Book Review: The Conviction By Robert Dugoni

I recently received a copy of the book The Conviction by Robert Dugoni to review.

Lawyer David Sloane's wife is brutally murdered. To make matters worse, her son Jake witnesses the whole thing, and starts in on a very destructive path that even David is having trouble keeping him out of jail for. Tom Molia, a detective and David's friend, suggests that he brings his son along on a guy's only camping trip to see if they can get the boys on the right track. The plan goes awry when the boys sneak out during the night and get arrested for vandalizing a store. The men didn't even have a chance to speak up, because by the time they realize they are gone, the boys have been tried, convicted, and sentenced to six months in the county wilderness detention camp. This could have been a good thing, and the wake up call Jake needed - except things are not as they seem. While David tries to fight conviction against the boys, he digs into the town and discovers the Judge has far reaching authority well past his courtroom. The detention center also serves a much different purpose than what it's supposed to. Can David and Tom rescue their boys and win them their freedom before something much worse happens?

When I first started reading this book, I was thinking, well, these kids are punks - they deserve to be punished for what they have done. However, not without a parent at the trial, and certainly not without a lawyer! I would do everything in my power as a parent to fight a sentence like that, too. Having also grown up in a small town, I understand how everyone sticks together making it very hard for an outsider to come in and fight the system. Everyone either knows everyone very well, or is related! It's quite the struggle for these two dads to get their sons out - and what their sons are going through while stuck in this so called camp. It would be a great idea if it was done right - but as you'll see when you read this book, it's all about something else. (Don't want to give spoilers, though I am sure you can guess)

If you enjoy thrillers and courtroom action, you'll enjoy The Conviction. It's a well written, fast paced read.

The Conviction by Robert Dugoni is a hardcover fiction book published by Touchstone. It is 384 pages long. The suggested cover price is $25.00, but Amazon has it available for just $14.00 as of this posting. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers, as well as on audio CD.

I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.