DEFENDING JACOB by William Landay, 2012.
A 14 year old boy is murdered in a park in a small New England town. The shocking crime rocks the normally peaceful suburban town of Newton, Massachusetts, and the members of the Barber family find themselves involved in it up to their necks.
   Andy Barber's son, Jacob, a classmate of the dead boy, is accused of the crime. Andy, the respected and popular assistant district attorney, is stunned by the accusation, as is his wife, Laurie. As more evidence and facts of the case are revealed, the Barbers' marriage and family begin to crack and crumble. Andy gathers his strength to protect his boy, believing him to be innocent of the deed. Laurie, Jake's mother, comes to realize that perhaps they don't know their son as well as they thought, and recognizes that he could be guilty. And then the secrets--one of which Andy has kept hidden from his own family for many years--keep coming out and tear the family into fragments.
   Landay's keeps the suspense high and the pages turning, with a fast paced narrative that includes some great courtroom scenes and realistic dialogue. His characters are well drawn and believable, he gives an interesting picture of the lives of people involved in a tangled web of accusation, denial, and criminal behavior, and as the secrets are revealed they provide some good surprises.The author's depiction of a town totally stunned by the violent crime and of one family in a heartbreaking crisis is gripping, compelling, and held my interest completely. A great fast read.