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Teresa Burrell has dedicated her life to helping children and their families in both the courtroom and the classroom.
As an attorney in San Diego, Burrell maintained a private law practice for twelve years, which specialized in domestic, criminal, and civil cases. Her work in juvenile court focused on representing abused minors and juvenile delinquents. Burrell has received several awards and special recognition from the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers for her countless hours of pro bono work with children and their families.
Burrell has also enjoyed a satisfying career as a teacher. She has taught children of all ages with diverse backgrounds and special needs. After creating an after-school program that kept kids off the street, she received a community service award.
Now in semi-retirement in California, Burrell continues to educate groups about social issues impacting children and write novels, many of which are inspired by actual legal cases. She is the author of The Advocate Series which now contains thirteen novels: The Advocate is the first in The Advocate Series. I have twelve more, The Advocate's Betrayal, The Advocate's Conviction, The Advocate’s Dilemma, The Advocate’s Ex Parte, The Advocate’s Felony, The Advocate’s Geocache, The Advocate’s Homicides, The Advocate's Illusion, The Advocate's Justice, The Advocate’s Killer, The Advocate's Labyrinth, and The Advocate's Memory. I have also started a second series with a character named Tuper who first appeared in Book #6, The Advocate's Felony. Those books are Mason's Missing, Finding Frankie and Recovering Rita.
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Advocate: The Advocate Series, Book One is a legal thriller written by Teresa Burrell. Sabre Brown is an attorney who specializes in Family Law in San Diego. She and her close friend, Bob, have worked a number of cases before the Juvenile Division of the San Diego Superior Court. The latest case they’ve encountered concerns a domestic violence matter involving Gaylord Murdock, an aristocratic Southern man, and Peggy Smith, his heavily pregnant girlfriend. While she had, at first, claimed that Murdock had hit her, she later changed her story to conform with the one he was telling the authorities -- that she had fallen and hit her head. The custody of the two children living with the couple was at issue. Alexis, a ten-year-old, was the genetic daughter of Murdock and his wife, Elizabeth, who had disappeared some years before. The two-year-old boy, Jamie, was Peggy’s son. Sabre is representing those two minors, and she’s determined to find out a lot more about them before she’ll be prepared to release them into either parent’s custody.
Teresa Burrell’s legal thriller is a suspenseful and well-written story based around a plot that grabs the reader and doesn’t let go. Burrell’s characters are so finely drawn and realistic that you can’t help but get involved with their situations. Watching Sabre as she juggles her legal practice with her growing concern for the well-being of Alexis and Jamie, and her ongoing work with Carla, the girlfriend of her brother Rob who has become unstable since his disappearance, is a treat. While many novels, movies and television shows focus on law firms and larger practices, The Advocate gives the reader a good feel for the long hours, challenges and rewards that solo practice can bring. Burrell’s story unwinds smoothly, and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this authentic and very entertaining mystery/thriller. The Advocate is most highly recommended.
