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Execution of Innocence
Charlie just lost his cool…
Charlie loved Mary. Loved her with all his heart. They were the happy couple, the one that people at school pointed to with envy.
But then Mary makes a mistake, a small mistake with another guy. And Charlie loses it, and someone dies. Now Charlie is a hunted man and Mary is an outcast. But what really happened that dark night, when love and rage shook hands on a deserted street? Only God knows, and maybe Charlie.
Charlie loved Mary. Loved her with all his heart. They were the happy couple, the one that people at school pointed to with envy.
But then Mary makes a mistake, a small mistake with another guy. And Charlie loses it, and someone dies. Now Charlie is a hunted man and Mary is an outcast. But what really happened that dark night, when love and rage shook hands on a deserted street? Only God knows, and maybe Charlie.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
4 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
262 books5,478 followersChristopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction who specializes in the thriller genre.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 10, 2020
" Loveless sex has no true spiritual meaning deep inside your soul".
Execution Of Innocence by Christopher Pike
Recently did a reread of this one and though it is not my favorite Pike, it's pretty good overall.
Lots of mystery, lot s of bizarre happenings and lots of angst and darkness. I still prefer some of his others like "The Eternal Enemy" better but this one was fun to reread.
I just did ANOTHER reread because I found the book just sitting around. I saw how short my review was and thought I'd make it a bit longer.
I found this to be a good Pike mystery though it is not on my list of favorites by him. I still think "Weekend, "Strange girl"(that's an adult novel), "Slumber party", "Last act" and "The Eternal Enemy" are his best.
This one's short and not so sweet. It really is an investigation into a murder and a boy who has vanished. There are two suspects..two girls..plus the guy (Charles) who has vanished. The murder victim is Dick who was crazy about Mary. But Mary was dating Charles.
The problem for me is there are very few suspects. The murder was a result of a prank gone wrong..we know that almost from the start. The missing boy..Charles..was dating Mary who is one of the suspects. But Mary and Charles had had an argument and Charles was pretty cruel to her. And Mary was verrryyy mad at him...
Then add in Hanna, Mary's friend who is quite sneaky and hiding things. And what has happened to Charles? Did he kill Dick, the victim who happens to be the brother of Hannah?
It is a short read and fun but not as much meat to the story as I'd hoped. Still , it is a bit on the creepy side and what can I say? I am a major Pike fan and enjoy many of his books. This is a fun little YA Mystery.
Execution Of Innocence by Christopher Pike
Recently did a reread of this one and though it is not my favorite Pike, it's pretty good overall.
Lots of mystery, lot s of bizarre happenings and lots of angst and darkness. I still prefer some of his others like "The Eternal Enemy" better but this one was fun to reread.
I just did ANOTHER reread because I found the book just sitting around. I saw how short my review was and thought I'd make it a bit longer.
I found this to be a good Pike mystery though it is not on my list of favorites by him. I still think "Weekend, "Strange girl"(that's an adult novel), "Slumber party", "Last act" and "The Eternal Enemy" are his best.
This one's short and not so sweet. It really is an investigation into a murder and a boy who has vanished. There are two suspects..two girls..plus the guy (Charles) who has vanished. The murder victim is Dick who was crazy about Mary. But Mary was dating Charles.
The problem for me is there are very few suspects. The murder was a result of a prank gone wrong..we know that almost from the start. The missing boy..Charles..was dating Mary who is one of the suspects. But Mary and Charles had had an argument and Charles was pretty cruel to her. And Mary was verrryyy mad at him...
Then add in Hanna, Mary's friend who is quite sneaky and hiding things. And what has happened to Charles? Did he kill Dick, the victim who happens to be the brother of Hannah?
It is a short read and fun but not as much meat to the story as I'd hoped. Still , it is a bit on the creepy side and what can I say? I am a major Pike fan and enjoy many of his books. This is a fun little YA Mystery.
May 15, 2011
I just read this book for the second time. I was probably around the age of fourteen when I first read it. I couldn't remember anything about this book, and I wasn't entirely sure that I had read it before, though I read most of Christopher Pike's books as a tweenager. After I finished reading it for the second time I realized that this is because Execution of Innocence is one of Pike's more mediocre and forgettable novels. I'm giving it three stars instead of two (which is probably what it deserves) because I think the ending is kind of great. The ending isn't especially original or surprising, but I found it sort of hilarious in a campy sort of way. I think a lot of Pike's novels are appealing because they're sort of campy, like the B-horror movies of literature.
