Reviewed by Wendy Kittlitz

Dallas Hamilton’s husband, Ron, is an up-and-coming pastor with a church of 8000 with a best-seller on pornography. But, how is his marriage and family life?

Dallas knows all is not well . . . but she never imagined watching her husband being arrested for murder!

James Scott Bell’s newest novel is an excellent read! It is fast-paced, holds the reader’s interest intently, provides unexpected twists and turns in a plot that is at once predictable and yet surprising. He does a good job of portraying both the turmoil of the pastor’s wife, who searches diligently for the truth as well as giving wonderful insight into the pastor’s own spiritual journey into the depths of soul-searching.

While the book is clearly fiction, there is a sense of truth throughout as glimpses of the pastor’s family reveals that all is not what is appears on the surface, that these people experience the same temptations, fears, doubts, anxieties and even sin that everyone else does. The character of Dallas is especially compelling as the reader joins her in wrestling with her feelings, her choices and her investigation into what really happened between her husband and the woman he stands accused of killing.

I found the ending to be particularly realistic and satisfying. Without giving anything away, I really liked the resolution the author arrived at with the main characters. I thought it struck a good balance under the circumstances. I would recommend Presumed Guilty to anyone interested in good fiction, but particularly to pastor’s wives who may identify with the character of Dallas.