This is a very slow family drama told in different views. It was hard to keep my attention because the murderer of Jane was known. Too slow and drawn out for me.

The story centers on the disappearance of young mother Jane Larkin in 1975 and takes place over various timeframes with several characters to explore what might have happened.

Phil, who was friends with the Larkin family during that time, plans to write a book years later about the case that was never solved, exploring various family members and their experiences, and whether Jane's husband Dan is the culprit or not.

The picture of the Larkin family over the years is really the main subject of the book, and the dynamics between them. There is sibling rivalry and also closeness , and the scathing distrust of Dan by Jane's sister Kate, which gives the reader much more information around what their relationship was like. There is "closure" as far as what happened to Jane, but not all the loose ends are tied up in a nice bow.

This was a mystery about a mom who disappeared and the family who suspected their dad (who is also a criminal defense lawyer) killed her. It is told through four different viewpoints and over the course of forty years, so it is a bit slow paced. The style of writing (short, terse dialogue) is not my favorite and made it feel a bit bogged down to me at times, but I"m glad I stuck with it because it was a satisfying story with several worthy plot twists.

I was a bit confused by the organization of this novel. Some portions are narrated by a “friend of the family,” some are the daughter's imagining of her mother's story, and others seem to be told more impersonally as if an observer is stating the facts. But the story is a compelling one, about a young mother who disappears one day without a trace. Law enforcement is convinced that her lawyer husband killed her, but they lack the evidence to prosecute. So the three kids spend their lives wondering, “Did he? Or didn't he?” It's a compelling read.

Defending Jacob was a top five favorite book of my written by this author. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is much is a much different book. I enjoyed this one greatly though I found the subject matter depressing. The aftereffects felt by the children left behind when a mother disappears are explored. I thought the author really captured the children's POV. My only complaint is the murderer is never held accountable, such is life.

In 1975 Jane Larkin goes missing and although the main suspect is her defense attorney husband, Dan, there are no significant leads. Jane’s three children, who hold vastly different opinions of what happened to their mother, are left to be raised by Dan as he quickly moved in his girlfriend and her daughter. 20 years later when Jane’s body is found, the entire family must recon with the truth of what happened to Jane.

This book is broken down into 4 books rather than into chapters. The first narrator has absolutely nothing to do with the story and inserts himself into it so confidently that you know a man wrote this entire thing. Book 1/the first narrator almost feels like Landay, also a former lawyer, is trying to insert himself into his own writing. The way he described other people made my skin crawl and the fact that not one main character brought him up in their own stories begs the question: why does he even exist? I would have felt much better about the book if the first point of view was from Miranda. Alex also feels completely irrelevant to the story. He’s rarely mentioned and seems to be a ghost rather than a member of the family.

It’s been a minute (okay, a decade) since William Landay’s smash hit, Defending Jacob, but it’s worth the wait! Fans will not be disappointed by this long-awaited next novel!

This gripping, slow-burn family drama explores the bounds of family love and family loyalty. In 1975, wife and mother Jane Larkin goes missing. Police suspect her husband Dan, who is a talented criminal attorney, but have only hunches and circumstantial evidence. The case simmers in the shadows for years, cold and unsolved, while Jane’s children deal with the fall-out.

Told from four perspectives – childhood friend-turned-author Phil Solomon, Jane herself, son Jeff, and finally Dan – this sweeping novel spans the many years between when Jane and Dan met and goes all the way through to Dan’s final years. The writing style is brilliant and grabbed me right away. The story is deep, emotional, and thoughtful. Did the husband do it? What happens to children when their mother inexplicably disappears? What happens to a family when you accuse your father of harming your mother?

I was captivated by this beautifully written, heartrending story. Of course, there is a deftly crafted mystery and compelling courtroom drama, but the characters and their raw, authentic emotions are the true stars here. I think the ending could be polarizing but I, for one, loved it! I had a couple of tiny quibbles – I would have welcomed the four “books” being broken down into chapters, and it would have been handy to have some signposts within lengthy dialogue sections to let the reader know who is speaking – but it’s a good bet that Mr. Landay has another winner on his hands!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded UP!

“WITNESSES MAKE MISTAKES…..even when they’re not lying. They misperceive, misremember, misstate..”

“All That Is Mine I Carry With Me” is definitely more of a FAMILY SAGA than it is a tale of suspense.

In fact, for the first 50%, I was a bit BORED by the extremely SLOW pace. Thankfully, the second half is more engaging.

You should pick it up expecting a story which examines the LOVE/HATE relationship that two children have with their father-suspected of having a part in their Mom’s disappearance-over the course of their lives-made even more difficult because with no answers, comes no closure.

The book unfolds in four parts, called BOOKS, each about 25% of the novel, and each FOCUSING on one character’s main perspective.

BOOK ONE (Phil Solomon) is an author who was feeling very uninspired to write his next book until his childhood friend, Jeff Larkin, looked him up. Jeff’s mom, Jane disappeared one day, when the boys were twelve.

