Presumed Innocent

Scott Turow launched his career with Presumed Innocent, a legal thriller published in August 1987. The novel follows Rusty Sabich, a prosecutor who finds himself accused of murdering his former lover and colleague, Carolyn Polhemus. Told through the first-person perspective of the accused, the story dives into the gritty mechanics of the courtroom and the personal betrayals that fuel the case. This debut work established Turow as a master of the genre, blending procedural detail with intense psychological drama across its 362 pages. The narrative tension builds as Rusty navigates a trial where he faces charges from colleagues he once trusted. His defense relies on proving innocence while exposing the corruption within the office where the murder occurred. The book's success led to a major motion picture adaptation starring Harrison Ford in 1990. More recently, Apple TV+ released a television series in 2024 starring Jake Gyllenhaal, offering a modern reimagining of Turow's original plot.[edit]