Member Reviews
This mystery reads like a true crime story. It pulled me in right away. How could a woman just disappear leaving her husband and children? The book is told through the main characters and a few times I was confused as to who's story was being told. A compelling story about family and relationships. I had some unresolved questions at the book's end.
This is just brilliant!
A nice family, three kids, mom, dad. Dad is a lawyer..comes from a well to do family. Mom is stay at home and seems content with her life.
Then mom goes missing. Naturally dad is a suspect.
The story unfolds from multiple points of view.
Was it murder? No body has been located as the story unfolds.
Did she “ run away” ? Doesn’t seem to be any evidence to support that.
Reading this and I was just in awe observing how the author could write from multiple angles and weave such a great story together. It kept me guessing as to what the outcome was going to be right up until the last few pages.
Highly recommend this one. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.
This was a captivating thriller and I couldn’t put it down until I knew what really happened to Jane Larkin.
When the mother of Alex, Jeff, and Miranda Larkin vanished, nothing in their home was my missing or out of place and there was no sign of a struggle. She was simply gone. But there were a lot of details throughout this story that alluded to their father, Dan Larkin, being the prime suspect. Unfortunately there was no physical evidence linking him to her disappearance, and as a criminal defense attorney, it seemed probable that he would have the knowledge and experience to outsmart the police. It wasn’t until Jane’s remains were found two decades later that the investigation was reawakened and from there the family ties began to unravel.
Despite the morose nature of this story, I really enjoyed reading it. It grabbed my attention from the get-go and the mystery behind it all was what kept me engaged throughout. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it was for the three siblings having to grow up in a home with their father and knowing that he might’ve murdered their mother. And then when the case was reopened, they had to essentially choose sides, either with or against their father. When story came full circle at the end, I was shocked but deep down I had been anticipating it all along.
Highly recommend!
*Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing a copy of this book to review.*
This was a really solid read. Part murder mystery, part dysfunctional family saga with well developed characters and a tightly woven plot. The author kept the reader in suspense right up to the very end. Well done!
I didn't read Defending Jacob so please do not expect any comparisons or praising of the earlier book. I really liked this book, despite the lack of a solid link to the title. There could have been so much more done with a solid awesome title like that and I felt like maybe someone edited most of it out. I loved how each of the four 'books' were from a different character. I did not like that the father was the last book and that somehow he was cognizant of his own decline. That doesn't make sense. It was solely there for the last twist and felt like a gimmick. I liked that the first 'book' was from Phil, an author and schoolmate of the kids. He was able to provide a solid somewhat objective foundation for the story and the bits of breaking the fourth wall were fun. I would have liked to see him a little more throughout the whole book, providing a continuing thread throughout the story to connect the different 'books' more than just leaving that to the murder itself. And finally, while I probably could have argued myself into giving this book 5 stars despite my minor complaints above, there is the issue of quotation marks for speaking. What happened? Everything is digital so it isn't like the printing press ran out of punctuation. Why did the first half of the book have them and the second half didn't? I hope this was due to my reading of an ARC and that the published books included all the appropriate quotation marks. It is an annoying habit I'd like to rid the publishing world of.
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is a family drama that begins with the mysterious disappearance of Jane Larkin, the mother. When ten year old Miranda arrives home from school, her mother is not there. All of her personal belongs are there but her car is not. She is not sure what to do but waits until her older brothers and her father come home. The mystery begins there as to her disappearance. When brought to the attention of the police, they originally don’t get involved since there doesn’t seem to be any foul play. Eventually, investigators suspect the husband, who is a criminal defense attorney. The three children don’t know what to believe. Could their father have been involved or did their mom leave on her own accord?
The story is presented from 4 perspectives- the middle son, Jeff, the mom, Phil, a friend of Jeff’s from years before and lastly, Dan the father. Phil is a writer suffering from writer’s block and Jeff suggests that he write a book about his mother’s disappearance. This is how the book begins, which almost seems like an author’s note until you realize it is Phil’s thinking and writing. Miranda and Jeff relate their knowledge of the missing mother to Phil.
Detective Tom Glover plays an important role in Miranda’s live as she grows up without a mom. He remains involved in the investigation, hoping to bring closure to the children. His feeling is that the father killed the mother but he struggles for years finding any evidence.
How does a family move on from this? Is their father a killer? What became of their mother? The plot is developed slowly and over the course of many years.
I found it hard to put this book down, despite the long chapters. The ending was a surprise for me and the author brings us all the way to the end of the book to reveal what happened. I hope it doesn’t take William Landay another ten years to write a book, but if that’s the case, I know I will love to read it!
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of All That I Mine I Carry With Me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This is the second novel that I’ve read by William Landay, and he continues to impress me with the way he intricately weaves complicated family dynamics, legal action, and mystery together.
