Fabulous!! This was a great story which I could not put down. Would recommend this to everyone who loves this genre. Really loved this one!!

Love love love all of the Ashley books!!! I really enjoy how long these books are and that I don't figure everything out halfway through. They are beautifully layered and keep my interest!

A fantastic courtroom drama that ticked all the boxes of a legal thriller. Superb - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in return for a review.

An Unexpected Defense by Laura Snider was an excellent read especially for those who enjoy legal thrillers. The storyline is full of details and a parallel storyline of ambition adds just enough to keep the plot from dragging. Four stars!

This book is about Ashley, a public defender taking on a case where a local man shot and killed his neighbor. Together with her friend and investigator Katie she tries to solve the case.
I really enjoyed this legal triller! It was a quick and clever read and I kept turning the pages to find out what really happened! There are already quite a few books with Ashley and Katie as the main characters that I will definitely pick up.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to #netgalley and Severn River Publishing!

Unexpected Defense
by Laura Snider
Pub Date 07 Mar 2023
Severn River Publishing
Mystery & Thrillers


I am reviewing a copy of Unexpected Defense through Severn River Publishing and Netgalley:


She swore to uphold Justice! But what is it going to cost?



The Locals in the n the small town of Brine, Iowa, live in a prime, location for wind energy. They soon find themselves locked in a vicious battle with a wealthy oil company who is buying struggling farm properties to put up windmills. Half the town is for the windmill projects, the other half will stop at nothing to keep the iron giants out of their skyline. When the conflict turns violent, a murder shakes the town and leaves expert public defender Ashley Montgomery with a trial on her hands that is both criminal and political.




Ashley is in the process of applying for a judgeship, a political position, while tasked with building a rock solid defense for her client who is charged with murdering a neighbor that had leased property for the construction of windmills. The deeper Ashley digs, the more ties she finds between her client, his alleged victim, and the Texas Oil company, forcing her to make a decision between her ethics as an attorney and her dreams of becoming a judge.



Ashley is desperate to find a balance between her ambitions and her client's needs. She is faced with a near impossible task with conflicts of interest that run far deeper than she ever imagined.



Will Ashley be able to navigate this turbulent case and come out on top? Or will she need to burn some bridges in the name of justice?


I give Unexpected Defense five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Unexpected Defense by Laura Snider was a good courtroom drama. Ashley is in the process of applying for a judgeship while building a rock-solid defense for her client, who is charged with murdering a neighbor that had leased property for the construction of windmills. The more Ashley digs, the more ties she finds between her client, his alleged victim, and the Texas Oil company, forcing her to decide between her attorney ethics and her dreams of becoming a judge.

Ashley is faced with a near-impossible task with conflicts of interest that run far deeper than she ever imagined.

Such a good plot with engaging and well-developed characters. It did get a little slow in parts, but overall, it was entertaining and a good courtroom drama.

I would be interested to read more about these characters and more books from this author. I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

#NetGalley @SvrnRvrPublish