The Advocate

The Advocate Series, Book 1

Fiction - Mystery - General
319 Pages
Reviewed on 09/29/2015
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

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.

    Book Review

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.

Tiffany Davis

The Advocate by Teresa Burrell is a good read even though the story line was so intense. I started this book and found it exceptionally hard to stop reading because of the many surprises. The leading character, Sabre Orin Brown, is a juvenile court attorney living a good life until she is forced to face the disappearance of her brother from five years earlier in conjunction with a new court case involving a drug addicted mother with her three children. Sabre is puzzled by all the loose ends that keep appearing throughout her investigation of both cases, and starts to realize that things are not what they appear to be in both cases.

All the twists and turns of the plot had me on the edge of my seat and wondering what would happen next. The story line tugged at my heart and made me wonder what I would do if I were in Sabre's shoes. Teresa Burrell does a great job at providing a page turning suspense story. As the advocate of the court, Sabre starts to uncover all kinds of hidden truths. I would recommend this book to my friends that enjoy fast paced stories with unexpected endings. Although the novel has a lot of content to follow, I think it was well written and I would personally recommend this novel because it drew me into the story from the very beginning, and kept my attention until the very end.

Romuald Dzemo

Sabre Brown is a Juvenile Court attorney whose passion for defending children from all forms of child abuse keeps her busy and fulfilled. Everything in her life would have been perfect except that she has a brother who’s gone missing and it changes a lot. But the drama gets even interesting as she seeks to protect the lives of two fragile kids: Alexis Murdoch and Jamie Smith. Gaylord, Alexis’ father, accepts court orders in order to prove that he can take care of the nine-year-old, but when Alexis asks if she “must” go home, Sabre Brown knows something is definitely wrong, somewhere. And she decides she must find out what it is; little does she know that it would be a daunting task, one that will send her digging into five years back and racing across the country for clues, putting her own life in danger. The Advocate (The Advocate Series Book 1) by Teresa Burrell is a tale of one woman’s fight against crime, and not even the threats on her life could stop her from finding the truth.

Teresa Burrell tells the story of a passionate lawyer who is set on defending the truth and the dignity of children, even when the truth puts her own life on the line. Fans of thrillers and mystery will definitely love this engaging tale. Teresa Burrell has created a story that will entertain and remind readers of the importance of standing for what is close to their hearts. The story is fast-paced, laced with twists and turns, and surprises that make anyone just want to read on. The writing is beautiful and engaging, which will appeal to a wider audience. I was drawn in by the intensity of the story and the beauty of the language. The Advocate (The Advocate Series Book 1) is one of the books I will gladly put beside my collection of John Grisham novels.