenty-five years to life. This information kickstarts an investigation that ultimately leads to the men's exoneration. Having made a name for himself among the incarcerated, Slepian went on to investigate even more cases, leading to a two-decade journey that uncovered unimaginable corruption and lack of accountability within the US criminal justice system. Slepian's storytelling is captivating, his investigative accounting is meticulous, and his empathy and care is apparent on every page.

Wrongful conviction stories are among the most tragic, inciting simultaneous feelings of rage and heartbreak. This book absolutely broke me, and made me so ashamed of our justice system.

🎧 The audiobook is narrated by the author himself, with parts read by the victims. The audiobook is really well done, and sounds a bit like a podcast (complete with music). That said, I was glad to have a print copy as well, because this is a detail-heavy book that covers multiple cases across twenty years, and I could see myself getting mixed up if I hadn't had the print copy to read along with the audio.

📌 For fans of Just Mercy, The Sun Does Shine, and Marked for Life.

📌 Available now!

If you're a fan of the true crime genre in general, you're more than well-aware of the prosecutorial side of justice. But this book was an absolutely eye-opening look at the unspoken dark side: what happens when those in power, whether mistakenly or purposely, are overly aggressive in prosecuting people? You see how easily mistakes are ignored and overlooked, and how easily those same mistakes are defended time after time after time.

With each new case that’s introduced, of yet another man wrongfully convicted despite clear evidence of his innocence (often coupled with police misconduct), I found myself re-horrified and re-shocked that something like this was allowed to happen. Which, to be fair: is the point of the entire book.

I was pulled into these men’s stories, and the injustices they faced at every turn. And by the end, I was so invested that I was actively sobbing while listening to the finale.

Slepian has mastered the art of storytelling, balancing these complex issues with engaging stories about his own career and experiences so that you're not overwhelmed by the dire facts. This talent for story was coupled with the use of real audio from his archives over the past 20+ years. While used sparingly, it was to great affect each time, and hearing the emotion in their voices humanized the men & women of this story to an absolutely heart-breaking degree.

I think anyone who lives in the US - regardless of their interest in true crime - should give this book a listen. It's hard hitting and will leave you thinking for days (potentially months, as I don't see myself forgetting this story anytime soon), but is so utterly important you simply cannot skip it.

And if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend the audiobook over the printed version! There is such a depth to it that I think would have been missed if I had simply read instead.

Wow! This was such a powerful read. I had no idea injustices like this could occur in this day and age. The stories were moving and infuriating, motivating me to care about those in prison and their families. This is one I'll recommend to any and every reader!

The audiobook was surprisingly easy to listen to- Dan Slepian did a fabulous job narrating.

The Sing Sing Files 🔍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

True crime lovers, this one’s for you! 🎧📖 The Sing Sing Files by Dan Slepian dives deep into the justice system and how it can go tragically wrong. Slepian, a veteran NBC Dateline producer, spent decades investigating cases of men wrongfully convicted. His book explores what happens when pressure to solve a crime outweighs finding the truth—and how incredibly difficult it is for innocent people to prove their innocence.

Over 20 years and 6 men’s stories, Slepian uncovers the real, raw challenges of our justice system. No villains, no political agenda—just a look at how bureaucracy and bad circumstances can change lives forever.

I started listening to the audiobook on a road trip, and it had me hooked! 🎧 Read by the author himself, it kicks off with Dan’s early career in the 90s and really picks up with a shocking revelation about two men wrongly convicted of the Palladium Nightclub murders.

If you love true crime and want an insightful, gripping look at how our justice system can fail, this is a must-read! Check it out now—it’s available everywhere! 📚

an incredible account of a producer’s journey to help free 6 innocent men. I sobbed listening to this fantastic production featuring recordings of those affected. A must-read

This book is a compelling first person account of a journalist learning about and becoming involved in cases of wrongful convictions. Audiobook is an effective way to tell the story as it intersperses clips of victims reading their own letters

I hesitate to say this is a must-read but it certainly feels that way. Having listened to Serial when it first came out in the 2010s, I've had my eyes opened to wrongful imprisonment cases, including but not limited to police misconduct. From that perspective, this book was nothing new to me -- of course there are people wrongfully imprisoned today.

But I did really enjoy this book. I liked getting to know Dan and his relationships with the incarcerated men, and the work he did with them. It's as much a story about these men as it is about Dan's personal growth over the last 20 years or so. And I really vibed with that.

I think if you aren't steeped in the true crime world, this is an important read; it talks about wrongful convictions without being overly preachy. And since Dan is a well-known figure in certain circles, I think this has the potential to be a highly visible book.

I don't say a book is a "must read" very often, but I'll be adding this one to my top non-fiction recommendations when others ask for them. I highly recommend the audiobook in particular. The addition of the letters and other clips - especially the singing - in the different voices was excellent.

The book matches its description well. I don't find it necessary to repeat any of it. Do yourself a favor and stop reading my review and get a copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Author Dan Slepian narrated his debut novel and did an exceptional job of narrating The Sing Sing Files. I listened at 1.75x.

This book made me feel all the emotions from tragic, infuriating, depressing and eventually resiliency. Sing Sing Files is a masterpiece that read like a Dateline podcast with interview excerpts and other audio effects. If you enjoyed Just Mercy, make sure you don’t miss out on this one. It is a must read and will be one of my favorite audiobooks for 2024!

