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  • Defending Jacob by William Landay book cover
  • Defending Jacob by William Landay book cover
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Defending Jacob

by William Landay

A family under the pressure of a murder trial

$17.72 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Bestseller

    New York Times bestseller

    The supplied metadata identifies the book as a New York Times bestseller.

  • Editorial selection

    One of The New York Times’s Best Thrillers of the Century

    Named among the New York Times's best thrillers of the century.

  • Critical praise

    Joseph Finder praise

    Praises the novel as a tour de force and a spellbinding, unforgettable literary crime novel.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A family under the pressure of a murder trial

When a young boy is found stabbed in a suburban park, the accused is Jacob, the teenage son of assistant district attorney Andy Barber. The case places Andy’s professional experience in tension with his conviction as a parent, while evidence, public suspicion and strain within the family complicate his defense of Jacob. The novel brings together a criminal trial and a domestic crisis, asking how well parents can know their children and what protecting a child can demand. Its central conflict is not only about guilt and innocence in court, but also about trust and responsibility within a family.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in legal thrillers centered on a murder trial and its effect on a family.
  • Readers who enjoy psychological fiction exploring parental devotion, doubt and trust.
  • Readers looking for a story that combines courtroom conflict with domestic drama.

Themes

Parental devotion and protectionGuilt and innocenceFamily trust and strainPublic suspicion and its consequences

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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 - ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S BEST THRILLERS OF THE CENTURY

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Entertainment Weekly, Boston Globe, Kansas City Star

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney for two decades. He is respected. Admired in the courtroom. Happy at home with the loves of his life: his wife, Laurie, and their teenage son, Jacob. Then Andy's quiet suburb is stunned by a shocking crime: a young boy stabbed to death in a leafy park. And an even greater shock: The accused is Andy's own son--shy, awkward, mysterious Jacob.

Andy believes in Jacob's innocence. Any parent would. But the pressure mounts. Damning evidence. Doubt. A faltering marriage. The neighbors' contempt. A murder trial that threatens to obliterate Andy's family. It is the ultimate test for any parent: How far would you go to protect your child? It is a test of devotion. A test of how well a parent can know a child. For Andy Barber, a man with an iron will and a dark secret, it is a test of guilt and innocence in the deepest sense.

How far would you go?

Praise for Defending Jacob

"A novel like this comes along maybe once a decade . . . a tour de force, a full-blooded legal thriller about a murder trial and the way it shatters a family. With its relentless suspense, its mesmerizing prose, and a shocking twist at the end, it's every bit as good as Scott Turow's great Presumed Innocent. But it's also something more: an indelible domestic drama that calls to mind Ordinary People and We Need to Talk About Kevin. A spellbinding and unforgettable literary crime novel."--Joseph Finder

"Defending Jacob is smart, sophisticated, and suspenseful--capturing both the complexity and stunning fragility of family life."--Lee Child

"Powerful . . . leaves you gasping breathlessly at each shocking revelation."--Lisa Gardner

"Disturbing, complex, and gripping, Defending Jacob is impossible to put down. William Landay is a stunning talent."--Carla Neggers

"Riveting, suspenseful, and emotionally searing."--Linwood Barclay
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