I have always loved books by Robert Whitlow and I’m sorry to say that this is not one of them. This is not a bad one, but it didn’t intrigue me as much as his other work. The book kind of chugs along with nothing that makes you want to keep turning the page. It’s an enjoyable read, but there was an unusual amount of telling instead of showing. I’ve never noticed that in Whitlow’s books before. He drops hints and I figured out who the bad guy was way before the end. That said, the spiritual (which might make people feel uncomfortable) and the prison aspect of the story are very interesting and I wonder if it is meant to be more about that than finding out who the player behind the scene is. Favorite character: Joe Moore, hands down. We can learn something from this man. True action and suspense can be found past the 90% mark. That’s a long time coming. If you’re looking for an edge of your seat novel, this is not it. If you’re looking for a wholesome novel centered around life with God, you’ve found it.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Amazing story in that it crosses so many genres. Its mystery keeps you wondering “whodunit?” The legal drama, jailhouse ministry and duplicity, the small town community/alliances/betrayals, health issues, and more are all woven around the attempt to free an innocent man from serving a lifetime for a double murder. The young lawyer thrown into this situation is covered with prayer without the story being ‘preachy’

Riveting story plot, this keeps you guessing until the end..
A young musician, Joe Moore, addicted to meth, is accused of brutally murdering two people in the back of a nightclub - he was found asleep in a car with the bloody murder weapon in his hand and with blood all over his clothes!
Twenty five years later, Joe is a changed man full of the power of God and his niece Shana Parks and her family want to reopen Joe's case.
But some people will do anything to make sure the case is not reopened - there are hidden secrets....

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Guilty until innocent
I enjoyed this suspenseful lawyer/convicted killer drama. It kept me interested and the characters were well developed. I appreciated that it developed characters in prison that were likeable, as well as those you could easily afraid what they would do next. I liked the inclusion of family who tried to respect the wishes of dying relatives, even though visiting a prison made them somewhat fearful. Just as it made you wonder who was to be trusted in prison, the inclusion of lawyers who were maybe not what they appeared to be. The conclusion of the story was unexpected turn of events, and I liked it. I will look for Robert Whitlow again.
#RobertWhilow #NetGalley #ThomasNelson

What an absolutely intriguing story this was! This one took me a little bit in the beginning to get into, but the further into the story I went, the more I found myself unable to walk away from the story. I'm not typically super into legal dramas/legal thrillers, but this one absolutely won me over because it was so much more than that. Joe Moore was such an intriguing character... a man in prison for over 20 years for a gruesome murder that he believes he committed (having been under the influence of meth at the time and having no recollection of the event), who has turned his life around and is using his time in prison to help other men find Jesus and do the same. He was so humble and truly that type of Christian that so many of us strive to be, despite his circumstances. I loved seeing that aspect of the story. While this may be a fictional story, it is still a great reminder of the change God can work in real life too. That in and of itself was a beautiful story... but throw in all the twists, turns and threats that make it seems that perhaps Joe isn't as guilty as he thought. With every twist, I found myself wondering how it was all going to play out. While I don't want to say too much and give anything away, it most certainly paid off in the end. If you love legal thrillers and strong messages of faith and redemption, this is an absolute must read for sure!

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

GUILTY UNTIL INNOCENT is a well written legal thriller by ROBERT WHITLOW with a strong Christian message and relevant scriptures throughout the story.
Joe Moore in prison is a very different person to the young man who was incarcerated twenty six years ago for double murder when strung out on drugs. In fact, “The leadership ability God placed in Joe didn’t emerge until he was incarcerated, but it had risen to the surface in prison,” where we find him teaching Bible studies, praying and even fasting for his friend Deshaun’s marriage……..
Ryan Clark, after losing his job with two consecutive legal firms, is finally employed by his distant cousin Tom. He is afraid of losing this job too, especially as his wife Paige is pregnant, but Tom gives him the job of trying to find out the truth of what happened outside that seedy nightclub twenty six years ago when Tom is asked by Joe’s niece to try and get a motion for appropriate relief passed so he can finally get out of prison. When Ryan is nervous about taking on the responsibility, Tom says to him, “You’ll rise to the occasion” and “What’s happened in the past isn’t going to define your future as a lawyer.”……
Joe is unsure about the case being reopened but he finally agrees and, after much prayer, says to his friend, “I have to consider what my family wants to do and God’s purposes for the young lawyer who came to see me.”…….
There are some wonderful characters and some who are not as they seem, but we see God’s redemptive power throughout the story. I particularly like the relationship between Joe, Ryan and Paige……
The novel is very exciting and will keep you guessing right to the end.
I cannot recommend Guilty Until Innocent highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.