Attorney Sabre Orin thought the judge's summons to his chambers was curious, until he turns up dead later that night in a hit and run accident. A suspicion of foul play seems natural, given his long history of tough sentencing on the bench, but when a psychologist is injured in a similar hit and run days later, it makes Sabre curious. Was the judge trying to warn her of a client with an ax to grind? It's not unusual, especially in child advocacy cases, but there are too many suspects to keep track of. When Sabre is doing a home visit where there's a drive by shooting, there are too many coincidences. She enlists the help of a private investigator she frequently works with, J.P. Thorn, who has his own demons to battle. The chase is on as Sabre and J.P. work through lists of potential victims, from a troubled teen accused of murdering two classmates, to an abusive gang member father, to a young Asian woman who is charged with child abandonment, but may be tied to a larger crime wave taking place in San Diego. The Advocate's Ex Parte, (The Advocate Series Book 5) by Teresa Burrell, takes readers on an amazing journey through a massive suspect list that just grows more complex as the novel progresses.

I enjoyed this book in part because I typically read mysteries that focus on detectives and police officers, so having the perspective of an attorney and private investigator was a fresh perspective on crime and the legal system. It was a thrilling, fast paced read and, despite the complex plot, everything ties together in the end. Teresa Burrell uses her expertise to weave a wonderful tale without bogging the reader down in details or legal terminology they won't understand, creating a page turning thriller. The Advocate's Ex Parte (The Advocate Series Book Five) grabs readers from page one, and doesn't let go until the end. An excellent read!

The Advocate’s Ex Parte by Teresa Burrell is book five in The Advocate Series. The story develops around the murder of a judge and attempted murder of a court psychologist, and leads to attorney Sabre Brown joining forces with her Private Eye JP to investigate her current cases and see if there is some link to her cases and the murder and attempted murder. The story examines several cases Sabre is currently involved in and together they piece together possible suspects. Sabre also has a repressed attraction to JP, who in turn has someone from his past who still turns to him for protection. It soon becomes apparent that all is not as it first appears and the investigation takes unexpected turns as the truth unfolds.

Teresa Burrell has created a mystery that has the reader examining the evidence and characters of the suspects and forming conclusions that are dashed as the story continues with unexpected twists and turns. The writing is fluid and the characters believable and well-developed. As the suspect cases are examined, each chapter has a summary of the characters and the crime, which is helpful as there is a lot of information to absorb. The cases are complex and involve quite a few characters, but as the story progresses they become familiar and are easier to follow. When the story takes an unexpected turn, it is a welcome surprise to the plot and piques one's interest to make this a great read. This book is full of surprises to the very end and will be avidly read by lovers of a good legal suspense.