One way I judge a whodunit is by how quickly I figure out who done it. And in "Innocent" (Grand Central, 406 pages, $27.99), Scott Turow's sequel to "Presumed Innocent," I had the answer about halfway through the book.
Or so I thought.
Turns out, however, while Mr. Smarty Pants Reviewer had an answer, it wasn't even close to the right one. But I didn't mind, because I wasn't manipulated. Turow didn't employ any cheap tricks or misdirection to send me off in the wrong direction.
He did what he always does, write well-thought-out stories populated by believable characters who jump off the page at you. He is one of a few novelists who raise genre fiction to a literary level.
The events in "Innocent" take place 22 years after its predecessor. Rusty Sabich is now 60 years old, chief judge of an Illinois appellate division, and a sure-fire victor in an upcoming election for the State Supreme Court. But his wife dies under mysterious circumstances, and, although the coroner rules she died of natural causes, Sabich is once again accused of murder.
Tommy Molto, Sabich's old nemesis, pursues the case. Now the Kindle County acting prosecuting attorney, Molto does so reluctantly at first; he's afraid some might believe he was just out for belated revenge. But eventually, as evidence mounts, he goes after Sabich with increased zeal.
Certainly there are unusual aspects to this case. Rusty waited 24 hours to inform his son, Nat, or the police of his wife's death. Could it be that he poisoned her and hoped the time lapse would allow the drugs to drain from her system? Also, he'd had an affair with a former law clerk, providing a motive to off his wife.
There are other complications. Nat is dating the former law clerk. And Rusty violated judicial ethics when he gave a defendant too much information about an upcoming decision. And, of course, there is the election. Turow handles it all deftly. There is not a hint of soap opera anywhere.
