Friday, September 19, 2014

Defending Jacob

Book: Defending Jacob
Author: William Landay

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.-Goodreads

Review: What would you do if your child was accused of murder? Defend them at all costs or seek the truth? Andy finds himself in this situation when his 14 year old son is arrested for murdering a classmate.  I thought this would be a thriller in the sense of a murder mystery but this is more of a psychological thriller. The most interesting part is how Andy and his wife Laurie react to the situation as well as how the accusation impacts their lives, from both a professional and personal standpoint. There were several twists at the end (I guessed one of them, not the others) and this was an engrossing read. I also enjoyed the writing style, where a transcript of Andy testifying in front of a grand jury is weaved into the story. However, the best part of the book (or most frustrating for some people) was how this book ended. If you only like books that end with perfect red bows, don't read this. Otherwise, dive in!

Grade: 4.5/5

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