I could not rest until I finished this book! I read in some reviews that William Landay's characters in Defending Jacob are underdeveloped, and I disagree. They are fleshed out more than well enough, as the plot of necessity relies -- Landay intended it to rely -- more on the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller. If I have any criticism, it's minor; he could have tightened up the editing by skipping quite a bit of the routine procedural courtroom exchanges and I'd not have missed a thing. But then, Stephen King could use a stricter editorial hand and I doubt he's lost many readers for it. Bottom line: It's clear this author cares deeply about producing quality work. That the story concluded after such a pitch-perfect, unpredictable crescendo I particularly appreciated. Glad to have stumbled upon Landay's book. Now onto his first two novels! 

Question: How much character do the characters have?
Answer: the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller