2.5 or 3 stars. I thought this book lacked focus; it was trying to be too many things at once: a legal fiction, a look at injustice in our legal system, a look at the hazards LGBTQIA folks risk in daily life and in prison. As a look at the legal system and the ways police investigations and trials can be biased against someone, it was pretty good. For me, however, there was a bit too much legal jargon--it's clear the author is a lawyer! As a novel, I thought it fell short mostly in the characters and the dialogue. Nobody felt real, even the main character, Matt. Their interactions seemed stiff and everybody felt like an example of a type of person: the friendly and supportive coworker, the religious mother who loves her son no matter what, the prison gang leader, etc. It felt like the author was taking a legal case and trying to put a human face to it, but it needed more of the humanity. I wanted the story to be about Matt, for the author to let me become Matt while reading it, and to feel what he felt, but that never happened.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

This is a solid 4.5 stars, raised to a 5. Matt Durant is a young attorney working at a successful practice in New Orleans. He had recently broken up following a long term relationship with a girlfriend who left the area. The breakup and the fact that he had always been attracted to men led him to wonder whether he was gay. He goes clubbing one night on his own and end up at a gay bar where he meets a man who makes a play for him. After a long night of drinking and talking the two men go into the alley behind the bar where they are accosted by three men. Matt, who is an experienced boxer, goes after one of the men and the man dies as a result of his actions. There is an arrest and trial, all of which are well covered by the novel, followed by an incarceration at Wheaton, a State prison on the grounds of Angola, while the case is being appealed ultimately to the US Supreme Court. I will not go into any of this, fascinating though it is, because of spoilers, but I highly recommend the novel as a gripping read. At many times I found myself wondering if there may not be a lot of reality in this piece of fiction. Thanks to Net Galley and Clink Street for an e-Galley for an honest review.

Defense of an other was a very good read. It did a good job of keeping me interested from start to finish. Interesting story of a young man who gets in a jam that was not his fault. He is unfairly accused of first degree murder and goes on trial for this. A huge portion of the book is devoted to the trial. I have a personal liking of courtroom dramas so this book was quite interesting to me. I would certainly recommend this book as an entertaining read.
My only disappointment, a very small one, was that I hoped for more than Matt just getting his case reopened. The book certainly indicates that the charges against him were really unfair so I would have liked to a conclusion that clearly rectified this.

Thank you to Grace Mead and Clink Street Publishing for a copy of this AMAZING novel.

Amazingly well written, fast paced, can't put this down even though you need to be up in a few hours book!! I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait to read more by Grace Mead.

Defense of an Other, written by Grace Mead is a fictional legal thriller of sorts, but not in the real sense. In my opinion, this book could definitely read as a nonfiction book. Defense of an Other will keep you on the edge of your seat in ways that you won't anticipate. After reading the synopsis of this book I knew exactly what the book was about, the law, how it is, at times, behind the times, unfair to some communities and biased. This book was exceptionally well written and thought out, paying particular attention to the period and the social issues of those times. The characters were well developed and stayed true to themselves throughout the book. I was easily able to relate and feel empathy for the main character. I do not think that you need to be part of the LGBTQ community to enjoy this book. Actually, I think that this book can help people see that we all have a responsibility to all communities to ensure they are treated equally including when it pertains to our judicial system.

Matt Durant, the main character, is a successful lawyer who is struggling with his sexuality and is attempting to explore his sexual orientation by going to a gay bar. Through a series of unfortunate events, Matt kills a man and is then put on trial. The author through her writing enables the reader to feel the happiness, sadness, compassion and sheer willpower to overcome the ignorance that her characters experience in this book. I felt entirely connected to Matt as a person. Mead did not make this man perfect, far from it, he definitely had flaws, but in my mind, it made his character more believable and relatable. As a mother, I could feel the depth that Matt’s mother felt for what her son had to go through, not just during the trial but also with his struggle to acknowledge that he was gay. The relationship that the two shared was extraordinary, and the author captures it perfectly.