For fans of Just Mercy, Dan Slepian, an investigative reporter for Dateline, documents his investigation into the Palladium murders on Thanksgiving 1990 and the wrongful conviction and imprisonment of two men believed to be involved, despite not even knowing each other. During this investigation, he is begged to investigate another wrongful conviction of JJ Velazquez. While helping JJ seek justice, Slepian is astonished to learn just how many innocent men and women are wrongfully imprisoned and how hard it is to get them to freedom.

Oh my goodness, this is the best nonfiction audiobook!! It plays like a podcast and it's soo interesting, heartbreaking, hopeful and informative. I gasped and I cried, multiple times. It was even better than Just Mercy, the writing was absolutely captivating! I highly recommend the audiobook and put it on your TBR NOW! SOO GOOD!

audio-ARC from NetGalley.

4.75

Equally fascinating and devastating, The Sing Sing Files draws attention to those wrongly incarcerated for crimes they didn't commit.

From a detective from the Bronx whose quest for justice ruined his career to a young father taken from his newborn for a crime he knew nothing about to a man who had 13 witnesses willing to testify he was 17 hours away, the corruption of the justice system is on full display. And, in the middle of it all, the ongoing story of the man who helped exonerate his fellow prisoners while behind bars for a crime he, too, had not committed.

This was a devastating exploration of injustice and a vibrant call to action. It was an important reminder that, while mistakes can and will be made by our judicial system, it is the refusal to acknowledge and rectify those mistakes that is the true miscarriage of justice.

This audiobook was made more powerful by the occasional narration of those people whose experiences we followed. I just wish we'd gotten a little more of that own voice narration. (And maybe not included the detail about the man who shook a baby to death, as that one mention really dragged me down for the rest of the book and is going to linger in my mind for longer than I want it to, even though he was not a focus of the investigation.)

Prison reform needs to occur. Resources for police, guards, advocates, prisoners, et al need to be more readily available. Integrity needs to be more than just a word.

A powerful read that I won't soon forget.

Order yourself a copy, put a hold in at the library, do whatever it takes to get your hands on this book. It’s along the same lines as Just Mercy (which I haven’t read) but written by a Dateline producer. The author Dan Slepian happened to get connected with one wrongfully imprisoned man, and he became obsessed with finding the truth. Slepian weaves statistics and research into the tales of six men who were wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. I could not put this book down because I need to know what happened to Jon Adrian Velazquez. This is one of my top books of the year.

This book is a MUST read. It will change your perspective on the American Justice system, or at the least make you question what you thought you knew about it. If this book doesn't make your blood boil, you are not alive.

The audiobook is mostly read by the author. There are several letters read by the people who wrote them and audio clips of interviews and events. Hearing the men read their letters in their own voices was very powerful.

Absolute must read! I couldn’t stop listening and devoured it. The loved the author/narrator, the way he told the story, and bonus for the audiobook - real recordings were used to enhance parts of the book.

It was just like a podcast without the ads or having to wait for all the episodes to be released.

Ultimately, the story is devastating and enraging but I would highly recommend. The reader follows the path of a Dateline producer who investigates stories of incarcerated men, who he ultimately finds out are innocent, in his free time.

Thank you to #netgalley and the author for providing an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book infuriated me. Slepian writes about his time working on Dateline, but the focus of the book are the wrongfully incarcerated he has come across during his career. The malfeasance of police and prosecutors in New York City is unfathomable. We all carry the notion that the criminal justice system is fair and that injustices are remedied. This is so far from the truth.

Men who were falsely identified or not identified at all are convicted of crimes. The police abuse suspects and bully witnesses into making identifications that are not true. The DAs prosecuting the case are uninterested in learning there's a miscarriage of justice and even take active steps to withhold information that tends to exonerate people. Judges don't see the need to believe new witnesses and are interested in upholding convictions. This system has cost the U.S. more than $2 billion dollars paid out in settlements to exonerated people. It's disgusting. And changes needs to come.

Read this book. It is one of the most important books about the criminal justice system you can read.

I am a huge fan of podcasts (true crime in particular), so a book written and narrated by journalist and podcaster Dan Slepian seemed like a great way to branch into nonfiction audiobooks.

The criminal justice system is clearly a topic about which Dan is passionate and extremely knowledgeable. The story flows well and is easy to follow, despite following multiple cases and their related subjects. I was completely hooked by Dan’s writing and narration style and the importance of this story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the criminal justice system and/or read and enjoyed Just Mercy. A quote from the introduction really stuck out to me and was a sobering message on which to begin this book - “The system isn’t built to get people out. It’s built to keep people in - when there is clear evidence that they don’t belong there.”

This is a story that I can tell will stick with me long after I’ve finished it. It’s an important story that is approachable even for those with little to no knowledge of our justice system.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

The Sing Sing Files is the author’s personal account of 20 years of a broken criminal justice system. Dan took on the broken system and helped 6 people who were incarcerated for things they never did get out of prison.

I received an ARC of the audiobook version. The author is also the narrator of this audiobook, which I liked. I thought he did a great job narrating.

After listening to this audiobook, I NEED a physical copy. I found myself wanting to annotate and highlight things while listening.

This book is perfect for fans of the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The Sing Sing File further illustrates how broken America’s criminal justice system really is and how it needs reformed. If you are a true crime fan, into criminal justice, societal issues, etc. this is a must read.

“The system, as I’ve discovered, isn’t built to get people out. It’s built to keep them in. Even when, as I will illustrate, that there is clear evidence that they don’t belong there.”