Finding the perfect book to read next is hard. You want something equally fictional and truthful. You want to be removed from your own life and placed in someone else’s yet you also want to relate to the story. Not all of us want to escape to Hogwarts every day or run with the Dauntless crew. Instead, we want a book that will get our hearts pumping and our minds turning.Â
During my most recent Barnes and Noble excursion, I came across a book called, Defending Jacob written by William Landay. The first thing that caught my eye was one of the reviews from the HuffPost on the back of the book. It read, “Stunning…a novel that comes to you out of the blue and manages to keep you reading feverishly until the whole thing is completed.” This was the exact kind of book I was looking for, and ten minutes later I was out the door with it.Â
This book follows Andy Barber, a very well respected and admired assistant district attorney, his wife Laurie, and their teenage son Jacob. The story picks up as Andy is investigating the murder of a 14-year-old boy named Ben Rifkin. Due to online claims from various social media accounts, and incriminating evidence, his own son Jacob is pinned as a prime suspect in the murder.Â
A thing to keep in mind while reading this story is the author of this book was a former Assistant District Attorney himself so the language he uses at times may be confusing to those not familiar with the court system. If you struggle with the court terms used in this novel, they did make a TV version of this book and you can find that on Apple TV+.
Aside from the thickening plot, the themes of this story were the most captivating. The portrayal of family relationships, and the overwhelming guilt that flooded the Barber household for thinking that their own son could have committed murder. This book showcases the ultimate test for any parent. How far would you go to protect your children?Â
I really hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I literally could not put this down!
Look out next week for a few summer recipes that you can make in under 20 minutes that are refreshing and just what you need for those warm days!
As always, HC XOXO!