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)

still thinking about this one.....

Lots of reviewers have said they didn't see the resolution coming, and I'll agree to that too, but that's not why I'm still thinking about this book. This is more than a suspenseful family legal drama......It was the level of self-delusion and unending hope that is described by the father (the narrator of the story) that I found fascinating, and the how that things we think we have hidden in the shadows are really right beside us all the time. What do we do when we see those things we thought were hidden? The parents in this family react very differently, and that's part of what stays in my mind even several books later. What would I do? What would my friend, or my parents do?

(This is kept from being a 5 star story by the last 3 minutes of the book - speculation or fantasy that doesn't fit with the character or the preceding story. Fortunately, those 3 minutes are forgettable and don't change the feeling or the effect of the whole.)

A compelling and thought-provoking story.

If you could sum up Defending Jacob in three words, what would they be?

Worth thinking about.

What did you like best about this story?

The ethical, moral, social, and legal complexities.

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

All were so authentic sounding. Excellent voice talent!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It's more than a question of guilt.

Any additional comments?

A must read.

Timeless yet contemporary

Our lives are exhaled right into these characters with William Landay's exquisite prose. We recognize the Barbers in ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our co-workers--it's as if he picks what may seem the most mundane aspects of our lives and describes them with delightfully accurate metaphors, urging us to believe in how we live, nodding, yes, like *that*, while at the same time unraveling a frightening mystery of gruesome nature. Great narration by Grover Gardner. Really, a terrific listen.

Compelling Read

This book has a few too many whiplash moments where the plot veers off in an unexpected and sometimes unrealistic direction, but I will admit to being glued to “Defending Jacob” by the end. There was a strange mix of extreme tension and yet extreme annoyance at how contrived certain key elements seemed.

The narrator, Andy Barber, is so stubborn and is in such denial about his past and also his son’s very nature that it made me not like him very much and brought down my enjoyment of the book a notch. Also, Andy’s whole relationship with and the portrayal of his father was so unappealing that it really colored the way I felt about Andy and the whole book. I don’t always have to like the main character of a book. In this book, I didn’t really like Andy or his father very much, and his son, Jacob, was a creep. I also felt like the whole Father O’Leary episode was unrealistic. It seemed a convenient mechanism to resolve a tricky spot in the plot.

On the other hand, I was completely drawn in by the plot, couldn’t wait to find out what happened, and had to keep reading to figure that out.

The ending was shocking, and I really want to talk to someone about it! I keep thinking about the whole book and about how the small details were planned out to add up to such an ending. I did find an interesting discussion on Goodreads about the ending, but I want a live discussion! Several issues are present in the book that could lead to a good discussion, actually.

The book is not only compelling but thought provoking - even if a little unbelievable.

Did not see the ending coming...

which is awesome!! I enjoy guessing the ends of suspenseful books and being right but I think I enjoy being wrong more! This book had me pretty much from the start. I listened to it in 2 days so it obviously had something. I did not like the narrator at first but he grows on you, although even after finishing the book I don't feel like his voice matched the character of Andy Barber (total personal opinion, he by no means takes anything away from the book). This story moved fast and kept my mind turning. It is a different spin on court type dramas, and I enjoyed the court scenes although I felt some points became repetitive at times (which i'm sure is what happens in real court cases!)

Its hard to say much more without a spoiler alert so I will just say more than credit worthy and leave it at that.

Intriguing!

This book had me on the edge of my seat! The plot, character development, etc. captivated me from page one!

Page Turner with Emotional and Psychological Twists

Typically, I enjoy courtroom mysteries, and psychological thrillers, and this book embodied both, and more.

The extremely complex issues (not too hard to follow, though) surrounding the son, father and the genetic line were very interesting and thought provoking.

The psychological issues with the troubled boy and his fathers almost desperate attempt to explain them away was a dynamic found in very many families, I'm sure.

The complexities of the family's experience of going from respected members of their community to virtual pariahs is interesting as well.

Definitely worth a credit!

Personal

Two stars - meh
three stars - good
four stars - worth a second read
five stars - life-changing - my top 50 of all time

Worth the read...surprising. The secrets we all have. What happens to us when we are confronted with impossibly challenging situations. How much do we believe and have faith in our children. How much do we protect them?

Surprisingly beautiful and poignant

I was rather surprised by the climax; didn't expect it from the tone of the initial parts of the book. But it was a very interesting, intriguing, and ultimately emotionally touching story. One cannot help but feel for Andy Barber.

A Fathers Enduring Love

Any additional comments?

This is a book I thought about long after I listened. A worthwhile book with a good and unexpected ending.