With a long list of ethereal clients who need her help, Savannah lawyer Brianna Winston Beaufort's career choice is beginning to haunt her
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reviews
Apr 27, 2010
The Flooze (Michelle M.)
rated it: 
**3.5**
Defending Angels is the first book in the Beaufort & Company series. A blend of mystery and fantasy, the story focuses on Brianna Winston-Beaufort as she takes over her great-uncle’s hinky law practice in Savannah. It’s a concept with a lot of potential, although the thread of the story gets muddled at times.
The mystery aspect is relatively straightforward: Determine who murdered a local magnate and why. Bree runs about town conducting some rather weak interviews More...
Defending Angels is the first book in the Beaufort & Company series. A blend of mystery and fantasy, the story focuses on Brianna Winston-Beaufort as she takes over her great-uncle’s hinky law practice in Savannah. It’s a concept with a lot of potential, although the thread of the story gets muddled at times.
The mystery aspect is relatively straightforward: Determine who murdered a local magnate and why. Bree runs about town conducting some rather weak interviews More...
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Apr 27, 2010
Glenna
rated it: 
A cosy mystery-comfort food for my soul! This had everything you could want for a quick fun read. A murder, a handsome detective, fun characters, and a dog. Add angels and the fact that she had to defend the dead guy in heavenly court and what more could you ask for. Finished it in 2 days -- another plus for a summer, "yeah I just got out of school" read.
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Apr 27, 2010
Marlyn
rated it: 
Our heroine, Bree Winston-Beaufort inherits a law practice in Savannah from her uncle. Her first night in town, as she is unpacking, she receives a call from billionaire Benjamin Skinner, who just happens to have died earlier that day. She is as confused by this as she is by the fact that most people are unable to find her office, until she talks to one of her old law professors, who informs her that she is to try this case in the Celestial Courts, where Skinner has been charged with greed.
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Mar 10, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Defending Angels by Mary Stanton was a somewhat awkward start for an interesting new paranormal mystery series starring Briana "Bree" Beaufort, newbie lawyer who inherits her uncle's practice. The premise of the series is a unique take on the Southern gothic set in Savannah, GA--notable haunted heartland of the south. Bree's first client Benjamin Skinner is a recently deceased billionaire charged with Greed, one of the Seven Deadly Felonies, to be tried in Court of Celestial Law. Howev
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Jan 12, 2011
Ithlilian
rated it:
Defending Angels is more a mystery or legal novel than an urban fantasy or paranormal mystery. The fantasy is barely there, and I guess I expected more angels and less defending. Even still, the paranormal characters are interesting, and the case is decent. The story was able to keep my interest throughout even though I didn't really care who killed who. I stuck in there to find out more about the angels and the Celestial Sphere, and unfortunately, there isn't much said about it. I was disappoin
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Aug 31, 2010
Myhotstylist
rated it: 
Meet Bree Beaufort, Savannah Georgia's newest attorney for the Celestial Court. Her first case involves solving the murder of a local businessman who is accused by the court of greed, one of the 7 deadly sins.
To be honest, im not sure how I feel about this book. The premise was really good, and there were times throughout the book that really grabbed your attention, but then fell flat again after a few pages of excitement. Bree as a character is somewhat likeable, but ultimately for More...
To be honest, im not sure how I feel about this book. The premise was really good, and there were times throughout the book that really grabbed your attention, but then fell flat again after a few pages of excitement. Bree as a character is somewhat likeable, but ultimately for More...
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Jun 17, 2010
Many years ago I acquired two fantasy novels where all the characters are horses, The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West and Piper at the Gate. They were pretty good, though not perfect, and I had this feeling that the author had a lot more potential than was showing. (How much can you do when the characters are all horses?) I never saw anything else by the author and forgot to look after a while. Apparently during part of the time I missed she wrote a children's series about a princess and
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Jun 06, 2010
Gail
rated it:
This book is EXCELLENT. I won the third in the series from the author and goodreads.com (Thank you!). Being the obsessive type where series are concerned, I went back and started from the beginning. I am definitely glad to have found this wonderful series.
Bree inherits her great-uncle's client list and decides to move to Savannah and open her own law practice. Because his offices burned in the fire that killed him, she needs temporary quarters for her firm. The book opens where More...
