Oh, the Courtroom Drama

My latest good read was recommended by Nat King Cole {of Literary Society fame}.

Defending Jacob by William Landay

I don't typically gravitate toward murder mysteries or courtroom drama-type books.  And I don't know why this is, because when I read them I tend to enjoy them a lot.  I'll think to myself, I need to read more stuff like this!  Then I'll move on to the next shiny object and forget all about it.

Anyhoo, Defending Jacob is the story of a typical, middle-class American family living in a small suburb of Boston.  The father, Andy Barber, narrates the story from his perspective as an Assistant District Attorney in the town.  A 14-yr old boy is found stabbed to death in a local park, and all signs point to Andy's son, Jacob.  The story is about the fall-out within the town, the court room, and Andy's family as they try to resolve the case.

Defending Jacob reads a bit like Jodi Picoult's works, in that it is well-written, nuanced, complex, believable, and very hard to put down.  There are twists and turns, and questions that nag at you, and surprising story lines, particularly toward the end.  But that's all I'll say about that.

Enjoy!