What readers think of Defending Jacob, plus links to write your own review.

Did he...or didn't he? Did she...or didn't she? This legal mystery will keep you up LONG after your bedtime and you will be glad of it. A murder involving bullying is j-u-s-t t-h-e s-t-a-r-t to this well-paced family study. The part narrative and part court transcript style is a delicious way to tease the reader. William Landay's DEFENDING JACOB will knock your socks off!

I read this book very quickly. It was hard to put down. The character development was excellent, I felt like I was a member of Jacob's family. I predicted some of the events that happened, but it was suspenseful until the end. I would recommend this book to a friend.

In the classic legal thriller tradition of John Grisham or Scott Turow, this book also proved to be an admirable companion to We Need to Talk About Kevin. Thrown in for good measure was some interesting science on behavioral genetics, specifically the gene encoding the neurotransmitter-metabolizing enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAOA). If the defendant inherited the "murder gene, " could that be a plausible defense to murder? But wait - the defendant didn't do it so why even go there!? William Landay writes from his experience as a prosecutor and crafts a very enjoyable tale that is destined to be on the big screen. The ending was not what I expected but maybe that's a good thing since I thought I had the whole book worked out in my head at about the three-quarters point.

While I always enjoy a good murder/trial mystery, reading this book left me with several questions all along and even at the end. Does anyone besides me see striking similarities in Jacob's character with the character of Dexter in the television series? Is/was there actually a psychiatrist by the name of Elizabeth (?) Vogel who specialized in the study of the "murder gene"? Is Landay associated somehow with the script writers of "Dexter", or did the script writers "borrow" his theme?

Needed more of a solid confession/admission from Jacob (at the end). It was really frustrating to not have that & be guessing based on the narrative alone... Obviously we all know from the animal abuse/torture that he's sick & he probably did it, but we needed more from him at the end....

I definitely enjoyed this book, although not a home run in my opinion. Mostly because it didn't grab me right away. But I must say, once it started picking up speed I was engaged and enjoyed the twists and turns. At the center of the story is the dilemma in which the parents' love and loyalty is questioned to the utmost. I think this is a good vacation read and may be enjoyed by young adults as well.

I'm not normally a crime drama reader and because of that, I thought reading and reviewing Defending Jacob was a good way for me to step outside of my wheelhouse. I was convinced this was going to be a run of the mill thriller but I was pleasantly surprised to find it well written, smart and riveting.

Defending Jacob dances around the ideas of nature vs. nurture, making the reader question if it is possible to escape genetics.

Initially slow moving, the story is told though the eyes of Andy Barber, Assistant DA, son of a murderer and father of the accused. Told though a combination of court transcripts and Andy's voice, you learn the extent to which a parent would go to protect their child and how blinded we can be by love.

A fast and enjoyable read, Defending Jacob will make you question everything you thought you knew about the people you love.

Without giving anything away,I'd have to say it's a good read about murder in the burbs, children committing murder? An ideal family? Is violence inherited? Not my child! Kept me reading but not outstanding in my opinion! If I'm allowed to say,you want outstanding try Andrew Vachss!