I read the book Defending Jacob by this author which was very good. This book was not as clever and thought provoking.

However, this book is both very readable and engrossing. The parts of the book that deal with the effects of the disappearance of Jane Larkin on her children were well done.

However, what reduced the quality of the book was the disappointing characterization of Don Larkin. He is not at all a likable person. The problem is that in a lot of real-life mysteries, where there is a question of whether than man killed his wife, the husband has his good points. The fact that the husband has some good points is what keeps the mystery going makes the husband harder to prosecute. I felt there would be some pressure to prosecute Don Larkin from the public even though the evidence is not conclusive. The book does not deal with the MeToo movement and changing views about violence against women. There is less toleration about violence against women.

However, on the whole I enjoyed this book it could have been much better book.

I’ve not read Landay until now because I had always thought of him as a writer of court dramas, and I don’t especially like those. But then again, I heard good things, so I kind of meant to. When the ARC for his latest came to Netgalley, I downloaded it, and then, upon a strongly impassionate recommendation of a good friend moved it up on my reading queue.
Well, what can In say. I was missing out. That much was blatantly obvious from the first page.
There’s this elusive, difficult to describe quality some writers have, like they were born to tell stories. The way their narrative just envelops you, the profound immersiveness of their books.
Landay has that. Loads of it.
The man can just take a deceptively simple tale that can be in theory summed up as A Man May or May Not Have Killed His Wife Forty Years Ago and make it sing. Make it wow.
So how does he do it? Well, his writing is just that good. But also, he’s so clever about the narrative structure, about the subtleties of characters, about maintaining plausible deniability and suspense.
The case is this: in 1975 a well-to-do lawyer’s wife and mother of their three children disappears without a trace. The suspicion inevitably falls on the man, because that’s just how it goes and because he’s kind of scummy, and with a girlfriend on the side.
And yet no one can prove his guilt and so for decades him and his children and the wife’s sister are submerged in a sea of suspicion and mistrust.

The following paragraphs may give away some of the plot turns, though I’ll take great care not to. Read at your discretion. You’ve been warned.

The novel starts with a man writing a book about the case. The man has family connections and uses them, and of course not everyone in the family is happy about it. The eldest son maintains his father’s innocence or at least the right to be left alone. The youngest daughter is struggling with it all.
Next up, a chapter from the dead wife herself. Just how that’s possible (and this is so freaking clever) you don’t find out until the next chapter wherein the family at last decides to get some form of justice and sues the father. Yes, now there’s a court drama and yes, it was my least favorite part of the book, but a. it was still compelling and b. it didn’t take very long.
And then the last chapter, that sees the father as an old man with the youngest daughter as his devoted caretaker. And what did you expect really from an adult woman who never stopped calling his Daddy?
Old age had mellowed the scum off the man and now he’s practically a decent if senile person, preparing to take his own life to avoid further degradation.
Apparently, bygones have been relegated to bygone-specific places and some peace was found. And then, a bombshell of a revelation at the last moment. An ending twist that cuts like knife. Oh so good.

Yes, that’s how you do did-he-or-didn’t-he novel. That’s how you do a novel period. What an awesome book. What an emotional powerhouse. One of the best reading experiences in a long while, and given the amount of books this reader/reviewer goes through, that’s no small praise. Great read. Recommended. I mean, read this book. Go. Do it. Thanks Netgalley.

Couldn’t put it down! Absolutely fantastic from beginning to end. I cannot wait to hand sell this to my customers!

I very much enjoyed this story. Well-written, with plenty of twists and turns. Ultimately it is a sad story but one that hold the interest. Here’s hoping it’s not such a long wait for his next book.

I was thrilled to receive this book before its publication date. I stayed home all day to finish it in one marathon sitting . My poor husband had to fend for himself for meals and conversations. I was sure of how the wife disappeared, then changed my mind and changed it again. I was both surprised and satisfied with the ending

In November 1975 Jane Larkin disappears without a trace, leaving behind her three children, husband and her older sister. What starts as a story about a missing person soon turns to heartbreak and the trauma it brings to the family.

What I love about this author is his ability to expertly craft a story from beginning to end while creating a mystery that really stays with you after finishing. This is a solid mystery/drama being told in such a genius way. It starts off towards the end, then brings you back to the beginning while telling the story from each person in the family including a childhood friend and the detective leading the case. I can't even pick a favorite part because each person's perspective is just as enthralling as the next. For fans of Defending Jacob, you will devour and love this. Five Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for this wonderful ARC.

