If you’re a fan of courthouse drama and legal thrillers, be sure to add this one to your list! “All That Is Mine I Carry With Me” by William Landay focuses on the disappearance of Jane Larkin in 1975. Jane is the wife of a successful criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin, and the mother of three children - Alex, Jeff, and Miranda.

Dan Larkin is pretentious, greedy, arrogant, and is also the main suspect in Jane’s disappearance. The problem is, there’s not a single piece of evidence that links him to her disappearance or any crime…especially since there’s no signs of struggle or anything out of the ordinary. Years go by without any clues and it looks like Jane’s case will ultimately be an unresolved mystery. That is, until 1993 when something surfaces…

Devastating family drama continues inside and outside of the courtroom and the children, who are now adults, stand divided with their thoughts about their own father’s innocence. With multiple POV’s, we witness how Jane’s disappearance affects each character and the turmoil they go through to seek the truth.

This is a slow-paced and character driven novel that sucked me in with its gripping storyline, beautiful writing, and surprise ending that made me say, “What!!!?!” So unexpected!

Thank you William Landay, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This novel is set to be released on March 7th, 2023.

From the NYT bestselling author of Defending Jacob, William Landay's latest, ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME is an intriguing and mysterious family drama whodunit that lures you in with a unique storytelling style, weaving readers through a maze of clues and puzzle pieces.

In 1975 in Newton, MA, a wife and mother, Jane Larkin, went missing. Her ten-year-old daughter, Miranda, comes home from school to find her gone. Hours pass, and no sign of the woman.

Other family members, Jeff, Alex, and husband, Dan, arrive home, and Jane's sister, Kate. The police are called in.

Was it foul play, or did she leave to escape?

The prime suspect is the arrogant criminal attorney, Dan—the husband (I despised this character). Of course, he would know how to plan the perfect murder. They must first find the body and the proof. Motive?

There is an ongoing investigation with Detective Glover that turns into a cold case from the 1970s into the 2000s.

Told in parts: Four Books, we hear from different POV perspectives, past and present.

Book #1: Author Philip Solomon
The narrator decides to write a novel about the cold case. A childhood friend of Jeff.
Book #2: Jane
Book#3: Jeff. He does not like his father and firmly believes he murdered his mother.
Book #4 Dan: Later in life and now suffers from dementia

So how are the three children's lives changed after their mother left? Are they living with a murderer?

Alex defends his father, Jeff thinks he is a murderer, and Miranda is on the fence, but her view changes by the end.

Dan goes on about his life with his new girlfriend. Then later, a body is found near New Hampshire.

The author winds in and out with the characters leaving you to decide what happened to Jane Larkin during the course of the novel with a signature jaw-dropping conclusion.

The title could have different meanings, metaphors, and symbolisms: your most important possessions are your character and wisdom.

The cover and description drew me in. While this was not a favorite read, I enjoyed the mystery, whodunit, and legal aspects. I would describe it as "haunting, intriguing, and mysterious."

However, would encourage readers not to go into it thinking it will be a thriller. The novel is more of a family saga and how lives are shaped due to tragedy.

ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME would make for an ideal book club pick. I enjoyed the Bermuda mention. Been twice and also stayed at the Southampton Princess.

Thank you to #RandomHouse and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Dat: March 7, 2023
March 2023 Must-Read Books

OBSESSED. This book was AMAZING, and the ending had me screaming!

This book is broken up into 4 different sections, each section is a different point of view and it was done to perfection! Once I started this book, I flew through it, when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I absolutely loved this book and I can’t recommend enough, that you check it out immediately!

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay is a very highly recommended, excellent and compelling mystery and family drama that is unputdownable.

In November 1975 ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find no one home. Her mother gone. Hours pass and her brothers Alex, seventeen, and Jeff, twelve, as well as her father, Dan Larkin arrive home at their usual time. Dan, a criminal defense attorney, calls the police but a missing persons investigation can't be opened for 48 hours. This begins the four decades long question about what happened to Jane Larkin, which becomes a homicide investigation. Their father is a suspect but there is no body or concrete evidence.

The novel is divided into 4 books, each with a different author and style. In the first an author, Philip Solomon, is writing a novel about a cold case. The other three books cover different aspects and time periods surrounding the case and the family. The family has been divided for years, but the four different books within the novel help document why there is turmoil and division within the family. Read the different books carefully to see whose point of view is being portrayed.

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is part family drama, part crime/mystery novel, part psychological suspense. The four different book that comprise the novel are compelling and unputdownable. The plot is intelligent and emotionally complex. The writing is outstanding. Landry details the facts of Jane's disappearance, along with the speculation, struggles of the family, especially Jeff and Miranda, and the division and secrets within the family. There were several passages I highlighted due to the insight and depth they contained.

