First District Attorney, Andy Barber's,
fourteen-year-old son, Jacob is accused of murdering a classmate.
Whether he's guilty or not, the arrest throws a once happy family
into chaos. The big question for the parents is: Did he do it? Andy
is convinced, almost unbelievably at times, that his son is innocent.
Laurie, the mother, isn't so sure. She remembers problems from
Jacob's early childhood that Andy refuses to believe signify
anything. When Andy is finally forced to confess that his father,
Bloody Billy, is in prison for murder, Laurie's world collapses.
The opening of this book was completely
enthralling. We are in Andy's head and against all logic he simply
won't confront the idea that Jacob could be guilty. However, the book
is very long and after awhile this complete lack of questioning
begins to wear. It feels unreal.
The legal background is interesting and
generally well done. However, I found the transcript portions of the
grand jury testimony unrealistic. Andy, the witness, seems to be
playing the role of the judge when he calls the Assistant District
Attorney by his first name and asks him to restate questions. I found
it hard to believe that the judge in a real grand jury investigation
would have allowed the obvious animosity to go on.
I liked the book and enjoyed reading
it. The opening portray of Andy draws you in. However, as the book
drags on the author seems to have trouble sustaining the head in the
sand portrayal of Andy. I think perhaps because the book is so long,
the twist at the end didn't feel real. It seemed like a literary
artifice. However, the book is well worth reading if you like unusual
character portrayals and court room drama.
I reviewed this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program.
No comments:
Post a Comment