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)

STORY OF JAKE, NO FAKE

I found this book very enjoyable. The ambiguity remained throughout even through the end of the trial. This is my first contact with author William Landay, will explore some of his other works. I like his style, just the right amount of detail. I was sorry when the story ended.

The book reminded me of a John Grisham novel, constant "page turner".

Great book. Ending was a shock.

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

First

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Dad, For believing in his son.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?

Dad

If you could take any character from Defending Jacob out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The dad, so I could talk to him about the legal system.

Amazing story

Would you consider the audio edition of Defending Jacob to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version

What other book might you compare Defending Jacob to and why?

I wouldn't compare it, very unique

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

He was excellent to listen to, made me feel like he really was the character of the story

If you could take any character from Defending Jacob out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The mother, we never really saw inside her thoughts and I would have liked to know how she got to where she did. I can guess but would love to hear her tell it

Any additional comments?

One of the best books I've read or listened to and the end was really surprising and unexpected

Didn't See That Coming

Not very often do I make it to the end of the book without having figured out every twist. Guessing until the very end, unsure about the ending, this book makes a satisfying read.

Great book

Great book for those who like the crime drama, it was a little difficult during the court cases when they would just banter back and forth, understanding who was talking. now I have to watch it!

Loved this book

As a legal procedural, this book was great. It takes a minute to get used to how it is sectioned out...not like other books but quickly you get used to it and understand why it is done this way. To see each step of the investigation and trial is just fascinating! Reminds me of the old Perry Mason shows. The end is just amazing! Will try another from this author. Hope it will be just as good.

The narrator was great too. Will look for him in other books. Liked how you knew which character was talking. Excellent job!!!

Great, but....

I loved this story. I enjoyed the performance.

My only complaint is with the author.
Such a great story w/smart, well written characters...except the women.

The wife is the only female character in the entire book that is deemed “attractive”. Every other female is described as overweight, unattractive, unreasonable, lacking intelligence or otherwise less “suitable” than the men.
Hard to believe that the main character never comes in contact with any women that could be described with a single positive adjective.

An intriguing story

I didn’t even know this was a mini series but after hearing the reviews on the tv series, I liked how the book ended better. I loved how the narrator kept me from not putting it down. Even tho some parts are slow, it was worth the wait to see what happened. A must read!

A good legal thriller!

What did you love best about Defending Jacob?

It kept my attention. It kept me wondering what would happen next.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brought the characters to life.

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

The dad. I loved the effort he put forth to defend his son.

Great character development

This was a very well written book with many twists, hard to turn off. Grover Gardner really brought it to life.