128:. He is investigating the murder of a 14-year-old boy, Ben Rifkin, who was a classmate of his son Jacob and was found stabbed to death in a park near their school. Andy initially suspects Leonard Patz, a known local pedophile, but soon, he discovers that Ben's friend hints at the animosity between Ben and Jacob. Andy searches Jacob's room and discovers a knife that fits the description of the murder weapon. Unsettled by finding a knife in his son's room, Andy disposes of the knife on the notion of this being what "any parent would do." The next day, he is suddenly pulled off the case when a fingerprint is found inside Ben's sweatshirt that matches that of Jacob.
229:, J. Kingston Pierce disagreed, writing: "Many readers, preferring neatly tied-up plots, will be frustrated by the way Landay drops red herrings and possibly significant clues, but then leaves a surfeit of questions outstanding at the end of the book. However, the raggedness of this story's final section, especially, is one of its signal strengths".
223:, Julia Keller gave the book a mixed review, panning the "inexplicable bursts of clunky, cliche-ridden prose and huge dumps of exposition" and opined that the ending was "signaled so flamboyantly and built up to at such tedious length that that readers will be well within their rights to skim". In his piece for
139:
The Barber family is relieved, but Andy feels suspicious about Patz's death. He visits his father again and learns that he had hired a hitman to kill Patz and leave behind the note. Billy expresses regret over his life in prison and realized he did not want the same for Jacob. Andy is angered by this
131:
The finding shocks Andy and his wife, Laurie, but does not shake their belief in his innocence. Jacob claims that he found Ben dead in the park and tried to revive him. While Jacob spends the night in jail, Andy reveals to Laurie that his father, Billy Barber, is a convicted murderer and rapist who
135:
At the trial, incriminating evidence comes out, including a story Jacob posted online which reads like a narrative of Ben's murder. Just when things look bad for Jacob, Leonard Patz is found hanging in his house. He leaves behind a suicide note taking responsibility for Ben's murder and Jacob is
147:
Laurie becomes convinced of Jacob's guilt and in turn, feels guilty herself. On their drive to an interview at a private school, Laurie crashes the car she is driving with Jacob in it, resulting in Jacob's death, while sustaining critical injuries herself. Andy is questioned in connection with
143:
Wanting to put the whole ordeal behind them, the Barber family decide to go on a vacation to
Jamaica. There, Jacob meets a girl named Hope Connors and the two become close. One day while Jacob is relaxing at the resort, his parents notice a red stain on his bathing suit. The next day, Hope is
216:
s Thom Geier gave it a B+, stating: " prose can be workmanlike and his dialogue pedestrian (Jacob and his peers sound like no teens you've ever met). But with a grabby premise and careful plotting, he keeps you turning the pages through the shocking gut-punch of an ending". Writing for the
171:, Landay said that while he tried to avoid using real-life cases for his books, "there were many cases that inspired various aspects of , most of them of only local interest in the Boston area, where I live". In a separate interview, he revealed that "the first manuscript of
175:
that I submitted actually had a different ending. What followed was a very long discussion about how the story could end in a way that was both big enough to be dramatically satisfying yet small enough to be credible for the ordinary people who populate the book".
160:
as a deviation from his usual style of writing, explaining: "My first two books were easy to categorize as 'crime novels.' I have no problem with that label, but the fact is a lot of mainstream readers simply won't even consider them. You could call
179:
The opening page of the novel contains an epigraph, attributed to
Reynard Thompson, on the human propensity for violence. Landay tweeted in 2020 that Thompson does not exist and that the book from which the quote was allegedly obtained, named
43:
148:
Jacob's death but refuses to cooperate or incriminate Laurie in any way. Afterwards, Andy tries to imagine the final moments of Jacob's life and what he would have become if he had lived.
207:
also positively reviewed the book's "riveting courtroom procedure" and its parallel narratives that "interlock like the teeth of a zipper, building to a tough and unflinching finale".
571:
132:
is serving his life sentence at a
Connecticut state prison. At the request of Jacob's lawyer, Andy reluctantly meets with Billy. He seems to be indifferent to Jacob's situation.
417:
201:
called it an "exceptionally serious, suspenseful, engrossing story", with an ending that was "all too real, all too painful, all too haunting". Hallie Ephron of
389:
91:
576:
195:
received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the book's subject matter and handling of court scenes. Patrick
Andersen of
144:
reported missing. Her body is found several weeks later, washed up ashore with evidence pointing to her windpipe being crushed.
581:
561:
309:
529:
566:
244:
238:
22:
586:
340:
501:
530:"Apple TV Plus Announces Premiere Dates for Steven Spielberg's 'Amazing Stories,' 'Defending Jacob,' More"
445:
125:
473:
450:
209:
116:. It tells the story of a father dealing with the accusation that his 14-year-old son is a murderer.
394:
345:
252:
197:
167:
367:
263:
as the title character. The series premiered on April 24, 2020, and concluded on May 29, 2020.
165:
a crime novel, too, but you could just as easily call it a family drama". In an interview with
280:
86:
422:
313:
256:
203:
478:
219:
506:
260:
225:
109:
53:
555:
113:
71:
317:
105:
248:
42:
284:
140:
since he believes Jacob is innocent and would have been cleared anyway.
