Summer Reading List.....Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob by William Landay was.......suspenseful.  I say suspenseful because the murder mystery centers around Jacob, the 14 year old son of Assistent District Attorney Andy Barber.  Like an episode of Law and Order (any variety!), I spent the entire novel wondering "who did it?" 



 

 

The book moves along at a heartbreaking pace.  The circumstances surrounding the family of the deceased and the family of the accused is harsh.  I never had stopped to think about how the latter would feel prior to reading this.  Andy's world is absolutely shattered by the accusation:  he loses his job; he has no control over an investigation that he would ususally be knee deep in;  and because he's a lawyer, he agonizes over every little detail as he fights for his son.  Andy's wife, whom had been the center of a group of mothers, is left isolated and questioning her own mothering. 

I think the story is also agonizing.  My goodness, what would you do if your own child was accused of murder??  I was rooting for Jacob and his family one moment and the next I wanted to shake them for their thoughts and actions.  And then there is the question that weighs heavily throughout the entire book:  do you think he did it???  

Good book, but I need something a little bit more lighthearted for my next one :-).

Michelle