Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Defending Jacob-William Landay

Defending Jacob


William Landay

Delacorte, Jan 31 2012, $26.00

ISBN: 9780385344227



For twenty-two years, Andy Barber worked in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Office of the District Attorney. By 2007, he had become the first assistant district attorney reporting only to DA Lynn Canavan. However, in April 2007, CPAC State Police report the stabbing murder of Ben Rifkin, a Newton middle school classmate of Andy’s son Jacob. Because a child is involved, which denotes media frenzy, Andy takes the lead as first prosecutor.



However, he soon finds himself in a conflict of interest when the local police arrest Jacob. Stunned by the accusation, Andy and his wife Laurie deny their child would commit a murder as each assumes some psychopathic child molester is the guilty party. Jacob swears he is innocent and both believe him though the evidence overwhelmingly makes it clear that their child killed a classmate. Andy and Laurie struggle between saving their offspring and accepting what appears to be the horrifying truth especially with other questionable deaths while his protégé Neil Loguidice takes over the case.



This is taut legal thriller that grips the reader from the opening Grand Jury testimony to the stunning out of control climax. This is a fast-paced yet extremely cerebral tale with a profound look at the conflict between what happened and justice the American way. Readers will relish this tale as Andy, by Defending Jacob, learns that death may be a better option than the truth about himself and his loved ones.



Harriet Klausner

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