William Landay, author of Defending Jacob, has written a spellbindingly, intoxicating, can’t put down novel about a woman’s disappearance and how it affects her family, which both her sister and one of her three children believe her husband was somehow behind the vanishing.
Jane Larkin became famous for disappearing. One day, in 1975 her very young daughter, Miranda came home from school to find her mother not home. Everything was where it should be, including her mother’s purse. So, Miranda sat down on the couch and waited. Everyone else, her two brothers, and her father came home, but not her mom. Thus began a two-decade mystery, with finger pointing and the unsolved mystery of where Jane Larkin had gone, and why.
The police are called and immediately Detective Tom Glover begins the investigation which his gut tells him has something to do with Jane’s husband, Dan, a lawyer whose cases sometimes include shady characters. But they were never able to find any actual proof that he had been involved. Jane’s sister, Aunt Katie too believes adamantly that Dan is the one and only suspect.
As for the three children, Melinda, Alex and Jeff, through the years, each sees the disappearance of their mom very differently. But one thing is for certain. Her vanishing not only haunts them but changes their lives forever as they are unable to not only process what could have happened, but also the feeling that the person who could possibly have done this still lives in the same house as them.
They each grow up with their own demons and when a friend from their childhood, who is now a writer decides he wants to write a book about the infamous missing person’s case, he begins to sift through what is known and unknown and interviews those involved, including Tom Glover who even after all these years still searches for evidence to prove his theory.
Suddenly, there is a break in the case when bones are found in the state of Vermont very near a vacation spot the family went to during the summer. Finally, Jane Larkin’s puzzle has one more piece. Pressure from the family to charge Dan with the murder finally comes to fruition. But there still is no physical evidence to tie him to what now is really known to be a murder. This tears the children further apart, with the family and Aunt Katie taking sides.
Could Dan have really done this they all ponder? Is so, how could he have lived with himself all these years. But they decide to try through the trial to put the questions to rest. Will justice finally be served? Will this family who has gone through so much ever be able to know for sure what happened to their mom, wife, sister, Jane Larkin.
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is a heartbreaking story about loss, grief, and the secrets we all carry, some of us even to our graves and beyond. The story, riveting and original will haunt you well after you’ve finished reading.
Thank you #NetGalley #Bantam/RandomHouse #WilliamLanday #AllThatIsMineICarryWithMe for the advanced copy.
Lisa's Cubby 