Bree inherits her great-uncle's client list and decides to move to Savannah and open her own law practice. Because his offices burned in the fire that killed him, she needs temporary quarters for her firm. The book opens where More...
May 09, 2010
Marsha
rated it:
If you want something truly unique to read, Defending Angels is it. The plot and characters are quirky and refreshing. No there arent any vampires, werewolves or zombies; but, there is murder, ghosts, and angels. Bree Beaufort just inherited the law firm of her late uncle. He died in a fire in his office. She moves to Savannah, Georgia and immediately begins looking for temporary office space. After reading an ad in the paper she stumbles on an old house located next to the only privately owne
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Sep 12, 2011
Dreamers_dh
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 31, 2010
Marianna
rated it:
Okay, I read this book 1) on no sleep, 2) I was sick and 3) I happened to be very distracted. Not a great set of circumstances when trying to read a book.
Anyway, I am not crazy into "cozy mysteries" (that's what the genre type is called, right?), I've NOT read tons of 'em. So baby steps for me, no BIG judgments as of yet. I did find the book kind of slow paced, too slow for my taste. The mystery part wasn't too appealing. And I found the characters a little flat. I did enjoy More...
Anyway, I am not crazy into "cozy mysteries" (that's what the genre type is called, right?), I've NOT read tons of 'em. So baby steps for me, no BIG judgments as of yet. I did find the book kind of slow paced, too slow for my taste. The mystery part wasn't too appealing. And I found the characters a little flat. I did enjoy More...
Apr 10, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
I liked the character of Brianna.... Bree
She take weird things in her stride..
<spoiler>
Her whole company seems to all be angels helping her but she has to defend lost souls
Then there is Sam Hunter
He seems very nice and bree needs a wack on the head to see it.
I want a friend like Ron .... wo can find the impossible.... a dress that looks semply stunning and in your size and colour.
The creepy painting and the related nightmares are More...
She take weird things in her stride..
<spoiler>
Her whole company seems to all be angels helping her but she has to defend lost souls
Then there is Sam Hunter
He seems very nice and bree needs a wack on the head to see it.
I want a friend like Ron .... wo can find the impossible.... a dress that looks semply stunning and in your size and colour.
The creepy painting and the related nightmares are More...
Jan 29, 2011
Babs
rated it:
Thought I give this a try. I find that I like what I call "fantasy" more than I thought I did.
However, I'm still not sure how I fell about this book. A young lawyer inherits a practice from her "uncle". What she doesn't seem to catch onto too quickly is that not only may she have inherited a temporal practice, but a 'celestial' practice as well. (An office in the middle of a cemetery just for murderers? How can she not instantly wonder what is going on?) The More...
However, I'm still not sure how I fell about this book. A young lawyer inherits a practice from her "uncle". What she doesn't seem to catch onto too quickly is that not only may she have inherited a temporal practice, but a 'celestial' practice as well. (An office in the middle of a cemetery just for murderers? How can she not instantly wonder what is going on?) The More...
Dec 26, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I got this book as an early christmaspresent from a good friend and immediatly started to read it.
The plot starts almost immediatly with action, with Bree getting a call from the dead. This book is described as a mytsery in German (I only have the German version, don't know if it's in ENglish, too), and I can see where the mystery should be. But for me it was more like a crime story with a little mystery part. The reader knows with a bit knowledge of the bibel and the hirarchy of angels wh More...
The plot starts almost immediatly with action, with Bree getting a call from the dead. This book is described as a mytsery in German (I only have the German version, don't know if it's in ENglish, too), and I can see where the mystery should be. But for me it was more like a crime story with a little mystery part. The reader knows with a bit knowledge of the bibel and the hirarchy of angels wh More...
Aug 30, 2011
Tracy
rated it:
I couldn't figure out how to write a review for this book, because I'm not sure what I think of it. After finishing the book, I came to read the Goodreads reviews and realized that the things I had problems with (or just didn't care about) were articulated in the 2- and 3-star reviews here much better than I was doing.
I finished the book (in one afternoon/evening). I didn't laugh. The book obviously kept my attention, but there were so many things that could have been done better. If More...
I finished the book (in one afternoon/evening). I didn't laugh. The book obviously kept my attention, but there were so many things that could have been done better. If More...
