Another great book from William Landay. In 1975 suburban housewife , mother to 3 and devoted with to Dan Larkin goes missing. Her youngest child, Miranda, comes home from school to an empty house. Miranda enjoys the time alone in the house but grows concern when her mother still has not arrived back home for dinner time. Along with her father and brothers , Alex and Jeff, the Larkin family wait to see if Jane will find her way back to them . Landay writes excellent family drama that is mixed with crime. Thanks so much to #Netgalley #Bantam for allowing me to read the advanced ebook copy.

I was interested to see that William Landay had a new novel coming out because I loved Defending Jacob.

In All That is Mine I Carry With Me, 10 year old Miranda comes home from school one day to find her mother missing. Despite an investigation, the case runs cold. What follows is a look into the circumstances surrounding Jane's disappearance. We meet her three children and learn how they have been affected by the loss of their mother. Their father remains one of the prime suspects.

What I liked:
-Enjoyed the premise of the book.
-The characters of the three children were well developed (especially Jeff and Miranda)
-I was invested in the story and finding out what happened to Jane.

What didn't work for me:
-The pace of the book was slow to me, this could have been a page turner but it was not.
-the middle of the book dragged on for me.
-had trouble keeping the different POVs straight

Interesting book and premise. Slow read. Overall, not as good as Defending Jacob (which was excellent).

A very well written, and in parts outright gut-wrenching story of a family falling apart, slowly inevitably and inexorably after an unexplained disappearance, followed by decades of, just, no answers.

The book takes a multitude of stabs at writing styles, and what starts off as a meta attempt with the author starring in his own book, the story then takes turns at being shown from multiple points of view, all while pushing the story forward - for the most part.

The story kicks off as one of the best police procedurals I've read in a long time, as the police investigate the mysterious disappearance of Jane Larkin, mother of three and beloved wife to Dan. Suspicions are raised, dismissed, reignited and then discarded again to the unsolved pile, only to be rekindled decades later when the remains of Jane's heavily decomposed body are found, in a location that seems to add to some suspicious from years ago.

The second section of the book was the weakest, and seemed a little manipulative to put in there. There are painful details here that reinforce what have hitherto only been unfounded suspicious, and it is only when you begin the next section that you realize it may all have been a second instance of a "book within a book". Without dishing out any spoilers, suffice to say it seems to give you a version of the truth, but the remainder of the book goes back to raising doubts on that accuracy of that truth.

The third section is a strong courtroom drama, in the vein of the author's other famous work, Defending Jacob, and all the characters shine through, and all the dialog crackles, bristling with an uncanny focus, yet the story refuses to settle down to any sort of resolution.

The final section is again a bit manipulative, where it plays on the empathy and pity of the readers and also the characters. And, while the ending seems to leave more embers than cold ash, it makes you marvel at the realization that from the perspective of the bereaved children, nothing can possibly be a resolution of such a cruel and possibly murderous incident.

All in all, a well written drama, that handles the poignant subjects of grief and loss, while providing precious little closure, just like in real life.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine Books, and to the author for an advance eARC of this book.

This book was absolutely captivating from start to finish. "All That Is Mine I Carry With Me" centers around the Larkin family, whose matriarch, Jane, disappears unexpectedly in 1975. Jane left behind three children and her husband, Dan, a prominent defense attorney. Dan is suspected of her disappearance, but there is no evidence and the children are left to be raised by the man who may or may not have murdered their mother.

This novel is divided into four books, giving voices to two of the children, Dan, and Jane herself. It is super uniquely written and I really enjoyed the style. This was definitely a character-driven family drama, with some suspense which I tend to love. This is one of those books that I've been thinking about long after reading the last page. I just couldn't imagine putting myself in that situation and I applaud authors who take on such hard, realistic topics.

I loved this book overall, but I initially had a hard time with the ending. Even after reading book four twice (I had to see if I was missing something!), I am still unsure how I feel about it. It's one of those endings where you really should discuss with a fellow reader. Definitely recruit a friend to read this with you! You won't be disappointed. In fact, I read this book four months ago and I still sometimes think about it. So I had to come back to adjust my review to reflect that. Any book that I still think about long after reading, is worth all the hype. and all the stars. Read this!

