Confessions of an Innocent Man
by David R. Dow
“Every person wrongfully convicted of a crime at some point dreams of getting revenge against the system. In Confessions of an Innocent Man, the dream comes true and in a spectacular way.”—John Grisham, New York Times bestselling author of The Reckoning
A thrillingly suspenseful debut novel, and a fierce howl of rage that questions the true meaning of justice.
Rafael Zhettah relishes the simplicity and freedom of his life. He is the owner and head chef of a promising Houston restaurant. A pilot with open access to the boundless Texas horizon. A bachelor, content with having few personal or material attachments that ground him. Then, lightning strikes. When he finds Tieresse—billionaire, philanthropist, sophisticate, bombshell—sitting at one of his tables, he also finds his soul mate and his life starts again. And just as fast, when she is brutally murdered in their home, when he is convicted of the crime, when he is sentenced to die, it is all ripped away. But for Rafael Zhettah, death row is not the end. It is only the beginning. Now, with his recaptured freedom, he will stop at nothing to deliver justice to those who stole everything from him.
This is a heart-stoppingly suspenseful, devastating, page-turning debut novel. A thriller with a relentless grip that wants you to read it in one sitting. David R. Dow has dedicated his life to the fight against capital punishment—to righting the horrific injustices of the death penalty regime in Texas. He delivers the perfect modern parable for exploring our complex, uneasy relationships with punishment and reparation in a terribly unjust world.
Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
While I wouldn't necessarily classify this one as a thriller, it certainly grabbed hold and held me in its clutches. I'll admit that I was a bit confused about the shape of the story when I started, but the more I read, the more I wanted to read. We've all heard the stories about a person serving years on death row or even being executed when new evidence is found to refute their guilt. Confessions of an Innocent Man takes that a step further - okay, maybe a mile further with a revenge plot that is nothing short of meticulous in its detail. But first, we get Rafael's story, what brought him to death row and the revenge he so desperately needed. Now, here's where my earlier mentioned confusion came in. Rafael is an interesting character, but I kept wondering where it was all going. Nevertheless, even if I had never gotten to what I thought was coming from reading the blurb, I still enjoyed Rafael's story, his early days with the love of his life, his anguish over losing her, his bitter fury when he's found guilty, and finally, his coming to grips with his circumstances as he tries to figure out the world of death row for an inmate. In the end, I felt like the point to this story, the place it was all leading up to, was the man Rafael became after his release and how he decided to exact his revenge. Of course, the recipients of that revenge also make for some intriguing food for thought. The writing is compelling and the pacing is steady for most of the book. The story does lag somewhat in the second half, which is the only real criticism from me. So, while I didn't find the thriller I was looking for, I did find suspense and a gripping story. An excellent debut from David R Dow, and one that has put him on my radar.
While I wouldn't necessarily classify this one as a thriller, it certainly grabbed hold and held me in its clutches. I'll admit that I was a bit confused about the shape of the story when I started, but the more I read, the more I wanted to read. We've all heard the stories about a person serving years on death row or even being executed when new evidence is found to refute their guilt. Confessions of an Innocent Man takes that a step further - okay, maybe a mile further with a revenge plot that is nothing short of meticulous in its detail. But first, we get Rafael's story, what brought him to death row and the revenge he so desperately needed. Now, here's where my earlier mentioned confusion came in. Rafael is an interesting character, but I kept wondering where it was all going. Nevertheless, even if I had never gotten to what I thought was coming from reading the blurb, I still enjoyed Rafael's story, his early days with the love of his life, his anguish over losing her, his bitter fury when he's found guilty, and finally, his coming to grips with his circumstances as he tries to figure out the world of death row for an inmate. In the end, I felt like the point to this story, the place it was all leading up to, was the man Rafael became after his release and how he decided to exact his revenge. Of course, the recipients of that revenge also make for some intriguing food for thought. The writing is compelling and the pacing is steady for most of the book. The story does lag somewhat in the second half, which is the only real criticism from me. So, while I didn't find the thriller I was looking for, I did find suspense and a gripping story. An excellent debut from David R Dow, and one that has put him on my radar.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and Dutton
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