Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. Another well-written book from Gwen Florio. I love how she can tackle different genres. I read Best Practices, which was more of a cozy mystery, whereas this was a legal thriller. Great job!

THE LEAST AMONG US by Gwen Florio is an enlivening combination of mystery and social commentary from the author of Silent Hearts and several mystery series. This new book is the second to feature Julia Geary, a public defender and widowed mother to kindergartener Calvin. Seemingly simultaneously, professional (e.g., being taken off a homicide case; getting an unwelcome intern) and personal (e.g., needing to find a new home) setbacks appear for Julia. She has to readjust her support system and frankly, misses some important clues about what is really happening in the small town (Duck Creek) cases she is handling. Ray Belmar, a homeless man, is a frequent "client," but his antics have led to his being accused of murder. Julia has to battle a stalker and solve multiple deaths in order to ensure Ray’s freedom and her own equilibrium. Florio writes in a captivating, engaging manner and expertly weaves in observations about much needed justice system reform. Readers will happily embrace Julia (despite some bad decisions), her young son, and their new mischievous puppy named Jake. Hopefully, there will be more in this series.

While Gwen Florio isn't a new author, this is the first of her books I've read and it was a really solid book to start with. This book had a lot to say about the way the legal system treats indigent populations, and it delivered with a taut and genuinely frightening story as public defender Julia Geary refuses to be cowed by the threats she receives in pursuit of truth and actual justice. I'd definitely read more books featuring this character!

Julia, a clever public defender and a loving mom, finds her world pulled sideways when her client Ray is arrested for murder, her mother in law announces she's getting married and Julia must move, Marie shows up to work as her intern, and Ed, her romantic interest announces they must split due to his teen daughter. Oh, and a beloved legislator has died and her sister believes it was murder. Julia finds herself exploring the unhoused community where Ray lived for answers not only to his case but to other questions as well. This unfolds over a period of weeks and Florio keeps up the tension, especially once it's clear that someone - but who- is stalking Julia. Who can she trust? Julia has grown since the first book (this one works fine as a standalone as the last was in many ways about her grief at her husband's death). Yes she works both sides of the aisle here and steps further into investigating than a public defender would even have time to do but it's an interesting look at darkness in a small town. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

Gwen Florio returns following The Truth of It All with her popular Julia Geary series—THE LEAST AMONG US.

The dynamic public defender gets caught in the middle of her first murder case—from the homeless, corruption, politics, and dark secrets in her fight for justice in this riveting legal suspense crime thriller.

Julia gets her first murder case defending a man, Ray Belmar she has represented many times. He may be many things, but she knows he is not a murderer. He is accused of murdering a homeless man.

Julia has a lot going on in her personal life, and her professional life is getting more complex. Her husband was killed in Iraq, and she has been living with her mother-in-law and is getting married, so now she needs a new place to live.

Her dating life (Dom, the Duck Creek Principal) and the only man she had dated since Michael's death has come to a halt when his daughter walked in on them, and the mother wants custody. It is hard to fit in dating when she also has a young son.

Plus, she has a new intern she is not wild about, Marie St. Clair. However, before the book ends, she may change her mind about her.

Julia had not seen a homicide case in the five years she had worked in the Public Defender's office. And to top things off, Julia’s boss removes her from the case, saying that she’s lost perspective, replacing her with an attorney who advises Ray to plead guilty.

She is tenacious and must solve this case. Something sinister is going on, but she needs to do more digging. Then another killing of a homeless woman linked to a state legislator's death.

She starts asking questions in the homeless community down by the river and the help of a friend, Sherriff Deputy Wayne Peterson; however, when she gets too close to discovering the truth, there are threats. Someone wants to silence her. Someone if using Ray to cover their tracks.

I love Julia! She is smart, sassy, witty, and tough! I love that she is flawed and the balance between her personal and professional life. I also enjoyed the supporting characters.

This was my first book by the author, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and the series. I quickly purchased the first book in the series to catch up. However, it can be read as a standalone. I love legal crime thrillers and my favorite genre.

If you enjoy strong women, explosive secrets, gripping crime investigations, legal suspense, and stories ripped from the headlines, this is for you!

Fans of Aime Austin's Casey Cort Series and John Lescroart (two of my favorites) will enjoy this series.

Thank you to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Dec 6, 2022
Dec 2022 Must-Read Books

I enjoyed this story with a very likeable and noble protagonist. Julia Geary is a public defender fighting for her client who is accused of killing a homeless man. She faces challenges in her professional and personal life and perseveres and tries to do what is right.

Public defender Julia Guery is assigned her first murder case when Ray Belmar is accused of killing a homeless person. Ray is known to drink too much, a habit that has gotten him into some petty scrapes over the years, but Julia can’t see him as a murderer. Also, a liberal state legislator supposedly fell off the wagon and had a tragic accident, but Julia wonders if something less savory was in play and if there could be any connection to Ray’s current woes. She asks for help from the homeless community and a police officer she knows because of her work in the courthouse. In her efforts to help Ray, she quickly starts receiving threatening notes.

This is such a well-done, page-turning mystery. I like the character of Julia a lot. She could be making more money as a prosecutor but believes that the poor need the best help they can get—sometimes their crime is not being able to pay the ticket for a minor incident. She could use the money since, after her husband was killed by an IED in Iraq, she is now a single mother, and, now that her mother has found love, needs to find a new place to live.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES DECEMBER 6, 2022.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for an electronic copy. Mystery and intrigue...murder and mayhem...friends...clues...secrets...why? when? how? questions answered in this novel by a gifted author. Although the story moves slowly at times, and there are so many characters, it does come to a resounding ending.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Full of suspense, twists and interesting characters. The Least Among Us is a gripping tale fraught with emotion, true to life scenarios of injustice and corruption.