Finished: The Confession (Grisham). Good Grisham book, but nail biting and sad. :-(  I thought I'd bring myself into the 21st century with a Grisham book. His The Firm was one of my favorite books. I can't call this one one of my favorites, but it certainly kept me turning the pages anxious to see how things turned out. Then, wow, I wasn't expecting what happened 2/3 of the way through the book. The Confession is the story of, Donte Drumme, a young black man and former football star who is on death row in Texas for the rape and murder of Nicole, his 17 year old cheer leading high school classmate. Nine years ago he was bullied and browbeaten into giving a confession to the murder using  horribly backhanded tactics by the police detective. Even though he recanted the next day, the courts took him at his first word. No matter of appeals worked throughout the years despite his dogged, go-getter defense attorney. Also, the ex-boyfriend of Nicole convinced himself that Donte had been seeing Nicole and so he lied to the police, and during the trial, that he saw Donte's van stalking the mall parking lot from which Nicole disappeared. Even though her body was never found, so hence no solid evidence that there was even a murder, Donte was still sentenced to death. Fast forward to current times and 27 year old Donte is only four days from being executed.

Keith, a young Lutheran minister in Kansas with a wife and young boys gets a visit at his church office from a ragged, limping, sickly looking man with a cane, Travis Boyette. Travis Boyette confesses to Keith that he just got out of prison on rape and sexual assault charges. He's on parole in Kansas. He's been in and out of prison for years and worked all over the place in his rough 44 years. He's got an inoperable stage four glioblastoma brain tumor (that's the super nasty kind), and he doesn't have long to live. He's there to tell the preacher that the young man about to be executed in Texas is innocent. Donte didn't commit the crime....he did. He's got nothing to lose by coming forward now. The problem is, he's very flaky and he keeps disappearing every few hours. His tale of the abduction, rape, murder and burial of Nicole is chilling. Keith tries to get in touch with the defense attorney down in Texas, but things are going wild in that small town as the execution approaches. They're also working on the now alcoholic ex-boyfriend of Nicole's and still trying to get him to recant his testimony. They're trying any and everything to get some kind of stay of execution. The governor is execution happy and it will take something big for him to give any kind of reprieve.

With only one day left until Donte's execution, Keith decides (after researching the Internet relentlessly) that Travis is telling the truth. Keith piles Travis into his little car and determines to drive him to Texas to confess to the defense attorney in person. Of course, this means Keith will be helping Travis break parole by crossing state lines. Finally, with only about three hours to spare, Travis confesses all to Donte's lawyer. He even has Nicole's class ring on a chain around his neck. He can take them to where he buried her body, but it's five hours away. Donte's lawyers file emergency stay papers but they are denied by the Texas last minute appeal court...and by the Governor!! No one believes the crazy old man. Then, an hour before the execution the ex-boyfriend finally recants his trial testimony in an affidavit. The defense lawyers rush those to the same courts and the governor. Again...those emergency appeals are denied. :-( Finally, Travis goes to the press about a half an hour before the execution. Finally the governor sees for himself the confession of the "crazy" man and the controversy it is stirring up. One of his close advisers tells him he should give a 30 day stay, even a 24 hour stay, just to hear this out. Another adviser thinks he should not. The governor, in such a cold statement, declares that Donte had a fair trial and no reprieve will be granted. He will be executed. No Reprieve! :-( :-( In a horribly sad scene, Donte says a finally goodbye to his family and he is put to death by intravenous drugs in the Texas death chamber.

The very next day the defense lawyer travels with Travis, the preacher and a film crew to the spot where Travis says he buried Nicole. He describes the metal box he put her in, what they'll find in the box, how the belt will be around her neck, how her id and credit card are in there...and he even knows the combination to the lock on the metal box. Sure enough, it's all as he says. The crime scene is turned over to the authorities and the defense attorney goes to work in the press condemning everyone from the detective to the prosecutor to the justice system and even sues the governor. It is heartbreaking for the family to get this news one day too late. :-(  And, Travis Boyette is no good person. He's very scummy and is constantly making comments to the preacher about his "cute" wife. Then, Travis has a huge seizure. They take him to the hospital where he appears to be in really bad shape....until he escapes out a back door and leaves his cane on the bed. Now Preacher Keith is devastated that he's responsible for this loose criminal. Will he attack another girl? Creepy Travis calls Keith and tells him that he's had the brain tumor for years and it's really benign. He doesn't really need the cane. See ya around, preacher. Oh yeah, and he also just wanted to lead them to Nicole's body so he could "see her" one more time. Fortunately, when Travis tries to kidnap another young lady from a mall parking lot, a semi-napping husband waiting in a nearby car sees the attempted abduction and throws his truck into gear, smashing into the car. He bashes Travis in the head with a baseball bat, and Travis finally ends up behind bars. Most of the people involved in putting Donte behind bars end up resigning in shame. The governor, though, keeps on keepin' on.

The book deals with the race relations in the small Texas town as the blacks and whites riot against each other, burn down each other's churches...and...gasp...when all the black football players on the high school team walk out and refuse to play Friday night's game in solidarity with Donte, the town council just doesn't know what to do! Anyway...a good book, and such a strong statement in opposition of the death penalty. Wow, if even one innocent person is put to death, what a travesty. I grew up in Texas,  and I've actually always believed in the death penalty. Reading a horror story like that, though, makes me wonder if that has happened or could happen in real life. Time to rethink some big issues.