(Originally Published 2012, Mass Market Paperback 476 pages)
Mr. Landay's novel not only touched a raw nerve with me, it was plucking away at them like my nerves were harp strings. The protagonist, Andy Barber, and his family's background was disconcertingly similar to mine. My wife and I have also been married for thirty years, have a 14-year-old son, and live in a New England suburb. Heck, we even drive a Honda Odyssey like the Barber family. Mr. Landay's description of suburban life rings very true. The dialogue between parents and son felt like I was listening to our own family. I lost count how many times it sent a chill up my spine to read the dad's thoughts about his son. Also, the nature of school bullying and cliques is very much the lay of the land.
Most of the story is written in the first-person narrative of Andy Barber and some portions are court transcripts. It jumps back and forth between what occurred from the point of the murder until its resolution as well as a year later during another grand-jury hearing involving another incident. Andy Barber tries to explain his rational for certain actions he took during his retelling of the events. His hidden animosity towards the prosecutor (a man Barber groomed while he was a district attorney), Neal Logiudice, adds a great deal of tension within the courtroom. There are a few sarcastic observations by Barber that add a modicum of levity, but mostly this mystery is tense as hell.
The book spends a great deal of energy covering the social and emotional effects of having a family member accused of murder. The financial, physical and mental toll of defending yourself, guilty or innocent, is at the core of this novel. It is an extremely well-done work that any parent with a soul will find absorbing and frightening.
Most of the story is written in the first-person narrative of Andy Barber and some portions are court transcripts. It jumps back and forth between what occurred from the point of the murder until its resolution as well as a year later during another grand-jury hearing involving another incident. Andy Barber tries to explain his rational for certain actions he took during his retelling of the events. His hidden animosity towards the prosecutor (a man Barber groomed while he was a district attorney), Neal Logiudice, adds a great deal of tension within the courtroom. There are a few sarcastic observations by Barber that add a modicum of levity, but mostly this mystery is tense as hell.
The book spends a great deal of energy covering the social and emotional effects of having a family member accused of murder. The financial, physical and mental toll of defending yourself, guilty or innocent, is at the core of this novel. It is an extremely well-done work that any parent with a soul will find absorbing and frightening.
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