Defending Jacob

A Novel

By: William Landay

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

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 Globe • Kansas 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)

chilling and sad

Would you listen to Defending Jacob again? Why?

Yes, I multitask and may have missed something

Would you be willing to try another book from William Landay? Why or why not?

Yes, good story line

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes it did

Who was the most memorable character of Defending Jacob and why?

Jacob, sad warped child

Raises interesting questions

I listened to this as a book club selection and we had an interesting discussion on how parents view their children. It raises interesting questions about how well we know our own children and do we give them our blind approval, trust and support just because they are our children.

A slightly surprising ending. I enjoyed the book although far less than the similar storyline in We Need to Talk About Kevin. If I were to only choose one to read it would be Kevin merely because of the depth of emotion in the characters seemed bland in Jacob comparatively.

Great read!

Where does Defending Jacob rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books I've listened to.

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

The father's undying devotion is memorable.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

His voice was a little high pitched for my taste at first, but after a few minutes, he had my complete attention and respect.

If you could rename Defending Jacob, what would you call it?

Sins of the Fathers

Looked like it was going to be good

What did you like best about Defending Jacob? What did you like least?

Started out as a good story. Kid being bullied. Bullier found dead in a park. All fingers point to the DA's kid, the one being bullied. Lots of trial in the story. Got a little boring during the trial part, which seemed to be long.

What could William Landay have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Father in prison seemed to be thrown in to have a different angle to the story.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

Love his voice. Very commanding

Was Defending Jacob worth the listening time?

Yes, because I did want to listen to what sounded like a good story.

Didn't See It Coming

I didn't see the ending coming at all. The story was sad but well done. I'm a bit emotionally drained now that it's over.

Well written, well narrated page turner!

I don't usually get into suspense, but this was a great book. The descriptions were so thorough, so very true. I was very impressed by the story, the narration, and the excellent writing. Terrific!

Unnecessary Language

The book was good but the F wird was used way to often when it was just there and was meaningless. I love this reader but was disappointed.

Good Read

Great book, do not like how it ended but great! Suspense, murder, trial, and how it affected these parents.

Good read. Recommend it highly.

Well written with good legal courtroom scenes as well as believable family emotions. Rollercoaster ride.

I enjoyed this book !

I really enjoyed listening to this book and there couldn’t have been a better narrator than Grover Gardner. The plot kept me engaged and with Mr. Gardners expressive reading, I didn’t want to take any breaks from listening. I’ll be looking for more of Mr Landay’s books.