Books

By Way of Sorrow, Survivor’s Guilt, Remain Silent and Nothing But the Truth

Attorney and activist Robyn Gigl tackles the complexities of gender, race, power and public perception in The Erin McCabe Series, four legal thriller with a ripped-from-the-headlines plots and a unique protagonist who, like the author herself, is a transgender attorney.

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Nothing But the Truth

New Jersey State Trooper Jon Mazer has been charged with killing Black investigative reporter Stewart Marshall in a racially charged, headline-making murder. The evidence against criminal defense attorney Erin McCabe’s new client is overwhelming. The gun used is Mazer’s off-duty weapon. Fingerprints and carpet fibers link Mazer to the crime. And Mazer was patrolling Marshall’s neighborhood shortly before the victim took three bullets to the chest. Mazer’s argument? He’s a gay officer being set up to take the fall in an even bigger story.

Mazer swears he was a secret source for Marshall’s exposé about the Lords of Discipline. The covert gang operating within the New Jersey State Police is notorious for enforcing their own code of harassing women, framing minorities, and out-powering any troopers who don’t play their rogue and racist games. With everyone from the governor to the county prosecutor on the wrong side of justice, Erin and her partner, Duane Swisher, are prepared to do anything to make sure Mazer doesn’t become another victim.

As Erin deals with an intensely personal issue at home, and faces an uphill battle to prove her client’s innocence, both she and Duane find themselves mired in a conspiracy of corruption deeper than they imagined—and far more dangerous than they feared.

Praise for Nothing But the Truth

“I continue to press Gigl’s books into readers’ hands with urgency, especially her fourth and best effort featuring the transgender New Jersey lawyer Erin McCabe. Gigl writes crackling courtroom scenes and ratchets up the suspense with every chapter, but the depth with which she renders Erin, her love for (and complicated relationships with) her family and friends, is what sticks with me. The personal is political, especially now, but character and humanity are what propel this series to continued excellence.” — The New York Times Book Review, Best Crime Novels of 2024

“The . . . courtroom fireworks are thrilling, but it’s Erin’s deepening relationships with her friends, family and now-husband, Mark, that make her one of the best series characters around.” — The New York Times Book Review

“Taut and powerful. Gigl’s latest legal thriller combines the very best of courtroom drama, unexpected twists and thought-provoking characters. Erin McCabe is my new favorite series character—crazy clever, quietly powerful and always compelling. Don’t miss this series!” —Lisa Gardner, # 1 New York Times bestselling author on Nothing but the Truth

“Powerfully written and completely immersive, this revealing (and heartbreaking) legal thriller had me absolutely hooked. Compelling, twisty, and—throughout—utterly life-changing. Robyn Gigl’s insight and compassion are unmatched, and her storytelling skill will have you turning the pages as fast as you can.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of One Wrong Word on Nothing but the Truth

Amazon Editor’s Pick — Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

“Part thriller, part courtroom procedural, Nothing But the Truth takes us beyond those two labels and explores some very personal and important issues when the parties in these proceedings are gay or transgender. . . A story, yes. An education, too, wrapped in an engaging mystery with twists and turns at every turn.” — Kings River Life Magazine

By Way of Sorrow

Erin McCabe is a criminal defense lawyer doing her best to live a quiet life in the wake of profound personal change. But when a young, Black, transgender prostitute is accused of murdering a wealthy politician’s son, Erin feels duty-bound to defend her – even if it puts her career and life in jeopardy…

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 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…

Praise for BY WAY of SORROW

“Emotionally resonant…Gigl is too astute and compassionate a writer to create cartoon villainy out of anti-trans attitudes…quietly groundbreaking.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Readers will find that By Way of Sorrow is a compulsively riveting page-turner with a complex heroine, a captivating plot, and no easy answers. It’s one of the best thrillers of the year.” — Mystery Scene

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

“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. Gigl, an attorney, offers some enlightening insights into the workings of the legal world.”—Publishers Weekly

“Gigl’s accomplishment here is to parse the serious flaws with the legal system … by way of subtle characterization and seamless plotting. In less skillful hands, we might get melodrama or a polemic; here, we get engrossing originality—and a brilliant point in a larger argument for the benefits of greater representation in our beloved genre.” —Lambda Literary

“For those of us hungry for characters that look more like us …the author provides a moveable feast of very human souls…By Way of Sorrow is a page turner extraordinaire, and there is already a sequel in the works from Robyn Gigl. Yup, it’s THAT good!’ —Out in New Jersey

“This enthralling series debut features a twisty plot full of surprises and a cast of exciting characters—most notably, tough and relatable defense-attorney Erin McCabe—all while diving into the mud of corrupt local politics. An original legal thriller that is sure to be among the year’s best!” —Edwin Hill, author of The Missing Ones

“Robyn Gigl has delivered a compelling, provocative legal thriller like no other. It’s addictive as hell, one of those ‘just one more chapter’ books that keep you reading late into the night. Topical and fast-paced, By Way of Sorrow grabs you on the very first page with a brutal murder, and then sends you on a twist-filled thrill-ride that doesn’t let up until the startling finale. Gigl introduces a new kind of heroine with attorney Erin McCabe—she’s brilliant, resourceful, a little vulnerable and completely unique. Bravo! Is it too soon to ask when we can expect the next Erin McCabe thriller?” —Kevin O’Brien, New YorkTimes bestselling author of The Bad Sister

“Robyn Gigl’s By Way of Sorrow is a taut, engaging, page-turner with a lot of heart. Lawyer Erin McCabe and her law partner Duane Swisher are on the case of a transgender teen accused of murdering the scion of a ruthless politician bent on burying the case, and the accused, at all costs. A good read. McCabe’s a protagonist with a lot of depth. Two thumbs up for Gigl.” —Tracy Clark, author of What You Don’t See

Survivor’s Guilt

Winner of the inaugural Joseph Hansen Award for LGBTQ+ Crime writing.

