Survivor's Guilt

This book is not as strong as the first one in the series but it isn't all that bad. The early part is not particularly well written; to my mind the interior dialogs of the characters sound too alike. I believe that there is a bit of a procedural goof a bit later when a stapled doc is allowed in to the conf room at the prison. (Here's where reading the hardcover is less convenient than digital - I can't search the pages of this and the earlier book for a statement about staples.) The story mimics the news, which is OK, but a bit lazy. And for some reason, the only course of action villains can see is to murder everyone. There isn't any cunning in the plot. All in all a good read but not spectacular.

Survivor’s Guilt by Robyn Gigl
Erin McCabe Legal Thriller #2

Great addition to the series – Enjoyed it from beginning to end!

What I liked:
* Erin: attorney, transgender woman, athletic, intelligent, takes on tough cases, in law partnership with Swish, loves her family, conflicted on a few things but becoming more secure in each book
* Swish: Erin’s law partner, ex-FBI, basketball skills, intelligent, family man, supportive, professional, gets sucked into some crazy cases with Erin
* Mark: Erin’s boyfriend, supportive, loving, there for Erin, finally managing to get through some of Erin’s walls
* Peg: Erin’s mother, loving, wise, gives good advice, there for Erin through her transition and afterward
* The family aspects of the story and how people in families react to LGBTQIA issues
* Ann: both of them in the story were compelling, strong, capable
* The Rojas siblings: close even after they separated young
* Detective Kluska and what he did to assist a potentially innocent person
* The sleuthing and how it was done
* The storyline and how it played out
* That it paralleled what is happening in the news – at last in some ways
* That the evil characters who got away for too long with unspeakable evil were eventually thwarted
* The way all the threads were tied up in the end with more than one having a happy ending

What I didn’t like:
* Everyone and everything that I was meant to dislike
* Knowing that the abuses mentioned in this book are all too real in everyday life

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Survivor’s Guilt, the second book in the Erin McCabe Legal Thriller series, has many moving parts and author Robyn Gigl more than satisfactorily joins them all together into an exciting, fast-paced, not-to-be-missed story. It’s a mystery, a thriller, a courtroom drama, and a story about a transgender woman trying to balance family, friends, and career while defending a controversial client who has brought danger to her front door.

The mystery is complex, with twists and turns and connections you won’t see coming. The courtroom scenes feel authentic, providing a glimpse into the hijinks, hazards and restrictions lawyers must contend with and operate under. The story is full of characters that aren’t what they seem – really aren’t what they seem. The suspense builds and builds and builds. And, importantly, the ending makes sense.

On a personal level, Erin is still learning to navigate life after her transition from Ian McCabe to Erin McCabe. Still a successful attorney with the same law firm and law partner, but her family has displayed varying degrees of acceptance, and Erin hasn’t quite gotten to the point of loving herself enough yet to fully allow others to love her. Author Gigl does an amazing job of portraying the emotions, fears, and the real, everyday insults and slights Erin has to endure without making the fact she is a transgender woman the central point of the story, or making Erin appear strident, resentful or unlikeable. Erin is who she is, this is her life, and it’s expertly blended into the story. Gigl is a transgender woman herself and I’m sure her experiences and insights have made this the compelling book it is, but all that is behind the scenes and what we have here is just a fascinating page turner with a main character you want to know better. Side note: the locations in New Jersey – Freehold, Red Bank, Asbury Park, Monmouth County – are familiar to me and perfectly described so that I felt I was there.

Thanks to Penguin Random House and Between the Chapters Books for providing an advance copy of Survivor’s Guilt for my honest review. I was not expecting the ARC and it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I had not read the first book in the series, By Way of Sorrow, before reading this one but you can be sure I will do so. Survivor’s Guilt works as a standalone, but Erin McCabe is such a fascinating character and Robyn Gigl such an excellent writer that I don’t want to deny myself another great read. And hopefully this series is just getting started. I recommend this book without hesitation, and all opinions are my own. #BetweenTheChapters! #ANERINMCCABETHRILLER