By Way of Sorrow — Robyn Gigl

“An emotionally resonant debut . . . welcome -- and quietly groundbreaking.”
-- The New York Times Book Review

In a fresh and riveting thriller debut, Robyn Gigl introduces Erin McCabe, a New Jersey criminal defense attorney doing her best to live a quiet life in the wake of profound personal change -- until a newsworthy case puts both her career and safety in jeopardy . . .

Erin McCabe has been referred the biggest case of her career. Four months ago, William E. Townsend, Jr., son of a New Jersey State Senator, was found fatally stabbed in a rundown motel near Atlantic City. Sharise Barnes, a nineteen-year-old transgender prostitute, is in custody, and given the evidence, there seems little doubt of a guilty verdict.
 
As a trans woman herself, Erin knows that defending Sharise will blow her own private life wide open, and doubtless deepen her estrangement from her family. Yet she feels uniquely qualified to help Sharise, and duty-bound to protect her from the possibility of a death sentence. Because Sharise admits she killed the senator's son -- in self-defense.
 
As Erin works with her partner, former FBI agent Duane Swisher, circumstances hint at ties to other brutal murders. Senator Townsend is using the full force of his prestige and connections to publicly discredit everyone involved in defending Sharise. And behind the scenes, his tactics are even more dangerous. For his son had secrets that could destroy the senator's political aspirations -- secrets worth killing for . . .

“An intelligent and resourceful protagonist with an unusual backstory. . . . Erin's ability to navigate the intricacies of the law is just as fascinating as the subsequent perils she encounters.”
-- Publishers Weekly

“Gigl, a transgender lawyer herself, provides provocative insights into the legal system and the challenges of gender identity.”
-- Booklist