Robyn Gigl tackles the complexities of power, public perception, and human trafficking with a ripped-from-the-headlines plot in her second legal thriller featuring Erin McCabe, a protagonist who, like the author, is a transgender attorney. Now she and her law partner are drawn into a dark world of offshore bank accounts, computer hacking, murder, and the devastating impact of sexual abuse…

At first, the death of millionaire businessman Charles Parsons seems like a straightforward suicide. There’s no sign of forced entry or struggle in his lavish New Jersey mansion—just a single gunshot wound from his own weapon. But days later, a different story emerges. Computer techs pick up a voice recording that incriminates Parsons’ adoptive daughter, Ann, who duly confesses and pleads guilty.

Erin McCabe has little interest in reviewing such a slam-dunk case—even after she has a mysterious meeting with one of the investigating detectives, who reveals that Ann, like Erin, is a trans woman. Yet despite their misgivings, Erin and her law partner, Duane Swisher, ultimately can’t ignore the pieces that don’t fit.

As their investigation deepens, Erin and Swish convince Ann to withdraw her guilty plea. But Ann clearly knows more than she’s willing to share, even if it means a life sentence. Who is she protecting, and why?

Fighting against time and a prosecutor hell-bent on notching another conviction, the two work tirelessly—Erin inside the courtroom, Swish in the field—to clear Ann’s name. But despite Parsons’ former associates’ determination to keep his—and their own—illegal activities buried, a horrifying truth emerges—a web of human exploitation, unchecked greed, and murder. Soon, a quest to see justice served becomes a desperate struggle to survive…

Praise for SURVIVOR’S GUILT

“Gigl, who is also an attorney, is especially adept at crafting thrilling courtroom scenes, and skillfully asks pressing questions about gender, power, and justice. Her description of her trans characters are heartfelt and human—cementing her status as a vital voice in a genre where LGBTQ stories have rarely been centered.” TIME Magazine – The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time

“I was mightily impressed with Robyn Gigl’s debut, ‘By Way of Sorrow‘ . . . but Gigl’s second outing, SURVIVOR’S GUILT, is even better. A groundbreaking series — Erin is trans, one of precious few in crime fiction — now stands to become a definitive one. Gigl is especially gifted at writing razor-sharp, compulsively readable courtroom scenes, something that sinks many legal thriller authors. – New York Times Book Review – Best Crime Novels of 2022

“Robyn Gigl’s SURVIVOR’S GUILT is so good that it may end up counting among this year’s standouts…A groundbreaking series is poised to become a definitive one.” – New York Times Book Review

“Stunning…Gigl delightfully flips the usual terms of the genre with a murder victim readers are quickly drawn to hate and a murderer whom they will be rooting for. Her takes on big questions of justice, revenge, and the nature of victimhood will resonate with many” – Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW

“Another great merger of legal mystery and psychological thriller.” – CrimeReads

Remain Silent

Erin McCabe’s years as a criminal defense attorney have prepared her for almost anything, except being on the opposite side of the interrogation table. A new client—a successful financial adviser—was found stabbed to death on the beach near his palatial Jersey Shore home. The time of death is estimated to be during Erin’s one and only consultation with him, during which he revealed that he was secretly transgender. As the last person to see him alive, Erin’s now the prime suspect.

If the evidence were simply circumstantial, Erin is sure she and her law partner, Duane Swisher, could prevail. But there are entanglements that can’t be easily explained, and connections to powerful unscrupulous politicians who hold a lot of grudges. While the investigation unfolds, Erin and Duane are called on to represent a mother charged with abducting her child—a hot-button case that has both private and public implications for Erin.

As she battles one prosecutor who wants to see her charged with murder, and another determined to send her to jail for refusing to divulge her client’s location, Erin also faces a devastating family tragedy. With her career and her relationship on the line, and her life being targeted by a desperate nemesis, there has never been more at stake—or fewer places to turn . . .

Praise for Remain Silent

“The plot is stimulating and harrowing and will keep you turning the pages. But it is Erin McCabe herself who will make you care about all the machinations. She is deeply layered, steady in her dealings with others but not above lashing out, a heroine who faces implacable foes with grit and determination.” — Lambda Literary Review

“Gigl’s legal thriller is an enjoyable read with a likable protagonist, and one who represents an important and underrepresented perspective.”- Library Journal

Gigl’s gripping third thriller featuring 37-year-old Cranford, N.J., lawyer Erin McCabe (after 2022’s Survivor’s Guilt) finds Erin caught between two cases that threaten to put her behind bars. . .Gigl—who, like her protagonist, is a lawyer and transgender woman—brings authenticity and depth to her characters, gracefully presenting LGBTQ issues to a mainstream audience via a satisfying mystery plot. This series deserves a long life. — Publishers Weekly

– Finalist for the Joseph Hansen Award for LGBTQ Crime writing –