Jeff suggests that Phil write a book about the case which remained unsolved. Although Detective Tom Glover believes that Jane’s husband, Dan Larkin killed her-he could never build a case with strong enough evidence for the state to charge him. He is definitely not a GOOD man-but did he kill his wife? This section reads like a TRUE CRIME novel.

Did a murderer remain free and raise his children?

BOOK TWO (Jane) OR IS IT? READ BOOK THREE CAREFULLY, or you may MISS a big reveal. I noticed that a few reviewers did.

BOOK THREE (Jeff) With still no answers, Jeff and his younger sister, Miranda (Mimi) now grown, agree to bring a Civil lawsuit against their father, at the urging of Jane’s sister, their Aunt Kate. Their older brother Alex is opposed. In a Civil case they won’t have to eliminate ALL doubt for a jury- they just have to eliminate MOST of it-FIFTY PERCENT AND A FEATHER. This part takes you inside the courtroom.

BOOK FOUR (Dan) as he suffers from dementia, later in life. The story, which has felt a bit disjointed, now comes full circle. Phil is able to speak with Dan, as he nears the end of his life, and he hopes to hear a confession from the man who has maintained his innocence throughout the years. Will he get one?

Miranda (Mimi) just ten years old, when her Mom disappeared, had the strongest and most sympathetic voice for me, throughout the narrative, despite not having her own “book”. I felt her push/pull toward her father and her pain, more clearly than that of her two brothers.

Something happens between books THREE and FOUR (no spoilers here) which left a few questions unanswered, and I would have liked to see more character development for Alex, the oldest sibling, who left for college shortly after Jane disappeared. I thought about rounding down because of these details and the fact that this was just a three star read for the first 55% -but, I decided to sleep on my rating.

Strangely, I woke up THINKING about the book-it is the kind that you will ponder after the final page is turned, so I have rounded up.

This would be a great selection for BOOK CLUBS, as it is thought provoking, and offers much for discussion.

*Just don’t expect a THRILLER, if you pick it up.
AVAILABLE March 7, 2023

Thank You to Bantam for granting my WISH for an early copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I liked this book a lot just for the ending! The story synopsis got me from the get go - did a husband kill his wife, their three children growing up not knowing if their missing mother is dead, or whether their father is a murderer until… bones are discovered years later. Dun dun dun! If that doesn’t pique your interest… I really enjoyed the way that the story was written. It jumped between characters and timelines, but it was easy to follow, even if it wasn’t always broken out by chapters. The story kept my interest throughout, made me unsure whether the father was guilty and kept me second guessing. A truly entertaining opportunity to don my detective hat and figure out what happened along with the rest of them. You won’t be disappointed!

"All That is Mine I Carry With Me" is a family drama, slow burn novel about the disappearance of mother of three, Jane Larkin. This novel is the long-awaited next novel from the author of "Defending Jacob," William Landay. He is clearly a brilliant writer. This story is told from several perspectives including Jane herself, her son, Jeff and his friend who is an author compelled to write his next novel on the subject of her disappearance. There are not chapters really, but "books" that tell the story from 4 different POV's.
Jane Larkin disappeared on November 1975. The lead suspect is her criminal defense attorney husband, Dan. The kids grow up not knowing where their mother is, as a body is not recovered, but also wondering if their own father is the one who caused her disappearance. Two of her children are convinced that he did it and one remains loyal to Dan. Dan is portrayed as a pompous and arrogant man by almost all accounts.
The lead detective on the case is convinced that he did it, his own children believe he did it, many of the neighbors and townspeople believe he did it. But did he? There's no proof, no evidence that he did it and he steadfastly maintains his innocence.
This book is an emotional read, a roller coaster of feelings. You root for the children of Jane Larkin to get their answers and in a style that is all Landay- the end is a jaw dropper.
Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this unforgettable read. 3.5 stars

It's been a long wait since Defending Jacob! Another legal thriller with lots of heavy drama. Great characters, even the dad who is super unlikeable. You will need to be ready for a final pages surprise! Best part is that one of the books within the book is from the wife who disappeared...always like when the author does that do you get the perspective.

If you’ve been waiting for the next book from William Landay after the acclaimed Defending Jacob, here it is. All That Is Mine I Carry with Me is a powerful novel of suspense and family tragedy with deeply flawed and well developed characters, multiple perspectives and writing styles, and the strong twists you expect.

This novel follows the story of a family whose mother and wife disappears one day in the 1970s. We first read from the perspective of an author who has been struggling with writers block and is now working on a manuscript of this tragedy that he witnessed first hand as a family friend. Next, we hear from Miranda- the youngest of the three Larkin children and the first to notice Jane missing.

The novel is written in long, lush chapters but the pace is wonderful. Landay also changes his writing style with the narrator changes, as we later read from dead Jane and then one of the two sons, Jeff, fifteen years later.

As the murder still remains unsolved, we then travel to 2017. The ending is poignant, emotional, and punchy. I love how Landay brought aging and caregiving into this story, making it truly reflective of family tragedy and what it means to live with a trauma over time.

I couldn’t put this one down. Landay weaves in courtroom and lawyer drama but more from a behind the scenes look than in Defending Jacob. This book is also shorter and more evenly paced. I think this is the character driven thriller everyone should pick up this year.

