Defending Jacob
Jacob Barber, son of Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber, finds himself accused of the stabbing murder of his classmate Ben Rifkin. While Andy and his wife tirelessly defend their son the upscale community of Newton quickly turn their backs on them. Knowing the ins and outs of the legal system and how it works Andy will seemingly stop at nothing to prove his sons innocence. Unfortunately, along the way, some of his closely guarded family secrets come to light. Things are not looking good for Jacob and Andy begins to question the validity of trusting the legal system.The story is narrated by Andy and his voice is intelligent, thought provoking and written in such a way that the reader can feel his emotional turmoil as his family is literally torn apart by the events taking place. This book was incredible on many different levels. It deals with the concept of false confessions, law enforcement locking in on one culprit to the exclusion of further investigation, the politics of the justice system and the behind the scenes finagling of lawyers on both sides of the bench. This book compels the readers to ask themselves “what would I do?” How unwavering is a parent’s faith in the innocence of their child? Is it real, or it is blinding? I was kept on a see-saw as I was reading. Did he? Didn’t he? He did! No wait, he didn’t. Hmmm, maybe? I won’t spoil it for anyone, but let me just say I did NOT see the ending coming. Well-done Mr. Landay!