I highly recommend this one when it is released on March, 7th! Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars - this is a very unique writing style - 4 books in 4 different perspectives tell the story. It's very suspenseful, but I didn't love the ending. Beware if you need a clean and tidy ending with no loose ends, you will not be satisfied with this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good story, that had a lot of information regarding this family, and the ending was fantastic, but it dragged on for far too long at parts. The whole murder mystery wrapped up into a coming-of-age tale for this entire family was done fairly well. I did not like the lack of quotation marks for conversations from Jeff's POV. I hope this formatting is fixed before publication because it really threw me off and disjointed the conversations he was having. Half the time, I couldn't tell if someone was talking or Jeff was just thinking something.

This book was really hard to put down! Usually I find books that retell the story from different people's point of view repetitive, but it wasn't, and each character added to the plot in a great build of the story. Thank you NetGalley for this amazing advanced reading copy.

I absolutely loved this author's last work, Defending Jacob. I don't think this one was quite as good. It was okay, but nothing I'll remember for years like Defending Jacob. In fact, I am writing this a bit after finishing and I am having trouble remembering exactly what it was about.

Hard review to write. So loved Defending Jacob and the twist in it. Was excited to be approved for this author’s soon-to-be-released book. Same descriptive writing, same type of intriguing storyline. Characters with so much turmoil that you can’t help feeling for them. Told in 4 different ‘books’ by different characters…the writer, the wife, the child and the husband, which I enjoyed. We find out early the answer to who the killer is, so I was excited to keep reading to see the twist. We see the long and far reaching consequences of a missing loved one. For me, I was disappointed with the conclusion…didn’t pack the WOW I had expected. Still, a great story, I was totally sucked in. I enjoy more neatly tied up endings.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay

In 1975, Jane Larkin goes missing and suspicions fall on her husband, Dan Larkin. Dan Larkin is adamant that he is innocent, but when Jane’s body is discovered years later, his children choose sides and decide if they believe he’s innocent or guilty. The story is told in multiple parts.

In Book One, the story is presented as an author, Phillip, was having writer’s block, and was encouraged to write about his childhood friend’s mother’s disappearance. The author’s friend, Jeff, is the son of Jane. Phillip takes us through his initial investigation and connects us with the Larkin children: Alex, Jeff, and Miranda. Phillip also connects us with the lead investigator on the case, Tom Glover.

In Book Two, the story is told from Jane Larkin’s point of view. We find out what truly happened the day that she disappeared, what her marriage was like prior to her disappearance, and what life was like for her kids after her disappearance.

In Book Three, we first hear from Jane’s son Jeff. He walks us through his experience as a child and as an adult struggling to decide if his father is a murderer. The second part of Book Three is narrated by Dan Larkin as he experiences dementia.

This story really sucks you in. It felt like I was reading a true crime novel and that I was immersed in every detail of the crime. Fantastic writing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

In November 1975, suburban mom Jane Larkin disappears leaving behind a distraught family - husband Dan Larkin and three young children, Alex, Jeff and Miranda. The investigators and Jane's sister Kate suspect Dan of having murdered Jane but no evidence is found and the case remains an unsolved mystery.

The story is narrated from the point of view of an author documenting it as a novel as well as from the points of view of several of the characters. It starts out slow but do read on for a fantastic family saga. I thoroughly enjoyed Defending Jacob by William Landay and was very excited when I was approved for an ARC of this latest work. This is very different from that novel but albeit an emotionally gripping tale of family, secrets, and the duality of human nature. None of the characters are perfect yet you cant help developing a sense of empathy for them. A short, easy to read novel this one.

Thank you Random House Publishing, William Landay and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was so beautifully written and well done. The story is told through multiple view points, including the kids mother. I could feel the emotions of each character through the writing. It’s a powerful thing when an author can do that.

💍💍💍💍💍 / 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Group for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This one sucked me in from the very beginning. I started it late one night thinking I could read a chapter or two before bed. However, it’s broken up into “books” rather than chapters, with each book being told from different POVs, so I ended up reading about 15% before I thought to check to see how many more pages to go. The answer was a lot, but I kept reading a little longer because I was so invested in the story. We know who the killer is pretty early on, but the mystery is how and/or will they get caught. The writing was incredible, and the execution was perfect. I can’t wait for everyone to read this one! I’m also looking forward to reading the author’s critically acclaimed novel Defending Jacob!

