Defending Jacob by William Landay

What would you do if your child were accused of murder? Would you defend him at all costs and continue to believe in his innocence, no matter how much evidence there was to the contrary? And what if your spouse wasn't so sure he was innocent? Those are the dilemmas facing lawyer Andy Barber in the thought-provoking Defending Jacob. Andy is a lawyer for the district attorney's office and is shocked to find his teenage son Jacob is the main suspect when classmate Ben Rifkin is found stabbed to death in a park. Andy soon realizes how little he actually knows Jacob--but he steadfastly defends Jacob--even more so when his wife Laurie begins to have doubts about their son. Defending Jacob raises some interesting questions: What are your responsibilities to your child? To your family? To society as a whole if your child really does pose a threat to others? The pacing in the middle of the book could have been tightened a little. But you do get a good sense of the tensions rising in the Barber home as they become more and more isolated and as the evidence against Jacob continues to accumulate. There were a couple of twists and turns at the end that I didn't see coming, but which were very effective.