Vividly recalling how William Landay stunned me with the closing of Defending Jacob (2013), I requested All That Is Mine I’ll Carry with Me from NetGalley, which I read after Hannah Dolby’s No Life for a Lady, a much lighter novel. What an excellent pair they made, both involving a missing mother, yet so different from each other.

Landay’s latest opens with a novelist’s account of what many people call writer’s block but what the narrator called an emptiness eventually leading to desperation to latch onto any idea for a new book. That chance came with a 2015 email from Jeff Larkin, a childhood friend met as the two began seventh grade forty years earlier. After reconnecting with Jeff and following Jeff’s suggestion to reconnect with his sister Miranda as well, the writer, Philip Solomon, is caught up in the story of their mother’s disappearance roughly two months after Philip met Jeff at a private boarding school.

From start to finish, All That Is Mine I’ll Carry with Me is Philip Solomon’s book inspired by that email and based on the research and interviews that followed. Readers become well-acquainted with a cast of other interesting characters including the missing mother Jane, her sister Kate, Danny Larkin, Jane’s criminal lawyer husband once a suspect in Jane’s disappearance, Jand and Danny’s older son Alex, and Detective Tom Glover.

Divided into four books, the novel skips around in time as a variety of characters recount what they remember of the case as well as how it has affected them. In many ways, the book Philip Solomon writes—for Landay presents this as Solomon’s book, not his own—reads like true crime. However, near the end of Book 1, when interviewing Jeff’s older brother Alex, Solomon reassures him that the book will be a novel, not a factual account. At the beginning of Book 2, that point comes back with full force. Yet even in Book 2, readers will quickly begin to feel they’re learning crucial facts, not fiction. As for the remainder of the book and especially the ending, readers will have to decide

Most reviewers have focused on the Larkin family almost exclusively. For me, Landay’s use of Philip Solomon is a master stroke, causing attentive readers to question what is “real” and what is fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for an advance reader copy. Never has fiction seemed so real.

Shared on Barnes and Noble.

This was a fantastic legal thriller. As a lawyer, I greatly appreciate when courtroom scenes read realistic, and this got it damn near spot on (with a few theatrics of course). I also am a sucker for a book set in an area I’m familiar with, which is the case with this book, so it was pretty tailor-made for me.

However, two things set this book apart in my opinion, and you don’t need to be a lawyer or have family in Newton to enjoy them. First, this is an incredibly character driven novel, and this family was so interesting and complex. I felt like I really grew to know them and the dynamics between them as the story progressed. Second, the narrative structure was so creative and fully sucked me in. I loved how you didn’t know what was going to be happening or where in the timeline you’d be each chapter. It made it very hard to put down!

4.5/5

Unsettling, tense, heartbreaking... This mystery isn't really asking who committed the murder, rather it examines the disappearance of a mother of three from a variety of angles, giving the reader a lot to ponder as the story slowly unfolds.

Jane Larkin is missing. Almost everyone is sure her defense lawyer husband is guilty. There is no evidence and no leads...

Told from four different perspectives, we are wondering throughout the story if he really is guilty, or maybe he's an innocent man wrongfully persecuted by his family. While this does sound like a twisty mystery, it is just as much a family drama, focusing on the heartbreak of Larkin's kids and the hole she has left in the family.

I really enjoyed this story, as the mystery does keep you guessing until the very last page, much like Defending Jacob (though perhaps with a few less twists and turns).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me
Author: William Landry
Publish Date: March 7, 2023
🚔

All That is Mine I Carry With Me was written by William Landry who is othe author of one of my favorite books, Defending Jacob. This book has a somewhat quasi-similar plot with murder, suspicion, and disbelief. In this story, the crime is a missing mother, a sketchy and morally bankrupt father, three kids who want to believe that their Dad didn’t have anything to do with Mom’s disappearance and secrets galore. The judgment by the neighbors, the shunning of the kids, and suspicions are close to Landry’s previous novel. That is the only reason I didn’t rate this higher.  It’s a slow burn, a good ending and a lot of emotionally scarred people for life. I look forward to Mr. Landry’s next novel. #mystery #murder #missing #kids #unhappyhome #suspicions #duplicity #marriage @netgalley #allthatismineicarrywithme #bantam
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Bantam Books, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: March 7, 2023.

