Book Review – The Advocate by Teresa Burrell – @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview

This legal thriller will keep you rooted to your seat and turning pages long past your bedtime. Because you will need to know what the heck is going on, possibly against your better judgment.

About the Book

For Sabre Orin Brown, life is good; she has it all…or would have, if only she could solve the mysterious disappearance of her brother. As a juvenile court attorney, she takes on a case defending a nine-year-old whose father will stop at nothing to gain custody.

In her search for answers, she finds herself immersed in a web of deceit and revenge that leads her across the country and five years into the past. Confronted with mysterious clues and strange occurrences, Sabre is in danger of losing everything–even her life–as her quest for the truth intensifies.

If you enjoy the suspenseful mysteries by John Grisham, you’ll be captivated by this thrilling story of Sabre’s search for justice.

My Thoughts

One of my big no-nos when reading is kids getting hurt. Somehow when I read juvenile attorney in the blurb for this, I thought of someone who defends kids who have gotten in trouble, which is true. However, it’s also someone who represents kids or parents in abuse cases. So know that going in, just in case that matters to you! It did to me, and they started talking about it immediately. But it wasn’t graphic and was off-page, so I gave the book a chance, and I was hooked!

Sabre was clever, sardonic, and fun to learn about. Her storyline is the right amount of tragedy and hopeful to keep you coming back for more. Her hero arc is going to be amazing, and you can just tell!

The author developed in this first book a beautiful friendship between her and her best friend Bob, as well as the rest of the cast of characters, that will keep me and others coming back for more. Because in the long run, it’s the characters that keep people coming back to long series like this – the Advocate has 14 books already. I loved the platonic friendship between Sabre and Bob because so many people believe it’s impossible. And her heartbreaking search for her brother, and her relationship with Carla were beautiful in their tragedy.

The mystery surrounding Sabre’s client Alexis was so multifaceted and well-constructed. I guessed parts of it but never would have been able to sew all the pieces together. The clever development and true evil of the villains here are honestly terrifying. Having to see these horrible things must be so awful for these lawyers, social workers, and police.

Legal thrillers aren’t usually my thing, but I’ll definitely be seeing what happens next with Sabre, Bob, and the crew!

Who’s It For?

If you love a good thriller, ripe with mystery and intrigue, you’ll love this. If you’re like me, and you aren’t a big fan of children being harmed, it might not be the book for you. There are definitely worse books, I was worried at one point that it might involve young child molestation, which is a hard no for me, but it didn’t. Thank goodness. But it did not.

Content Warnings: Child Abuse/Death, Kidnapping, Foster System, Missing Persons, Car Accident, Violence, Stalking

Question of the Day

Do you have a favorite legal thriller (book or movie/show)?

About the Author

Teresa Burrell has dedicated her life to helping children and their families in both the courtroom and the classroom.

She taught elementary school in the San Bernardino School District for twelve years before going to law school.

As an attorney in San Diego, Burrell maintained a private law practice for twelve years, which specialized in domestic, criminal, and civil cases. Her work in juvenile court focused on representing abused minors and juvenile delinquents. Burrell has received several awards and special recognition from the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers for her countless hours of pro bono work with children and their families.

Burrell has also enjoyed a satisfying career as a teacher. She has taught children of all ages with diverse backgrounds and special needs. After creating an after-school program that kept kids off the street, she received a community service award.

Now in semi-retirement in California, Burrell continues to educate groups about social issues impacting children and write novels, many of which are inspired by actual legal cases. She is the author of The Advocate Series which now contains fourteen novels all listed above. Teresa has a second series with a character named Tuper from The Advocate’s Felony. She has four books in that series. She also co-authored a legal-suspense novel with L.J. Sellers called NO CONSENT.

Burrell has three children’s books in her Gaspar series that are fun for the whole family.

Teresa’s favorite part of this profession is meeting her readers at events. She is available for speaking events such as book clubs, women’s groups, retired teachers, book events of all sorts, conferences, and anywhere that readers go. Please contact her if you’re interested.