March 10, 2016
If you're looking for nostalgia and bad teenage horror this is a book for you. Don't expect a literary masterpiece but it's a quick read and in my opinion it's one of Pike's better books. Completely unbelievable but what else would you expect?
February 13, 2020
Mary and Charlie are a happy high school couple, the girl bound for Stanford and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. When Charlie discovers that Mary has gone out with another guy, he loses his temper. Now someone is dead, and Mary and her friend Hannah sit in interrogation rooms at the local police station. What really happened the night that Dick was shot, and who are the girls trying to protect? Trigger warnings: death, gore, autopsy, guns, blood, homophobia, underage drug/alcohol use.
There aren’t a lot of YA Pike titles I missed when I was scouring the library shelves for them as an adolescent. In the case of Execution of Innocence, it turns out I wasn’t missing much. Pike’s novels mean so much to me, and I’ll be a lifelong fan, but there are too many problems with this book. First and foremost, and worse than the meager plot and unlikable characters, is the fact that straight male writers in the 90s obviously had no idea how to write LGBTQ+ women. Despite the fact that Hannah refers to herself as bisexual, the novel continuously overwrites her as a lesbian for the rest of the book (Bi. People. Exist.). Mary’s inner monologue is constantly paranoid that Hannah is coming onto her, and it’s only after she finds out that she refers to Hannah’s haircut as “butch.” Hard to pull for a main character who’s a blatant homophobe. More on this after the spoilers.
Sadly, for a thriller novel, it’s pretty dull. The narrative moves back and forth on the police investigation into Dick’s murder and the events leading up to it. It’s an odd switch from Pike’s usual thrillers, and it doesn’t do a lot for the suspense. The point isn’t who’s dead but how it happened. The knowledge of whodunnit is a slow-build, and there was at least one twist in there that I didn’t see coming. It’s just… really not his best plot, and the actual answers or outcome aren’t all that interesting.
Nor are the characters. I was beginning to believe everyone that Mary is a stuck-up bitch, since her sole concern throughout the novel is herself (or Charlie’s absence, and how that affects her). Charlie is barely on the page but seems to have the personality of a busted carburetor. He’s just flat, and the truth is that Mary and Charlie’s romance could have easily been interchanged with almost any other from Pike’s thrillers (Rox and Pepper from Whisper of Death come to mind). It’s not even clear why they like each other and, frankly, I didn’t care what happened to any of them. All in all, a disappointment and at times outright offensive.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
Pike’s novels aren’t known for their LGBTQ+ representation, which is part of the reason this book is so off-putting. You can’t make your only non-hetero character the villain without treading on dangerous ground. Further, writing, “She’s the villain because she’s evil, not because she’s a lesbian (which she isn’t anyway),” doesn’t really change anything. It’s not that LGBTQ characters can never be villains (I happen to love villains), but they’re already fighting centuries of stigma. Hannah is misrepresented all over the place, her sexuality used for shock value and motivation, and it sucks. As a bisexual woman, I’m really happy I didn’t read this as a teenager when I was absorbing novels like they were reality.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
There aren’t a lot of YA Pike titles I missed when I was scouring the library shelves for them as an adolescent. In the case of Execution of Innocence, it turns out I wasn’t missing much. Pike’s novels mean so much to me, and I’ll be a lifelong fan, but there are too many problems with this book. First and foremost, and worse than the meager plot and unlikable characters, is the fact that straight male writers in the 90s obviously had no idea how to write LGBTQ+ women. Despite the fact that Hannah refers to herself as bisexual, the novel continuously overwrites her as a lesbian for the rest of the book (Bi. People. Exist.). Mary’s inner monologue is constantly paranoid that Hannah is coming onto her, and it’s only after she finds out that she refers to Hannah’s haircut as “butch.” Hard to pull for a main character who’s a blatant homophobe. More on this after the spoilers.
Sadly, for a thriller novel, it’s pretty dull. The narrative moves back and forth on the police investigation into Dick’s murder and the events leading up to it. It’s an odd switch from Pike’s usual thrillers, and it doesn’t do a lot for the suspense. The point isn’t who’s dead but how it happened. The knowledge of whodunnit is a slow-build, and there was at least one twist in there that I didn’t see coming. It’s just… really not his best plot, and the actual answers or outcome aren’t all that interesting.
