Defending Jacob Review

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Genre: Adult fiction

Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 31,2012)

Source: Shelf Awareness win

Book Description:

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

Review:

If you’re a fan of legal thrillers, then you’ll love this story. It tears at your soul, your morality and makes you think what would I have done?  If someone in your family were accused of murder what would you do to defend their innocence, even if you weren’t sure of their involvment.

I found the story heart wrenching and exhilarating because of the twists and turns and doubts this family had about each other. I think anyone can relate to this family on many levels. It shows the back story to a murder trial and what most of us don’t see in real life. 

If you like legal thrillers then I think you’ll enjoy this debut novel.  I look forward to more from Mr. Landay.

Happy Reading!

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