Robyn Gigl

The third book in Gigl’s series about Erin McCabe, a transgender lawyer in New Jersey. The books are set some 15 years ago, and I initially wondered why… but then it occurred to me Sue Grafton started writing her Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series in the early 1980s, and kept to a strict internal chronology so that her last book (heart-breakingly), Y is for Yesterday, was published in 2017 but set in 1989. So perhaps Gigl is doing something similar and slowly approaching the present day. show more Because Remain Silent certainly tackles a present-day hot topic head-on: trans kids. Back in 2009, of course, the so-called “culture wars” barely existed and JK Rowling was best known as a writer of a very popular children’s fantasy series. In Remain Silent, Senator Townsend, the villain of Gigl’s first novel, By Way of Sorrow, finds himself neck-and-neck with a populist right-wing candidate in the polls for the upcoming gubernatorial (I still find it hard to take that word seriously) election. So he joins forces with a group backing a father who has been manipulated into thinking his ex-wife is committing child abuse because she supports her trans eleven-year-old. Meanwhile, Erin McCabe meets with the financial advisor to Townsend’s rival for the Republican nomination, only for the advisor to end up murdered shortly afterwards. McCabe is charged, but the evidence is thin. Townsend, however, has a fix in. Meanwhile, McCabe is also helping the trans kid’s mother. I do like these books. McCabe is a good character, and the author, a trans lawyer and trans right activist, knows what she’s writing about. True, the villains seem to think every setback can be resolved by killing someone, which is not entirely credible, even for a Republican senator. But that, I guess, is the nature of the genre. And yes, McCabe is a little too good to be true, but the trans community is never going to be short of room for heroes. On the other hand, thinking about novels such as these, which do a lot I admit to raise awareness and present the trans community’s view, and I wonder if their happy endings can be self-defeating. Of course, that’s true of all crime fiction, if not all fiction. But in Remain Silent, McCabe wins through yet again, and the trans kid’s father sees the error of his ways... and of course real life is not like that, even more so now than when the book is set. True, no one wants to read a novel that’s as depressing as real life, but... show less

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 show more 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 show less

An excellent legal thriller built around understanding the difficulties of being a trans woman. Maybe a little bogged down in law in a few places, but overall a quick good read.

By Way of Sorrow by Robyn Gigl
An Erin McCabe Legal Thriller #1

Thought provoking legal thriller that had me contemplating what it would be like to live life as other than who I am. I have to say that I was compelled to google to learn more and grew a great deal while thoroughly enjoying this wonderful debut novel. It is not always an easy read but it is a brilliant one.

What I liked:
* Erin McCabe: intelligent, professional, good friend, true to self, loves her family, is good at what she show more does, learns more about herself and grows through this book.
* Sharise: transgender woman accused of murder and Erin’s client – really felt for her.
* Duane Swisher: Erin’s law partner and friend, ex-FBI, supportive, a good person.
* Erin’s mother: found her interesting, supportive, a good person, loving, and more.
* The writing, plot and story
* The way the case came together
* The intrigue, twists, and turns
* The glimpse into the transgender person and the issues they might face
* Learning and growing as I googled to find out more
* Being able to hate some of the characters for valid reasons
* Erin’s nephews: smarter and more loving than some of the adults they were related to
* Wondering if perhaps this was the beginning of a series and if so, what will happen next (just saw it IS gong to be a series)

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that powerful people may act in the negative ways that were described in this story
* The evil people and the evil behavior they perpetrated
* That some people got away with things I wanted them to have to pay for – hope they pay in the NEXT book!

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would read more by this author? Yes

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

4-5 Stars show less