Defending Jacob

“A legal thriller that’s comparable to classics such as Scott Turow’s  Presumed Innocent  . . . Tragic and shocking,  Defending Jacob  is sure to generate buzz.”—Associated Press

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 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.

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.

How far would you go?

“The hype is justified. . . . Exceptionally serious, suspenseful, engrossing.”— The Washington Post

“Ingenious . . . Nothing is predictable. All bets are off.”—Janet Maslin,  The New York Times

“Gripping . . . [Landay] keeps you turning the pages through the shocking gut-punch of an ending.”— Entertainment Weekly