By The Book

This month my book club is reading Guilty Until Innocent by Robert Whitlow. We are big fans of his, although the last couple of books we read by him were not our favorites. I think that might change after we read this one. Whitlow goes back to his legal drama roots in this thoughtful offering. Find out more about it and my thoughts below.

Justice has been served . . . unless the accused is innocent. In this gripping legal drama, Whitlow expertly weaves themes of grace, faith, and the law with a plot that is sure to keep you guessing until the end.

Life in prison is often a nightmare, but Joe Moore believes he is just where God intends him to be. Twenty-five years ago, while high on meth, he makes one terrible mistake after another, culminating in the brutal murder of a young, influential couple. Today, Joe is a radically different person, thriving in his role as a ministry leader and role model to his fellow inmates.

After being fired from two previous law firms, young lawyer Ryan Clark and his wife, Paige, have settled into a small North Carolina town. Hired by a distant relative, Ryan is committed to connecting with the right clients and handling the mundane tasks while his cousin Tom takes on the high-profile cases.

But when critical health issues land Tom in the hospital, Ryan is forced to take the helm at the law firm–just in time for the town’s biggest case in history to be reopened. Joe Moore’s niece has been doing some digging and, convinced that her incarcerated uncle is innocent, insists that Ryan relaunch the investigation immediately.

After Ryan meets with Joe, both men receive threats that put their own lives–as well as the lives of those around them–in danger. It appears that together they’ve pulled back a dark curtain that hides a deeper evil than anyone in town suspects exists. Now they must determine if continuing with the case is worth the risk–and if the cost of proving one man’s innocence is too great when the lives of so many others would be placed in mortal danger.

Dive into a world where faith meets the law in this heart-pounding legal drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Pick up Guilty Until Innocent and find out if the cost of justice is worth risking everything. You won’t want to miss out on this thrilling story of grace, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

Robert Whitlow grew up in north Georgia. He graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a BA in history in 1976 and received his JD with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1979. A practicing attorney, he is a partner in a Charlotte, NC law firm. He and his wife Kathy have four children and nine grandchildren.

Robert began writing in 1996. His novels are set in the South and include both legal suspense and interesting characterization. It is his desire to write stories that reveal some of the ways God interacts with people in realistic scenarios.

My Impressions:

Robert Whitlow has long been a favorite of mine. I like that he blends legal drama (a great genre) with strong spiritual themes. His novel, Guilty Until Innocent did not disappoint. The novel features a young lawyer on his third chance to make it in his profession. Sound familiar? This scenario is a favorite of John Grisham’s, and Whitlow is often compared to him. But the difference between the two authors is the faith element that Whitlow skillfully inserts. The case that Ryan Clark is drawn into concerns a man imprisoned for murder over 20 years before. No one is disputing Joe Moore’s guilt, but there may be some extenuating circumstances that could impact his sentence. It is interesting that of the three POVs in this novel — Ryan, his wife Paige, and Joe — only Joe is a Christian. Fully content with his life, Joe seeks to bring the light of God in the very dark world in which he lives. The case is intriguing and the danger escalates the more Ryan digs into the evidence. There is mystery and suspense, twists and turns, and a surprising ending. The themes of the effectiveness of prayer, guilt and forgiveness, and trusting God’s plan are very strong and will definitely create great conversation with my book club group.

Guitly Until Innocent is a good choice if you like legal drama with a good bit of suspense. Grab some friends and read this one!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: legal drama, Robert Whitlow, suspense ficiton