Defending Angels

First Line: "Hanged by the neck until dead, every one of 'em," Lavinia Mather said with enormous satisfaction.

In a move from North Carolina to Savannah, Georgia, in order to escape the smothering concern of her parents, lawyer Brianna Winston-Beaufort took her eccentric uncle's inheritance and ran with it. Unfortunately his law offices were damaged in a fire, and Brianna needs someplace temporary to set up shop until the remodeling is done.

What she finds is in a prime section of historic Savannah, the most haunted city in America, and although the offices are in an old home set right in the middle of the only all-murderers cemetery in the state of Georgia, Brianna can't afford to be picky. Especially when the owner, Lavinia Mather, has show more the rent set so low. Brianna just hopes her future clients won't mind walking through landscaping that looks like it's straight from a Hammer horror film.

It doesn't take long for Brianna to realize that something very strange is going on; for instance her first client is billionaire Benjamin Skinner who calls and demands her services-- after he had been declared dead.

Defending Angels is a fun read highlighted by its plot and unique angle. It's very difficult to say much about the book without giving away some of its secrets, so I won't even try. If you're in the mood for a light, very fun and fast-paced mystery filled with things that go bump in the night, by all means pick up Defending Angels! I've already gotten the second book in the series sitting on the shelf waiting for me. show less

Brianna (Bree) Winston-Beaufort is striking out on her own, having inherited her eccentric uncle's law practice in Savannah, Georgia. She could not be more excited: it’s an opportunity to prove herself and to move away from her well-meaning but overbearing parents. Unfortunately, her uncle's law office fell victim to fire, and so Bree is forced to find a temporary working space during the renovation process. She finds a house on Angelus Street that is too good to pass up. The price is right and the landlady, Lavinia, won't take no for an answer. The catch? Her new offices are located in the middle of a cemetery. And not just any cemetery. It is a murderers’ cemetery where the bodies of murderers have been buried.

In Defending Angels, show more Bree sets up office, hires staff, rescues a dog, and takes on her first client. She's been hired by the assistant of a recently deceased, extremely wealthy businessman to prove that his death was no accident despite evidence to the contrary. Bree is more than skeptical of her client's allegations, especially when she learns the client says she knows it was murder because the man's ghost told her so. Still, the former assistant is her client, and Bree must represent the client's best interests.

Bree turns on her Southern charm as she looks into the possible murder of the businessman, Benjamin Skinner. The more she digs, the more she begins to believe her client may just be right. And soon it isn't just her temporal client she is representing, but Benjamin Skinner himself, who is facing serious charges in a very different type of court, the Celestial Court.

It's impossible for Bree to ignore the strange things going on around her. Ghostly white faces that appear in her window, a horrid painting that seems to have a life of its own, and staff that seem to have unearthly—dare I say, angelic—abilities. And what of Gabriel Striker, the private investigator who seems to show up just when trouble is brewing? Bree quickly learns that there is much more to the law practice she inherited from her uncle than it at first seemed. She may not represent the most innocent of clients, but even they deserve fair and just attorney at their side.

Bree manages to maintain her head through it all (although there are moments when she doubts her own sanity). I really liked how the author, Mary Stanton, kept the reader in the dark and just as confused at times as Bree. As Bree learned and adjusted to her new life situation, so does the reader. Bree's focus on the task at hand certainly is, in part, what keeps her moving forward.

The narrative is witty, fast-paced, and, of course, entertaining. I enjoyed the time I spent with Bree and her family and friends, and even getting to know her ex-boyfriend, Payton the Rat (who has well-earned that name). Sasha, Bree's dog, will quickly win over the hearts of readers. I couldn't get enough of Bree's sidekicks, Ron and Petru. And I'm dying to spend more time in Lavinia's room upstairs. show less

First in a projected series, apparently, this book is set in Savannah. Bree, a young attorney, has been left her uncle's client list but must find an office to rent. She finds one -- in the middle of an old cemetery. The landlady is a little different, and Bree keeps on having odd experiences, including a phone call requesting her assistance from a client who died earlier that day! She does solve the murder mystery, and also learns a lot about herself and the many new characters she encounters. An evocative Savannah setting and engaging heroine (plus her equally interesting family) made this a very enjoyable read during a hectic Christmas vacation. I look forward to more from Mary Stanton's Beaufort & Co. mysteries.

Brianna Winston-Beaufort (Bree) is an attorney who having inherited her Uncle Franklin's law practice, moves from North Carolina to Savannah to escape from her family's law practice and strike out on her own. Needing temporary offices due to the fire that killed her uncle, Bree rents the first floor in an old Southern home in the historical district until repairs are complete at the regular offices.

However, the location that she has found, is a bit quirky… smack in the middle of an all-murderers cemetery. A great number of other strange occurrences continue as she is setting up shop - her landlady won't take a lease - just Bree's word is good enough, before she's walked out of the building, letterhead stationery arrives, and her first show more client calls after he's been declared dead.

This book was definitely a fun read with unusual characters and super writing. It does turn out to be, what I consider, a paranormal cozy mystery, but it was such fun, I'm going to have to keep it up. show less

This debut title in the Beaufort & Company series features Savannah attorney Brianna Beaufort, who inherits her uncle’s law practice of defending dead people in a celestial court. Her first case involves wealthy Benjamin Skinner, who wants her to solve his murder. First she has to prove his death was a homicide since the police ruled it an accidental drowning. The mystery is clever and the paranormal elements are fascinating. You’ll keep turning pages to see what Bree has gotten herself into with her mysterious colleagues and with her new office that people like her sister can’t find. What does it all mean? This intriguing premise carries through the story until the satisfying reveals at the end.

Mary Stanton also writes as Claudia Bishop in the Hemlock Falls mystery series, which is a down to earth cozy format. Her Beaufort & Company series is anything but down to earth! Brianna Winston-Beaufort is a very Southern lawyer defending the rights of the deceased who are stuck in purgatory. Scary and funny, the characters and plot are well defined and the story unfolds at a brisk pace.

In Stanton’s mystery novel, Brianna Winston-Beaufort has just inherited her uncle’s law practice in—where else?—the most haunted city in the world, Savannah. Since her uncle died in a fire in his office, Bree rents temporary space in an old house located in the middle of an all murderers’ cemetery while she waits for the renovations to be completed. Her first case rises from a local businessman who manages to call her just hours after his death.

Mystified, Bree is stunned to realize that her new employees, her landlord, a local PI, and ever her recently rescued dog seem to know more about her new law practice than she does. The recently deceased insists he was murdered and won’t rest until justice is served, and dedicated show more lawyer that she is, Bree works the case to the end.

An enchanting heroine and an elegant setting that kept me turning the page until the end. show less