Robyn Gigi is a new author to me, and By Way of Sorrow was the first book i have read of Robyn. I loved this book!! it was a great read.

This is a well done start to what will hopefully be a new series featuring Erin McCabe, Veteran readers of this genre will find that she, and the issues she's dealing with, make this unique but also special for the social commentary. As always, there are secrets and lies but Erin is if nothing else, intrepid, clever, and smart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A compelling legal thriller with a genuine heart, By Way of Sorrow was so much more than I'd expected. Touching on some deep and controversial themes without every feeling trite, it's a story that keeps you up at night and ultimately leaves you wanting more.
Centred around the fantastic character of transgender lawyer Erin McCabe, By Way of Sorrow brings focus onto the extreme challenges faced by the transgender community in such a relatable way that it feels like more than just a novel. Bringing characters like Erin to the mainstream is the best possible way I can imagine to help normalise transgender people in every part of society.
And on top of that, it's just a great read. I look forward to the next Erin McCabe story with great anticipation.

This legal thriller was entertaining, insightful and very well written. I will definitely check out future books from this author. The plot was original and fast paced. There was a thread of unease and suspense inticately woven into the plot that kept me reading late into the night. I usually don't gravitate toward coutroom dramas, but this was a thrillride from beginning to end. Thank you NetGalley for my copy.

Transgender attorney Erin McCabe, and her partner, Duane Swisher are asked to take on a case involving a transgender young woman, Sharise, when she is accused of murdering William E. Townsend Jr., the son of a very powerful man. The evidence points to Sharise, but she claims self-defense. Erin must navigate the legal and political waters she has waded into for her client and mend the rifts in her own family. The characters are gritty, but sympathetic and Erin's mom and nephews add some lightness to the tale. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

And, fellow readers, this is why I will always be a book addict. This legal thriller took me places that I never knew I wanted to go.

Criminal defense attorney, Erin McCabe and her law partner, Duane Swisher, are assigned an unusual case. A transgender prostitute, Sharise Barnes, has been accused of killing the son of a prominent, wealthy local man with huge political aspirations. Sharise claims self defense, but the prosecutors are intent on proving murder. The case has serious implications for Erin because she, too, is a transgender woman and she knows that this is going to be a big issue as she handles the defense. Little does she know what a hornet's nest she will provoke. NO SPOILERS.

Fact: I know nothing about transgender persons nor do I know any. This book was an eye-opener with revelations and overtones that give a completely different aspect to the basic stories in this genre. I fell in love with the character of Erin McCabe and am delighted that this is the first in a new series that will feature her. The whole legal maneuvering and the case itself is one large part of this narrative, but also the novel deals with the emotional and physical aspects of being transgender. As the two different aspects merge, the plot and forward movement of the case becomes even more compelling. I read this in a matter of hours because I could not put this down. The book forced me to examine my own personal attitudes about gender identity and the treatment of those who decide to live their lives in the manner they feel compelled to do rather than in the lines circumscribed by anatomy at birth.

This is a debut and I totally enjoyed the writing and the structure with its blend of humor and perception that makes this so much more than the run-of-the-mill legal thriller. If the idea of transgender persons makes you uncomfortable, perhaps that is the most overriding reason to read it. Keep an open mind and perhaps you will find some insight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

By Way of Sorrow by Robyn Gigl
An Erin McCabe Legal Thriller #1

Thought provoking legal thriller that had me contemplating what it would be like to live life as other than who I am. I have to say that I was compelled to google to learn more and grew a great deal while thoroughly enjoying this wonderful debut novel. It is not always an easy read but it is a brilliant one.

What I liked:
* Erin McCabe: intelligent, professional, good friend, true to self, loves her family, is good at what she does, learns more about herself and grows through this book.
* Sharise: transgender woman accused of murder and Erin’s client – really felt for her.
* Duane Swisher: Erin’s law partner and friend, ex-FBI, supportive, a good person.
* Erin’s mother: found her interesting, supportive, a good person, loving, and more.
* The writing, plot and story
* The way the case came together
* The intrigue, twists, and turns
* The glimpse into the transgender person and the issues they might face
* Learning and growing as I googled to find out more
* Being able to hate some of the characters for valid reasons
* Erin’s nephews: smarter and more loving than some of the adults they were related to
* Wondering if perhaps this was the beginning of a series and if so, what will happen next (just saw it IS gong to be a series)

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that powerful people may act in the negative ways that were described in this story
* The evil people and the evil behavior they perpetrated
* That some people got away with things I wanted them to have to pay for – hope they pay in the NEXT book!

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. There are not many fiction books with transgender characters in them much less mystery books with a transgender protagonist. Erin, a fairly newly transitioned lawyer takes on a case defending Sharise another transgender woman. However the person Sharise killed was the son of a very powerful man. Who will stop at nothing to keep his own political career going. It felt hard to read how much Erin as a lawyer had to fight transphobia in the judicial system in a mystery set in NJ. We both see the support Erin and Sharise have and the struggles they have within their own families. And the book doesn't just wind up easily which gives it a more authentic feel.

