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