1975: A wife and mother of 3 mysteriously disappears. Jane Larkin is devoted to her family, and seemingly happy the morning she disappears. Her husband, Dan, a prominent and calculating criminal lawyer, is immediately at the center of attention as the search for Jane begins. He maintains his innocence through the years that follow, while the case grows cold. His oldest son, Alex, fully supports his father’s claim of innocence. But his two other children, Jeff and Miranda, have their own doubts. When Jane’s remains are found decades later, Jeff and Miranda question their father's innocence once again. They must decide how to find closure and make sure that someone is held accountable for their mother's death.
This novel portrays the complications of a family shattered by grief and doubt, as they not only struggle with the loss of a loved one, but also with the trauma that’s involved when one of their own may be the culprit. The narrative is told from the perspective of multiple characters throughout the decades, as they seek to learn the truth behind their mother’s disappearance and death, and find justice. I really enjoyed the legal details of the trial that were included in this book towards the end. It's a slow burn, but ramps up towards the second half. This book kept me guessing as to the true killer of Jane Larkin until the very last chapter, and the ending left me absolutely speechless.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Bantam for this advanced copy!
I just reviewed All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay. #AllThatIsMineICarryWithMe #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL] This is the second book I have read by this author.. I loved the first one and this again did not disappoint!!! The writing is exquisite! I read it in like 3 days... The ending is like a sort of punch to the stomach? I don't know how else to explain it but I would recommend to all who love mystery!!!
This was the first time that I have read any of William Landay’s work and I must say that really enjoyed this one. This is the story of a mother who vanished, leaving her 3 children clueless about what really happened. I found the very beginning of the story to be rather slow but once things picked up I had a hard time setting the book aside. I felt bad for the family members left behind when Jane vanished.
This book is told from several points of view at different points in time. The book opens with a writer telling this family’s story. Did Jane leave on her own or was she killed? Many people think that Jane was murdered by her husband, a well-known defense attorney, who maintains his innocence. Jane had three children and we get to see just how big of an impact the loss of their mother was on the youngest two, Jeff and Miranda. As the book moves forward in time, there are some pretty big developments and I really loved how the story kept me guessing until the very end.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a really compelling novel with enough surprises to keep the pages turning. I appreciated the fact that there were quite a few surprises worked into the story. I hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group.
This new book by William Landay is a delicious slow burn of a mystery/thriller and reads like true crime. Told in different sections by different points of view, this story grabbed me and kept my interest the entire time. Jane Larkin disappeared in 1975 and her daughter Miranda is the first to notice she is missing. The lose of Jane Larkin shapes the lives of her children and the struggles they face come from the concern to whether or not their father, Dan, killed their mother. Alex, Jeff and Miranda all handle the situation differently as they are all in different stages of their childhoods when she disappears. Dan is a lawyer who seems like he may have something to hide, or does it? The reader really spends most of the book wondering who to believe and what to believe about Jane's disappearance. When her body is found later in the story, the answer are still very slow to come to light and I found myself wondering what truly was the truth of the situation until the end of the book. Each section was written in a distinctive voice, but that of Dan, facing his fading memories at the end, really got me thinking. What a well done book by Landay. I enjoyed this book and my ONLY issue was the first section started and I was a little confused at first, unsure if the author was writing a forward about their journey to write this book OR it was a fictional writer. Once he had a "name" it was clear, but it took me a few page flips back and forth on my kindle to see if I had missed something. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
Surprising, A little slow but at end of it I loved it.
thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC.
What a ride! Prepare to change your prediction over and over. This one will keep you guessing until the end!
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the digital ARC via NetGalley.
Masterfully told story of a family torn apart by tragedy and suspicion. Their mother disappeared….did she abandon her family or was she murdered? Was their father responsible?. Landay changes voice and point of view so smoothly the transitions are flawless. He places the reader inside the heads of the characters so well, and it’s difficult to know who to believe or sympathize with. This book reads like a documentary, a crime report, yet evokes emotion from all over the spectrum. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is a riveting novel that’s hard to put down!
I was super excited to read this book because I read Defending Jacob several years ago and it's probably one of my favorite books ever. This one did not disappoint!
This is the story of Jane, a mother of 3, who disappears one day. The main suspect in her disappearance and her possible murder is her husband Dan who is a criminal defense attorney. The family is fractured. The two younger children, Miranda and Jeff and their mother's sister Aunt Kate all believe on different levels that their father is guilty. Their older brother Alex who left for college shortly after his mother's disappearance remains loyal to his father throughout his lifetime.
The story is told from several different viewpoints and there is a lot of dialogue which I thought really helped with the character development. The only character that I would have liked to get to know better is Alex. I almost feel that there could be a sequel retelling the story from his perspective. Dan was a real jerk and it was hard to imagine why any of his children would have had no doubts regarding their father's innocence.
This is definitely a book for a reader that doesn't mind a slow burn (me!). Even without constant action, I couldn't stop reading until I got to the incredibly perfect, satisfying ending.
This book is available now. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
**Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine, and William Landay for an ARC of this book!**
"We are all sealed up alone. We all carry the center of the universe inside our own heads. It is, for each of us, a point a few inches behind our eyes where the binocular lines of vision converge. Only a narcissist or child is fool enough to believe it."
