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Cover of Defending Jacob by William LandayDefending Jacob
Modern · Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Defending Jacob

by William Landay
2012 · 431 pages · Fiction
62.9Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 11 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Andy Barber has been a respected assistant district attorney for two decades, happily married with a teenage son, Jacob. Then a boy is stabbed to death in a park in their quiet suburb, and the accused is Jacob, shy, awkward and mysterious. Andy must decide how far he'll go to defend him.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a gripping courtroom drama with a shocking ending.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It became an Apple TV+ series. Avoid spoilers.

By the numbers

62.9Must-Read Score
  • Readers28 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2012

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is Defending Jacob worth reading?

Yes. It spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #2,108 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.9 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Defending Jacob about?

Andy Barber has been a respected assistant district attorney for two decades, happily married with a teenage son, Jacob. Then a boy is stabbed to death in a park in their quiet suburb, and the accused is Jacob, shy, awkward and mysterious. Andy must decide how far he'll go to defend him.

How long does it take to read Defending Jacob?

About 11 hours (431 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Defending Jacob?

If you liked it, try We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult or The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly.