I was super excited to read this book because I read Defending Jacob several years ago and it's probably one of my favorite books ever. This one did not disappoint!

This is the story of Jane, a mother of 3, who disappears one day. The main suspect in her disappearance and her possible murder is her husband Dan who is a criminal defense attorney. The family is fractured. The two younger children, Miranda and Jeff and their mother's sister Aunt Kate all believe on different levels that their father is guilty. Their older brother Alex who left for college shortly after his mother's disappearance remains loyal to his father throughout his lifetime.

The story is told from several different viewpoints and there is a lot of dialogue which I thought really helped with the character development. The only character that I would have liked to get to know better is Alex. I almost feel that there could be a sequel retelling the story from his perspective. Dan was a real jerk and it was hard to imagine why any of his children would have had no doubts regarding their father's innocence.

This is definitely a book for a reader that doesn't mind a slow burn (me!). Even without constant action, I couldn't stop reading until I got to the incredibly perfect, satisfying ending.

This book is available now. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine, and William Landay for an ARC of this book!**

"We are all sealed up alone. We all carry the center of the universe inside our own heads. It is, for each of us, a point a few inches behind our eyes where the binocular lines of vision converge. Only a narcissist or child is fool enough to believe it."

Jane Larkin: a simple name...but a far from simple woman. One day in 1975, Jane's only daughter Miranda arrives home from school...but something's different. The house has a sense of quiet foreboding, and there's good reason: Jane is nowhere to be found...and doesn't return. Along with her two brothers, Alex and Jeff, the family feels adrift without the anchor of their household...and Jane's husband Dan, a criminal defense attorney in his own right, is the police's first suspect. With tension bubbling beneath the surface and a home filled with secret pain, lies, and familial discord, did Dan use his insider knowledge and his arrogant charm to outwit the police? Or is yet another secret player in the wings responsible for Jane's demise...or will she surface one day, with revenge on her mind?

I have to admit, this cover did not catch my eye, and I probably would have blown right by this title if not for some of the FANTASTIC early reviews for this title from some trusted book friends...and THANK GOODNESS I read them! Landay is such a gifted writer, so thoughtful and clearly devoted to the craft. With this book, he managed to do what so many authors attempt to do but often fall short: he has penned a character driven, slow burn crime fiction tale that ALSO has ALL of the hallmarks of a stunning and emotional work of literary fiction....and it's COMPELLING from page one until its shocking end!

From the scintillating introduction (written by an author character, but it APPEARS to have been written by Landay himself...just brilliant!) onward, Landay quickly builds a cast of characters with clear and distinct voices, all so real you could find them in any quiet suburban neighborhood....but this is the beauty of this story. We hear from Jane herself, as well as the Larkin children and even Dan...but Landay knows how to leave the doors cracked JUST enough to keep you guessing and feeling like each character, despite their relationship to or with Jane, might know SOMETHING they aren't telling everyone else. And this fine veil of sadness and secrecy keeps the family separate...but also strangely unites them.

This book utilizes two devices I normally HATE: long chapters (it's basically divided into 4 long books instead of having chapters) and passages of dialogue with no quotation marks. Well. When I tell you these elements were not only tolerable, but were hardly noticeable, it points yet again to Landay's brilliance and ability to turn a phrase, and keep the reader HOOKED. I can't remember the last crime fiction (rather than psychological thriller) that hooked me in this way, but every time I put this book down for a while, I was still thinking about it...not to mention that the ending of this one is SO visceral and shocking, it played out like I was watching the film version in my mind: just haunting!

I had the good fortune to catch an excerpt of an interview with Landay after completing this book, and one quote of his jumped out at me and summed up the essence of this text perfectly: "I tried in every page and in every creative decision to keep the narrative as close to real life as possible--as close to the uncanny valley where realism overlaps reality, where fiction begins to feel uncomfortably true....Because the best crime stories are not about criminals; they are about us."

Jane Larkin could be any of us...and perhaps there is a little piece of her in ALL of us. Brilliant and evocative, consider this one a must-read!

4.5 stunning stars, rounded up!

I was hoping that I would enjoy this book as much as I had enjoyed Defending Jacob. Unfortunately, I did not. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters because we switched POV from one to another, not spending enough time to really connect with any of them. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent book! When a young mother disappears, the evidence points to her husband. Did he or didn’t he? Although we find out early on, the book is about the children as adults and the police detective who is convinced of the guilt of the husband. I recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. As a huge fan of Defending Jacob (one of my all time favorite novels) I had high expectations for this one. At the start I was a little confused about the narrator but it’s not the author Mr. Landay it’s a fictional author. I enjoyed the different points of view and would have liked to hear the other brother’s as well. The ending was a curve ball with a little frustration thrown in, as some good novels tend to do, and it makes you question things…

William Landay’s writing is so good! I loved Defending Jacob and this book is at that same level. The story is told in alternating points of view of the main characters and goes back and forth in time from the present to the 1970's. Ten year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school in November of 1975 and finds an empty house - her mother is nowhere to be found. There is nothing out of place and her handbag is still just where she left it. No one can figure out what happened to Jane Larkin. The police suspect her husband Dan, the defense attorney who would seemingly know how to commit the perfect murder. They can't find any evidence that Dan did it, so it becomes a cold case. Miranda and her two brothers Alex and Jeff are now being raised by the man who might have killed their mother. This is a story about a family with many secrets and how they become divided between loyalty to their mother or their father. It's told in a very unique, enjoyable way by a family friend who is writing a fictionalized novel about the murder of Jane Larkin. It's very easy to read and hard to put down. I definitely recommend it and look forward to William Landay’s next book. Thanks to #netgalley #bantambooks and #williamlanday for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a family mystery-Jane Larkin, the mother of three children, disappears from her home in a Boston suburb in 1975, and the case is not solved. The story is told in 4 sections, and goes back and forth between 1975 and more recent times. First by a friend of the family, many years later, who talks to the detective involved in the case and tries to figure out what happened. Then the children weigh in. The story is a good one, showing how events in childhood shape lives, and how different people in the same family can experience the same thing very differently. I liked reading this one. I received this Advance Readers Copy from #netgalley
#allthatismineicarrywithme #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #familymystery

This book is so good. A gripping story that I was not able to put down. Just wow. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first part is a bit slow but then things pick up. This story about a missing mom and her kids' relationship with their father who is the main suspect. The different character perspectives told in parts were well done. A good book that develops characters well. Landay is a consistent writer, just not frequent .

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Highly recommend for readers of psychological suspense. If you loved Defending Jacob, you will love this too! It was worth the wait for the author to finally put out another book!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantime Bantam for the ARC of this book..

A slow burn but a delight to read. This book by William Landay is a long time coming after Defending Jacob which I liked a lot so was really happy to get this book, and he did not disappoint.

From 3 POVs, this is a story about a missing mother, Jane Larkin, suspected murdered by her husband Dan, but no evidence was found to convict him,

This is told in 3 POV which I really love more than one narrator. Jane had 3 kids who are left to be raised by a father who may have killed there mother.

A must read. 4stars

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me 📚 by William Landay

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy!

I gave this book five stars for many reasons - the writing style, the very realistic dialogue, the characters and relationships, and the alternating points of view done well. Don't worry, I'm not spoiling anything...the book is told from the point of view of two children who's mother goes missing, then eventually from the point of view of the mother, and one last point of view I won't disclose. You're taken through the emotions of their mother going missing, hearing from the mother what happened, then all the court proceedings and of course more, I won't share to not ruin it for you. I've never read any of William Landay's books, but his writing style is one that completely grabbed me and you really felt for the characters along the way.
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I liked Defending Jacob and I loved William Landay’s new book, All that is Mine I Carry with Me. The reader needs to pay attention and do some thinking while reading. Criminal defense attorney Dan Larkin and his wife Jane have three children. Alex is a college student, Jeff is twelve, and Miranda is ten. One day in 1975, Miranda comes home from school and her mother is not there. No one can find her. Detective Tom Glover suspects Jane’s husband Dan murdered his wife, but there is no evidence. Forty years later Jeff’s friend, Philip Solomon is looking for a subject to write about for his next book. Jeff suggests that Philip write about Jane’s disappearance.

