Author: William Landay
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: January 2012
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis - a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.
Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.
My Thoughts: I thought this book was going to be fairly predictable and there were many moments that I thought for sure what would happen next, only to be shocked with my jaw hitting the floor. This story is mainly about how far a parent will go to help their child, protect him when they stand accused of a heinous and violent crime. When Jacob Barber is accused of the murder of one of his classmates, his parents react like typical parents and want to defend him. Jacob’s father, Andy, also happens to be the assistant district attorney in their community, so there’s a major conflict of interest here.
Jacob’s guilt or innocence doesn’t seem to be the driving factor in this story either. There are so many legalistic detours that it didn’t seem to matter whether Jacob committed the crime or not. He will be judged by his community. He will be judged by his parents. His father insists he’s innocent, but Jacob’s mother, Laurie, feels doubt creeping in, especially when she learns that her husband is the offspring of two generations of murderers.
The book is full of complex characters, some more likable than others. For the most part, I had a lot of empathy for Andy and Laurie and, in their shoes, I’m not sure if I would have done anything differently. I didn’t always agree with their perceptions and behaviors, but they were understandable and logical for the situation.
This book has many twists that I didn’t see coming and the last 75% of the book really packs a punch, so be prepared! The audiobook format of this book was brilliantly performed by Grover Gardner. His narration breathes life into the characters and enhances the tension the reader feels while listening. My favorite audiobooks are usually in the mystery, thriller and suspense genres and this one didn’t disappoint. This was my first experience with a William Landay novel and it won’t be my last.
My Final Verdict: Overall, I highly recommend this story to fans of thrillers and suspense novels, but also stories that explore the good, the bad and the ugly of the family unit. This story ends leaving a lot of open possibilities, but not as a cliffhanger. I felt that, as a reader, I was being challenged to make my own conclusions about the outcome and what should happen next.
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