I found the trial part of the book fascinating, and the detail that the author put into this part of the book was terrific. The constitutional questions that the author set forth and the way she did it was pure genius. My favorite part was the back and forth dialogue between Matt’s lawyer, Farrar, and Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsburg. I felt this part gave the reader an accurate glimpse into the Supreme Court's process

Defense of an Other engaged me on so many levels I was unable to put it down and read it in about three days, I am a slow reader, so that is pretty fast for me. This is the type of book I will remember for a long time to come. It is not an easy book to stomach because of all the bigotry and hate, but it is so worth it to experience how the human spirit can rise above it all. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

***I kindly received a copy of this book by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

Outside a gay bar in New Orleans, a young lawyer and a man he met only hours before are confronted by a group of drunks that have targeted them for a hate crime. So begins Grace Mead's Defense of An Other. Admittedly, this book frustrated me in the beginning. In the first few chapters leading up to the inciting incident, plenty of the dialogue and character interactions fell flat. After the fight that ultimately ends a man's life, our protagonist is thrown in jail. Then the book really takes off.

Mead lays out the trial proceedings and events that follow in the riveting way I'm sure only a lawyer of 17 years could do. She presents vivid drama with none of the theatrics or hyperbole that I've found pervasive in other legal thrillers. Instead, reading Defense of An Other felt like sitting in the court alongside all the other spectators, reeling as the case transpired, hoping for a not guilty verdict.

I received my copy of Defense of An Other from Clink Street Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book until the very end. Then I was left hanging. I really dilike when I am not given a full ending. I know I could use my imagination to figure it out but I want the complete story from the authors eyes. There are parts that are completely unbelievable but that is my opinion.

I really wanted to love this book...I'm always interested in books about a trial. I thought the premise was good so I was anxious to read it. It wasn't that I didn't like the book so much as I thought it read like a courtroom trial stenographer's notes. I usually enjoy books giving a slice of life in a prison but again, I felt like it was a manuscript for what to do and what to look for in prison. I felt like it was printing the transcript and adding some talking to make it seem more like a novel.

I did something with this book that I rarely do. I devoured it in two days, and then I sat with it. I usually have a good idea of where my review will go when I've finished, but this one confounded me. Not because it isn't good - it is. Matt Durant's story is compelling and emotional, the courtroom drama is gripping, and the whole thing is thoroughly thought-provoking. Nevertheless, I ended this one with mixed feelings. For one thing, I kept wondering when Matt and his mother were going to get angry. The more I read, the more I felt like some element was missing, and I finally figured out what it was. We see the fear, the sadness, the worry, the determination, but not once do either of them get mad. The way it's handled, Matt is almost methodical through the whole process, and I just found him to be a little too saintly to be believed, and as a mother, I can't fathom not getting angry over how things happen. Then we come to the conclusion, and I felt a little cheated. This was quite the journey with Matt, and I expected more than to be left hanging. Maybe we're supposed to guess? hope? dream up? where it goes, but after all of that, I wanted closure. This is an emotionally draining journey (minus the anger), and I wanted to know what happened next. I understand that what would have to happen next would've been lengthy, but even an epilogue with some explanation would've been better than that closing line. In the end, Defense of An Other was a brilliant journey ruined by an abrupt and less than satisfying ending.

I was delighted to read a book with a gay lead that was well written and not full of gratuitous sex scenes. It could easily be on the shelf with Grisham or Turow.

Defense of An Other was a very enjoyable read and I found the depictions of the trial and subsequent legal actions to be factual. I worked in the court system for several years in a traditionally male held position but I ultimately lost my job due to the actions of a homophobic judge. The struggle is real for the LGBTQ community and the current administration is bent on rolling back any progress we’ve made toward equality.

This galley went untouched for several weeks but once I started reading, I found it to be a compelling story. Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read and share my opinion.

If you have an intense interest in law, criminal justice, LGBTQ issues and especially the LSU Tigers, this is the book for you. Originally self-published by lawyer Grace Mead in 2007 and rereleased now in 2019, it centers around a case of a lawyer who killed an attacker outside a gay bar in New Orleans and the resulting constitutional questions. It was striking to me how things have changed in just 12 years. The book is extremely well-thought out and detailed, in all aspects such as the main character’s questioning of his orientation to blow-by-blow descriptions of LSU football games. I enjoyed the book but others who do not have as great of interest in some of the topics may not be as interested. I would love to read another book by this author that highlights trans inssues.
Thanks to NetGalley, Clink Street Publishing, and the author Grace Mead for an electronic review copy.

