Must Read: Defending Jacob by William Landay

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Defending Jacob by William Landay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to start out by saying that Defending Jacob is in a genre that I generally dread reading. Crime fiction / legal thrillers is one of those spaces that I just steer clear of. I hate the repetitive, over-indulgent formulas that authors use in this space. Honestly, outside of The Girl With The Dragon tattoo, I don't think there is a single book that goes near this genre which I have enjoyed in, well, ever.

But boy, would avoiding Defending Jacob have been a terrible mistake! This book is, quite frankly, brilliant! As is common, I made the mistake of starting it when I had other big commitments on my plate, when I told myself that reading was supposed to stop at 11:00 pm, I'd look over at the clock to see it had drifted to 2:00 am. The book simply stole me away from real life. I don't know if it would be possible to be anything but totally engrossed in this story. William Landay is a wizard with story telling. He seems to never waste a word because every one he used in this book took you deeper and deeper into it.

By the end of Defending Jacob, I felt like it was me who was the story-teller, not Andy Barber. I felt emotionally invested in all of the characters. I literally experienced moments when I'd look down at my body and notice that I was about to fall out of my seat because my rear was right on the edge.

All I can say is that William Landay has saved the crime fiction genre for me! This was a brilliant story told my a master of fiction! I can't recommend this one enough!

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