Undetermined Death by Laura Snider is a legal thriller in which a woman is charged with murdering her newborn daughter. Public Defender Ashley has been assigned to represent her. Did she really kill her baby?

I am really loving this series! Ashley is quickly becoming on of my favorite fictional characters, just because she is so badass and not afraid to stand up for herself and the community. This was a great sequel to the first, and of course I'm looking forward to the final installment. This is a great series for those who like mysteries, but nothing too suspenseful or chilling. The author's background in law shines through with this series and I know all the detailed law information is accurate- which I love!

This book, as well as the first, had me feeling like I was watching a law and order type show but via book. I highly recommend!

Ashley Montgomery is back with her bad-ass public defender self, this time with a young girl on trial for murdering her newborn baby. She and Katie Mickey, her cop best friend, aren't sure that things are quite as straightforward as they seem, with lots of twist and turns along the way. Snider herself is a practicing lawyer and has worked as a pubic defender. She writes in a way that's easy for the audience to enjoy, but feels really authentic.
I enjoyed this second installment of legal thrillers more than the first, especially since now we're familiar with the characters. Trigger warnings of infant death and incest.
Both installments are out now so definitely check these out!

Undetermined Death is book two in the Ashley Montgomery series. This can be a stand alone read but after reading it you will want to go back and read the first book.

Ashley has been appointed public defender for Rachel Smithson accused of murdering her newborn son. Rachel is meek and mild, very closed off while accepting her fate of going to prison. Ashley investigates the charges against Rachel only to discover there is much more going on than has been revealed. While waiting for her trial, Rachel, she seems to be changing, coming out of her cocoon. Meanwhile Ashley's health takes a turn for the worse. Will she be able to save Rachel while fighting for her life.

This was a really good book. It captured my interest until the very end. It is a fast paced story with lots of twists and turns until the reveal at the end. The characters are well written and fully developed. This is one of the best I have read this year. I highly recommend it.

In this legal thriller we follow Rachel who has allegedly killed her baby and Ashley her defense attorney while they prepare for trial.
I love legal thrillers even though I’ve only read a few and this one was definitely my favorite. I was anxious, freaking out the whole time and very close to tears. The legal aspect was spot on, and the author explained everything in a way that made you keep up without being too info dumpy. Rachel’s case is delicate, and we also follow as trouble catches up to Ashley’s personal life, making it all a very nerve-racking experience for an anxious person like me. What I liked the most though was how the women found ways to help each other while in toxic environments such as the police and defense/prosecutor’s offices. The main point here was not the case but how these women navigated oppressive situations and environments made by men. There were small details that showed how dense these women were and how much they did to lift the other one up.
The only reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars was because it stated nowhere that this was a sequel and because sometimes, I felt like the characters were too naïve on topics that were staring them at the face. About it being a sequel, I got this from Netgalley and it wasn’t on the website and the book didn’t mention it until the author’s note (and until this date it’s still not registered on goodreads). I get it that’s not the author’s fault and the book was made in a way you didn’t miss anything, and it didn’t even feel like a sequel, but I feel like I’m not going back to the first one now even though I loved this one. You can totally read it separately (as I did) but I feel like the whole experience must be a lot better since it’s such good writing and story. I also highly recommend this for people who are still not sure about legal thrillers and want to start with something easy but impactful.

Undetermined Death: A Legal Thriller by Laura Snide was a pleasant surprise. I really liked this book and the plot, strong characters, and believable storyline. I love a book that can mix mystery and legal action, and this book did just that. I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen and was surprised with each page turn.

I will definitely read other Laura Snide books, and I would recommend this book for fans of legal action and a good mystery.

#UndeterminedDeath #NetGalley

This book is utterly predictable with too many stereotypical characters. The writer is skilled, but I found the plot too generic and unoriginal.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This book was so good that I read it on one entire day! Thankfully it was my day off or I would have had issues!! It was the perfect mix of Law and Mystery but not so scary that it would keep you up at night. I will say, somehow I got got second book In the series, and it does give spoilers to what goes on in the first book. So make sure you read the first book first! That being said I hope there are more books in this series as I would like to see what happens next!

Rachel Smithson, barely 18, is charged with the murder of her newborn child, and once again Public defender Ashley Montgomery finds herself in an unpopular position. Her police officer friend Katie is digging more to make a solid case, but finds herself more on Ashley’s side, and on the budget cut edge of the department. There is always more to the story, more behind the scene. We also find out more what made these 2 women be who they are, she how their relationship and friendship with each other and others is growing.
Great book 2 – strong characters, solid friendships,.. can’t wait to read more about this awesome team. Page turner, eyes glued to the page, not wanting it to end and waiting it to end. When is book 3???
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for a chance to read this book early for my honest opinion.

This book was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley. It is sad from day one when a young mother goes on trial. It is a character driven story with dark shadows. The sections of the book are about each character instead of all meshing together. However, the story was intriguing.