In 2021, Robyn Gigl introduced readers to transgender defense lawyer Erin McCabe in her debut novel By Way of Sorrow. Erin is back in Survivor’s Guilt, another quietly affecting legal thriller that tackles timely themes surrounding identity and acceptance. In Survivor’s Guilt, published in 2022, a businessman is shot dead and his adopted daughter Ann, who is trans, confesses to the crime. Erin isn’t so sure—and after Ann withdraws her guilty plea, a tantalizing trial ensues. 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. —Annabel Gutterman
Buy Now: Survivor’s Guilt on Bookshop | Amazon
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