Defending Jacob/William Landay/421 pages

When a young teen is murdered in a small community outside of Boston, the suspect is the victim's classmate who also is the son the local ADA. Andy is certain that his son, Jacob, is innocent, and he will do anything to prove it. Unfortunately, Andy crosses the line more than once to help his son. Jacob's mother isn't as confident about her son's innocence especially after she learns about Andy's bloodline. Is there a murder gene and how far should a parent go to protect his child? A satisfying book with a nod to the old black and white movie The Bad Seed.

Defending Jacob/William Landay/421 pp

Defending Jacob was recommended to me by a coworker and it was definitely an absorbing book.  Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. When a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. Ghosts from Andy's past are revealed and they have a direct effect on those around him -- whether they believe Jacob is innocent or not. 

Although I thought Andy's handling of the situation was not realistic in many ways, the ambiguities surrounding Jacob and trying to determine whether he was guilty or innocent kept my interest until the final shocking revelation.