Presumed Guilty

by Alexandra Shapiro

March 14th, 2012 was a typical day for Emma Simpson, a successful portfolio manager running the Manhattan office of a big-time hedge fund. Emma followed her usual routine, interacting with coworkers and clients before returning to her quiet family home in the Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two children.
But more than a year later, Emma's world is forever changed-all because of a short email she dashed off on her way home that day to simply support routine company practices. That email becomes the focal point of a criminal investigation by ambitious federal prosecutors.
Alexandra Shapiro's Presumed Guilty follows Emma's journey as the target of a federal white-collar criminal prosecution. She must now fight to prove her innocence, protect her family, and preserve her reputation.
Will she prevail, or will the justice system fail her?

Genres: Law

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Cheryl Killion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story and courtroom drama.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

how jurors may not be a defend’s peers

I never thought about how jurors might be prejudiced against a defended who is NOT like them. For example, the defendant in the book earns a lot more money and is more educated than anyone on the jury. Could people that different from the defendant make assumptions such as “she must be guilty because no honest woman makes that kind of money “ without even being aware of their untrue assumption.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of mysteries or courtroom dramas but this one is written by a real pro and a family member and it’s a page turner. It also does a great job of depicting the power dynamics in a prosecution and how incredibly important it is that the state’s machinery of seeking justice only be used for ethical purposes —through the story of a female hedge fund manager who is prosecuted harshly for white collar corruption by an overly ambitious federal prosecution. A timely read indeed considering our current justice system.

[Pat Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story, I thought this book did a great job portraying an example of a what a white collar crime trial might look like. In doing so, the author showed some of the complexities and biases that can/could exist in cases like this in a way that was both informative and relatable. In addition to the compelling story, the author's note at the end was very insightful and really added a lot of context.

[Ntswaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up after hearing the author is in p diddy's defence team and I wondered if it was good. it's clearly written by someone with first hand experience but the language is not too much of text book knowledge if you know what I mean. it's mostly centered around the main characters case in itself rather than her personal life and in the beginning it really does dust over a lot of her family and work life, going straight to the point of the plot. I liked the ending

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-paced, detailed and entertaining fictional account of a criminal case that never should have been prosecuted. Evidentiary rulings, courtroom objections and jury instructions matter - especially when taken collectively. This novel brings you into the detailed decisions during the trial without losing momentum in the story-telling or neglecting the humanity of the characters.

[La Wer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work in compliance at a large company. This book was fantastic of giving a real life example of how bad things can happen to good people. The author really weaves the work and personal aspects into this book so well!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written! My background is from working for a prosecutors office, so I was appalled at the main character’s treatment!

[Jonathan Isler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down

[James E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not really Justice for All …

An excellent expose of the maw of justice you can get caught in and not get free. A good read.