Attorney Sabre O. Brown takes on three disconcerting new cases, each with its own illusion: a woman claiming she’s been impregnated by a ghost, a threatening parent prone to violence, and a child bride with a heart-breaking First Amendment issue. At the same time, Sabre tries to protect her mother who is dating a suspicious widower she met on online. In Sabre’s search for justice, she is found … near death after a magician’s illusion deviously goes wrong.
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I always enjoy her books!0
The Advocate’s Illusion by Teresa Burrell is a gripping legal drama. Even though this a book 9 in a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone story. The characters and story are fleshed out well enough that there are no questions about what has gone on before in the lives of the characters. Sabre is a child advocate attorney and this book centers around three different children’s cases in which she is involved. The author depicts the situations well and creates a lot of empathy for the children and their situations. Lots of twists and turns to the plot, great characterization, tension-filled suspense, and a little romance to boot–what more could you ask for! I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator, John Bell, did a good job telling the story, which made for an enjoyable listening experience. I received a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
Excellent series
At first it’s hard to follow as there are 3 stories going on and switches with each chapter.
“The Advocate’s Illusion” is a book readers will not be able to put down from the very first page when Sabre Brown, an advocate attorney for children caught up in their families’ custody battles, is brought up to a stage by a magician’s assistant, has her hands tied in front of her and is locked inside a box along with the magician whose hands are also tied. After hearing scrambling and banging on the wall coming from inside the box, her boyfriend JP starts to worry about what is going on and when he sees the magician reappear without Sabre, asks the magician and his assistant where Sabre is, He is told to relax because she will pop out of the box any minute. When she does not, JP rushes up to the box and finds Sabre lying on the box floor with her hands still tied. Readers wonder what happened to Sabre and learn that she is a child advocacy attorney who is covering several child custody cases, each one very troubling. Readers get rapped up in each case, one about a pregnant mother whose children are taken from her home because she is taking drugs and cannot take care of her children or her house; one about boys who are removed from their mother’s custody because she is taking drugs and do not want to live with the father who is seeking their custody; and one in which a twelve year old girl does not want to be married although her father, a preacher, made her get married to a much older man. In each case, the child custody court places the child or children in foster homes until the case is fully investigated and a determination about custody is made. JP, Sabre’s investigator as well as boyfriend, gets involved with each of the cases. Readers learn about each child’s feelings about which parent the child wants to return to or whether he or she wants to return at all. Sabre’s friend Bob, also a child custody attorney, advocates for one of the child’s or children’s parents who want to have the child or children returned to them. In addition, Sabre learns that the pregnant drug-addicted mother believes that she was impregnated by the spirit of Jim Jones whom she met in a bar and brought home with her, telling her after sex that she is now pregnant with a very special male child who will be the leader of mankind. After consulting with other similar attorneys, Sabre, JP and Bob determine that a man is frequenting bars, taking very intoxicated women home, having sex with them and telling them the same story he told Sabre’s clients’ mother. Readers get totally rapped up in each case and try to determine how the children will be placed, taking into account what the children want and what their parents want. This book is one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read and I highly recommend it.
The whole Advocate series is great. There was an unexpected twist at the end of this episode. Very good!
This book is “just right”. It had a little bit of everything: action, romance, mystery and a good ending! Theresa Burrell is one of my favorite authors for lighter, easy to read books.
This is the fourth book in this series that I have read, and I enjoyed it the most. Sabre and friends are working 3 professional cases and a personal one. This lead to interesting “short story” development of the workload cases and an interesting spin to the personal case threat. A good read.
great book
This is a great series, but each book is a stand alone.
I love this series!
I like all her books
like it!
You won’t be disappointed!
Lots of mini plots going on at one time. Sabre is a great character.
I wrote a review on Amazon
An intriguing book that was more about Child Protective Services and people working there to protect children than the criminality encountered. It blended into an educational and entertaining story with many endearing characters
Well done
Definitely loads of court case research.
Sabre O. Brown, Attorney takes on mostly cases involving children and works closely with Child Protection Services. There are three cases she is working on at one time–boys who have been taken away from their Mom–and the Dad–well–I sure would not want to live with him. She has to try and find a family member where these 2 boys will be safe. Then there is the child bride. Her father is the pastor of a church and married her off to a much older man–the father says that only the church can sanction a marriage–no need for the state–the 14 year old runs away-who is helping her and who will win–the father or the state? Meanwhile her Mom is dating someone she met on line–Sabre and her brother have to make sure he isn’t a con artist! Then she and her friend go to a magic show where things go very wrong–who is behind trying to murder Sabre?
This book will have you guessing at every turn. There are so many twists it is sometimes hard to keep up with them all. Definitely a book I suggest reading–especially if you are interested in child protection.