Nor are the characters. I was beginning to believe everyone that Mary is a stuck-up bitch, since her sole concern throughout the novel is herself (or Charlie’s absence, and how that affects her). Charlie is barely on the page but seems to have the personality of a busted carburetor. He’s just flat, and the truth is that Mary and Charlie’s romance could have easily been interchanged with almost any other from Pike’s thrillers (Rox and Pepper from Whisper of Death come to mind). It’s not even clear why they like each other and, frankly, I didn’t care what happened to any of them. All in all, a disappointment and at times outright offensive.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
Pike’s novels aren’t known for their LGBTQ+ representation, which is part of the reason this book is so off-putting. You can’t make your only non-hetero character the villain without treading on dangerous ground. Further, writing, “She’s the villain because she’s evil, not because she’s a lesbian (which she isn’t anyway),” doesn’t really change anything. It’s not that LGBTQ characters can never be villains (I happen to love villains), but they’re already fighting centuries of stigma. Hannah is misrepresented all over the place, her sexuality used for shock value and motivation, and it sucks. As a bisexual woman, I’m really happy I didn’t read this as a teenager when I was absorbing novels like they were reality.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
September 4, 2022
Well, we have our next to last Pike book for my little quest, as well as last randomized one. I almost wanted to cheat and pick another one when this came up, as it is a lesser liked one but I felt that would be silly. And this has an interesting place in the Pike lineup and I wanted to reprsent it, so here we are.
This came out in August 1997, Pike was in full swing by now. It's known that got very churn-y at this point, pumping things out just cuz he had to do with less passion. He once listed this one as an example of that, didn't go into detail but it is noted this is an example of a more rushed later lesser work. We've dealt with mostly his earlier to mid 90's stuff, so I wanted to see how a really later one this is. This was between Spooksville 16 and 17 BTW.
Honestly, it was better than I expected perhaps better than it's given credit for. But I flip flopped and when I finished it, I already forgot a lot of the details. That's not the best side. Let's back up. So Mary Dammon and some friends are at the police station as their "friend" Dick has been found dead. They want to know their stories to find out what went on, so they get asked, we get flashbacks to show how this went down.
Basically, the same format of Fall into Darkness and maybe a couple others. That's the main thing, it mostly treads on old ground and as much as it tries, it can't escape the feeling of been there done that. That said, it's a setup I found engaging enough, has that pulp noir feel to it as the cops ask them stuff.
The writing is generally good here, Pike still puts in enough effort with a few good sentences and all that. That does pull it up, it doesn't feel totally lazy in that sense. The actual story itself is where it gets kinda dull. We got love drama with her and this guy Charlie and it has the same issues, with him being a bit iffy and not really seeing why get together. The way the writing protrayss this makes it work better than anything else.
I liked the cop stuff well enough as they gotta figure out what is true, who is the culprit and all that. The Dick guy who died lives up to his name and that works for this. Then there's Hannah, this friend who was kind of the best. Starts basic but proves to be this cool girl who is rather smart and chill. She and Mary has some nice scenes and yeah, I ship it. Speaking of, Hannah is confirmed gay/bi, it's not made clear which, and that's due to the handling of that being a bit...iffy but more on that later.
Honestly my favorite was this girl Linda who just shows up a couple times, a bystander who happens to see some things. She feels like she came out of a different book, being kinda dumb and silly, getting some good funny lines. This has some enjoyment to it from some comedy but some of it not intentional, serious lines that sound goofy.
Still, there was some fun to be had even if the story was lacking. Some details did work. The culprit I saw coming, but they did an okay job faking us out. The details of what happened do work, making things more morally ambiguous regarding certain characters which is the only major thing to make this stand out as far as the details go. Where they go with the culrip is a bit mixed though. the ending is odd, a bit they add cushions a few things but it's, as always, super abrupt and it feels like we didn't put a good cap on the story.
There's what cemented the feel of this one for me. It has some effort put into it, with decent writing and a few characters I found interesting and details later on that worked. But the overall story just feels like we're repeating things, it's overlong and draggy as usual and as hard as it tries, it doesn't make a big point.
It's so close. Even with certain aspects it could have pulled through better. I kinda liked it well enough but it didn't leave much of an impact. A lot of the others can either hook me well enough as I'm reading it or leave a solid impact even if it has flaws. This is in the middle, works enough in the moment but just ends without leaving much of an impact. It doesn't do anything but the churn was felt.
Still, it's not as bad feared and it was alright enough. But this is one for Pike completionists only, there's enough to like here but it can be skipped. Sad but ah well, I get why given the circumstances. So that ends the randomized ones. Don't feel too bad for this one as at least next time we get to end on one I know will be better. Yep, next month we close this all out with The Midnight Club.
I'd say see than but with the review done, some of you can go home, but the rest have to deal with.
