Della Guardia, his reputation destroyed by the trial, loses a recall election and Rusty is appointed to finish out his term, although his professional prospects beyond that are uncertain. The novel ends as Rusty reflects on Carolyn's murder, which remains officially unsolved nearly a year later. He wonders what led him into the affair which ultimately caused everything to happen, and concludes that it was an attempt to escape the existential crisis that has plagued him most of his adult life, even if what she offered him was never more than a fantasy. Setting and sequel Many of the minor characters in Presumed Innocent also appear in Turow's later novels, which are all set in the fictional, Midwestern Kindle County. A sequel to Presumed Innocent, entitled Innocent, was released on May 4, 2010, and continues the relationship between Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto. Reception Scott Martelle of Los Angeles Times called the novel's plot twists "inventive". Kevin J. Hamilton of The Seattle Times called its story "clever, chilling and wildly unpredictable." Adaptation Before the original novel was released in August 1987, director Sydney Pollack bought the film rights for $1 million. The film adaptation was eventually released in 1990, directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Harrison Ford as Rusty. References External links Scott Turow discusses Presumed Innocent on the BBC World Book Club Kindle County 1987 American novels Adultery in novels Novels by Scott Turow Legal thriller novels American novels adapted into films Farrar, Straus and Giroux books Novels set in Illinois 1987 debut novels