William Landay's Defending Jacob is a courtroom drama that includes family dynamics, murder and mystery. It will hook you right away and keep you tuned in until the last page, and even then doesn't let go.
Andy Barber is an Assistant District Attorney. He is at the top of his game, head of the class and loving his life with his beautiful wife and teenage son, Jacob. Then one day, with one case, his world starts to fall apart. One of Jacob's classmates is murdered and, as the title indicates, Jacob is charged with the murder. Suddenly, Andy is on the other side of the courtroom trying to keep his son out of prison. The book asks, "How far would you go to protect your child?" The decisions that Jacob's parents make throughout the book and the ways that they try to keep their family together engage the reader in a series of "what would I do?" moments.
Through a few flash-forward moments in the book, the reader begins to realize they are reading a story that is not just about this one murder. The story continues beyond the trial, even though the reader doesn't know how that trial will conclude just yet. Something else is coming. William Landay effectively makes the reader think that critical moment has arrived, but oh no, Dear Reader, he isn't finished with you yet.
This story left me shaken at the end. As a parent, as a mother, it affected me wholly. Defending Jacob is one of those books that when you close the back cover, you need to take a reader's break before opening up whatever is next up in you queue.
This was my first Landay read, and I will absolutely look for his other works. Highly recommend!
(My copy of Defending Jacob had an interview with William Landay included at the end of the book which was very interesting, as well.)
Happy Reading!