Divided in four sections called “books” we hear from four different points of view. Warning to the reader. Read carefully and pay attention. The book is only 336 pages but seems much longer. This would be my only wish that there were short chapters in each of the four “books”. The more I think about the story; the more I liked it.
My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Wowww I loved this book. I didn't expect it to be written/broken up like it was - I liked part 1 the least and didn't necessarily feel like it contributed to this story, but the 3 remaining parts made up for it. The ending was AWESOME and I felt so satisfied with how it turned out. A slower burn mystery but I really enjoyed it.

William Landay starts his latest novel with a small piece of writerly sleight-of-hand, crafting an introduction from the viewpoint of Philip Solomon, the fictional narrator of the book’s first segment, that reads as if it’s he, the author himself, speaking instead of a fictional character. It’s an ever so slightly disorienting conceit that wrongfoots the reader from the jump, setting the tone for the rest of this domestic thriller that revolves around the disappearance of Jane Larkin, the lovely housewife and mother of three who seems to have simply vanished one afternoon, leaving her devastated family behind.

Philip is an author of some success, having retired from both the law and journalism to pursue writing fiction full-time instead. As a teenager, he was friends with Jeff Larkin, Jane’s middle child, and had a crush on Miranda, Jeff’s younger sister. As an adult, he’s drawn back into their orbit when the siblings ask if he’ll write a book about their mother’s disappearance.

Not everyone is happy about this, of course. Alex, the eldest Larkin child, thinks that this is just a part of Jeff and Miranda’s ongoing attempts to sully the name of their father Dan, whose mental faculties are deteriorating as his Alzheimer’s progresses. While Jeff certainly harbors a consistent animosity towards the man he believes killed his mother, Miranda is more ambivalent. She is, after all, Dan’s full-time caretaker, not a role she would play if she was fully convinced of his guilt.

Philip’s research brings him to retired Detective Tom Glover, the first officer in charge of the case. Jane’s disappearance has stuck with him for over forty years now, in large part due to the relationship he developed with the grieving ten year-old Miranda:

QUOTE
Glover was startled by his own emotions as much as Miranda’s. He was pierced. He resolved not to move until the little girl released him.

When she finally unclinched her arms, his shoulder was wet with tears and snot, and he understood that he–his shoulder; his awkward, inexpert touch–had somehow comforted this child. The strange emotion was sinking away, and he struggled to name it before it vanished. Not pity, not protectiveness, not love. It was a kind of covenant between them.
END QUOTE

Despite being fueled by this unspoken promise to find out what happened to Jane, Glover soon finds himself running up against an impassable, invisible wall built of lack of evidence and witnesses both. Decades later, he’ll tell Philip that it’s as if Jane disappeared into thin air.

As the novel continues through its four parts, the perspective shifts, unveiling different aspects of the case. Was Dan Larkin responsible for the death of his wife? Almost everyone who knows him – Glover included – seems to believe so, despite there being nothing but the most circumstantial of evidence pointing to his guilt.

Dan himself is hardly the most sympathetic of suspects. As a successful defense attorney, he’s certainly represented his fair share of wife killers. He also hasn’t been subtle about feeling bored in his marriage. But does any of that translate to being a murderer himself? Jeff certainly thinks this is the case, in the section told from his perspective as an adult, watching his father in court:

QUOTE
It is all predictable TV-lawyer stuff. Only my dad’s strutting, preening style makes it interesting.

Unfortunately for Dad, his evident ego seems to put off as many jurors as it impresses. One man in particular–back row, far left–smirks and looks away, as if Dad’s bombast has set off his bullshit detector.

