Defending Jacob by William Landay is as much a mystery/legal thriller as it is a family drama. Andy Barber is a district attorney in Newton, MA, a largely upscale inclusive community. He is one of the first people called to a murder scene in which a 14 year old boy is stabbed three times and left for dead in the woods. There are few clues and even fewer suspects. While Andy insists on investigating a neighborhood pedophile for the crime, he is soon pulled from the case when his son Jacob becomes the lead suspect and charged with the murder. Andy is adamant throughout the novel that Jacob is innocent. However, Jacob’s actions and character are disturbing enough to place doubt in the minds of the town and Jacob’s own mother, Laurie. The family dynamics is an integral part of the story. Laurie’s doubts stem from Andy’s admission of a history of violence in his family - murder and rape - neither of which Laurie previously knew. Did Jacob inherit a “murder gene”? And if so, what does that say about Laurie’s parenting? If Jacob did commit the murder could she have prevented it? These questions haunt Laurie and send her spiraling down a destructive path.
I highly recommend this novel. The legal procedures are described in such a way that you feel you’re actually in the courtroom with the characters. And the surprise ending will shock you (it did me, even though I knew there had to be a twist, I still didn’t see it coming!).~ Linette
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