Defending Innocence cover art

Defending Innocence

A Legal Thriller Filled with Gripping Courtroom Drama (Small Town Lawyer, Book 1)

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Defending Innocence

By: Peter Kirkland
Narrated by: J J Hosenfeld
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About this listen

An innocent client harbors dark secrets....

Defense Attorney Leland Monroe lost it all: his big-city job, his reputation, and, worst of all, his loving wife. Now he’s back in his hometown to hit restart and repair the relationship with his troubled son. But the past is always present in a small town.

Leland returns to find his high school sweetheart hasn’t had the easiest of lives - especially now that her son faces a death sentence for murdering his father. Yet what appears to be an open-and-shut case is anything but. As Leland digs deeper to uncover a truth even his client is determined to keep buried, a tangled web of corruption weaves its way throughout his once tranquil hometown.

Leland soon realizes it’s not just his innocent young client’s life that’s at stake - powerful forces surface to threaten the precious few loved ones he has left.

©2021 Relay Publishing (P)2025 Relay Publishing Crime Thrillers Fiction Thriller Thriller & Suspense Small Town

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Listener received this title free


I enjoyed this book despite it being the first I have read or listened too by this author but it certainly won't be my last. I grew up watching Perry Mason and this story took right back to that time. Although the ending (and unmasking) of the killer didn't take place in the court room, I did think that part was rather abrupt, I still really enjoyed it. Oh and the sidekick (read private investigator) is a woman. I like stories were the main character actually works out what is going and with Terri by his side Leland puts a lot of the pieces together. The story mostly focuses on the case but there is a little background family life to keep the pressure on, especially as the accused is his sons best friend. Leland as a single dad doesn't have it easy, after the death of his wife, his son's accident and addiction and loss of high powered job but he is a go getter and the book is in no way mopy, this makes it easier to connect and relate with the characters. I listened to it on a day and I am off to start the next book.
After the death of his wife Leland returns to his hometown to try and reconnect with his damaged son. This means giving up his Prosecutors job and turning to business law but when his son's best friend is accused of killing his abusive father, Leland steps up to defend the young man everybody believes is guilty. Leland has his work cut out for him, especially as his own client is hiding secrets.
I liked the narrator. He had a pleasant voice that he used well to being life and character into the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

Move over Perry Mason there is a new guy in town

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plot debelopes at a good pace, likeable main characters, really enjoyed it. Nice narration. if you.like a Nate Shepherd nook try this too.

so much more than just a legal drama

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Listener received this title free

I did enjoy the narration of J J Hosenfeld.

Leland Monroe, a previous top prosecuting attorney in Charleston now having to return to the small sleepy southern town where he was born. He now trying to making a living by working with a old attorney friend and struggling with such reduced finances.

When a friend of his son is charged with murder Leland becomes his defence attorney , With the help of an investigator, Munroe embarks on a quest to find some evidence to free his client.

I enjoyed listening . Recommend


Enjoyed

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This is the first time I've heard of this author and I have to say I really enjoyed this book. The narrator did a great job of varying the different voices, some of them were kind of hilarious but hey it's hard for a guy to make a girls voice. This book has interesting characters and I think the author did a great job of showing how what happened changed 2 teenagers with lots on their plate. I especially liked the characters of Maisy, Jackson's mom and private investigator Trudy I think was her name. I also liked how she was able to converse with Noah in a way that really helped him. I look forward to reading more by this author or listening to his books.
I received a free code for this book from Audiobooks Unleashed to listen to on Audible. This review is my own honest opinion.

Full of suspense, mystery and intrigue!

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Listener received this title free

Once I got used to the narrator it all really flowed and I had to know how the story ended. I did feel like the end of the story was a bit rushed but apart from that would really enjoy more books from this author and narraror

Really enjoyable and entertaining

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Almost a great start to a new series. A previously successful prosecution attorney in Charleston had loster everything when his wife died in an accident and his only son, Noah, was left seriously injured with enormous medical bills. Leland moved back to his home town, nearly penniless, and was struggling to build a new business, when a friend of Noah's is accused of the murder of his father and the boy's mother begs Leland to take on the case.
Narration of this book by JJ Hosenfeld was good, his first person recounting felt authentic, protagonists were given individual voices and the whole was well paced, calm and definitely added to the enjoyment of the story even to helping with the development of the characters. The book moves at a steady pace, the who-dun-it? aspect intriguing at first, but the ending was disappointing and felt rushed, out of place. It made the entire novel feel less than believable as a result: a pity because although bizarre, until the final chapters it had felt plausible.The

I enjoy courtroom dramas and this was enjoyable despite previous reservations noted above, and the small actual court room time in the book. Recommended for anyone else who finds pleasure in this genre and I look forward to book two.

Compassion ... was strictly circumscribed.

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loved the story and the narration brought it to life. Will definitely try other books by this author

excellent courtroom drama

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Listener received this title free

Defending innocence by Peter Kirkland was a very good legal mystery story. I listened to it nearly 8 hours of multiple motives, suspect and other dirty deeds. Then the whole thing resolves in literally the last few minutes. But it doesn’t really resolve and some things are still hanging. In an otherwise very enjoyable and entertaining courtroom / legal thriller, the rush to finish makes me feel cheated. The narration by JJ Hosenfeld is very good.

Good legal thriller

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nothing in the story but I worry about the dog getting injured. it was read very well. the voice easy to listen to

Great characterd

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Did not enjoy the story and the performance was not great. Female voices were very irritating

Not for me

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