Member Reviews
Thank you for the opportunity to preview All that is mine I carry with me.
This book is epic and is written with fury. A disappearance that is never solved, a family broken, and a mystery that lasts a lifetime defines a family that lives in pain.
A mystery that is compelling and is written like a saga.
Very good 4 stars
I picked up this book before I remembered that Landay also wrote DEFENDING JACOB. Unfortunately, ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME shares a lot of the elements I disliked in DEFENDING JACOB, including the twist that wasn't really a twist at all and the painfully drawn out, self-indulgent pacing.
William Landay has created a compelling story of a family torn apart by the mysterious disappearance/death of a parent. The story is broken down into sections with different narrators and points of view. The reader is brought into the mystery, but that is not the endpoint. The saga continues through the years as the family devolves into mental and physical illness. Ultimately, the author deals with Alzheimer’s and death.
This is such a fascinating novel, complex, yet compact. Rather than sprawling across 100s of pages with dozens of characters, it is absolute perfection in delivering everything the reader needs to feel involved in the disappearance of Jane Larkin. The Larkin family has the opportunity to narrate the story and the author gives the reader a tiny piece of evidence that ultimately pulls the book together and brings closure to the story.
This is a perfect novel. I loved Defending Jacob and once again was captivated by Landay’s wonderful writing. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this stunning novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is a quick, compelling read centering on the Larkin family after Jane, the mother of three, disappears. Told by several narrators, we’re shown what happens when a family is torn apart by a tragic event.
Definitely recommending this to my patrons who enjoy suspense and mystery novels.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the new book by the same author as Defending Jacob. I was excited when I saw Landay came out with a new novel and this one didn’t disappoint! I couldn’t put it down! It was told in multiple point of views, and through the POV of the mother that was murdered. The beginning of the novel was kinda confusing. At first, I thought it was really the author. But turns out it was the POV of the novel that’s being written as the real novel unfolds
I loved it even more than Defending Jacob. Absolutely riveting novel about the aftermath of a family tragedy. When Jane Larkin disappears without a trace, her criminal defense attorney husband is the prime suspect, but police can't find any concrete proof. What does it mean for her kids to go on living with their father, the man who may have killed their mother? This novel is told from many different points of view, including that of Jane herself from the afterlife. I couldn't put it down!
This book immediately pulled me in. The story focuses on Jane Larkin who disappeared in 1975. Her children came home one afternoon to find she had totally vanished. Naturally their father is the number one suspect.
The structure of this book was so unique. Phil, a family friend of the Larkins is writing a book about Jane’s case that has now gone cold years later. The story is told in three different “books” with a few POV’s sharing the family members experiences over time. This may sound confusing but it was honestly pretty easy to follow, so well written and super intriguing.
This is my first book by Landay and the more I read about him and the great reviews for this book the more I hear about his novel Defending Jacob that came out in 2012. I have heard nothing but excellent things about that one so now I’m hooked. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it when it comes out March 7th!
Thank you @randomhouse for this advanced e copy
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Landry had a way of writing familial dramas that explore the sometimes flawed dynamics in families but in a way that keeps you engaged and wanting to read more . Another good one .
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for letting me review the book
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This one didn't grab me, and it felt like I had to force myself to keep reading. That said, the writing was good and the story was relatively interesting. The shifts in timeline and voice and the breaking of the fourth wall stuff felt more confusing than compelling.
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me this advanced copy. Once again, William Landay has proven why he is one of my favorite authors. See my review at minute 8:33 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC4ns7mxGzk
I thoroughly enjoyed William Landay’s Defending Jacob when I read it in 2013. I can still remember the twist so that’s a clear indication of a story well told. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read an ARC of Landay’s forthcoming novel, All That Is Mine I Carry With Me. Many thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The novel is divided into four books told from the perspectives of different characters. Each book is basically one very long chapter, which took a bit of getting used to in terms of reading flow. Book two has a nice little twist that totally got me.
Throughout the novel Landay examines the devastation of a family left in a state of suspended grief and unanswered questions year after year. The book is heartbreaking, suspenseful, tense, and unsettling. Once again, Landay closes out with a final whopper that makes this book ripe for book club discussion. I enjoyed this one and recommend it to readers who love crime fiction and especially for those who enjoyed Defending Jacob. Look for this book on March 7, 2023.
All that is mine I carry with me
⭐⭐⭐/5
This one was such a slow burn I found it extremely hard to get into it. It was pretty good, but with the slow pace I found it hard to want to pick up.
Its a family drama, with a traumatic story of a wife and a mother who vanishes.
Not only is is a slow burn , but the chapters are horrifyingly long . Like miles of chapter.. which, again is pretty hard to want to read because theres a few hours of reading to get to the next chapter .
Did I find the book thrilling? Not really .
Did I keep reading it anyway ? .. yup..
I appreciated the feeling of not grasping ' whodunit' .
If you enjoy a leisurely pace of unfolding the circumstances, and a good mystery and family drama than this may be a book for you .
Unfortunately for me , it was at best , a 3 star . And I'm being generous with this .
