By Way of Sorrow
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By Way of Sorrow Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Robyn Gigl (Author), Marguerite Gavin (Narrator), Recorded Books, Inc. (Publisher)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 478 ratings
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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 19-year-old transgender prostitute, is in custody, and given the evidence against her, there seems little doubt of a guilty verdict.

Erin knows that defending Sharise will blow her own private life wide open, and doubtless deepen her estrangement from her family. Yet as a trans woman, she feels uniquely qualified to help Sharise, and duty-bound to protect her from the possibility of a death sentence.

Sharise claims she killed the senator's son in self-defense. As Erin assembles the case with her partner, former FBI agent Duane Swisher, the circumstances hint at a more complex and chilling story with 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. Behind the scenes, his tactics are even more dangerous. His son had secrets that could destroy the senator's political aspirations - secrets worth killing for. And as leads begin mysteriously disappearing, it's not just the life of Erin's client at stake, but her own....

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 11 minutes
  2. Author
    Robyn Gigl
  3. Narrator
    Marguerite Gavin
  4. Audible release date
    March 30, 2021
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Recorded Books, Inc.
  7. ASIN
    B08NWGDTJW
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 11 minutes
Author Robyn Gigl
Narrator Marguerite Gavin
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date March 30, 2021
Publisher Recorded Books, Inc.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B08NWGDTJW
Best Sellers Rank #220,210 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#75 in LGBTQ+ Thrillers & Suspense
#313 in LGBTQ+ Thrillers
#791 in Legal Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
478 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States

Linda F. Mccann
5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding book
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
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This is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’ll admit as a gay woman, I don’t really understand transgender people. Boy, did I learn a lot about my own misconceptions and biases. There were times I had to persevere to keep reading the book. I’m glad I did. Excellent writing.
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Leslie Bialler
4.0 out of 5 stars New Jersey Noir
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022
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So here we have what looks like it’s going to be a legal thriller, with the hero-lawyer being transgender defense attorney Erin McCabe, who is going to defend a transgender sex worker. We meet Erin’s partners, alienated (and not) family members, and some holiday scenes. The writing is crisp and efficient, and you’ll certainly keep on reading to the end.

But the author abandons the courtroom plot and turns it into a noir thriller with baroque turns and a high body count. And everything is off. The book is set in 2006, in New Jersey, at a time when the state was debating whether to end capital punishment. Since Erin is defending a murder suspect you assume the death penalty is going to play a prime part in the courtroom scene, but it all peters out, so maybe you’ll wonder why the author set the story back in the past, when if she’d set it today, a time when society is more conscious of sex versus gender, it might have made a better story.

Worse, several times the author, whose first novel this is, uses the technique of one character telling another “now here’s what we’re going to do,” but not showing you just yet what they’re going to do. That, too, fritters away. The plans are blown up.

Then, too, you know who’s behind all of the violence and betrayal, and you wait for the reveal that will finally let besieged Erin defend her client. But by then the suspense is gone, along with the suspension of disbelief.

Notes and asides: The book could have used a “cast of characters” page.
5 people found this helpful
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Jayne T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Follow this series!
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2023
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Ms. Gigl offers a fresh new perspective on the legal thriller. In my opinion, her series, featuring transgender woman lawyer Erin McCabe, is as engaging and well-written as books by writers Lisa Scottoline, John Grisham, Greg Iles and others. Also provides us with a deeper understanding and empathy for transgender people, who are just like all people, wanting to be accepted and loved for who they are.
2 people found this helpful
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Rachel
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021
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I wanted to like this more than I did. The legal case was interesting, but the stereotypical vernacular the defendant used struck me as rather racist. A bit too much telling instead of showing.

I like the main character being a tough, smart trans man woman but the description of her exploration of her sexuality came off as dated and not very progressive. Seems strange she'd describe herself as heterosexual after dating and being attracted to women. Wouldn't she be bisexual or pansexual?

The villains were cartoon ish and over the top, but strangely prescient all the same. An entertaining, fast paced read and decent debut.
6 people found this helpful
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Ashley Stice
4.0 out of 5 stars Very easy read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2023
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This book will suck you in right away and keep the pages turning till you hit the end! Can't wait to read the next one!
2 people found this helpful
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Elizabeth R.
5.0 out of 5 stars You MUST get this book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2023
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LOVE this book!!! Add it to your library ASAP!!!
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Elizabeth R.
5.0 out of 5 stars You MUST get this book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2023
LOVE this book!!! Add it to your library ASAP!!!
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Ethan
4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful, thoughtful, and thrilling
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2021
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 Robyn 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, Robyn 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.
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Ethan
4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful, thoughtful, and thrilling
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2021
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 Robyn 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, Robyn 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.
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2 people found this helpful
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Ms. Nancy A. Del Pizzo
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're looking for a page turner and love crime novels, pick this one up now!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
Sometimes a book is just a book. A nice read for picking up every now and then. "By Way Of Sorrow" is not that. It is a page-turner that has you craving for more. The twists and turns surface from the murder of a top dog's son. And that investigation is interspersed with a real world perspective of living in this world as a woman who was born in a man's body. The transgender story is shared both through the eyes of the attorney who has completed gender confirmation surgery and is cultivating facts to help her client escape a murder conviction, and her client, a longtime prostitute who transitioned with the help of hormones and is struggling to stay alive in the men's ward of a prison while her attorneys try to work their magic. The perspective is fresh and real, particularly since it comes from an author who has walked that walk. And the crime story is riveting. Just try to put the book down...
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Sara
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!
Reviewed in Canada on July 14, 2022
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I literally couldn't put it on his book down the story pulled me in from the beginning. The author crafted and excellent tale with engaging characters. Highly reminded!
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Jules
5.0 out of 5 stars OMG what a page turner!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2024
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Wow, an original style legal thriller with lots of twists and turns, along with the extra thrill of transgender community and political conspiracy as part of the intense and indepth story. A gripping page turner of a unique & original start to a fantastic legal thriller series.
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Steve
3.0 out of 5 stars Political Agenda
Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2021
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First, yes the author obviously has a political agenda. Didn't bother me, but could others. Also did educate me on the transgender issue.

Story itself was all right. Nothing really new. Certainly not not in the Gresham or Throw caliber, but all right
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Loved the characters the story line and the
empathy I felt throughout. Really recommend this conspiracy focused book with a social prejudice twist!
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