I felt like I was watching an episode of Dateline as I read William Landay's newest novel All That Is Mine I Carry With Me. It contained so many of the same elements that leave me wondering whether the accused is guilty or not. Since this crime took place in the 1970s, I was reminded that the detectives did not have the advantage of today's investigative tools. I also remembered the jaw-dropping twist at the end of Defending Jacob, so I read this book with the expectation of another shocking revelation. The author definitely came through! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the advance copy to read and review.

I read Defending Jacob years ago, so when William Landay came out with his newest book, I knew it wasn’t one to pass up. It was every bit as good as I was had hoped it would be.

The story centers around a family with three children. Their father, Dan, is a successful attorney and Jane, their mother, is a housewife. The parents had met in high school and eventually married. At the beginning of the story, the children are all at home and still in school.

Alex, a high school senior was the eldest and a favorite of his father. Jeff, a couple of years younger, was a bit more laid-back and not as driven as Alex. The youngest is Miranda, an innocent 12 year old. It is Miranda who first comes home one day and discovers her mother is not home. At first she isn’t worried but as they day progresses, Miranda is increasingly unsettled.

By the following morning a detective has come to the house and a search begins to find her mother. The efforts were futile and as the days progress, Jane has not been found.

Years pass and one day, the investigation gets some major new evidence. What happens next is the heart of the story. What the investigators and the adult children decide to do about their mother is difficult and shocking.

Suffice it to say, this story kept me hooked until the very last page. I highly recommend this to readers who love family dramas and mystery/thrillers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random HousePublishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer an honest review and recommend this to other readers.

I've been waiting since 2012 for a new book from the author of Defending Jacob and it has finally arrived. This new book is as good, if not better than his previous book. It had me turning pages to find out the outcome of the story and the final effect on the family dynamics. It's full of twists and turns and just when you know who's guilty, there's a change a few pages later to show you how wrong you were. I know its early in 2023 but this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.

The novel starts in November, 1975. Dan and Jane Larkin live a comfortable life with their three children - Alex, Jeff and Miranda. Dan is a popular lawyer and Jane is a stay at home mom. One day ten year old Miranda comes home from schooll to a totally quiet house. Her mom is always there when she gets home and she has no idea where her mom has gone. Nothing is out of place in the house and her mom's purse is in its usual place. When her father and brothers get home and find Miranda alone in the house they are very worried about Jane and Dan calls the police to report that his wife is missing. The family waits and waits and there are no clues and no signs of Jane. The main detective and Jane's sister are sure that Dan is responsible but there are no solid facts to prove it. So life goes on for the family and the kids miss their mother more every day. They suddenly realize that Dan may not miss her as much when his long time mistress moves into their house. The three children react totally differently - Alex remains on his father's side, Jeff hates his father and moves away and Miranda gets clinically depressed.

Twenty years later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The children are now grown and have to decide whether their father is guilty or innocent and if they should have him brought to trial for their mother's murder. As the case goes to civil court, there are decisions that need to be made by all of them that will affect the rest of their lives.


This story is told over the years in different voices - including Jane's - as the children question the guilt or innocence of their father and the way their family dynamic has changed over the years. This is a story of family love and betrayal, secrets and vengeance and it questions how long family members should stay loyal to each other. It's a real page turner and a book that I couldn't put down once I started reading it. Just like Defending Jacob, the characters and this story will stay on my mind for a long time. I highly recommend it.

When I saw William Landry's name as this author, I had to grab the book. I loved [book:Defending Jacob|11367726] and was excited to read this one. I was certainly not disappointed! The drama was gripping as the story of this family unfolded.

The description:
One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom's pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane's husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public's memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane's three children--Alex, Jeff, and Miranda--are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family--family secrets and vengeance, but also family love--All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?

I couldn't put the book down. It sucked me in quickly and built slowly for the first half, then the second half was so emotional it kept me glued to the pages. The characters were fully depicted so they seemed real. The plot was masterful and drew on my emotions. My heart went out to little Miriam and I just wanted to hold her close.

This a family drama, a coming of age story, a mystery and thriller all wrapped up in a perfect package. I can recommend it to anyone who likes to read books that draw on your feelings.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam through Netgalley for an advance copy.

What happened to Jane Larkin? On November 12, 1975, the 39-year-old mother of three disappeared. Her young daughter Miranda came home from school and her mother was nowhere to be found. Husband and father Dan Larkin, a criminal defense attorney, became the one and only suspect. But there was no evidence left behind and no witnesses to a crime. Middle child Jeff, as well as Miranda, had doubts about their father and oldest son Alex never wavered in his belief that his father had nothing to do with their mother's disappearance. Through the years, Dan continued to deny any involvement in Jane's disappearance and the case remained open. In 2015, Phillip Solomon, a school friend of Jeff's, received Jeff and Miranda's encouragement to write his next novel based on the family tragedy. The story of the Larkins takes on interesting twists and turns as the family grows more troubled and fractured over time.

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay, is set up as four "books" - providing different points of view during different time periods. Landay takes his time setting up this sad tale and does an excellent job in his portrayal of Dan, who is not a good guy. But is he simply a pompous jerk or is he an evil monster? The story shows how Jeff and Miranda were so deeply affected over the course of several decades not only by the loss of their mother but the continued struggle in their conflicting feelings about their father. It works well as both a family drama and crime mystery. Landay's popular book Defending Jacob, which I also recommend, was adapted into a television series. I hope this riveting book also makes it to the screen.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Thank you so much to @randomhouse & @netgalley for the earc, pub tomorrow 3/7! Swipe for goodreads synopsis.

I loved the show DEFENDING JACOB so I was really excited to read this. The format was super unique- it is split into four “books” each with a different pov that centers around a family where the wife/mom suddenly disappears one day. It’s set in the Boston area. The husband is a criminal defense attorney with notorious clients. There’s also a civil trial which I found super interesting as an attorney myself!

If you’ve read this, I need to discuss the ending bc I did think it was a good twist but for some reason I can’t really figure out how I feel about the book as a whole. I had theories and feel like there needs to be more of an explanation. The format was amazing but I wanted more, I might end up bumping my rating down .25 the more I sit with it.

⚠️: suicide attempt, rape, infidelity, depression

The storyline of this book seems captivating.. missing mother/family dysfunction junction among other things that I don't want to spoil 🙊 but at times this book fell flat for me .
All in all though the story kept me going back & I was interested in what was going on . I wouldn't say this is a favorite book but I prob won't forget it , it was intriguing & makes you appreciate your family drama 😂
Although it was confusing at times I enjoyed hearing from all the characters & getting their pov's but the super long "chapters" killed me !
Also I don't understand why so much time was spent on the detectives scar on his face ?
But theres a reason why (I think) we hear from every character. We're almost a detective in this story .

&& The ending !! Idk what to say about the ending .. I'm slightly annoyed but I kind of loved it . 🤔

Thank you #Netgalley for this ArC . ❤️

William Landay is the author of Defending Jacob, so I was eager to read this new book. It is the story of a missing woman, Jane Larkin, and is told from different points of view, which gives the reader different insights into the case and the woman's family dynamics. 

The book is divided into four parts and I liked the format of the first book, told from a family friend who may write a book about the case. I wish the rest of the book would have filled this format. The second part gives more details about the lives of the Larkin family, both before and after Jane's disappearance. It really threw me for a loop, but then made sense when reading the beginning of the next part. It's crucial to pay close attention to what is said about this part of the book so correctly understand the story. 