Dan, a successful criminal lawyer, and Jane had been married for a number of years. They had three children, Adam, Jeff and Miranda. One day when Miranda returned from school her mother was not there. Miranda was about ten and did not understand what was going on. She waited for hours until her brothers and father returned home. The Police were eventually notified and a detective was assigned to the missing persons case that finally evolved into a murder case with no body. The investigations tore apart the family and there was never a healing. The case was open for years with no evidence of any kind coming in. Dan was, naturally the primary suspect, but denied any guilt. Adam was on his father’s side, but Jeff and Miranda both believed him to be guilty. The story is told by many characters. Before the reader is half done the truth is revealed by the victim, but it doesn’t really matter. You will keep on reading because you want to know what happens next and how things were settled for the family. Great characterization and plot lines. There were times I speculated with myself about the possibility of this being based on a true crime case. The ending could not have been better. Thanks to Net Galley and Bantam for an ARC for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Told from multiple points of view, the characters are well developed, some more likable than others. A true mystery, there is some foreshadowing and ends with a very twisty bit. I found myself really feeling for Miranda the most and my heart ached for her. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Whew..whew...whew...Landay has done it again. I loved Defending Jacob, and when I reached the conclusion of this book, I could not shake it from my mind. I kept ruminating about its construction as I had wondered why certain passages were included. With the advantage of hindsight, this brilliantly plotted novel's construction was crystal clear and offered food for thought and a sea of ideas.
Scene.1975. 10 year old Miranda Larkin arrives home from school only to find her mother missing. She and her siblings, Alex and Jeff try to surmise where she could be. What happened to her? Abducted? Killed? Amnesia? Meanwhile, their father, a brilliant and successful criminal defense attorney denies any culpability. There were no signs of struggle and all circumstantial evidence points to the father, an accusation he vehemently denies. But with his success at manipulating juries, what is the truth?
Years pass. No definitive proof exists but the children and their mother's sister are torn apart by conflicting feelings. Fiercely protective of her questionably dead sister, the young adult's aunt vociferously argues that he should be made accountable while one sibling says no, one is mixed, and the other yes..
With the case unsolved, life goes on until the whopper of an ending which will leave you with your mouth unhinged. Landay drew such delectable well defined characters; I laughed out loud at the dialogue of the middle son. This begs to be made into a movie so let the cinematic reel float through your mind as you enter into your own private viewing room. It might just be your top movie of the year.
This book had me from the opening sentences. I really liked the voice leading into the story. It had a "real world" feel. You thought it was torn from the headlines as the story grew.
The twists and turns and unexpected revelations keep the story interesting.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.
All That is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay
Miranda Larson returns home from school one day to an empty house. Her Mother is missing. This mysterious disappearance is the underlying theme of the story. We are introduced to Miranda's family. Dan, her father, Alex and Jeff her siblings and Jane, their missing Mother.
Why is Jane missing? Did she leave her family or was she murdered. Of course, husband Dan is the main suspect. This story takes place over many years and is told from multiple points of view. There is suspense, family drama and mystery.
I found myself gobbling up the first half of this book and then it seemed to slow down for me. Overall, a good story with interesting characters and one i would recommend to others.
Thank you to Net-Galley for this electronic arc. Publication date- March 7, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I was so excited when I saw William Landay had a new novel coming out after so many years. I absolutely loved Defending Jacob!!
All That is Mine I Carry With Me is the story of the "disappearance" of Jane Larkin. Jane goes missing in November 1975. Her daughter, Miranda, returns home from school and mom isn't home. She's never seen nor heard from again. Her husband, Dan Larkin, is of course a suspect. He's also a criminal defense attorney. And he has a lot of holes in what seems to have happened.
Miranda and her two brothers go through years of never knowing what happened to their mother. One day she's there then she's not. Twenty years later, her body is found. How do these children who are now adults process this now?
In 2015 author Philip Solomon is contacted by his childhood friend Jeff Larkin after forty years and is encouraged by Jeff and his sister Miranda to write a book about their mother's murder. Phil then researches a lot about the case and talks to a lot of people familiar with the case. This is a piece of what you will read. The story is told in multiple voices.
The writing of this book is unlike anything I think I've read. It's a slow burn but also you need to pay attention as you try to unravel what is happening. And try as I might, I do not understand the ending. Is that what Landay wanted? Are you supposed to draw your own conclusions? Will definitely make for good book club discussion on what everyone thought happened!
While I wasn't a huge fan of this one. I did enjoy the story material as well as the author's writing style. I do like that the author does his research before he writes his books. They are indeed well researched.
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me
by William Landy - 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available March 7th
My thoughts:
Mysteries lovers will not want to miss reading this intense book. I was immediately taken by the plot. It is a brilliant thriller that feels real. It reached out and grabbed my heart.
Synopsis:
After homemaker Jane Larkin's disappearance was reported in 1975, her husband quickly became the prime suspect. It took eighteen years for Jane's body to be found, so the case remained cold. The plot follows Jane's missing person's case over the course of 40 years through four different narrators. Readers feel the ripple effects of Jane's disappearance. This pain is especially prevalent in her two younger children, Jeff and Mi, who are at the center of the book. Prepare yourself for some exciting plot twists.
Thank you @NetGalley, and @Random House - Ballantine, A Bantam Mystery Box, #storiesandsuspects and William Landy for my complimentary copy of this incredible book.
#AllThatIsMineICarryWithMe #WilliamLandy #RandomHouse