The characters are fully realized and portrayed as realistic, complicated individuals facing an impossible situation. Do they support their father, who may have murdered their mother, or do they stay loyal to him and bury any doubts. Jane's sister, Katie, blames Dan and is sure he murdered her sister. Alex supports his father. Jeff and Miranda are the ones who most miss their mother and who suspect their father is involved, but still hold onto a modicum of doubt. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is an absolutely excellent novel!
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House via NetGalley
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her mom missing. Her pocketbook is still there in the front hall, there are no signs of a struggle, and nothing else is out of place or missing. The investigation begins, first as a missing persons, and then as a potential homicide. Jane Larkin's husband Dan is the prime suspect, although they have no proof. Don't they say it is always the husband? And Dan is a criminal defense attorney, so who would know better how to beat the system? 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?

I had heard rave reviews about this book, and the premise sounded like something I would really enjoy, so I was excited to read this. Unfortunately for me, I had mixed emotions about this book. It was good. It had a good mystery that wasn't completely solved until the very end. I liked that it was told in the POV's of several of the different characters, one of which was the deceased mother, which was unusual. However, this book was so long, or at least it felt long. It felt like it could have been condensed quite a bit and not lost any of the story. So, at times, I had to push myself to get through certain parts. Don't get me wrong. This had a really good story to it, and a lot of people loved this book. I think it just wasn't the book for me.

When Miranda comes home from school, her mother isn’t there. This is odd. She’s always there. But when Jane Larkin doesn’t ever come home…what happened? Did she run away? Is she dead? If so…who killed her? You know, it’s always the husband. Told from multiple points of view and multiple timelines, this is the tale of “what happened to Jane Larkin”? Entertaining and suspenseful with a plot twist you might not have seen coming. Highly recommended.

This was one of those books that I absolutely could not put down--I read it in one day. Just as in Defending Jacob, there was a twist at the end and the reader feels as if he/she has received a body blow. The story was told from the vantage point of different characters, including the victim. That part of the book was a little confusing to me as I kept thinking that there would be a surprise and I thought the book would go a completely different direction, but I think Mr. Landay had a much better idea of the path he wanted his book to take and he accomplished it in a way that is unforgettable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I enjoyed the structure of this book. I don’t think I have read anything quite like it. It reminded me a lot of the HBO show The Staircase. I will be recommending this one to folks.

From the author of Defending Jacob, William Landay’s latest novel is All That is Mine I Carry With Me, an admittedly awkwardly long title. As expected there is a mystery involved. Told from the perspective of several characters, including a writer, a woman, mother of three children, goes missing in 1975. Is her criminal defense attorney husband involved?

What I enjoyed most about this novel was how real and genuine Landay’s characters were, including the dialogue. It was also interesting to be inside the characters’ heads. The story is more of a slow burn but I enjoyed that. Landay is an excellent writer. I thought it was unusual to have the writer’s viewpoint, especially as the first voice in the story- breaking the fourth wall - but it works.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Jane Larkin, a mother with three children, disappeared in 1975. Although many suspected her husband, there was no evidence. Readers learn what happened that day and events that happened before that day as well as in the the aftermath. Decades later there are still many unanswered questions. Although the premise of the book was intriguing, this book never really grabbed my attention. There wasn't enough action or suspense for me.

📚Book Review📚
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landry
Available March 7, 2023
319 Pages

On a school day in 1975, Miranda Larkin comes home to an empty house. Her mother, Jane, is nowhere to be found. Miranda waits. And waits. Her father, Dan, comes home and they wait. Jane Larkin never comes home. She vanishes, leaving Dan, Miranda and her two sons behind.

Dan Larkin, a meticulous and skilled criminal defense attorney, is the prime suspect, but there is nothing linking him to the crime. He raises his three children, but some of them never stop suspecting their father.

And that’s all I am saying. I wouldn’t read the book synopsis, this is enough to go in with — just let it all unfold for you.

This book is exactly what I love — (1) multiple perspectives with different voices that are so cultivated to the particular character; (2) creativity — the story is not one I’ve read before and it is written in a way that kept me hooked from page 1; (3) it keep me in suspense ; (4) a courtroom drama that is not cheesy or overdone.

It was a long wait for Landry’s follow-up to Defending Jacob (also outstanding), but All That Is Mine I Carry With Me was worth the wait.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @bantam for an e-arc. All opinions are honest and my own.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I have been a fan of Landay since first reading Defending Jacob and have read his other books as well. All That is Mine I Carry With Me is another good one. It follows Phillip, who is looking to write a book about the disappearance of the mother of his childhood friends. This book is written in several parts and really sucked me in from the beginning. If you haven't read anything by Landay, you could easily start with this one, but I recommend all of his books.

Where is Jane Larkin? That's the question that's plagued her two younger children Miranda and Jeff, her sister Kate, and a determined police officer for years. They all think that Dan Larkin had something to do with it- that he killed her or had her killed- but her body has never been found. And Dan moved on but the rest of the family (save her oldest son) has not. Now, Jeff has told part of the story to his old pal Phillip, a writer, and then in compelling fashion Jane tells her own version of events but is she a reliable narrator? Landay throws a few curveballs here-no spoilers. What stands out, besides the well constructed mystery, is the characters, especially Miranda, aka Mimi, who is never the same, and the police officer Tom, who keeps a photo of Jane in his wallet and follows every lead. It's well written and the voices are distinct. It will also leave you questioning all that went before. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

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.