A Terrible Guilt is the story of an innocent being convicted of a crime he had no part of and the people who believed he was wrongly convicted and their fight to exonerate him.

This book tells the story how small town minds, corruption and judgement of people without knowing the full story can harm a person. It also tells the story that there are people out there who see things for how they are will go to bat for people despite the consequences that could be faced.

Personally, I was so enthralled with this book that I read it in one sitting. Though written more like something you would find in a newspaper in a way, A Terrible Guilt reads smoothly and shows biases, corruption and that there really are people out there who truly care. This book is a great read for those who like books about crime and the lengths people will go for true justice.

Bob Rothman’s debut novel is a tense, fast moving passionate look at the injustice and inconsistency of applying the death penalty in American courtrooms. When the popular owner of a diner in rural Georgia is shot dead, Joseph Owens, a worker at the diner with a serious anger management issue is arrested. Evidence is all circumstantial. Not even a weapon can be found and there are no eye witnesses. But circumstantial evidence is no friend of a black suspect in the USA, especially when there are two unsolved local murders and the DA, Paul Chastain, is facing a formidable opponent in his bid for re-election.

A court appointed attorney represents the defendant and he’s no match for a highly motivated DA and a judge who summarily rejects all of the defense motions. When two high powered attorneys, Greg Williams and Elena Samuels, from a prestigious Atlanta law firm, are asked to attend the trial as representatives for a media company client , they become concerned about wheels of justice in this life or death case. Ultimately they agree to represent the condemned Mr Owens in his last hurrah Habeas Corpus appeal.

What ensues is not only a courtroom travesty, where the,life of an innocent man means very little to those intent upon scoring a win, but also an in depth look into the machinations of big very wealthy law firms where lucrative billable hours take priority over a pro bono attempt to save a human life. Both the dialogue and interpersonal relationships were so well depicted that there were times I wanted to jump right in and tell the law partners just how greedy and soulless they were.

There have been other novels written about the spurious and cruel nature of the death penalty, the most famous being To Kill A Mockingbird, yet the topic remains a vitally important one because the finality of the sentence precludes the possibility of future evidence exonerating the defendant. In this book, Bob Rothman does an impeccable job of telling how the defendant might just become another victim. I will look for any future book by this author. Five glorious stars for a book that must be read, digested and discussed to be understood. . It was published on September 12,2024 and is a must read for those who enjoy courtroom drama with a punch. Many thanks to Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for an ARC in exchange for my very honest review.

This is a new to me, author, but I will definitely be looking for more of his stories. He pulled me in from the beginning and did not let me go till the very end.There was lots of surprises and lots of twist and turns. This may be his debut, but I say keep on going Mr. Rothman and I’ll keep on following you. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys an intense and thrilling read.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The author does such a good job of developing the characters, that the reader really cares what happens. When a man is wrongfully convicted of a double murder, interested parties recognize the rush to judgment and work through the arduous process of exoneration. Lots of detail in an excellent story.

Love that this book is set in Georgia.I am a GA girl and have a soft spot for stories set here.
Story is off to a galloping start right from the beginning.A good thriller that delves into every character involved.The wrongly accused gives you a feeling of it could be me.
Good book.Author wastes no time with fluff and fillers.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC.