I just finished reading "All That is Mine I Carry With Me" by William Landay.

I was initially struck by the title. I found it beautiful and was curious about the story itself.

This book was a slow burn (but it kept my interest!) about a mother who disappears when her three children are young. Where did she go? Did she leave, or was she kidnapped, or murdered? Who would have done that, and what will happen now?

Grief is always difficult, but what about when there is no closure? When a family member is suspect? When family members disagree?

4 stars, I recommend!

All the stars and love for this one!!! If you loved Defending Jacob, this one will hit you just as hard! Just Wow!! This author makes his stories so heart-wrenching it is hard to feel anything but pain after reading it or maybe it is because I just finished Netflix and the actual trial on the Murdaugh case.
Jane Larkin, mother and wife, starts her morning with three kids heading to school and her husband, Dan, to work, but the evening isn't the same when her 10 year old daughter, Miranda, comes home to an empty house.
The book spans from 1975 until now. Dan is accused of killing her, but as a criminal defense attorney he knows how to lie well or is innocent. No witnesses or evidence. There is so much tension between the 3 children and their dad. How do you move on with your dad being accused of her disappearance and later her murder? There is friction and devotion tugging at their heart for answers.
An outstanding character is Det. Dan Glover, who builds a friendship with little Miranda and believes Dan did it with Miranda's testimony, but no proof. The courtroom scene is phenomenal and one of the best written procedures.
Jeff and Miranda approach one of their friends, Phil, to write a book on the case. When the research begins, the gloves come off and several people are interviewed to shed light on a display of lies.
That ending is one of the hardest and most emotional endings that throws an unforgettable twist I can't seem to leave behind. Unbelievable and so well written...you may experience a slow burn, but keep on until you get to the scorch because it hurts.
Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

while defending jacob was one of my all time favorite reads, this one did not do it for me ...

the first problem that I had was the length. it was unnecessarily long with details going so far into its depth that I forgot what the author was trying to emphasize in the first place. the multiple page-long description of the detective's wine stain on his face and how he would be so much more attractive without it was the first sign that I was in trouble. it reminded me of the length and detail of tolkien's books but without the power and beauty behind the words.

the way that the book was set up between the different sections and how the author wrote the book like an author writing a book completely threw me for a loop, but perhaps that is more of a personal preference on writing styles. for me, it just made the book seem chopped up and disconnected from the several characters mentioned.

I liked the premise of philip soloman as a writer, but I wished that it hit me more in the feelings like defending jacob did. jane's POV was by far the most powerful and emotional, but by then, I was so bored I couldn't find it in my heart to truly care anymore

I wanted to love this one so much, and I stress that most of my dislikes are my personal preference!! thank you to net galley and bantam for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: washington state riesling

Landay is a brilliant storyteller with a style all his own and the king of a cliffhanger ending. This story is told from multiple pov's and timelines and is part family drama, part murder mystery and part legal thriller. How could you ask for much more in a book? It works and is a great read! My thanks to the publisher for providing an advance review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What would you do if you were 10 years old and came home to find that your mother has vanished without a trace? Her purse in the hallway as normal, everything seems normal except your mother is gone. That's what happened to Miranda Larkin and now she and her 2 brother's are left to be raised by their father. Dan Larkin is a criminal defense attorney who may have killed his wife Jane.

This book was slow to start but once it got going I could not put it down! The ending was had such an amazing twist to it! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this riveting novel. As you enter the Larkin Family you are immediately captured by the characters and the trauma of losing their mother. The book keeps you thinking as the plot unfolds and more details are revealed. The emotions run strong the book and make you question the loyalties within a family. Landay's writing exceeds expectations with an ending that does not disappoint!

So much back and forth in this book. It starts with a friend of the family telling the story. It moves into the children telling the story. Then we get the husband telling the story. Kind of. This was less a mystery or thriller and more of a family drama. What happens to a family when someone disappears? What happens when a member of the family does not react to that disappearance in the right way. What is the right way? Well it has nothing to do with subjecting the kids to your mistress after their mom passes. I was Aristide with the ending. It was given in the disjointed thoughts of a man losing his mind. Too bad it took so long.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by William Landay - 5 amazing stars!

It's 1975 when 10-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to an empty house. Her mother is gone. So begins the saga for the Larkin family. Jane's husband, Dan, an attorney, is a suspect but there's no solid evidence to prosecute. So the children, Alex, Jeff, and Miranda have to navigate their new world.

I think you are best going into this book as blind as possible. Knowing that it's the long-awaited book by the author of Defending Jacob is enough to make you read it. And once you crack it open, you won't be able to put it down. Told in first person POVs from those involved, including an author who is writing a book about the case, you get to experience how this tragedy affected everyone. I keep thinking about all these characters - it's heartbreaking to think about the children and their angst at their feelings of divided loyalty. I also loved the characters who went out of their way to care. The writing is amazing and kept me glued to the pages until that final perfect ending. This is a highly recommended, must read!

I was so looking forward to reading this, especially after how much I loved Defending Jacob. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this at all. This is an excellent example of books that might be good but are not necessarily good for me. I found it to be incredibly... boring, for lack of a better word. I cared less and less and less as the pages slogged on. Some of the stylistic choices made by the author were lost on me. I skimmed the last 40% just to get through it.
I would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC!

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay

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?

Told from multiple points of view, this beautifully written story was so engrossing and well done that I’ve been recommending it to everyone!

Out on March 7

I’m sorry? I think I was expecting something a little more pulpy and instead I got a weirdly meandering literary…. Mystery? Mock-biography? It doesn’t even read like true crime but I think it’s supposed to.

I support everyone who says that if you like this author you’re going to like this book. I just couldn’t get past how self-aggrandizing it felt. It was like going to dinner with a hedge fund bro.

I’m sorry. Thank you Bantam for the ARC but it just wasn’t good for me.

This book is LIFE CHANGING. I loved every single second of this. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone!

Like Defending Jacob, All That Is Mine I Carry With Me plays at the intersection between family drama and a violent crime which may have been committed by a family member. The novel is divided into four books, the first of which is narrated by an author, Philip Solomon. Solomon returns to Jamaica Plain to visit a childhood friend, Jeff Larkin, who is living a mystery. In 1975, Jeff’s mother simply vanished, leaving three children and her husband Dan behind; Dan, the crafty criminal defense attorney. Did she disappear on her own or did Dan kill her? The case against Dan is based entirely on circumstantial evidence, and the family is torn apart between those who believe in Dan’s innocence and those who do not.

The novel is a quick read given that it primarily consists of dialogue which has the benefit of leaving many questions unanswered. Additionally, the courtroom scenes in Book Three are spot on, a quality which William Landy excels at as a former attorney. The book has several plot twists which do not resolve until the very end, so the book leaves the reader questioning what he or she would do under similar circumstances, 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced readers’ copy of this book.

Ten year old Miranda comes home from school to an empty house. Where is her Mom, Jane? The disappearance of Jane and what could have happened to her will haunt them all for years.
This was a very twisted story. It was really hard to put down towards the end. It leaves you scratching your head and thinking - what just happened?!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Wow! Was a huge fan of Defending Jacob (even the ambiguous ending)-always wondered what happened to this author after that.

What a follow up that lives up to everything Defending Jacob was and exceeds it. The story is straightforward-a mother goes missing in 1975 and suspicion falls onto her husband. We have seen and heard this tale in many different iterations. What sets this apart is the narrative structure as the tale is told over the course over the years from multiple vantage points-all of which are moving and capture psychologically a failing marriage, a family in crisis, and what happens after tragedy. The courtroom thriller part of this is small and only happens closer to the last half of the book for a brief period of the narrative, so if you are looking for that know that it is a courtroom mystery. However, it is a psychological and family drama of the highest degree with shades of mystery and suspense. I read it all in one sitting because I had to know what was happening and how these characters and this would family would turn out once the dust settled. The ending is still somewhat ambiguous, but not to the lengths of Defending Jacob-the reader will definitely leave here with more closure.
Excellent follow-up and well worth the wait!

Thanks for the arc provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

William Landay has a talent for giving the reader the "this is what happened" and then drawing out the story from there.....going back and forth in time to find the answer, conclusion, or mystery. When Jane Larkin disappears, the likely suspect is her husband, Dan. The problem is - DID he do it? and if so - how to prove it? Through Book 1,2,3 and 4 he takes us through the journey of meeting the children, Alex, Jeff and Miranda, and revisit them as adults where we learn that two of them believe he did it. In the most unique Book - we learn about Jane herself, and the story behind her disappearance. The characters are very well developed throughout so that the reader "almost" understands the family dynamics that draw this story through to the ending....which is not predictable. There were sections that I found slow-going, and the writing style changes throughout, according to the Book being read. Overall a good read that won't disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publising House - Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #AllThatIsMineICarryWithMe

William Landay is a master storyteller, anyone who read DEFENDING JACOB has literally never been the same again. ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME is a mystery, but its more than that. It is a family drama that forces the reader to look inside and answer questions of the limitations of love, trust, loyalty, morality. For love, for family, what lines are we willing to cross? And what crimes, legal or otherwise, are we willing to look away from to protect ourselves, our lives, our loved ones? Highly recommend.

Received as a free ARC from NetGalley and Bantam publisher.

I loved Defending Jacob and All That Is Mine I carry With Me did not disappoint. I couldn't turn it down. It's an interesting storyline with ups, downs, twists, and a few surprises. Even after reading the ending, I'm like what just happened! The characters are well written and I was invested in them. This would make a great audiobook and a movie or tv series. William Landay is one of those authors I will always read.

All That is Mine I Carry With Me was a well-executed mystery-crime-family-drama novel of the who-killed-mom variety. It started slow but really found it’s stride by about the 25% mark. I especially enjoyed Jane, the missing mother’s, POV. The journey to the conclusion kept me guessing and engaged.

The ending wasn’t completely clear cut — although, I have my thoughts on the direction it took 😈 — so if you prefer a nicely packaged ending, this may not be it for you.

I wish I read this in a book club so that I could discuss my thoughts and questions… I think that this book will do well in group reads for exactly this reason. (If you’ve read this and wanna chat, pm me!)

I really enjoyed Landay’s writing style, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any future releases and will need to check out Defending Jacob!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I was blown away by this book and the authors writing style! The story is about a wife and mother that mysteriously goes missing one day with no leads or suspects aside from the husband. It is told through multiple characters point of views each accompanied by a different writing style that i really enjoyed. I loved the way everything ended, with a conclusion but not a definite telling of events. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys family mysteries or great fiction writing!