Mini Book Review: Defending Jacob By William Landay

DEFENDING JACOB: A Novel

By: William Landay

Published: January 31, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Fiction/Crime Fiction




I'm pretty sure I'm one of the last people to read DEFENDING JACOB. It has been recommended to me over and over again and I just rarely find or make time to read books "for fun". When my cousin asked me to find her a good read to take on vacation, I gave her some links for cheap Kindle reads. You can see them all daily by clicking on my side bar link, Kindle Deals. Anyway, from the list, she chose DEFENDING JACOB since it was only $2.99 and luckily I had already purchased it on an earlier Kindle Deal. So, we decided to read it together during her vacation. Since she had a bit more leisure time than I did, she finished a few days before me.  We have since texted each other our thoughts about it.  So, even though it put me a bit behind in my review books, it was worth the read! We both loved it!

In DEFENDING JACOB, we meet Andy while he is being grilled in front of the Grand Jury. We don't know why he is being questioned, but we do know, based on the title, that it has something to do with his son, Jacob. As Andy takes us through the story, we learn he is the Assistant District Attorney and he was assigned to the case of a teenager who was murdered on his way to school. Laurie, his wife and Jacob, their son, seem to live the idyllic life in the suburbs, until this murder happens. Everyone is on edge and the pressure is on for Andy to find the killer. Until the day he finds out that his son, Jacob, is being charged with the murder of his fellow classmate, Ben. Everything stops for Andy and he makes it his mission to defend Jacob's innocence as his father, in their community and through the court system.

Landay gives the reader plenty to think about while reading and throws in lots of twists and surprises. I never knew what to expect and that kept me reading as fast as I could. Since I have a 14-year-old son, it was hard not to imagine what we would do in this situation. The characters, the community, and the reactions of their friends were all accurately portrayed and relatable. I promise you won't expect the ending.

If you like crime fiction, this is one you should definitely add to your reading list! For just $2.99 on Kindle, it is totally worth the price.

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