Still, I admit I feel a perverse pride in my father’s performance. In all these years, I have never actually seen him in court, and it is instantly obvious why he is so good at his job. He is a murderer, a liar, and a virtuoso lawyer, and these things seem not unrelated. Am I crazy to be a little proud of him? (Answer: yes. I know this.)
END QUOTE

While the novel whipsaws back and forth between “did he or didn’t he?”, it also presents a sensitive portrayal of perhaps the most complicated kind of family life. The Larkin kids all love their mom, but after she disappears must rely almost exclusively on their dad to help them keep to a semblance of normalcy. He insists he didn’t kill Jane, and each of the children’s willingness to believe him shifts and changes over the course of this emotionally charged, layered novel. More than being just a domestic thriller, All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is also a nuanced look at the devastating toll an unsolved disappearance can have on a family, and the crushing effect that years of doubt can have on the psyches of those left behind.

I struggled getting into this book and staying interested. I feel like I’m in the minority here though, so I kept pushing. Although some sections got quite lengthy, it certainly kept me guessing who killed Jane and I enjoyed book 4. The inner dialogue of Dan’s dementia was quite eerie and intriguing.

Thank you to William Landay, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This long awaited return for William Landay totally lived up to my hopes and expectations. At times It had me questioning if I had understood what I was reading right up to the last minute. Although the truth is out there early on, I kept wondering what was really true. Three children are left behind when their mother disappears in 1975. Multiple narrators tell the story of what happened with differing views on the guilt or innocence of the father. The story flips among decades effortlessly while showing the impact on each life. The story does not all come together until very end and the family does not come together. I totally enjoyed this book.

All That is Mine I Carry With Me is the type of book that lingers with you long after you have finished reading it. It is the story of a mother who goes missing and the impact of that event on the lives of 2 of her 3 children, Jeff and Miranda. Their father, Dan Larkin, is the only suspect in their mother's disappearance but there is no evidence in the case to indict him so the children are left to be brought up in his care.

Told from different points of view broken up into Books, I would say this was more of a family drama than a mystery and, like Defending Jacob, has quite a twist at the end. Unlike Defending Jacob, I felt left hanging with no real closure to the story. Still, I think this was a powerful book that dragged in places but was always interesting and gripping.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy.

This is one of those books that, when you finish, you text people and recommend it. It’s the least you can do when you read something as emotional, creative, and tense as this new book by William Landay (Defending Jacob).
Young Miranda comes home to an empty house, which usually never happens. Her mother isn’t where she’s supposed to be. Miranda’s brothers, Alex and Jeff, are equally confused as the hours drag on, and still nothing. Miranda’s dad, Dan Larkin, is crushed. He displays all the signs of trauma and fears one should show when a loved one disappears. But one investigator, Tom Glover, isn’t convinced. He feels that Dan’s years as a criminal lawyer (for some unsavory characters) have trained him to display all the symptoms of a devastated husband.
The days go by, turn into months, then years. Miranda and Jeff continue to suspect their father. The oldest son, Alex, is a Minnie Me of Dan, supporting him and absorbing the same cocky stature. But Detective Glover never fully gives up, even years after he’s retired. This is the one case that won't let him rest. And as for me, the reader? I don’t know what to think. That's what makes me love this book. The suspense, the flipping back and forth on Dan’s innocence, and the toll this has taken on Jeff and Miranda’s life kept me reading until the book was done.
The characters are so realistic, you’ll grow to feel strong emotions towards certain ones, and patience wears thin with others. I recommend this book to lovers of tense fiction, thrillers, and family drama.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 7, 2023.

Defending Jacob is one of my favorite books of all time and I was so excited for this one. Which made how much I didn't like the book even worse. The story itself was fine, but not surprising in the least. The structure of the book was an absolute mess, and yet it was probably the most important part. First we're introduced to a childhood friend, spend a ton of time with them, to never hear from them again. And then there were additional sections that left me confused. The constant back and forth with the characters ages was also really jarring. I get what the author was trying to do, yet felt like the structure got in the way of telling a great story.