Review: Reasonable Doubt

Reasonable Doubt by Xanthé Mallett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating look into miscarriages of justice.

This true crime offering explores the fallacies of the justice system - globally, though with a specific focus on Australian cases.

It covers things like evidence tampering and contamination, forced confessions, poor police work, and false or misleading evidence from eyewitnesses.

The book focuses on six case studies where innocent people were imprisoned unjustly, and that chilling concept is what makes this book hit so hard. The justice system isn't perfect, and when people make mistakes, there are far-reaching consequences that destroy innocent lives.

I really enjoyed the way it was set out. The case studies all provide different examples of injustice, but there are also inserts that provide further insight into legal procedures and forensic evidence. There's a lot to learn, but it's also incredibly frustrating to read about how authority figures responsible for seeing justice done failed their jobs so completely.

For example: Khalid Baker, who spent 13 years in prison despite his friend claiming to this day that if anyone was at fault it was himself. Even with that confession, it seems apparent that it was a tragic accident for which no one should have suffered. I was also horrified by the case of Kelvin Condren, who spent six years in prison for a murder than another man confessed to before Kelvin's case even went to trial. This book also covers the recent case of the notorious Lawyer X, who denied many of her clients a fair trial by informing on them to police concurrently.

The ramifications are astounding, and I appreciate the way this book questions, and provides facts and suggestions, without necessarily damning anyone. It approaches the cases from an informed, unbiased perspective, and with the information provided it is evident that there are serious flaws in the justice system.

This book isn't about raising hell, or questioning legal procedures, or condemning the justice system. It's about the ramifications of mistaken convictions, and the need to 'Fight hard, but fight fair.' It's about the lives impacted. It's an informed, intelligent compilation that encourages the reader to always question things, and not let blind faith or inherent biases affect our judgement of others.

I really enjoyed it, and it's given me a lot to think about. Highly recommend for those interested in the True Crime genre.

Available from July 28, 2020. With thanks to Macmillan for an ARC

View all my reviews