SPOILERS:
Yeah, our first spoiler section, I had to do it to really talk about one aspect. So anyway, the whole Hannah thing. First off, it's hinted at early on her kinda hitting on Mary but she doesn't really ask about until after her hair is now noted to be "butch-like". Hannah says she thinks she's maybe bi but later they just say gay, a bit erasure-y there. But more importantly, Hannah is the bad guy. At first it's for not super known reasons beyond Dick, who is her brother, being...well a dick.
Then it's because she likes Mary and wanted to screw over Charlie, the guy she likes and Dick who is into her enough to basically assault her once. So yeah, bad guy who is gay and is seemingly doing this due to that gay-ness. Tobey fair, this isn't that different from the million other "killing for a guy" things we saw all the time in these, perhaps it was time we made that diverse lol.
They do try to make it deeper than that, and the ending moment has Mary kissing her calm her down which works and Hannh magically decides to turn her in. It's an abrupt ending moment, but it shows a bit more to Hannah I guess and cushions things a tad. She's at least kinda more complex than just a big villain. That said, some other details are still iffy and while it's not horrible, it's not great either.
Mary should have just been into her as well and then they run off and be gay do crimes. Sadly we can't get what we need. As it is, it's more mixed than full on bad but as it stand it's not great given it's our most clear gay representation I've seen in these so far. I figured it was worth going into a bit, even if I can't speak on it fully of course.
There that's that, see ya for Midnight Club in October. As other reads, idk we'll see. Bye.
This came out in August 1997, Pike was in full swing by now. It's known that got very churn-y at this point, pumping things out just cuz he had to do with less passion. He once listed this one as an example of that, didn't go into detail but it is noted this is an example of a more rushed later lesser work. We've dealt with mostly his earlier to mid 90's stuff, so I wanted to see how a really later one this is. This was between Spooksville 16 and 17 BTW.
Honestly, it was better than I expected perhaps better than it's given credit for. But I flip flopped and when I finished it, I already forgot a lot of the details. That's not the best side. Let's back up. So Mary Dammon and some friends are at the police station as their "friend" Dick has been found dead. They want to know their stories to find out what went on, so they get asked, we get flashbacks to show how this went down.
Basically, the same format of Fall into Darkness and maybe a couple others. That's the main thing, it mostly treads on old ground and as much as it tries, it can't escape the feeling of been there done that. That said, it's a setup I found engaging enough, has that pulp noir feel to it as the cops ask them stuff.
The writing is generally good here, Pike still puts in enough effort with a few good sentences and all that. That does pull it up, it doesn't feel totally lazy in that sense. The actual story itself is where it gets kinda dull. We got love drama with her and this guy Charlie and it has the same issues, with him being a bit iffy and not really seeing why get together. The way the writing protrayss this makes it work better than anything else.
I liked the cop stuff well enough as they gotta figure out what is true, who is the culprit and all that. The Dick guy who died lives up to his name and that works for this. Then there's Hannah, this friend who was kind of the best. Starts basic but proves to be this cool girl who is rather smart and chill. She and Mary has some nice scenes and yeah, I ship it. Speaking of, Hannah is confirmed gay/bi, it's not made clear which, and that's due to the handling of that being a bit...iffy but more on that later.
Honestly my favorite was this girl Linda who just shows up a couple times, a bystander who happens to see some things. She feels like she came out of a different book, being kinda dumb and silly, getting some good funny lines. This has some enjoyment to it from some comedy but some of it not intentional, serious lines that sound goofy.
Still, there was some fun to be had even if the story was lacking. Some details did work. The culprit I saw coming, but they did an okay job faking us out. The details of what happened do work, making things more morally ambiguous regarding certain characters which is the only major thing to make this stand out as far as the details go. Where they go with the culrip is a bit mixed though. the ending is odd, a bit they add cushions a few things but it's, as always, super abrupt and it feels like we didn't put a good cap on the story.
There's what cemented the feel of this one for me. It has some effort put into it, with decent writing and a few characters I found interesting and details later on that worked. But the overall story just feels like we're repeating things, it's overlong and draggy as usual and as hard as it tries, it doesn't make a big point.
It's so close. Even with certain aspects it could have pulled through better. I kinda liked it well enough but it didn't leave much of an impact. A lot of the others can either hook me well enough as I'm reading it or leave a solid impact even if it has flaws. This is in the middle, works enough in the moment but just ends without leaving much of an impact. It doesn't do anything but the churn was felt.
Still, it's not as bad feared and it was alright enough. But this is one for Pike completionists only, there's enough to like here but it can be skipped. Sad but ah well, I get why given the circumstances. So that ends the randomized ones. Don't feel too bad for this one as at least next time we get to end on one I know will be better. Yep, next month we close this all out with The Midnight Club.
I'd say see than but with the review done, some of you can go home, but the rest have to deal with.
SPOILERS:
Yeah, our first spoiler section, I had to do it to really talk about one aspect. So anyway, the whole Hannah thing. First off, it's hinted at early on her kinda hitting on Mary but she doesn't really ask about until after her hair is now noted to be "butch-like". Hannah says she thinks she's maybe bi but later they just say gay, a bit erasure-y there. But more importantly, Hannah is the bad guy. At first it's for not super known reasons beyond Dick, who is her brother, being...well a dick.
Then it's because she likes Mary and wanted to screw over Charlie, the guy she likes and Dick who is into her enough to basically assault her once. So yeah, bad guy who is gay and is seemingly doing this due to that gay-ness. Tobey fair, this isn't that different from the million other "killing for a guy" things we saw all the time in these, perhaps it was time we made that diverse lol.
They do try to make it deeper than that, and the ending moment has Mary kissing her calm her down which works and Hannh magically decides to turn her in. It's an abrupt ending moment, but it shows a bit more to Hannah I guess and cushions things a tad. She's at least kinda more complex than just a big villain. That said, some other details are still iffy and while it's not horrible, it's not great either.
Mary should have just been into her as well and then they run off and be gay do crimes. Sadly we can't get what we need. As it is, it's more mixed than full on bad but as it stand it's not great given it's our most clear gay representation I've seen in these so far. I figured it was worth going into a bit, even if I can't speak on it fully of course.
There that's that, see ya for Midnight Club in October. As other reads, idk we'll see. Bye.
September 1, 2011
Now THIS is what I remember Christopher Pike books to be: beautiful teens, imperfections under the perfection, a murder, teen angst/sex, etc, a cheesy twist- all in a short, short little book.
January 5, 2014
This book was not what I expected at all, in a bad way. Christopher Pike books are known for the twist at the end, for the elements of supernatural, and this had none. To be honest it read like a very watered down murder mystery. The time frame point of view switches were competently handled, but didn't add anything to the story, other then to keep the reader on their toes, waiting for a big climax that never happened. If the book even had an epilogue or something, it would have added some more finite closure. This was overall just a big let down. :(
Read
February 15, 2013GOD AWFUL. Skip. Christopher Pike did NOT write this. I'm sure of it. If he did, he wrote it when he was 14 and pulled it out of the files per the demands of his publishers to keep the mill running. This story is so lame. The characters are loathesome and boring and false as a trashy television episode. There is no depth. No message. No nothing. It is straight plot, and the plot is crap, absolute rubbish. OH MY GOD THIS BOOK SUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
April 19, 2021
Twists and turns and a hilariously abrupt ending.
Read
October 28, 2023So (melo)dramatic, almost soapy.
December 23, 2013
I was 10 years old when I read this book. It was the first 'dark' book I read, containing themes for people older than me. I was utterly fascinated by the lives of these people set in a foreign (for me) land. I enjoyed the mystery element of it. It is definitely a memorable book for me.
June 9, 2012
I've read this probably 2 or 3 times, but it's become quite fragile as it's an original copy from '97. Gosh, I feel so OLD having just said that!
Read
September 15, 2015Officially the worst. I have so many good books waiting to be read and yet I can't stop. 3 more and I'll have read all the Christopher Pike.
September 24, 2022
I am surprised they never made a TV movie adaptation of this Christopher Pike book...the title screams made for TV film of the 1990s. I can see how a few points then might make it controversial but not now.
The blurb on the back is perhaps slightly misleading but the series of events in the book are an intriguing story. The whole of the plot isn't anything out of this world that has never been done before but it paints a picture of our main characters.
It's told in a how we got to this point style and then goes from there.
Two police officers, Lieutenants Steven Riles and David Sharp, are interrogating Mary Dammon, senior at Maple High and considering Stanford. Word gets around this small, Oregon town fast and she is being questioned about the death of Richard "Dick" Spelling.
Senior class president and valedictorian hopeful gunned down.
His twin sister Hannah and Mary were the last ones to see him alive. They aren't the only suspects...Mary's boyfriend Charles "Charlie" Gallagher had no love lost for Dick.
The only reason he isn't being grilled by the cops is...they can't find him.
We're soon presented with a tale weaved through with the norms of any Pike novel: love, lust, betrayal, anger, revenge, remorse, forgiveness and faith.
It's easy to find the characters you love and the ones you hate and then you can see them either change for the better or get worse.
We get a reveal and a twist I didn't see coming that brings about more revelations (but not really as we get hints earlier) and another twist (that's not as effective as the first) that leads to an ending that made me laugh and cry.
