Bookish Thoughts: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay, narrated by Grover Gardner

Blackstone Audio; 2012

Fiction; 12 hrs, 25 min

From the Publisher: 

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.  

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, and 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.

My thoughts: Oh my G-d.  Read. This. Now.  That is all.

What I liked (because my husband wants more):

• The narrator was spot on in his narration as Andy Barber.  Spot. On.  Annoying and all.
• The way the author touched upon the impact a murder charge would have on the family, particularly as a parent.
• What was said.
• What wasn't said.
• The level of attention to detail in terms of the court process, particularly the defense.
• Defending Jacob is the very definition of suspense.
• How heartbreaking this book was.
• How discussion worthy this book is, and how I still can't stop thinking of it or talking about it.

The title says it all.  This really isn't a book about Jacob so much as it is about defending Jacob.  Jacob is a big part of the story, but it really is the story of his father and how his father--and the family--deals with the charges against his son.  There were a couple of moments in which the story could be seen as going off the rails, but I felt, in both instances, it worked for the book.  I bought it.  I could see it happening the way William Landay describes.

And a final note: I didn't particularly like anybody in this book.  Maybe the mom.  I felt sorry for her most of the time.  It didn't matter though.  This book was that good.

Rating:  (Outstanding)

You can learn more about William Landay and his book on the author's website. 

Source: I bought an audio copy of this book for my own listening pleasure.

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