Defending Jacob: A Novel
<b><i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER • “A legal thriller that’s comparable to classics such as Scott Turow’s <i>Presumed Innocent</i> . . . tragic and shocking.”—Associated Press</b><br /><br /><b>NOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED ORIGINAL STREAMING SERIES • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY <i>Entertainment Weekly </i>• <i>Boston Globe </i>• <i>Kansas City Star</i></b><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />How far would <i>you</i> go?<br /><br /><b>Praise for <i>Defending Jacob</i></b><br /><br />“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 <i>Presumed Innocent</i>. But it’s also something more: an indelible domestic drama that calls to mind <i>Ordinary People</i> and <i>We Need to Talk About Kevin</i>. A spellbinding and unforgettable literary crime novel.”<b>—Joseph Finder</b><br /><br />“<i>Defending Jacob</i> is smart, sophisticated, and suspenseful—capturing both the complexity and stunning fragility of family life.”<b>—Lee Child</b><br /><br />“Powerful . . . leaves you gasping breathlessly at each shocking revelation.”<b>—Lisa Gardner</b><br /><br />“Disturbing, complex, and gripping,<i> Defending Jacob</i> is impossible to put down. William Landay is a stunning talent.”<b>—Carla Neggers</b><br /><br />“Riveting, suspenseful, and emotionally searing.”<b>—Linwood Barclay</b>