Conviction (novel)

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Title Conviction
Author Richard North Patterson
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Thriller novel
Publisher Random House
Released January 25, 2005
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 463 pp
ISBN ISBN 0345450191
Preceded by Balance of Power
Followed by Exile

'Conviction' is a novel published in 2004 by Richard North Patterson. The novel centers on the debate surrounding capital punishment.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Two brothers are charged with, convicted and sentenced to die for the and murder of a 9 year old child. The defense attorney uncovers, 54 days before the execution of one of the brothers, multiple issues which, taken as a whole, could very well prove his innocence. As a matter of fact, the state prosecutor responsible for prosecuting the matter on appeal concedes that if the information developed 15 years after the initial conviction had been known at the time of the original trial, the state would not have been able to get a conviction.

As the story progresses, multiple issues emerge. Supreme Court of the United States, Governor and several special interest groups lobby for their respective ground. The author even points out that the capital punishment caters to the unwholesome appetite of the Americans for revenge.