Was ok

But long winded about 3/4 to long not the best I’ve read, not the best.

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Heartwrenching, doomed and simply perfect

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend it highly, but not when one is in the mood for a light read. This is a story narrated by a father and District Attourney that finds himself on the other side of the barricade defending Jacob, his teenage son who is accused of murdering a classmate.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Defending Jacob?

The ending is somehow unresolved but heartbreaiking and memorable,

What about Eric Meyers’s performance did you like?

He was perfect in conveying the attitude of the narrating protagonist, who tries to remain calm while his world slowly but inexorably disintegrates

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are several moments in the story where your heart really aches for the protagonist,
I found it particularly moving when he "discovers" the cruel teenagers' internet world, and what they say to and about his son, or when by chance they meet the family of the murdered boy.

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2 people found this helpful

Unfolding legal drama

I enjoyed this book, a tale of a murder of a teenager in an American town, and the involvement of the father of the boy accused of the crime. It was maybe a bit overlong for the amount of story, and the ending let it down a bit, but overall it is worth a listen.

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The Suspense

Finished it very quickly because the story is very gripping. The narrator is excellent! I read the book in preparation to watch the Apple TV+ adaptation. I remember I was trying to explain realism in prose fiction to one of my students, I should have referenced the tension and drama in this text. Because the book opens with a degree of normalcy and then it abruptly descends into chaos. And what an end! If I had to pick my top three characters I'd say Andy Barber #3, Laurie Barber #2, and Jonathan the defence lawyer #1.
Although I have learnt in the TV adaptation they turned my number one into a woman :/ I already like it a lot less. Why would you do that?

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gripping novel

I was hooked from the start. a great book which is well read. the characters are so well written that I sometimes forgot it was a work of fiction. it is desperately sad and at times chilling

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A reasonably good story

I wasn't hooked by this story but it was a decent one and kept me occupied for 15 hours.
I have one mild complaint. We never get a definitive answer to the main question. And that niggled me, coming away from the story.

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Introspective court room drama

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The ending is abrupt and leaves many unanswered questions, not least why was the main character in front of a grand jury?

Would you be willing to try another book from William Landay? Why or why not?

Probably wouldn't try another, this was an interesting listen on a long car journey but slow progress on plot made it hard going

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Performance was ok just never keen on men imitating women as they usually just sound pathetic

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Possibly

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Thrilling listen

I watched the TV series and then decided to get the audiobook. The audiobook was even better. It captured my attention throughout.

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Saddened by the ending.

The novel is beautifully written. It's precise language is totally suited to the nature of the characters, based as it is in the law and court system. Eric Meyers reads the book beautifully with voices that are immediately locked on each character as they enter the story. I found the ending particularly touching and affecting, left as l was with the idea that the evidence, seeming overwhelmingly against the titular character, remained non-committal in deciding innocence or guilt. I love the closure l get from listening to an Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh but the absence of a proof, either way, at the end of such a novel as this leaves me feeling somewhat at a loss while understanding that this is what occurs all too often in real life which isn't a puzzle placed upon a train named the Orient Express.

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