Jane Larkin: a simple name...but a far from simple woman. One day in 1975, Jane's only daughter Miranda arrives home from school...but something's different. The house has a sense of quiet foreboding, and there's good reason: Jane is nowhere to be found...and doesn't return. Along with her two brothers, Alex and Jeff, the family feels adrift without the anchor of their household...and Jane's husband Dan, a criminal defense attorney in his own right, is the police's first suspect. With tension bubbling beneath the surface and a home filled with secret pain, lies, and familial discord, did Dan use his insider knowledge and his arrogant charm to outwit the police? Or is yet another secret player in the wings responsible for Jane's demise...or will she surface one day, with revenge on her mind?
I have to admit, this cover did not catch my eye, and I probably would have blown right by this title if not for some of the FANTASTIC early reviews for this title from some trusted book friends...and THANK GOODNESS I read them! Landay is such a gifted writer, so thoughtful and clearly devoted to the craft. With this book, he managed to do what so many authors attempt to do but often fall short: he has penned a character driven, slow burn crime fiction tale that ALSO has ALL of the hallmarks of a stunning and emotional work of literary fiction....and it's COMPELLING from page one until its shocking end!
From the scintillating introduction (written by an author character, but it APPEARS to have been written by Landay himself...just brilliant!) onward, Landay quickly builds a cast of characters with clear and distinct voices, all so real you could find them in any quiet suburban neighborhood....but this is the beauty of this story. We hear from Jane herself, as well as the Larkin children and even Dan...but Landay knows how to leave the doors cracked JUST enough to keep you guessing and feeling like each character, despite their relationship to or with Jane, might know SOMETHING they aren't telling everyone else. And this fine veil of sadness and secrecy keeps the family separate...but also strangely unites them.
This book utilizes two devices I normally HATE: long chapters (it's basically divided into 4 long books instead of having chapters) and passages of dialogue with no quotation marks. Well. When I tell you these elements were not only tolerable, but were hardly noticeable, it points yet again to Landay's brilliance and ability to turn a phrase, and keep the reader HOOKED. I can't remember the last crime fiction (rather than psychological thriller) that hooked me in this way, but every time I put this book down for a while, I was still thinking about it...not to mention that the ending of this one is SO visceral and shocking, it played out like I was watching the film version in my mind: just haunting!
I had the good fortune to catch an excerpt of an interview with Landay after completing this book, and one quote of his jumped out at me and summed up the essence of this text perfectly: "I tried in every page and in every creative decision to keep the narrative as close to real life as possible--as close to the uncanny valley where realism overlaps reality, where fiction begins to feel uncomfortably true....Because the best crime stories are not about criminals; they are about us."
Jane Larkin could be any of us...and perhaps there is a little piece of her in ALL of us. Brilliant and evocative, consider this one a must-read!
4.5 stunning stars, rounded up!
I was hoping that I would enjoy this book as much as I had enjoyed Defending Jacob. Unfortunately, I did not. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters because we switched POV from one to another, not spending enough time to really connect with any of them. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Excellent book! When a young mother disappears, the evidence points to her husband. Did he or didn’t he? Although we find out early on, the book is about the children as adults and the police detective who is convinced of the guilt of the husband. I recommend this book.
I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. As a huge fan of Defending Jacob (one of my all time favorite novels) I had high expectations for this one. At the start I was a little confused about the narrator but it’s not the author Mr. Landay it’s a fictional author. I enjoyed the different points of view and would have liked to hear the other brother’s as well. The ending was a curve ball with a little frustration thrown in, as some good novels tend to do, and it makes you question things…
William Landay’s writing is so good! I loved Defending Jacob and this book is at that same level. The story is told in alternating points of view of the main characters and goes back and forth in time from the present to the 1970's. Ten year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school in November of 1975 and finds an empty house - her mother is nowhere to be found. There is nothing out of place and her handbag is still just where she left it. No one can figure out what happened to Jane Larkin. The police suspect her husband Dan, the defense attorney who would seemingly know how to commit the perfect murder. They can't find any evidence that Dan did it, so it becomes a cold case. Miranda and her two brothers Alex and Jeff are now being raised by the man who might have killed their mother. This is a story about a family with many secrets and how they become divided between loyalty to their mother or their father. It's told in a very unique, enjoyable way by a family friend who is writing a fictionalized novel about the murder of Jane Larkin. It's very easy to read and hard to put down. I definitely recommend it and look forward to William Landay’s next book. Thanks to #netgalley #bantambooks and #williamlanday for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a family mystery-Jane Larkin, the mother of three children, disappears from her home in a Boston suburb in 1975, and the case is not solved. The story is told in 4 sections, and goes back and forth between 1975 and more recent times. First by a friend of the family, many years later, who talks to the detective involved in the case and tries to figure out what happened. Then the children weigh in. The story is a good one, showing how events in childhood shape lives, and how different people in the same family can experience the same thing very differently. I liked reading this one. I received this Advance Readers Copy from #netgalley
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