By way of sorrow

Debut author Gigl's legal thriller features lawyer Erin McCabe, a transgender woman who faces family and public scrutiny when she takes on the case of Sharise Barnes, also a transgender woman, who is accused of murdering the son of a powerful New Jersey state senator. During her and her partner's investigation of the crime, McCabe discovers some evidence implicating the victim, William Townsend, Jr., in the murders of transgender women. Seeking to clear her client, McCabe endangers herself and the people helping her seek justice, including a member of the prosecution. Subplots involve the reactions of McCabe's family and McCabe's attraction to a heterosexual man. Gigl, a transgender lawyer herself, provides provocative insights into the legal system and the challenges of gender identity.

Gigl's enjoyable debut and series launch introduces criminal defense attorney Erin McCabe, an intelligent and resourceful protagonist with an unusual backstory. One day in 2006, 28-year-old William Townsend Jr., the son of a U.S. senator who's "a big player down in South Jersey," is found stabbed to death in a sleazy hotel outside Atlantic City. The cards are stacked against Sharise Barnes, the Black, transgender, teenage prostitute who's arrested for the crime. Sharise admits to killing Townsend, but claims it was in self-defense. With the aid of an FBI agent, Erin searches for witnesses to support Sharise's self-defense claim and for clues to what led Townsend to his death. Slowly a pattern emerges, one that the victim's wealthy, well-connected, and politically savvy father will do anything to keep buried. Erin's ability to navigate the intricacies of the law is just as fascinating as the subsequent perils she encounters. Gigl, an attorney, offers some enlightening insights into the workings of the legal world. Agent: Carrie Pestrito, Laura Dail Literary. (Mar.)