Defending Jacob, William Landay

Hoo boy, this one was a good one. A murder mystery that is also a family drama, it put me in the mind of one of my favorite books ever, Gone Girl. This book had me guessing throughout and then took my breath away in the last few pages and actually left me in tears. Definitely not some light reading for a warm Spring day, but it definitely is a compelling book that will have you questioning how far parents should go to protect their children and how far trust within a family can be tested.

Defending Jacob is told from the point of view of Andy Barber, assistant district attorney in his Massachusets town. He has held this position for 20 years and is very well-respected. All of this comes tumbling down around him when his 14-year old son, Jacob, is accused of first-degree murder. This is even more shocking since the murder victim is a fellow classmate of Jacob's. Andy is put on leave and devotes himself to proving his son's innocence...even though Jacob's own mother, Andy's wife Laurie, has her own horrible doubts about whether or not Jacob is guilty.

The lead up to the trial is just as exciting as the trial itself and while a lot of books like to tell you they have a surprising twist ending, many of them might as well tell you the ending at the beginning of the book. Not this one. This one genuinely surprised - even shocked - me. As we learn more about Jacob - and about Andy - it is easy to flip-flop back and forth between guilty/not guilty verdicts. Adding to this dilemma is the fact that Jacob is not a likable character, so the reader is not immediately prone to the not guilty side of the courtroom. But the victim is not a likable character either, so can't automatically go to the guilty side. This is a complex book that brings forth complex feelings as you read it. It will have you thinking long after you turn the last page.