What can I say except for wow? I do enjoy a good true crime novel from time to time, however I must admit this has blown it out the park. The empathy I felt for this man was unmatched, and I don't think I could ever imagine what it would be like to be in his position. Sat in a cold, grey, concrete cell for twenty four hours a day, on death row for a crime you haven't committed. Awful. Reading this short extract drew to my attention just how cruel and unreliable to American justice system is. I have never been the biggest fan of cops, but wow. A whole new perspective. Reading this extract convinced me to buy the book, and I'm glad that I did as I can't wait to find out the rest of this mans story. It is so inspirational that people like him can continue to push on and persevere, even when they're in his situation. Such a breath-taking book. 10/10 recommend.

This book is fantastically written by Ian Woods. The level of detail, and phenomenal amount of information surround the death penalty and executions in several countries, is simply fantastic. It is very clear to see that a very high percentage of the modern world is seriously opposed to the idea of putting a man to death. Yet we still have the death penalty in one of the most forward thinking nations in the modern world. The evolution of sending someone to their death has in reality changed nothing, other than arguments and 'grey areas' about the right ways of ending someones life. In the case of Richard Glossip, Ian Woods writes about the fact that Richard is sentenced based upon the statement of the killer. This to me makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and I cannot wait to finish this book and see where this case goes. This is a must read for anyone interested in true crimes!

Surviving Execution is a gripping heart breaking true story. This one of those very sad books when someone is convicted of doing something when they had nothing to do with it. Firstly I would like to thank Ian Woods a reporter from Sky News in the UK, for bringing this sad story to the all the readers attention in the UK. Without Ian Woods writing this book we would have never have been aware that Richard Glossip was wrongly sentenced to death row for supposedly killing his boss who was motel owner Barry Van Treese. It made me quite angry that during the interrogation other man of police interest was interviewed and Richard Glossip, both men had been recorded on camera but in court only those of Richard Glossip had been shown. I just can't imagine the feelings of fear and how depressed Richard Glossip must have been just waiting on death row for a killing he never committed. My heart truly went out to Richard Glossip. I highly recommend reading this true story Surviving Execution.

This true story of a innocent mans time on death row is compelling insight to not only the world of death row inmates but the way they they are treated in the run up to their impossing death. What I really like about it is the grit and honesty that is show throughout.really Insightive. Who can imagine waking up a inocent man and preparing yourself mentally and emotionally for your death only for at the last moment new evidence to come to light. The fight the lawyer put in to proof his clients innocent is admirable. The writing style of this book is easy to read and easy to follow. You can easy keep up with who is who and what is going on. This wouldn’t usually be a book I would choose but I can not fault this book at all.

I'm not normally the best at reading real-life stories, perhaps something about the style in which they are written, I'm not sure. I often find them much more challenging to read than fiction. However, this book completely blew me away. I couldn't stop turning the pages, desperate to find out what happened and by the end of the book, I spent time researching the Richard Glossip case and reading up about Sister Helen Prejean. The writing style was brilliant, engaging, thought-provoking and easy-to-read. I also felt that I learned a lot by reading it about the american justice system, the death penalty and the moves both for and against it. I can't quite put into words how I felt about the story itself - it made me both angry and sad (that the death penalty still exists, that people can be sentenced to die so easily with no real evidence, that an obviously messed up police enquiry and the testimony of one person who was the actual murderer can be used as proof that someone was involved). It also made me want to be more involved in the anti-death penalty movement, it was always something that I felt was wrong I would often use the Tolkein line, 'Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.' as an argument against it. But this reinforced those feelings multiple times. The whole process is so inhumane, cruel and barbaric. The amount of work that Ian Woods had put into finding out about the story, helping to bring it to international attention alone would make it a worthy read. The fact that it tries to give as balanced a viewpoint as is possible - speaking to different people who were involved and trying to take on board their views. He leaves the reader to make up their own minds while stating his opinions on it all. I ultimately feel like it was a compelling story, one that needed to be told. Perhaps one that yet again the people that most need to read never will do. By bringing it to light and hopefully gaining more momentum behind the campaigns (both for Glossip and against the death penalty as a wider goal), he has achieved a lot. I only hope, like he says at the end of the book that Glossip never has to see the inside of a death chamber. Even if he was in some way involved, which cannot be proven (and why would you insist on your innocence for years knowing you could escape death if you admitted it if you were guilty is beyond me), then he does not deserve to die. Moreover, if he is innocent and does get killed then how can anyone involved in the case, the jurors who sent him to death, the judges who were involved ever live with themselves? Essentially, it was brilliant. It has made me value all that I have and how lucky I am and even appreciate our government (which I nearly always disagree with) for not being barbaric enough to still allow the death penalty in the UK. I recommend it to anyone.