Andy Barber is an assistant District Attorney in his suburban hometown, well versed in the law and how to put a criminal behind bars. The entire town is rocked when a fourteen year old boy was found brutally murdered, and Andy's world is thrown upside down when his own son, Jacob, is the accused. Can Andy Barber prove his son innocent? Should he?
Ever since I turned the last page, I have been telling everyone I see to read DEFENDING JACOB, just so I can have another person to talk to about this book.
One friend to whom I recommended the book told me he, "inhaled it like it was oxygen."
I read it with my book club and thank GOODNESS I had a room full of people to talk to about it! Full disclosure time: our book club usually talks about a book for about 25 to 45 minutes tops, and then we spend the rest of the evening laughing, catching up, and drinking wine. (Shocking, I know.)The night we discussed DEFENDING JACOB, we talked about the book the ENTIRE time.
One can't help but become totally engrossed in the story, the way William Landay lays it all out is brilliant. He mixes his text with witness testimony throughout the book, which is so powerful. The way Andy and his wife each reacts to Jacob's trial will make your head spin, wondering what you would do, how you would feel, what you would do differently if in the mother's or father's position. The end...holy $hit...you won't see it coming from a mile away!!
This book needs to be made into a movie.
I can't even talk about it any more here without ruining it for you. Just go read it!! One of the best books I have read this year!
Book Extras:
Author Website, Facebook, Blog, Twitter, Tumblr
Goodreads
Read Chapter One
About the Book:
William Landay is the author of the highly acclaimed Mission Flats, which was awarded the John Creasey Memorial Dagger as the best debut crime novel of 2003. A graduate of Yale University and Boston College Law School, he was an assistant district attorney before turning to writing. He lives in Boston, where he is at work on his next novel of suspense.
*Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book from my local Indie Book Shop
(Funny aside. After I wrote my review, I went over to read a few others on Amazon. One person said it was a "fun easy read"...um, no. Twilight was a fun, easy read. This was so far beyond. Please, for all that is holy, do not trust an Amazon review!)
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