Defending Jacob: A Novel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER € €œA legal thriller that€s comparable to classics such as Scott Turow€s Presumed Innocent . . . tragic and shocking.€€"Associated Press

SOON TO BE AN 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

€œA 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 Presumed Innocent. 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

€œDefending Jacob is smart, sophisticated, and suspenseful€"capturing both the complexity and stunning fragility of family life.€€"Lee Child

€œPowerful . . . leaves you gasping breathlessly at each shocking revelation.€€"Lisa Gardner

€œDisturbing, complex, and gripping, Defending Jacob is impossible to put down. William Landay is a stunning talent.€€"Carla Neggers

€œRiveting, suspenseful, and emotionally searing.€€"Linwood Barclay