This book needs an adaptation and if you haven't read this one yet...I would recommend it if you want some of that 90s nostalgia for late nights when you got to stay up till the news came on watching those NBC gems.
No...just me with my mom...okay...but you should still read Execution of Innocence if you haven't already or in a long while.
The blurb on the back is perhaps slightly misleading but the series of events in the book are an intriguing story. The whole of the plot isn't anything out of this world that has never been done before but it paints a picture of our main characters.
It's told in a how we got to this point style and then goes from there.
Two police officers, Lieutenants Steven Riles and David Sharp, are interrogating Mary Dammon, senior at Maple High and considering Stanford. Word gets around this small, Oregon town fast and she is being questioned about the death of Richard "Dick" Spelling.
Senior class president and valedictorian hopeful gunned down.
His twin sister Hannah and Mary were the last ones to see him alive. They aren't the only suspects...Mary's boyfriend Charles "Charlie" Gallagher had no love lost for Dick.
The only reason he isn't being grilled by the cops is...they can't find him.
We're soon presented with a tale weaved through with the norms of any Pike novel: love, lust, betrayal, anger, revenge, remorse, forgiveness and faith.
It's easy to find the characters you love and the ones you hate and then you can see them either change for the better or get worse.
We get a reveal and a twist I didn't see coming that brings about more revelations (but not really as we get hints earlier) and another twist (that's not as effective as the first) that leads to an ending that made me laugh and cry.
This book needs an adaptation and if you haven't read this one yet...I would recommend it if you want some of that 90s nostalgia for late nights when you got to stay up till the news came on watching those NBC gems.
No...just me with my mom...okay...but you should still read Execution of Innocence if you haven't already or in a long while.
July 9, 2021
I'm in the middle of a Pike trip down to memory lane. I checked which books I have and which books I need to buy (first editions, if possible) to complete my Pike shelves. According to my list, I have to track down 18 of his books, included three I have but I'm afraid they were somehow edited, like when in Slumber Party one of the protagonists fishes a cell phones out of her pockets.
Did the book meet my expectations? Well...
Sex ✓
Murder ✓
Psycho teenagers ✓
Mary's in love with Charlie. She dreams of Stanford, he's a mechanic. Another student, Dick, promises her his dad could get her into Stanford, if only she goes to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. She agrees. All hell breaks loose!
The book alternates chapters in which two lieutenants investigate Dick's murder and chapters in which we are told what happened before the murder. And it all happened because of a dumb choice, followed by an even dumber one.
I'm not sure I liked Mary as a character but... as with The Eternal Enemy she sorts of improves as the story goes on. Dick was a , Hannah is and Charlie... He .
The motive is a bit weak and the ending is as well. But in the end it's the way we get there that's important.
Did the book meet my expectations? Well...
Sex ✓
Murder ✓
Psycho teenagers ✓
Mary's in love with Charlie. She dreams of Stanford, he's a mechanic. Another student, Dick, promises her his dad could get her into Stanford, if only she goes to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. She agrees. All hell breaks loose!
The book alternates chapters in which two lieutenants investigate Dick's murder and chapters in which we are told what happened before the murder. And it all happened because of a dumb choice, followed by an even dumber one.
I'm not sure I liked Mary as a character but... as with The Eternal Enemy she sorts of improves as the story goes on. Dick was a , Hannah is and Charlie... He .
The motive is a bit weak and the ending is as well. But in the end it's the way we get there that's important.
June 19, 2025
I previewed this for my 11 year old daughter, as she is into anything and everything horror: I hated this book. I have read other work by Christopher Pike, especially when I was younger, and I don’t recall any of them being this terrible. The switching between an interrogation room and the crime were cliche. The four teenaged main characters were all terribly written, with little characterization, atrociously stilted dialogue, and ALL just vile, irredeemable individuals: offering to trade sexual favors for college assistance, attempted rape (grossly brushed off by characters), utter lack of moral compasses, and the main characters, Mary, is possibly the worst, as she seems completely unaware of her own actions and cannot fathom her own guilt in anything that happens in her life. There were hyper unrealistic crime scenes, and some of the most cliched and stereotypical depictions of homosexuality in have read in a long time. And the two police officers attempting to unravel what really happened were incompetent. The writing was trite, the plot twists completely unbelievable, the actual culprit laughably identifiable early in the book, and that ending…I laughed out loud as i read the resolution. I could not believe the last two pages of this book. I was almost in awe of just how bad they were. I have had high school students write better prose, dialogue and plots. It has been a long time since I have disliked a book as much as I disliked this book.
