Wow. That’s the word that immediately escapes my mouth as I close the back cover of a page-turning legal thriller involving a family that, under different circumstances, would look like any other that you might know.
This is the story of Andy Barber who is an assistant DA in a rural Massachusetts community. He is well known and respected in his position and enjoys a happy home life with wife, Laurie, and 14 year old son, Jacob.
The entire Barber family’s life is turned upside down when Jacob is accused of murder of one of his classmates. While this obviously tears up the Barber family emotionally, it presents a special wrinkle because of Andy’s position in the DA’s office.
Andy understandably wants to believe his son is innocent but damning facts and shocking revelations make both parents wonder how well they know their son. This sounds like an open and shut case of a fast-moving thriller to be enjoyed over a weekend or on a sick day from the office.
There are, however, a whole load of things that happen that are difficult to conceive but, to reveal them here, would spoil this excellent mystery/thriller. Suffice it to say, I’m going to recommend you get to the library or bookstore and read this entertaining story.
Defending Jacob has been named “One of the Best Books of the Year” by Entertainment Weekly. The author, William Landay, is a Harvard graduate and a former attorney, like John Grisham and Scott Turow.
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| Four bookmarks out of possible five |