Could. Not. Put. It. Down. This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish. I was hooked from the start and read this very quickly. Brilliant!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of All That Is Mine I Carry With Me. The star of this book was the trial and I wish it had been longer. The mystery kind of got lost in the long narratives of Miranda and Jane because they both meandered along with so much background, and Phil’s musing on why he wrote a book about the case. I never felt like I got to know the characters well enough to care about them. It was a good attempt, but this book wasn't for me.

You know how some books catch you like you were back on the playground and your friends got the carousel going really fast and you jumped on and were instantly captured by the rush? Well, for me this was more like going to an empty playground and sitting on the teeter totter, waiting and waiting for someone to show up so the fun would begin.

A wife and mother went missing. Her jerk of a husband was suspect, but nothing could be proven. The pace picked up when the woman started telling her story, but I still had trouble. I wound up skipping a whole section (about 1/4 of the book) and finished the last part. The ending was interesting, but not enough that I cared to go back and see if I missed anything.

This just wasn't for me.

Brilliantly constructed. Told from several POVs that get deep into the characters' souls with tensions and possibilities all self cancelling. Landay provides information as needed, sliding back and forward in times covering 1975 through 2017, not a superfluous word or action. The destruction of a family when a mother disappears, no answers, no proof. No reason at all. Dad is the obvious target for a perp, because there is simply no other answer to the puzzle, but he maintains his innocence. Three kids, but only the younger two are really given voices. If there is a weakness, the character of the older son is somewhat glossed over. This is so well written and involving, I must go read Defending Jacob which slipped by me when it came out.

Another well told story by Willaim Landay!
What do you do when you think a family member murdered your mother? Deny, look for truth, or take revenge? This book had me at so many points, but the ending.! Nope, didnt see that one coming! Well done Mr. Landay, well done!
Thank you to Net Galley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was interested in reading this book because I liked Defending Jacob. It did not disappoint. I was captivated the whole time. Thanks for letting me check it out!

I just finished this novel, and I am somewhat numb as to how I feel about it. First and foremost, I was thrilled to be approved for this because I highly enjoyed Defending Jacob. Secondly, I absolutely loved the writing style and perspective writing that was in this novel. I was immediately sucked into the story, found it hard to put down, and could not wait to pick it back up when I had to take a break. I enjoyed the story being told from each of the family members perspective. Particularly, Jeff, as he was my favorite character. He was sarcastic and witty, and I found myself laughing several times from his comments. I also enjoyed reading things from Miranda’s perspective, particularly at the beginning of the story when her mother was missing. I also enjoyed the era when this novel took place, the mid to late 70s. The only complaint I have about this story, if I had to complain about anything, is the ending. I honestly wish that I was in a book club or had had someone buddy read this with me so I could discuss the ending. There was a huge final shock, which was great. But then the book ended very abruptly, leaving me to my imagination as to what happened. I give this book 4.5 stars. It was excellent, a very absorbing read, but the ending, just has me numb.

“We worked out all kinds of crazy theories explaining why Mom would hide herself from us: mental illness, amnesia, kidnapping, brainwashing, a threat of harm, a cult (okay, that was mine). Miranda adored this game. She made up elaborate stories about Mom sustaining a head injury that magically erased her memory or convinced her that she was some other woman”.

After eighteen years….
‘We win circumstantial cases all the time. But there just isn’t enough to charge anyone right now. Now, having said that, I want you to understand that the case is not closed”.

“Fourteen months later. September 21, 1994. Five days before the trial is scheduled to open”.

The end….
Huh?

Like with Defending Jacob …where I was driven batty - unclear what was what….
It’s happened again…
What the hell?

I don’t understand!

But … another 4 stars from me for Landay.

But… as with BOTH books….
They probably both deserve 5 stars.

I guess this book is going to haunt me for another decade just as the Jacob book did.

The expectations were sky high for Landay's DEFENDING JACOB's follow up. Years have passed but AppleTV pushed the NOS button a couple years ago and put Landay's masterpiece front stage. Anyone diving into ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME has a big chance of expecting something similar to DJ.

Having read DJ somehow enhanced the reading experience of ATIMICWM. Like my 4 year old son gets all giggly and on high alert when I make a move to tickle him, his fear of being tickled always generates a greater reaction than the actual tickling, I found that while reading ATIMICWM, I was waiting for that moment where I would realize, or have the certainty, that the narrator is leading me somewhere I never asked to go in the first place.
This anticipation made me turn pages.