This book was the first book this year that evoked so much emotion within me. Matt a lawyer in a firm from Louisiana finds himself in a bad situation when he decides to adventure out to a gay bar. Something goes very wrong for Matt he becomes a victim of a hate crime and the legal system fails him. The book takes you through a roller coaster ride through the legal system for the LGBTQ community in the south. Potential jurors are biased against gays for religious reasons. Gays and GOD in their eyes does not mix in the south. There where a lot of truths in the reality of what happens in the criminal justice system for the LGBTQ community in this book. Even though all the characters where made up for this book.. I love legal thrillers and this one is one of the best I have read this year.. I found myself angry at times for the injustices Matt faces. I found myself sad for Matt for the pain he endures. I found happiness in Matt and Eric's new found relationship..
Grace Mead thank you for making this book come to life and waking me back up to the injustices the LGBTQ face and still face today in the legal system. Your characters came to life as I turned each page. I liked the mixture of real events like the Angola rodeo which some people reading would not know that it is a real event. Even though gay marriage is legal and I am married I still live in my closeted self after i leave my house every day. I live in the South the dangers are real for the LGBTQ community. I know things can go awry in a minute if your are not prepared. I think so much more needs to be done in the legal system to protect LGBTQ individuals.
I want to thank Netgalley and Clink Street Publishing for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure why I chose this book to read and review. There was something in the description that drew me to take a chance. Once I began reading I was immediately immersed into the story by the brilliant writing and the indecision and desires of Matt Durant, a young lawyer who isn’t sure if he is straight or gay.

Matt is somewhat embarrassed and indecisive about being gay, so on a whim he visits a gay bar to explore his emotions. A series of events that evening lead to Matt killing a man. From that point forward, Matt is trapped in a legal system manipulated by prosecutors and false testimony of the other three men involved in the altercation.

The author, Grace Mead, is a lawyer herself. She is also gay. With this life experience she is in a unique position to wring every emotion and heartbreak out of all the characters in the novel, from Matt to his Mother to other gay and straight people scattered throughout this marvelous book.

It doesn’t matter if you are straight, gay, or undecided. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old. All that matters is if you like to read an outstanding human interest story that will challenge your thoughts and emotions. Take a chance on this book, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for offering me a free advance copy of this novel for my honest review.

An absolutely amazing story! I love legal fiction, stories about lawyers and trials but this one was better than most because it is written by a practicing lawyer. It is mostly the story of Matt, a delightful young man, a successful lawyer but unsure of his sexual orientation. He had broken up with his girlfriend of many years and decided to have a few drinks in the French Quarter in Louisiana. He ends up in a gay bar, Joey approaches him and they have a drink together. In the alley behind the bar, they are urinating when three men set upon them. Joey is punched violently in the face, and, rather than run, Matt ends up hitting one of the guys with a bottle and kills him. The story is much about the inner feelings of Matt and the seemingly injustice in jury selection of refusing to select anyone who is gay. Beautifully written and I highly recommend.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the writing and I like the main character, Matt, but something about the whole story didn't click with me. I enjoyed the trial and the gathering of evidence but as a whole I found the whole thing pretty odd. Why was such a rush and determination to convict a lawyer of good character?

The fourth part of the story (as it was divided in 4) was irrelevant to me; and even more irrelevant was Matt's journey trying to find out if he was gay or not. Was this a thriller or psychological journey?

I think that the whole gay dating thing and support should've been a different book because the way it is described in the summary, this story is about a man being accused of murder for trying to save his and someone else's lives.

I know that in trials things get distorted to fit an agenda but I was given no reason of why the jurors believed what they believed (and I can't say more because then I would give away the story).

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.

Defense of An Other is gripping book ripped from today’s headlines. Sort of.

