This is a pleasant enough mystery novella set in New England. Gaby is a small-town lawyer assigned to sort out the estate of a recently deceased man who'd been involved in a property dispute with his neighbour. The setting is pleasing and the array of local characters are interesting, though I thought some of the conversations between characters were a little wooden; obviously meant to impart information but not coming across like natural conversations. I also think it’s a pity there wasn’t more made of her relationship with the dog. There weren’t really enough interactions between them to get any sense of the dog’s personality. The mystery denouement was quite a bit darker than I was expecting. I think this could be an enjoyable cosy mystery for someone who likes this kind of peaceful small-town setting, and is looking for a light quick read with a disturbing twist.

I received a copy from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
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This was a really good read! Although it was an amateur woman sleuth, I don't think I'd categorize this as a cozy mystery. There wasn't a lot of detecting, and the conclusion was a bit grim and darker than I expected.

I enjoyed the characters though. Gaby and Matt were exceptional, and I enjoyed the secondary characters as well. I do hope I get to read more about them in future books. Getting to see Gaby at work was a good education as well because I didn't have much background with what a lawyer dealt with while settling an estate.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ( )

Gaby is the only lawyer in her small town and ends up with a wide variety of cases. She moved back from New York City to where she spent many happy summers. Gaby is suffering PTSD from a violent event in the city, with the help of her support dog. When Gaby is involved in settling the estate of a man no one seems to know much about (and many disliked), she learns everything is not as it seems.

I really liked the character of Gaby. She is independent, but able to ask for and accept help when needed. The mystery was well-crafted, the characters well-rounded, and I have already started the next book in this series! Some questions about her past are left unanswered; maybe to be covered in a later book? ( )

I liked the fast-pace of the story as well as the short chapters. The characters, especially Gaby and Jorgenson, are very three dimensional. I believe Gaby is going to be an interesting character to follow and get to know better This is the first book I have read by Andrea O’Connor but I will be more than happy to pursue more of this author’s work. I understand that she has previously published several non-fiction books but this is her first venture into the realm of fiction. The only thing I can find about the book that I didn’t care for was that the author found it necessary to give detailed descriptions of every step Gaby made when gathering material for probate court or when talking to potential witnesses. Some background is fine but this in-depth info is boring and doesn't really add anything to the story. This however was really a very small annoyance in what was a really excellent and enjoyable read. I liked this book well enough to be watching for the next book in the series. Fans of legal thrillers will really like this new author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own. ( )