Sabre Orin Brown does not have a sexy job. She is a Juvenile Court attorney who has the unthankful job of deciding whether children should be reunited with their parents. If the parents have been wrongfully accused, and she makes the right decision, she is regarded as a hero. If she makes the wrong decision, the results can be fatal and the public outcry can be enormous. If she keeps a child and parent apart, even for the right reason, the parent can become vindictive.
The Advocate, the debut novel by former lawyer, Teresa Burrell, gives a rare insight into the world of a trial attorney. How cases are doled out to the lawyers, with little, or no control, over who their client will be. Sometimes they find themselves representing the most odious people. They must have the inner belief that the prosecution will be working just as hard to convict, as the defense will be when it comes to challenging the accusations.
An overworked, and underfunded system, on both sides, makes idealism rather difficult.
Sabre is given the case of Alexis Murdock, whose father, Gaylord Murdock, comes from a highly esteemed family in Atlanta, Georgia.
The book takes place in San Diego, California, which is interesting considering there's a corrupt cop in the picture. Considering the problems we have been having with police corruption out here in Southern California, I have to wonder if making her corrupt cop over a thousand miles away was a tactical move on Burrell's part?
It is well noted in the book that if a fellow cop accuses another of corruption, that cop will probably become ostracized from his peers if the charges don't pan out. It doesn't seem uncommon for retribution to be sought after against the whistleblower.
This is not an activist novel, though. It is a story of close calls, mistaken identities, and plot twists that, on the surface, seem to come out of nowhere. I have no doubt, though, that Burrell is writing from personal experience. This makes the novel all the more intriguing.
If you're in Southern California, you might find Teresa Burrell signing autographs at various book outlets. If you're elsewhere in the country, and want to get a glance at what life for a Juvenile Attorney must be like, I highly recommend this book.
Click here to order your copy of The Advocate.
Visit Teresa Burrell's website.
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