Presumed Innocent (novel)

The novel begins with the discovery of Carolyn Polhemus, dead in her apartment. She is the victim of what appears to be a sexual bondage encounter gone wrong, killed outright by a fatal blow to the skull with an unknown object. Rozat "Rusty" Sabich is a prosecutor and co-worker of Carolyn and is assigned her case by the district attorney. At the time Rusty is also helping his friend and boss, Raymond Horgan, with Horgan's re-election campaign. If Horgan wins, Rusty will keep his job and if not, he will lose it. The case is further complicated by the fact that, unknown to the people around him, Rusty had a brief affair with Polhemus that ended months before her murder.

Despite his obvious conflict of interest, Rusty is handling the investigation, while keeping the affair secret. He's assisted by Dan "Lip" Lipranzer, a police officer who is investigating the details and evidence for Rusty. During the investigation, Rusty learns Horgan also had a brief relationship with Carolyn. The only person who knows of Rusty's affair is Rusty's wife, Barbara, and that has placed a strain on their marriage.

Horgan loses the election and, within days of his successor taking office, the successor charges Rusty with murder. Rusty hires lawyer Alejandro "Sandy" Stern, an Argentinean who has been a frequent opponent over the years, to defend him.

The evidence against Rusty includes a bar glass with his fingerprints, sperm that might be his in Carolyn's vagina, carpet fabric that might be from his home, and records of a call from his home to Carolyn's apartment on the night of the murder. When the trial begins the prosecution announces that the glass is missing. As the trial ensues, Rusty learns that the judge also had an affair with Polhemus and that the judge took bribes from various suspects. Stern is able to discredit the expert forensic testimony and a key piece of evidence goes missing. The case is dismissed and it appears Rusty has gotten away with murder.

Later, Barbara lets Rusty know that she is the killer. Lip gives Rusty the missing bar glass and Rusty tells Lip that Barbara murdered Carolyn. They speculate regarding whether Barbara left evidence implicating Rusty or only because she wanted Rusty to know that she had killed Carolyn or also because she wanted Rusty to be found guilty of the crime.

Some time later Rusty is appointed district attorney to fill out the term of the DA who prosecuted him after the DA loses a recall election.

Many of the minor characters in Presumed Innocent also appear in Turow's later novels, which are all set in the fictional, Midwestern Kindle County. A sequel to Presumed Innocent, entitled Innocent, was released on May 4, 2010 and continues the relationship between Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto.

Scott Martelle of Los Angeles Times called the novel's plot twists "inventive".[4] Kevin J. Hamilton of The Seattle Times called its story "clever, chilling and wildly unpredictable."[5]

Before the original novel was released in August 1987, director Sydney Pollack bought the film rights for $1 million.[4]

• Scott Turow discusses Presumed Innocent on the BBC World Book Club