This book is part mystery, part thriller, and part family drama. I was engaged in the story, but sometimes confused by the switches in narrator and timeline. The last few pages deliver some final shocks. I wish things would have been wrapped up at the end in a less ambiguous way, but I still enjoyed this entertaining book.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Bantam/Random House books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

This is my first read from William Landay and I was blown away. The plot itself was nothing earth shattering but he author’s handling of it was fresh and compelling. I liked how Landay showed rather than told you how the story progressed from a missing person to a homicide (spoiler). And I was very surprised by the somewhat vague ending. I have my suspicions as to what happened but I can see many other possibilities too. A great read.

I LOVED Defending Jacob so I was super excited to read Landay’s latest. This was a slow burn, but the second half was sooo good and worth sticking out the first part of the book! I have so many feelings after reading this one and it’ll take me awhile to fully process my thoughts. Overall, so good and I highly recommend!

This is a super unique read! I really enjoyed it!

I loved everything about this read. The writing, plot, point of view, everything was done, unlike any book I've ever read. I loved having to figure out what was going on through the authors showing. I enjoyed the twist even though I had an idea who the murderer was and was correct; I enjoyed how it played out. I also enjoyed the vague ending. We, as readers, are left to decide what Miranda does. I have my opinions, but ultimately it doesn't matter. What matters is the facade that is shown throughout the plot. I really enjoyed this book and plan to read others by this author!

Rating this 4.5 stars, but am happy to round up.

Thank you to Bantam and Netgalley for this advanced copy in return for my honest review!

Excellent character driven mystery with multiple points of view. It's a guaranteed up all night book. Well worth the loss of sleep! I recommend going in blind. The Author does a good job of leading you through. In a way that keeps you completely engaged and also yelling: Wait.... WHAT??!!

4.5 stars I will be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an excellent ARC

William Landays' latest "All That I Carry Is Mine" opens with "Phillip Solomon who was a friend of Jeff Larkins' forty years prior when his mother, Jane Larkin went missing. Phil is now a writer and he is writing a book on the case and reaches out to Jeff and his younger sister Miranda for what they remember.
Miranda was ten years old in 1975 and came home to find her house empty, She waited throughout the long afternoon for her mother who never arrived. So begins the mystery of what happened to Jane Larkin.
Most of the town believes that her husband, Dan Larkin, got away with murder.
The story is divided into four "books" that provide different viewpoints - Miranda, Jeff and even Jane. This is a book that keeps you engrossed and each character is well developed so you wish you could be the one that offers an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. Dan Larkin is a narcissistic jerk and you easily loathe him and seethe with rage along with Janes' sister.
I had this on my tbr shelf for too long and will not make that mistake again. William Landay is one of the best storytellers out there and a must read author. I see another best seller in his future.
This is out for release on March 7, 2023, be sure to order it now, you won't be sorry..

Landay’s previous novel, DEFENDING JACOB, was a pitch perfectly paced thriller about a family affected by a murder of a young boy. As Landay probes deeper, the reader recognizes that it was just as much an examination of family dysfunction as it was a murder mystery. Landay approached his latest crime story in some of the same relatable ways—with a probe into family dynamics and the flawed, broken parents and children. However, this one failed to capture my attention. It felt derivative—even the detective with the port wine stain was something out of a previous novel I read. And a novel has to be exceptional, truly singular, to get away with a dead person speaking posthumously. Instead of handling it with nuance, I felt it was a bit strained and striving. Landay can write prose, and he certainly had a worthy premise. However, it seemed a bit long-winded and flat, a monotone-told narrative that aspired to delve into each character. It just didn’t work for me, but many other readers enjoyed it. Don’t take my word for it—you may love this book that just wasn’t my cuppa. 2.5

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy.

This captivating story, told through multiple points of view, tells the story of what happens to a family when their mother disappears. The husband is of course a suspect, but no proof is found and he is not charged. The three children are obviously profoundly affected by this case as it goes unresolved for 18 years until more evidence is found. Then things get really complicated!

William Landay writes intriguing stories with fully developed characters and a well paced plot. This one grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't stop reading until I found out how it all came together. Told from multiple perspectives, one at a time, the mystery unfolds gradually while the story moves quite quickly. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced reader copy.