Preview of Pleading Guilty Summary:

As in his earlier novels, Turow, in Pleading Guilty, examines the darker forces that control the lives of many of his characters. However, unlike Turow's previous protagonists, Mack Malloy is much more aware of the shadows in his life. From his upbringing as the child of a father who stole, to his exposure to and participation in the corruptions of a policeman's life, to his failed marriage and parenthood, to the often questionable dealings of the law, Mack understands life's many temptations. In fact, when he learns of Bert's presumed theft, Mack's reaction reveals his desire to escape the many compromises of his life: "What a notion! Grabbing all that dough and hieing out for parts unknown. The wealth, the freedom, the chance to start anew! I wasn't sure if I was more shocked or thrilled." Mack longs to escape from his life; yet he also feels the...