Defending Jacob

By: William Landay

Narrated by: Eric Meyers

Andy Barber's job is to put killers behind bars. So when a boy from his son Jacob's school is found stabbed to death, Andy is doubly determined to find and prosecute the perpetrator. Until a crucial piece of evidence turns up linking Jacob to the murder. In the face of every parent's worst nightmare, Andy and his wife Laurie will do anything to defend their child. Because, deep down, they know him better than anyone. Don't they?

©2012 William Landay (P)2012 W F Howes Ltd

Satisfyingly detailed and intriguing

I enjoyed Defending Jacob very much. I first listened to this book three years ago, and had managed to forget enough key details to be still captivated the second time around. (This is not intended as any criticism of the author or story line. Forgetting books is a skill I encourage in myself!)
Beautifully narrated, there are plenty of plot twists as well as clues, so all preferred styles should be catered for.
Particularly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good court room drama.

Insightful family and community drama

A very well written and narrated novel (which almost felt like a true account) of what a family and a community goes through, when this kind of incident occurs.

It draws the reader/listener in fully. I felt as if I were right there, with the family during dinner or breakfast discussions, driving to court, feeling their emotions. Frustration, concern and worry over their uncommunicative youngster became my own. I felt the pain of the murdered boys family, felt the ostracising and blame by the community.

One feels the tension between the mother's willingness to see hard truths yet still love her son, and the father's propensity to cover all in his strong sense of loyalty.

A very worthwhile and interesting read, with a strong psychological component.

Loved it!

Throughout the book, you know the truth, but you keep listening. And when you get to the end, you realise you weren't prepared.

How far would you be prepared to go for your child

What made the experience of listening to Defending Jacob the most enjoyable?

To listen to a book requires discipline and as an undisciplined reader, I sometimes struggle with the pace of a book. As a listener, the narrator decides what you know or don't know and how fast you learn it. The challenge for me is not to cheat!

Who was your favorite character and why?

This was more an ensemble narrative. Every character was important and liking or disliking them was irrelevant to me. As a story from the perspective of the father I suppose he should be the most likeable but he is too obtuse to be outstanding.

What does Eric Meyers bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He has a clear mellifluous voice, able to create characters with subtle shifts of timbre and rate of speech. He created a believable mother and differentiated between the male characters with an authentic voice. Jacob was young and whiney enough but not so much that he irritated...as true teenagers often do.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and no. Yes because I wanted so desperately to know what was going to happen and no because I did not want to finish listening to a masterpiece.

Excellent premise

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I had to put this audio book on 2x speed, it just went into too much detail

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I really did not expect the ending at all.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Andy tells his wife his past, I really didn't think it mattered so much but her reaction becomes crucial to the rest of the story