Yep, pretty sure I won’t be telling my daughter to read this…
Yep, pretty sure I won’t be telling my daughter to read this…
November 17, 2025
A psychological thriller story by Christopher Pike with just enough twists, blood shed, and teenage angst - very well written, especially the intro, one comes to Pike’s novels and is just amazed at what a great writer he is. While I think our current contemporary culture and in particular cancel culture would be displeased with some parts of the villains identity, I also think such a critique would be very short sighted and over look some key bits in all this — I.e. the villain didn’t do the crimes because of that aspect of their identity, but rather due to further neurodivergence probably caused by her upbringing more than anything. In any event, if you read it, I’d say keep an open mind and don’t get to
Judgy and enjoy the amazing writing and page turning story — it’s short and deadly … overall I give it 3.5 out of 5 blood stains and round up to 4.
Judgy and enjoy the amazing writing and page turning story — it’s short and deadly … overall I give it 3.5 out of 5 blood stains and round up to 4.
December 20, 2023
Solid 3.5
This had the same set up as Die Softly, and Gimme a Kiss, and that one with the creepy lawyer - Spellbound. However, it had a certain... twist to it that was not in the others.
I kinda wish I hadnt read this directly after Die Softly, because out of Pike's hardboiled pastiches, I preferred Die Softly and I think that's the only real negative I have to say about this book.
All the best quotes are inappropriate so I won't be sharing them here, but my goodness did Pike have fun writing this book.
This had the same set up as Die Softly, and Gimme a Kiss, and that one with the creepy lawyer - Spellbound. However, it had a certain... twist to it that was not in the others.
I kinda wish I hadnt read this directly after Die Softly, because out of Pike's hardboiled pastiches, I preferred Die Softly and I think that's the only real negative I have to say about this book.
All the best quotes are inappropriate so I won't be sharing them here, but my goodness did Pike have fun writing this book.
February 16, 2021
This was my read for The Booktube Spin and #FlashbackFebruaryReads
This book had such a nostalgic feel to me as I had read a lot of Christopher Pike's work growing up. I don't believe I read this one before, though parts of it definitely felt familiar. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but I still really enjoyed this read and am looking forward to reconnecting with my collection of his books.
This book had such a nostalgic feel to me as I had read a lot of Christopher Pike's work growing up. I don't believe I read this one before, though parts of it definitely felt familiar. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but I still really enjoyed this read and am looking forward to reconnecting with my collection of his books.
May 10, 2020
A great plot twist at the end even though I had an Idea of who did what but chapter 10 lured me in and made guess it. Do read it if you are into detective/Police/Investigations and also suspence.
January 27, 2021
This was my second time reading this I was 12 the first time. I am now 33, and its still an amazing read from beginning to end.
May 1, 2021
Pretty decent mystery. The motivation of the killer is a bit odd but Pike books tend to be like that.
April 2, 2023
Now I remember why it was my least favourite.
February 25, 2025
I know this was written in the late 90s, but some content I thought to be inappropriate for a book about high schoolers.
October 31, 2016
In 'Execution of Innocence', high school couple Charlie and Mary get into an argument after the former finds out that Mary had gone to the school dance with someone else. That other guy, Dick has always been interested in Mary. Meanwhile, his twin sister Hannah appears to feel the same way. When one of them ends up dead after a prank gone wrong, it's up to the police to figure out the identity of the murderer.
There were several layers to this storyline. Gradually, pieces of the puzzle were unveiled and there was plenty of suspense that kept me turning the pages. However, not all of the characters' actions were believable and certain bits were quite over-the-top. That aside, I did enjoy how the chapters alternated between the past (how Mary met Charlie followed by the sequence of events leading up to that fateful night) and present (Mary and Hannah being interrogated by the policemen). It wasn't hard to predict the killer was though.
Mary and Hannah had the potential to be truly intriguing, mysterious characters but they weren't fleshed out. Considering the length of the book, that was expected. Still, it would have been nice to get some insight into their personality. Charlie and Dick were flat and one-dimensional. That was partly why Mary and Charlie's relationship wasn't convincing on any level. The same applied to Dick's interest in Mary. Hannah was easily the most memorable character.
The last few chapters featured a couple of twists which I could have done without because it seemed like the author was trying too hard to shock the reader. I'm not sure if it was meant to be taken seriously but I found it hilarious when . That's not all - certainly had a knack for making unexpected appearances as . I didn't think it was realistic for the killer to have been so careless for someone who was supposedly smart.
The ending was simply too ridiculous for words. Overall, 'Execution of Innocence' was a quick, fun read though it didn't live up to the author's ability to write truly dark, creepy stories.