I was given a copy by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I'm always on the search for the next great thriller. I just can't get enough of the suspenseful page-turning stories that keep me reading late into the night. I try to read a variety of genres, but thrillers have always been the safest bet to capture my attention. My last read was a classic sci-fi novel that I really struggled to work through, so I was eager to move on to something that had a quicker pace. Enter Robin Gigl's debut thriller By Way of Sorrow. Her publisher sent me an advanced copy to read, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Suspenseful, thoughtful, and thrilling, By Way of Sorrow was just the antidote I needed to cure my reading slump.

Erin McCabe has just agreed to take on the highest-profile criminal case of her career. Sharise Barnes, a transgender woman, is accused of robbing and killing the son of a New Jersey State Senator. The senator's family says that Sharise tricked their son into sleeping with her so that she could rob him. Sharise has a different story. She says that when the son discovered that she wasn't born a woman, he got violent with her. Sharise stabbed him in an act of self-defense. The case is down to the word of a transgender prostitute against that of an influential politician. It isn't hard to guess which side of the story the courts will favor.

Despite the odds being stacked against them, Erin believes that Sharise is innocent and is determined to defend her. Beyond her desire to see justice served, Erin's involvement in the case is out of something more personal. You see, Erin is a transgender woman herself. Like Sharise, Erin knows what it feels like to be a stranger in her own body. She's faced the challenge of having to live her truth or keep her family and friends. In taking on this case, Erin knows that her past will be brought to the forefront, but she can't let Sharise's case go. In Erin's eyes, the only thing separating her from Sharise is money and privilege. She has to help this woman win this case.

The best thrillers combine a riveting plot with captivating characters. In By Way of Sorrow Robin Gigl does just that. The legal case pits the large political force against the small, marginalized minority. That dynamic of power versus weak drives most of the suspense in the novel. What elevates the story is Gigl's ability to write characters who strive to overcome their perceived weakness and turn it into strength. The main protagonist Erin is still coming to terms with being a transgender woman. She's accepted herself but struggles with how the rest of the world perceives her. Gigl imbues Erin with a sense of truth that is undeniable. She places her in real situations and allows them to play out as they would in the real world. As Erin finds her place in the world and builds her confidence in defending her case, we too gain an understanding of her character and how universal her story truly is. I was glued to the pages of this novel and can only hope that Gigl has more stories to tell in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
"By Way Of Sorrow" by Robyn Gigl
was an unique, interesting & well written debut legal thriller.
Everything about this book was great, the characters, the location & the subject matter.
This book opened my eyes on the transgender community & I want to read more by this author so I was excited to learn that the author's next book in the series,"Survivor's Guilt", will be released next January.

I enjoyed this legal thriller! I loved the setting! The characters! The plot! The writing is what really kept me glued to the pages! And to be honest this opened my eyes on the transgender community!

Thanks NetGalley, Kensington Books and Robyn Gigl for an ARC to review.
Erin is trying to defend 19 years old Sharise in a solid murder case. Sharise is accused of murdering the son of one of the most powerful men in the state. Did she murder him or was it self defense?
An interesting well written book and I'd like to read more for the author.

I could not put this book down. Robyn Gigl did a great job translating the characters to paper and we’re all so well described. The transition between characters was easy to follow and kept me ready for more. I felt their emotions. Additionally, the book was not only a good read, it was also eye opening and educational about the hardships of the transgender community. Highly recommend.

By Way of Sorrow by Robyn Gigl is a superb read with well-defined characters and plotline. Definitely a page turner and well worth a read!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't want to stop reading it because I wanted to know what happened next. I learned about transgender people. The murder was intriguing.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Erin who is a lawyer has been given the biggest case of her career. A nineteen year old transgendered teen is on trial for murder claiming self defense. This book captured my attention.

By Way of Sorrow by Robyn Gigl is a legal thriller with a bit of a different twist. The book opens with a riveting scene of a murder or was it an act of self-defense?
The characters are thoughtfully written with the defense attorney Erin McCabe and the defendant Samuel Barnes being transgender. As the story develops the reader becomes aware that more is at stake than just defending a transgender person for taking the life of a senator's son. Erin has never won a murder case and it is understandable Samuel would be hesitant to trust her immediately. Erin wants to defend her client as her female self, Sharise, to show respect and provide more protection for her while incarcerated.
Sharise is tormented as she sits in her cell or when she is taken from her cell by threats against her from the guards and other inmates. Her fears of attack are very real, and she wonders why she didn't kill herself when she was a young boy. She knows that if she is ever put into the general population the inmates will kill her. Sharise remembers how Tonya tried to comfort her one of the times her father beat her with a belt, back when she was young Sammy and had been punished for hiding girls' clothing in his closet.
Erin's partner, former FBI agent Duane Swisher begins to uncover disturbing cases of unsolved murders that are linked back to the senator's son. Senator Townsend has a lot to lose if the truth about his son is revealed. He is devious as he takes actions to discredit every lead Swisher follows.
By Way of Sorrow is a legal thriller with a lot of emotional elements. I had never read a book with transgender characters before. Erin is written as a witty and highly intelligent lawyer and reading of Sharise/Samuel's memories and troubles was heartbreaking. I personally did not like the overuse of unnecessary profanity and that is the reason I reduced the star rating.
Publication Date: March 30, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.