Defending
Jacob is an outstanding thriller. A teenager is brutally
killed in a Boston suburb and classmate Jacob Barber is arrested for the crime.
This comes as a total surprise to Andy Barber, Jacob's dad and the DA that was
assigned to the case. What follows is a study of family interactions, a tense
courtroom drama and a look at nature vs. nurture. As the circumstantial
evidence mounts--overwhelmingly--against Jacob, investigators never stop
looking for the smoking gun that will clinch the case. The jury has to decide
on the case from testimony alone. Do they have enough to convict? Did Jacob
really do it? The investigation and court scenes ring true because of Landay's
former job as a prosecutor, but he's also a great writer. Readers can make up
their own mind despite the verdict, but I know who did it. And I'm not telling.
Go read the book!
Rating: ****1/2 out of 5 stars
Read it. Loved it. Wonder if it digs deeper for Dads than Moms. And - I do wonder if all law offices - private and public - are as full of career-obsessed individuals as all the novels and TV shows would have us believe.
ReplyDeleteThe characters were so three dimensional it was like you were looking into the lives of a family you know. What wouldn't you do for your kid? And don't we all know a Jacob? I think I may have met a few of him. Just finished Landay's other novel, Mission Flats. Excellent read, check it out!
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