There were several layers to this storyline. Gradually, pieces of the puzzle were unveiled and there was plenty of suspense that kept me turning the pages. However, not all of the characters' actions were believable and certain bits were quite over-the-top. That aside, I did enjoy how the chapters alternated between the past (how Mary met Charlie followed by the sequence of events leading up to that fateful night) and present (Mary and Hannah being interrogated by the policemen). It wasn't hard to predict the killer was though.
Mary and Hannah had the potential to be truly intriguing, mysterious characters but they weren't fleshed out. Considering the length of the book, that was expected. Still, it would have been nice to get some insight into their personality. Charlie and Dick were flat and one-dimensional. That was partly why Mary and Charlie's relationship wasn't convincing on any level. The same applied to Dick's interest in Mary. Hannah was easily the most memorable character.
The last few chapters featured a couple of twists which I could have done without because it seemed like the author was trying too hard to shock the reader. I'm not sure if it was meant to be taken seriously but I found it hilarious when . That's not all - certainly had a knack for making unexpected appearances as . I didn't think it was realistic for the killer to have been so careless for someone who was supposedly smart.
The ending was simply too ridiculous for words. Overall, 'Execution of Innocence' was a quick, fun read though it didn't live up to the author's ability to write truly dark, creepy stories.
October 17, 2014
Christopher Pike is a genious with plotting. Always has been, whether I was reading these as a teenager eons ago, or whether as a jaded adult I sit and read his stuff now. This nontraditional story started at the police station with two detectives interviewing two teenage girls. (p.1 - Sharp was the young sexy one, Riles the doughnut eater pushing the fabled fat forty.) A teenage boy is dead, another missing. The mystery is twisted with small changes and misdirections throughout. A quick read that flies by, seriously, and it's hard stuff to put down. The cops walk into the room with preimagined scenaros that they're forced to change when new facts reveal. Mary and Hannah aren't likeable heroines, but this just helps make them interesting. I adored Charlie, from his amusing words later to his sweet actions earlier. The differing detectives added charm. The corononer was amusing as can be with his morbidity, humor, and delight in vile things. As always, Pike weaves his writing wand expertly - I love his short descriptive phrases that sum things up so simply, so clearly, and usually with humor and creativity.
The mystery wasn't the richest since there weren't many culprits, but by adding small twists along the story, even if you already guessed who did it in the end, you don't really care because the journey is so fascinating.
The mystery wasn't the richest since there weren't many culprits, but by adding small twists along the story, even if you already guessed who did it in the end, you don't really care because the journey is so fascinating.
August 30, 2009
"What really happened that dark night, when love and rage shook hands on a deserted street?"
Sharing a love that most people envy, Charlie and Mary find their lives shattered when Mary is unfaithful and Charlie turns murderous, a situation that has Charlie on the run and Mary ostracized by her peers.
I did not find this suspenseful at all. You can predict what happens in the first half of the novel. I suggest for Pike fans to turn their attention to his book, "Fall Into Darkness".
Secondly, I felt his treatment of homosexuality was really rather false and glossed over. It just pops up in the novel without any real depth, and at times seems to turn toward a bias against it. It lacks a certain twist and unpredictably usually present in his writings.
Book Details:
Title Execution of Innocence
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Sharing a love that most people envy, Charlie and Mary find their lives shattered when Mary is unfaithful and Charlie turns murderous, a situation that has Charlie on the run and Mary ostracized by her peers.
I did not find this suspenseful at all. You can predict what happens in the first half of the novel. I suggest for Pike fans to turn their attention to his book, "Fall Into Darkness".
Secondly, I felt his treatment of homosexuality was really rather false and glossed over. It just pops up in the novel without any real depth, and at times seems to turn toward a bias against it. It lacks a certain twist and unpredictably usually present in his writings.
Book Details:
Title Execution of Innocence
Author Christopher Pike
Reviewed By Purplycookie
July 8, 2013
I'm having a strange desire this summer to go back and revisit some Christopher Pike... I so loved him as a tween/teen! This is not one I had read when I was younger, I was out of my Pike phase at that point. This is typical teen horror. Nothing new or exciting, but readable and scary with a twist or two. I really wanted to find some of his early stuff I haven't read again since then, but I'm having trouble finding them. My library had only 3 and all were ones like this. They are quick reads. I enjoy them for what they are!
March 8, 2011
The device of having a lot of the action told in flashback from the police interviewing room was pretty interesting. Other than that, it's your basic YA Horror/Mystery without Pike's usual signature paranormal element.
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