Defending Jacob is one of my favorite books of all time, so I was very excited about this book. Unfortunately, it did not hit me like Defending Jacob. It took me forever to read bc it just wasn’t captivating. I was immediately turned off by the multiple pages spent describing the detectives port wine stain on his face and how “he would have been attractive if not for it” and how many times it was brought up. Repeatedly. It was gross and mean and a ridiculous thing to spend so much time on. Or really any time on, like this description played no part in the story. This book is written in 5 long chunks (book 1, book 2 etc) instead of chapters and tells the story from different times and views in each “book.” It made the flow of the story weird and choppy for me and made it feel LONG. I felt like I just kept waiting for the story to pick up but as soon as it seemed like it might a new “book” would start and the story would be slow again. The wrap up of the book was a underwhelming and felt rushed.

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded down). This is another hard one for me to review because honestly it was a solid 4 stars until about 80% then it went downhill. I’m going to try to explain why without any spoilers which will be hard, so maybe this review will only make sense to someone who has read the book.

Let’s start with things I did like. First off, the author’s writing! Loved it! I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel about a book divided into 4 large parts. I usually prefer short chapters but this didn’t bother me at all. Each “Book” (section) was in a different person’s perspective. Book 1: Phil (friend/author), Book 2: Jane (mom), Book 3: Jeff (son) and Book 4: Dan (dad). I thought each section was well written and it was easy to follow in each character’s perspective.

Here’s where it fails for me. At 80% it gets into a civil lawsuit. I’m not a fan of court cases in books and this one seemed to drag out even though it was near the end of the book. Also they threw a new twist in there of who possibly killed Jane, that just seemed so random…like an added little filler that really didn’t need to be in there. It didn’t make any sense to me because during Book 2 Jane clearly says who killed her. Finally the ending with Miranda and her dad, I can’t go into detail without ruining the end, but I didn’t like the turn it took and I hated that there was no definite conclusion to the ending. I am not a fan of guessing what happened.

Overall, I’m not sure I would recommend this one. With that said, I honestly would still read another book by this author because I really enjoyed his writing style (for most of the book that is). 😉

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I am without words! Definitely going on my favorites list this year. A definite page-turner and that’s not even adequate enough description. Well done, well done!

(Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

I was really excited to get this ARC because I really enjoyed Defending Jacob and I thought I could add another author to my list of favorites. Unfortunately this was a no go for me. The book is in multiple POV, which I normally enjoy, but it was hard to figure out at the beginning who was talking. I initially thought it was William Landay actually writing the beginning because it mentioned writing his first book and it taking 10 years or something to come up with a new one. The book was boring and seemed to drag on, and was hard to find a spot to stop when I wanted to be done reading it at the time. I ended up skimming the last chapter to find out the ending of the book.

I expected great things from William Landry after loving Defending Jacob and I was not disappointed. The storyline and the character development are spot on. Read it!
This is an accounting of a mother gone missing and a father presumed guilty. There are three children who are affected differently and some may say disproportionately by their loss as well as their confusion as to their father’s guilt or innocence.
We follow their lives for over twenty years until there is finally an answer.
The writing is terrific and I especially enjoyed the storytelling from different characters, perspectives and time frames.
Thanks to Net Galley for the read.

I just reviewed All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay. #AllThatIsMineICarryWithMe #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published March 7, 2023.

This is my first book by this author, who wrote the wildly popular book Defending Jacob, which has more than 280,000 reviews on GoodReads.

I was all in, ready for a family drama and legal thriller. But I have a lot of complaints. The chapters were crazy long. It felt very disjointed and all over the map. Some issues were never resolved. The pace picked up when the trial started but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to know who killed Jane and I think I know but too much was left unresolved. That last page though…that was good!

A huge thank you to Random House Bantam Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I was really excited to receive the copy because I loved the author's previous book Defending Jacob.

We are introduced to the story through Phil Solomon who is a writer struggling for a topic for his next novel. He meets up with an old childhood friend, Jeff Larkin, after 40 years and decided to write about Jeff's family. Jeff's mother Jane disappeared on November 12, 1975. Jane's disappearance was discovered by her young daughter Miranda. Miranda came home from school expecting to see her mother like every other afternoon but no one was home. At first, she was excited to be home all by herself but as time ticked by she began to worry. Eventually, her brothers Jeff and Alex and her father Dan returned home. No one had seen Jane. Detective Glover investigated Jane disappearance for years and even though he suspected Dan, there was no body and no evidence to arrest him.

The rest of the story is told through the voices of different characters, Miranda, Jeff, Jane, Dan Det. Glover. We see how everyone's lives were affected by Jane's disappearance and the strain on the family.

I struggled to really love this book. In some of the later chapters, I had a couple of moments when I thought "Wait, who is talking right now?" I also felt that one of the big reveals was told too early in the book. I thought it made the rest of the book less exciting. Overall, I did like the book.

What a very strange book! Thought it was hard to read but WHAT a tale. The twist and turns are worth finishing! Wow the ending will make you swear or cry!