Matt is an up and coming young attorney practicing in post-Katrina New Orleans for a prestigious law firm. While his career is on the fast track, his personal life is not. He has just ended a long-term relationship with his girlfriend and is exploring his attraction to men – something he has felt since he was a young boy. He has not, of course, come out to anyone, not even to himself. After a tough day at work, he decides to go to a gay club in the French Quarter where he meets Joey. The two don’t necessarily hook up but they do spend a nice, fun night at the club together. When they step out back to take a leak – the men’s room being stuffed full – they are attacked by three thugs looking to beat up some “faggots.” One of them ends up dead and Matt is arrested for the murder – first degree murder, no less. It is, after all, the south in the early 2000s – not that much has changed since then – and it is the word of the “bubbas” against “gay boy” Matt. You can see where this story is going, right?

The author is a successful attorney herself, very intelligent, and it shows throughout the book. The legal aspect of the pre-trial and courtroom drama is spot-on and captivating. I love legal thrillers and, from that aspect, Defense of An Other, is terrific and well written. I also spent half of my life in Arkansas, a stone’s throw from New Orleans, and nearly every summer of my adult life we traveled down to NOLA. The description of New Orleans, the French Quarter, the people there is vivid and real. I could almost smell the stench of the garbage and vomit of Bourbon Street and remember how amazing the Café du Monde looked and smelled at dawn. However, when it came to the actual characters of the book, I thought Mead drew up short. Matt and his mother never were quite angry enough to be believable. If it was me or my son, I would have been livid. Everyone stayed so calm, cool, collected. I have been arrested on false charges – that’s a story for another post – and my son has been arrested for protesting. I know first hand how these characters should have reacted and calm and cool were not in our wheelhouse on those occasions. You also had a mother who, in a round-about manner, just found out that her son may or may not be gay and she just shoved that discussion aside and talked about going back to work instead. Totally bizarre. From a legal stand point, the book is brilliant. From a personal perspective it was lacking and that missing element made all the difference in the world for me. The ending, too, was abrupt and unfulfilling. I’m unclear if it was meant to be a cliffhanger or if we were meant to extrapolate our own interpretation of what would come next but, either way, it simply didn’t work.

Defense of An Other is being billed as a legal thriller and LGBTQ. It is legal fiction that features a young man who was in a gay bar and is tried as a gay man. I’ve read a lot of other books featuring LGBTQ characters that were not labeled as such for the simple premise that they are, in fact, human beings just like the rest of us. I’m not sure I appreciated the distinction for this particular work. While his sexual orientation is the reason for the beating and storyline in this particular instance, Matt could just as well have been African American or a prostitute or Asian American or a liberal or Muslim or, or, or An Other that Southern Bubbas find offensive. “They” are the issue, the point – if you will – not his sexual orientation. Three stars, middle of the road, because of the great legalese versus the poor character development.

I was given this book to review by #Netgalley and #ClinkStreetPublishing.

Being a Louisiana girl, married to an attorney, and having worked in the court system myself, I was eager to read this book. Not only was this a great story, but it also left you wondering how do our own prejudices skew our view of other people and incidents. This is the kind of book that just sticks with you, months after reading it.

This was one of those books that you literally inhale without taking a breath! Young lawyer, Matt has just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and seeks confirmation about his sexuality as he's always been attracted to men. Hoping to find solace in a gay bar in the French Quarter, he meets Joey and things are going well until they step out back to relieve themselves. Confronted by three thugs who are anxious to beat up a couple of gay men, Matt makes a split-second decision that literally changes his life forever. I powered through this book not only because it's compelling, but also because it's an important look at the judicial and prison systems, and an even greater look at the inequality that exists in our gay and lesbian communities. While the ending was ambiguous, I get that Mead needed to end it this way. This is one that will stay with me for a long time and I certainly look forward to more from this author!

Started off strongly with an attack on two gay men which results in the death of one of the attackers. In a twist to what you might expect, one of the victims, Matt, is charged with first-degree murder. As “eyewitnesses” to the attack, we know how unjust this charge is and are rooting for Matt through his trial. He has great support from his lawyer, his friends, his mom and a new boyfriend, so what could go wrong? A lot, because it's hard to get a fair trial in Louisiana when you are gay. The next plot twist changes the tone of the story and was less successful (particularly in including the transcript of a Supreme Court decision on the case) with a rather abrupt ending. Still, a good story that will appeal to fans of legal thrillers.

Thanks again to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I loved the characters in this well developed story of Matt, a young attorney who is found guilty of murder. However I was a bit disappointed waiting for a conclusion but how the story ended without final answers to my questions.