May's reading group book. This is what I like about the reading group - I would never have picked this book up - I don't like thrillers, you see. Actually, what I don't like is gore & violence, neither of which appear in this book to any great extent. Basic surmise is that a murder was committed in Texas and the police put the wrong guy away for it. He's due to be executed when the real killer turns up at a distant church and says he did it. The book then follows the events that arise from this.there is plenty of tension and surprises along the way, but it's well written and completely believable. It's not an unbiased book, the author is plainly against the death penalty, and I did feel that I was being preached to quite a lot. The characterisation also skews the book further; the victim's mother is an unsympathetic character, whereas the supposed felon's mother is written to garner all your sympathy. Having said that, I devoured it in one sitting - and it completely didn't end how I thought it would. The ending is rather weak, such that it sort of tails off quite disappointingly. Having said that, it did provoke one of the most lively discussions at the book club of any title we've read, so there's certainly a lot to think about. Would I read another John Grisham? Well yes, I might give him another go on the basis of this one.
