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Defending Jacob  By  cover art

Defending Jacob

By: William Landay
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A legal thriller that’s comparable to classics such as Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent . . . tragic and shocking.”—Associated Press

NOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED ORIGINAL STREAMING SERIES • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Entertainment Weekly Boston GlobeKansas City Star

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.

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.

©2012 William Landay (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Landay has proven himself to be an extraordinary writer, and Defending Jacob is an amazing novel. Do yourself a favor and read it. It’s that good.” (Nicholas Sparks, #1 New York Times best-selling author)
“Harrowing . . . This searing narrative proves the ancient Greek tragedians were right: the worst punishment is not death but living with what you—knowingly or unknowingly—have done.” ( Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“[Landay] reaches a new level of excellence with this riveting, knock-your-socks-off legal thriller. With its masterfully crafted characterizations and dialogue, emotional depth, and frightening implications, the novel rivals the best of Scott Turow and John Grisham. Don’t miss it.” ( Booklist, starred review)
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Featured Article: Go Beyond the Courthouse with These Legal Thriller Audiobooks


While listening to real-life litigations can be a bore, some of the most exciting mystery and crime plots unravel around courtroom proceedings. There's an exciting world of legal thriller audiobooks beyond the biggest names out there waiting to be discovered. Here are the best legal thrillers featuring scenes of courtroom drama and twisty legal plots that will keep you gripped and guessing until the gavel’s rapped.

What listeners say about Defending Jacob

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    6,182
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Abrupt ending…till I realized it wasn’t the end

Would you listen to Defending Jacob again? Why?

I loved this book. Some days I sat in the work parking lot listing to just one more chapter before heading in. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a crime/court novel. With that being said, I don’t think I could listen to it again. Once you learned all the “evidence” you can’t re-listen with the same enjoyment. The development of the case chapter by chapter and all the twist and turns makes this book very exciting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Defending Jacob?

The most memorable moment for me was when Jacob’s friend, Derrick, confided in Andy what he told the police about Jacob. It was at that point I realized the story wasn’t as clear cut as I expected.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Just Terrific

I have reread the written version. Listened to the audio twice. A compelling performance to complement an unforgettable story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

maybe the narrator, maybe the story.. not great..

while the idea behind the story was good, somethinh about the way the narrator read all the different characters and the format of the book just wasnt great for me plus i found Jacobs father to be pretty unlikeable but thats just my opinion. Planning to check out the movie adaptation to see if it is any better

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Very engaging. The performer was very good, believable & fit the story line. This performance was hard to turn off.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Gets a lot of the Legal stuff right

possible spoilers: Jeopardy does not attach to a nolle pros. And I've never had a case dismissed just because another person confessed. These were major problems for me to enjoying the last part It was an easy read and somewhat interesting.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Don’t miss this book!

Really enjoyed this story. So well written and “discomforting’! Terrible predicament for a parent to come to terms with.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding Read!

Totally engrossing and left me with my mouth hanging open. Phenomenal storytelling…highly recommend this book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Read(or listen..haha)

Great ending! I did not expect what all happened. The story was structured very well.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyed

I enjoyed this book I was very surprised at the ending. It was very suspenseful.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

It was alright

Well written, subtle thriller. That said, you would never find me gushing about this book or recommending it to friends.

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