BOOK REVIEW: Presumed Guilty

If you are looking for a good legal thriller book to take to the beach or read outside on a warm summer day, this is the book to take with you! However, expect that you might miss a few meals because it will be hard to put down. I read this book in two days, taking it with me on errands, and reading it late into the night.

This book, Presumed Guilty, by James Scott Bell tells the story of a pastor, Ron Hamilton, whose church is rapidly growing to over 8,000 people. He has written a book on pornography, which unexpectedly becomes a best seller. His wife, Dallas, has a heart for battered women and finding shelter homes for them. She notices the distance with her husband, but attributes it to the busyness of their lives.

Their worlds turn upside down, when Pastor Ron Hamilton is arrested for murdering a porn star in a raunchy hotel. His wife does not believe it could possibly be true, until she begins to investigate and finds things on his computer - pornography. It shows how this sin, leads to other things, including lying, adultry, and the affect on children, family and church. Without giving more details of the story away, it is a book that will make you think.

Though a fiction story, Mr. Bell shows the truth of sin, and how it can quickly weave its way into our lives. It shows how Christians need accountability, how just one "quick peek" at pornography can pull someone into this deep dark hole, and how being alone with others of the opposite sex needs to be guarded. An innocent hug, can lead to adultery. Yes, even people we put up high on a pedestal, such as a pastor, can fall victim to this.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me captivated to the very end. I think this is the first book of Mr. Bell's that I have read, and I plan on looking up some of his other books to read. This book is for adults, and I would not recommend it for children or even teens, unless mom or dad have read it first, and feel it is something their children would benefit from.

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As an Active Christian Media reviewer, I was not compensated for providing this review. I received this complimentary book in order to review it and am thankful for this opportunity.