I loved Defending Jacob and waited a long time to hear from William Landay again. I can say this book is well worth the wait.

Jane Larkin disappeared in 1975, leaving children behind. Her husband is a suspect but he is also criminal defense attorney Dan Larkin. We all know you need more than suspicion to charge or convict.

In 2015 Jeff Larkin (Jane's now adult son) contacts an old writer friend Phil Solomon who has writers block Jeff suggests Phil bases his next book on Jane's disappearance.

The book is about the disappearance but also about how it affected the lives of the children Alex, Jeff and Miranda. They each have their versions, memories and thoughts of what happened to their mother. They have carried this trauma well into their adulthood and seek answers.
This is a thought provoking book that once again is well written and will leave the reader thinking long after the final page is turned.

This is not a thriller but it is a mystery and family drama.

Thank you NetGalley William Landay and Random House Publishing for the e-book edition of this novel in exchange for my review consideration. All opinions are my own

I really enjoyed this book from William Landay. I connected with the characters, and I found the setting very descriptive and interesting!

This is my first book by Landay. I received it on NetGalley. This nook is about the disappearance of a wife and mom of two. For years, there is suspicion that the husband was guilty of something, but there was no proof. The book tells the story of the resolution of the case.
I enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and questioning different things. I got attached to a few of the characters and was pleasantly surprised by the narrative given through different characters.

There are four “books” within this book, each with their own narrator and part of the story that moves everything forward. The first book I struggled to understand who the narrator was so it was a little confusing of a start for me. The writing style was a little different and took me a little longer to get into. This was an interesting book, with multi factors characters, but wasn’t character driven. I watched Defending Jacob on Apple TV and loved it so I was excited about this book. While entertaining and a fascinating story, it didn’t hook me the same way Defending Jacob did (could be TV vs reading). Even though this was an “ok” ready for me, fans of Landay should add All That Is Mine I Carry With Me to their TBR (out March 7, 2023).
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Thank you NetGalley and Random house for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In 1975, 10 year old Jane Larkin comes home to discover that her mother has disappeared. Her father, a defense attorney, becomes the main suspect, especially after his mistress shows up at their house. He is never charged, and her body is never found. The story is told from multiple points of view, and follows the family after this happened.

Jeff Larkin, one of Miranda’s older brothers, asks his writer friend Philip Solomon to write about this mystery in 2015. We learn about how the tragedy affected the family. Eventually Jane's body is found but no one is charged with the crime.

The best books stay with you long after you finish them, and so it is with this one. This book shows how the 'things you carry' shape your life. As in Defending Jacob, the characters are well written, and there is a surprising twist at the end. I highly recommend this book. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I’m pretty sure this will be my favorite book of 2023. I loved every single page if this book. I love how it was divided into parts and told from various points of view. I loved the twists. It was perfection and I can’t wait for others to read it!

Miranda arrives home after a normal day at school to an empty house. Her mom is always here when she gets home. She wonders where she is? As she waits and the sky outside darkens, Miranda begins to worry, what if something happened to her mother? A short time later, her older brother Jeff comes home. He agrees with her that something is wrong. Then the oldest brother, Alex, arrives home. He tries to calm their anxiety, telling them he is sure there is a logical reason for Mom’s absence.
When their father finally arrives home to find the children upset, no dinner ready, and no sign of his wife, he begins making phone calls. He calls friends and family – no one has seen Jane. The next morning Miranda comes downstairs to find her mother still gone and a strange man in her kitchen speaking with her father. The stranger was a detective, Detective Glover.
How does one get closure when the truth is unknown? Did Jane run away? Or was she abducted? As the time passes, the family finds it difficult to move forward. For Detective Glover, this is the case that sticks in his heart and he will not rest until he finds Jane. How will this end? The ending will surprise you!

I never read Defending Jacob but I remember what a big book that was. This book was intoxicating. I didn’t want to put it down, not even to sleep. I raced to the ending which made me gasp with shock. It was so poetic. This book is for readers who like Lisa Scottoline or Lucy Foley.