310:"Year End Review: Defending Bill, An Interview with William Landay"
341:"Questions for William Landay, Author of Defending Jacob"
418:"'Defending Jacob,' 'The Boy Who Shoots Crows,' 'Taken'"
390:"Book review: 'Defending Jacob,' by William Landay"
243:The novel has been developed into an eight-episode
85:
77:
67:
59:
49:
124:Andy Barber is an assistant district attorney in
572:American novels adapted into television shows
8:
502:"No Easy Answers in Landay's Legal Thriller"
112:. The book was published in January 2012 by
33:
41:
32:
446:"Defending Jacob review - William Landay"
528:Turchiano, Danielle (January 19, 2020).
500:Pierce, J. Kingston (February 7, 2012).
272:
388:Anderson, Patrick (February 5, 2012).
7:
416:Ephron, Hallie (February 19, 2012).
303:
301:
339:Darnton, Nina (November 17, 2014).
21:For the television adaptation, see
472:Keller, Julia (February 3, 2012).
182:A General Theory of Human Violence
14:
308:Parks, Brad (December 29, 2012).
444:Geier, Thom (January 27, 2012).
1:
474:"Deadly DNA, dastardly acts"
239:Defending Jacob (miniseries)
18:2012 novel by William Landay
577:Novels set in Massachusetts
368:"William Landay on Twitter"
603:
236:
108:novel written by novelist
20:
245:web television miniseries
40:
136:cleared of all charges.
582:Newton, Massachusetts
562:American crime novels
233:Television adaptation
126:Newton, Massachusetts
567:2012 American novels
451:Entertainment Weekly
210:Entertainment Weekly
395:The Washington Post
346:The Huffington Post
198:The Washington Post
168:The Huffington Post
37:
587:Random House books
281:"Defending Jacob"
97:
96:
92:978-0-385-34422-7
594:
546:
545:
543:
541:
525:
519:
518:
516:
514:
497:
491:
490:
488:
486:
469:
463:
462:
460:
458:
441:
435:
434:
432:
430:
423:The Boston Globe
413:
407:
406:
404:
402:
385:
379:
378:
376:
374:
364:
358:
357:
355:
353:
336:
330:
329:
327:
325:
316:. Archived from
314:Mulholland Books
305:
296:
295:
293:
291:
277:
257:Michelle Dockery
215:
204:The Boston Globe
184:, is fictional.
45:
38:
602:
601:
597:
596:
595:
593:
592:
591:
552:
551:
550:
549:
539:
537:
536:. Variety Media
527:
526:
522:
512:
510:
499:
498:
494:
484:
482:
479:Chicago Tribune
471:
470:
466:
456:
454:
443:
442:
438:
428:
426:
415:
414:
410:
400:
398:
387:
386:
382:
372:
370:
366:
365:
361:
351:
349:
338:
337:
333:
323:
321:
320:on July 4, 2013
307:
306:
299:
289:
287:
279:
278:
274:
269:
241:
235:
220:Chicago Tribune
213:
193:Defending Jacob
190:
173:Defending Jacob
163:Defending Jacob
158:Defending Jacob
154:
122:
104:is an American
101:Defending Jacob
35:Defending Jacob
29:
24:Defending Jacob
19:
12:
11:
5:
600:
598:
590:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
564:
554:
553:
548:
547:
520:
507:Kirkus Reviews
492:
464:
436:
408:
380:
359:
331:
297:
271:
270:
268:
265:
261:Jaeden Martell
247:, produced by
237:Main article:
234:
231:
226:Kirkus Reviews
189:
186:
156:Landay viewed
153:
150:
121:
118:
110:William Landay
95:
94:
89:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
54:William Landay
51:
47:
46:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
599:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
559:
557:
535:
531:
524:
521:
509:
508:
503:
496:
493:
481:
480:
475:
468:
465:
453:
452:
447:
440:
437:
425:
424:
419:
412:
409:
397:
396:
391:
384:
381:
369:
363:
360:
348:
347:
342:
335:
332:
319:
315:
311:
304:
302:
298:
286:
282:
276:
273:
266:
264:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
240:
232:
230:
228:
227:
222:
221:
212:
211:
206:
205:
200:
199:
194:
187:
185:
183:
177:
174:
170:
169:
164:
159:
151:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
127:
119:
117:
115:
111:
107:
103:
102:
93:
90:
88:
84:
80:
76:
73:
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
44:
39:
36:
31:
27:
25:
16:
538:. Retrieved
533:
523:
511:. Retrieved
505:
495:
483:. Retrieved
477:
467:
455:. Retrieved
449:
439:
427:. Retrieved
421:
411:
399:. Retrieved
393:
383:
373:December 21,
371:. Retrieved
362:
350:. Retrieved
344:
334:
322:. Retrieved
318:the original
288:. Retrieved
275:
242:
224:
218:
208:
202:
196:
192:
191:
181:
178:
172:
166:
162:
157:
155:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
123:
114:Random House
100:
99:
98:
72:Random House
34:
30:
26:(miniseries)
23:
15:
534:variety.com
253:Chris Evans
251:, starring
106:crime drama
556:Categories
267:References
540:April 14,
285:Goodreads
249:Apple TV+
188:Reception
68:Publisher
60:Published
513:April 8,
485:April 8,
457:April 8,
429:April 8,
401:April 8,
352:April 8,
324:April 8,
290:April 8,
152:Writing
50:Author
214:'
78:Pages
542:2020
515:2017
487:2017
459:2017
431:2017
403:2017
375:2022
354:2017
326:2017
292:2017
259:and
120:Plot
87:ISBN
63:2012
81:421
558::
532:.
504:.
476:.
448:.
420:.
392:.
343:.
312:.
300:^
283:.
255:,
544:.
517:.
489:.
461:.
433:.
405:.
377:.
356:.
328:.
294:.
28:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
