Kirkland is a new favorite of mine. He tells this story just the way it needs to be told. Wording and pacing is perfect. The best thing about this book is the plot and the characters. You really need to read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for thos eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All words are my own.

Dunn is an attorney who was injured by a disgruntled client, who damaged his hearing in an act of violence.. yet, he perseveres. Does an attorney ever really know if his client has committed a crime.? What kinds of feelings and thoughts come to mind for him everyday. What do you do if a defendant says he did not commit the crime, but a jury sends him to prison anyway. Do you let it eat at you for years, or relegate his case to a file in your mind that says you should forget about it …and him? How do you maintain your confidence and keep the aggravation at bay for the length of his sentence. How do you temper how you see every client from that point forward. You still can’t prejudge and investigation is intended for exploring avenues to help your client. Only your best will do.
These are some of the dilemmas that a defense attorney must deal with. Do you walk away and try to get on with your life. What if the defendant is a young mother who finds herself in a courtroom who faces incarceration and separation from her child who isn’t even born yet? How much of yourself do you give to your client?
The author paints a picture of the dilemmas and dangers of being at trial. It can be dangerous, rewarding, and frustrating all at once.
All these questions and thoughts help to drive the story and kept me engaged and wrapped up in the trial. Curiosity, dedication and a need to find justice tell the measure of the man.
What an ending!
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of the book. All opinions are my own, and the story kept me thinking.

The title of this book says it all really. It is well plotted and well written but is quite a routine example of the small town murder mystery/legal thriller/courtroom drama genre. There is little to help it stand out in a very crowded field of similar books. Still, it is worth reading.

Book #1 in the Spencer Dunn Legal Thriller series from an author with a successful series, Small Town Lawyer, already to his credit. The first book in a new series sets the tone for the following books. We meet the characters, main and supporting, as the author builds the community they live and work in. In SMALL TOWN TRIAL, we first meet Spencer Dunn, a man struggling to get his life back on track. Recent events have spurred him to move to his wife's home town and join her father's law firm. But, as the title states, it's a small town. Your neighbors know your past and have already passed judgement on your future. It's no surprise when a young woman is arrested for the murder of a state senator, everyone assumes she's guility. Spencer has assumed resposibility for her defense where he's facing the difficulties of the town's rush to judgement. As he continues to investigate, there are enough inconsistencies that as the trial continues day by day, you'll change your mind with every chapter. This is an excellent start to a series that has joined my TBR. 5 easy stars because it exceeded my expectations.

Small Town Trial was a good read.
I haven't read a book by Peter Kirkland before, but I'm glad I found his work. He didn't write a too suspenseful story, but the writing and the wording caught my whole attention in a very emotional way.

Spencer Dunn is a criminal lawyer. He and his wife moved to Maine, because they need a new beginning after they buried their child, and he lost an important case. Spencer started to work for his father in law's legal practice, and when a murder happens he is called once again to defend the possible murderess.
The defendant, Amber Vega, seems doomed, the result of the investigation leads only to her, the mistress of a senator: will Spencer Dunn save her from jail?

I instantly empathized with Amber, she is young and scared, but she doesn't give up and tries to convince her attorney of her innocence.
I liked Spencer Dunn work ethic, he focuses on giving to his clients his best, even to those less agreeable.
He isn't in a great place, his struggles seem real and relatable. I appreciated how he tries to work out his couple problems, and how he slowly integrate in the small community of Autumn Harbor.

I recommend to read this book if you enjoy legal thrillers with a shady community and an attorney with a good intuition. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Peter Kirkland has seemed to find himself a niche for himself as a writer of exceptional legal thrillers set in small town America.

Following his excellent Small Town series which I thoroughly enjoyed comes this next book featuring a new lawyer Spencer Dunn who has moved away from the big city to a small town after personal and professional issues and is faced with what looks like an open and shut murder case.

The more he probes the more he is convinced of his client’s innocence and he fights tooth and nail for an acquittal as well as seeking personal redemption.

A thoroughly good book, exciting, well written with excellent characterisation and descriptions of life and politics in a small town.

Bravo!

Murder in a sleepy coastal town… Can attorney Spencer Dunn keep his head above water? When beloved mayor turned state senator Carlton Osborn is found dead on his boat, the prime suspect is the only other person on board: his pregnant teenage girlfriend, Amber Vega! Good book! This book has suspense, murder, mystery, intriguing, and a few twists and turns! The story was interesting! It wasn’t one of my all time favorite but still worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was a 'Read Now' book on Netgalley which I, somewhat prejudicially, tend to avoid assuming that 'read now' means poorer quality. However, I am always on the look out for legal thrillers, particularly those set largely in courtrooms, so I decided to take a chance and I am so glad I did.

Small Town Trial follows lawyer Spencer Dunn who is handed a murder case -state senator Carlton Osborn is found dead on his boat, shot from a gun which has the fingerprints of the only other person on board, his younger, pregnant lover. This seems an open and shut case with very little room for manoeuvre, however delving deeper into the crime, Dunn realises that this is anything but open and shut.

This was a quality novel from a writer who can clearly write. The pace moved along well and the story was complex but not overly ridiculous which some legal thrillers can be in terms of suspending disbelief.

What Kirkland does really well here is to blend the wider courtroom story with the small town life and surroundings. You definitely read this book with a great sense of how it must feel to live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and outsiders are never really comfortable.

There is also the personal story of Dunn's private life with his wife and the loss of their child which clearly still haunts their relationship.

All in all a really good effort and definitely look forward to reading more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Relay Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be recommending this to my Goodreads friends!

Peter Kirkland’s Small Town Trial is a compelling courtroom drama set against the backdrop of a close-knit community riddled with secrets. True to its title, the novel captures not just the intricacies of a legal trial but also the complex dynamics of small-town life, where traditions run deep, and resistance to change often prevails.

Kirkland crafts a vivid and authentic portrayal of life in a small town, emphasizing the hidden tensions and unspoken rules that shape the lives of its residents. The story is as much about the trial itself as it is about the cultural and social undercurrents that influence justice and morality. Readers will find themselves immersed in a world where loyalties clash, old grudges resurface, and the truth is more elusive than it seems.

The narrative is well-paced, balancing the suspense of courtroom proceedings with rich character development. Kirkland skillfully unveils the layers of the town’s secrets, offering readers a glimpse into the motivations and prejudices of its inhabitants. His writing captures the essence of small-town life—the sense of familiarity, the resistance to change, and the ways people often look the other way to preserve the status quo.

What stands out most is Kirkland’s ability to weave a story that feels both intimate and universal. The challenges faced by the characters are deeply personal but resonate with broader themes of justice, integrity, and the courage it takes to confront deeply rooted biases.

For readers who enjoy a mix of courtroom drama and small-town intrigue, Small Town Trial is a satisfying and thought-provoking read. Kirkland’s ability to shed light on the hidden layers of a seemingly quiet town makes this novel both entertaining and insightful.

A well-written exploration of justice and human nature, Small Town Trial will leave readers reflecting on the complexities of truth and the power of standing up for what’s right—even in the face of opposition.