It is again a lesson in pacing, leading, or misleading, and creating expectations.

I was so excited to hear that William Landay had written another novel after 'Defending Jacob'. It’s been ten long years of waiting patiently and we finally have a new novel! I must say, this is not a thriller or mystery but rather a family drama. The ending of the story is spelled out within the beginning of the book but that doesn’t make it any less shocking.
This is the tale of the Larkin family. It’s 1975 and the mother Jane, disappears without a trace. The father is the leading suspect but there is no evidence, only suspicion. The children are Alex, Miranda and Jeff. They all struggle to understand what happened to their mother. The story then takes you through the span of several decades and is very successfully told by multiple narrators, including the mother herself from heaven I assume. Every angle and viewpoint-it’s all so good.
Wow. What a book. I have every possible feeling going through my mind and body after this one. I feel it will stick with me for a really long time.
This story unfolds in such a thoughtful and fascinating way as to make it positively believable. The characters are so real in their pain and struggles trying to cope.
Do yourself a favor and add this one to your list for the spring of 2023 when it debuts.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me early access to this spectacular novel for honest review.

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find the 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? As a highly skilled criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would be an expert in outfoxing the police -- if he did it. But with no evidence,Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by a 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 if they are wrong?

William Landay has crafted a superb suspense novel that, at its heart, is about family, loyalty, and the lies we tell each other. Highly recommended. #AllThatIsMineICarryWithMe #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

Many thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay in return for an honest review.

Landay knows how to craft a mystery, and his character development is exceptional. He takes an average day and subjects it to chaos; he takes ordinary families and tests their capacity to defend, love and believe. Since reading Defending Jacob, William Landay has become a go-to author for me, and it was the best surprise to find that I had been gifted the ARC of his latest.

Told from different perspectives, the story details the disappearance of Jane Larson, and the impact that it had on her criminal defense attorney husband, Dan, and her three children, Alex,Jeff and Miranda, as well as her sister, Kate. Her husband, always a suspect, manages to evade arrest or criminal prosecution. The lack of closure haunts this family, and although they move forward, they suffer. Years later, a writer and family friend, Phil, reconnects with Jeff. He researches, interviews and chronicles the disappearance of Jane Larson. From the opening chapters, Phil is presented as a main character, and though his writer’s block is the catalyst for revisiting this tragic event from the past, he oddly plays a very minor role.

This was an engaging story, and when I wasn’t reading the novel, I wanted to be reading it. If not for the ending, I would have most certainly given the book a five star review, but the conclusion to this intensely plotted story fell a little flat for me, and it wasn’t a particularly satisfying ending either. Personally, I like good to prevail, and evil to receive just punishment, and I like it to be accomplished in a cathartic and satisfying manner. The reveal took too long, and it just wasn’t enough. For that reason, I deducted a star. To say any more would require spoilers.

I was very excited about reading this book, as I loved William Landay's prior book 'Defending Jacob', and this one was a long time coming. However, I was a bit disappointed. This is a sad story about the Larkin family, whose mother, Jane disappears one day in 1975, and her husband Dan becomes the main suspect. There is never any physical evidence that Dan caused her disappearance or was involved in any foul play, however, detective Tom Glover has a hunch and will stop at nothing to find out what happened to Jane. You never really find out what drives Tom. Was he haunted by a prior unsolved case? Was his friendship with Miranda the reason he feels compelled to solve the case? He travels around the country whenever someone thinks they've seen a sighting of Jane.
The main focus of the story is the effect this event has on Miranda and Jeff, two of Jane's 3 children, both who come to believe that their father might have killed their mother, so much so, they decide to follow through with a civil suit against him. The author tells this book from multiple perspectives, which was interesting. You hear Jeff, MIranda, and even Jane's thoughts about the events.
The character development in this book was outstanding, and the writing was well done, it just dragged for me. Your are caught up in the grief and depression of the children's lives for 18 years. Finally Jane's remains are discovered, and they start to have the hope of closure.
I did not find the end of the book shocking, as some reviewers mention. The culprit was not a surprise, but Miranda's behavior was, but to be expected under the circumstances.
So this is not a thriller, but a slow paced family drama that finally reaches a predictable conclusion.

Well I’m just gobsmacked! William Landay absolutely cruses it! Crazy great novel with stunning characters. This was taut, chilling and perfectly executed. Just disappointed it had to end.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book