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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
A teenage murder and the investigation; the violence is discussed rather than depicted graphically
Language
Some
Some strong language in a legal thriller register
Sexual Content
Barely any
No romantic or sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The particular anguish of a parent who cannot decide what he believes about his own child; a legal system that cannot tell you the truth, only what can be proven; the genetics of violence as a theme
What this book is about
Andrew Barber is an assistant district attorney in Newton, Massachusetts. When a fourteen-year-old boy is found stabbed in the park, Andrew is assigned the case. Then a suspect is named: his own son, Jacob. What follows is both a legal thriller and an excavation of parental love — how far will Andrew go to protect his son, and can he honestly say he knows Jacob is innocent? William Landay's novel is told in hindsight, from a grand jury proceeding, with the full weight of what happened already known to the narrator. A taut, deeply uncomfortable novel about the things we cannot know about the people we love most.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
a child accused of murder
the psychology of parental denial
the legal thriller format reveals limited information deliberately
Reader Verification
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