Nov 24, 2011
Tracey
rated it:
I read a recoomendation on Goodreads for this series and so I picked up the first book in the Beaufort and Company Mystery series not too long ago and have pretty well read the rest of the books to date. This series is now at the top of my favourite mystery reading pile. Mary Stanton has found unique storyline in that Brianna Winston Beaufort (Bree) inherits upon her uncles death the daunting (and unknown to her at the time) task of becoming an advocate for the dead and working along with her
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Mar 28, 2011
Deanna
rated it:
The new one is out, so I decided to re-read the first two in this series. My evaluation hasn't changed. Very fun to read, but a very unsatisfactory ending with several loose wires dangling in the wind.
**********************************
This was terrific, and very hard to set aside. A young lady southern lawyer finds herself wrapped in a murder mystery with a company of helpers who are real and not real. The mixture of murder mystery and fantasy is novel and exciting, a More...
**********************************
This was terrific, and very hard to set aside. A young lady southern lawyer finds herself wrapped in a murder mystery with a company of helpers who are real and not real. The mixture of murder mystery and fantasy is novel and exciting, a More...
Jun 20, 2010
Heather
rated it:
It's between okay and I liked and I see potential so I'm giving it a chance. I liked that the idea was something that I haven't seen before and I'm excited to find out what will happen next. I see some missed opportunities with whatever is going on action wise, but I think the author might be trying to remain vague so that the plot can unfold further in future books. If the "action" sequences had a little more substance to them I would have really enjoyed it. Hopefully the next one wil
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Apr 27, 2010
John
rated it:
As most folks are aware, the first book in a series drops names and relies on character development, so I've given this one a 4th star for being a promising series debut.
Bree came off as a quite likable protagonist; rooting for her came easy. However, I must admit that she was a bit dwarfed by the supporting cast - on audio I suspect this effect was highlighted by the author's dramatic (campy?) inflection when they spoke. The incident of her finding the dog Sasha struck me as slightly dar More...
Bree came off as a quite likable protagonist; rooting for her came easy. However, I must admit that she was a bit dwarfed by the supporting cast - on audio I suspect this effect was highlighted by the author's dramatic (campy?) inflection when they spoke. The incident of her finding the dog Sasha struck me as slightly dar More...
Apr 27, 2010
Literary Feline
rated it:
Brianna (Bree) Winston-Beaufort is striking out on her own, having inherited her eccentric uncle's law practice in Savannah, Georgia. She could not be more excited: it’s an opportunity to prove herself and to move away from her well-meaning but overbearing parents. Unfortunately, her uncle's law office fell victim to fire, and so Bree is forced to find a temporary working space during the renovation process. She finds a house on Angelus Street that is too good to pass up. The price is right and
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Sep 23, 2011
Courtney
rated it:
I was very excited for this book; not only for the fact that it was supposed to be paranormal, but also because it's a series, which I love (because I just can't let stories and characters go after just one book). Anyway, the book started out promising, and even had some scary, heart-pounding moments. I think that somewhere in the middle of the book, the author forgot that this was supposed to be a paranormal mystery. It honestly took me a month to read the last 100 pages because it was just so
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May 22, 2010
Deb, the Word Muse
rated it:
I don't remember who mentioned Mary Stanton to me, but I looked her titles up and spotted this one. I've not been reading mysteries lately but I thought "what the heck?"
Set in Savannah, Bree (the heroine) is setting up shop as a lawyer. Her new office is in the middle of the only all-murderers' cemetery in Georgia. Her first client calls a few hours after he dies and her life just keeps getting stranger from there on.
Thoroughly enjoyable. :)
Set in Savannah, Bree (the heroine) is setting up shop as a lawyer. Her new office is in the middle of the only all-murderers' cemetery in Georgia. Her first client calls a few hours after he dies and her life just keeps getting stranger from there on.
Thoroughly enjoyable. :)
Sep 08, 2010
Melinda
rated it:
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The whole idea of angels having a system of justice like ours and needing lawyers, etc. was intriguing and entertaining to me. I do think Mary Stanton needs to work on the dialogs a bit as it often felt stiff or out of place. I also thought the main character accepted her strange surroundings/happenings much too quickly and without enough explanation. I would have imagined a lawyer to want more explanation, to be more curious, ask more questions.
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Jan 22, 2012
Nancy
rated it:
This debut title in the Beaufort & Company series features Savannah attorney Brianna Beaufort, who inherits her uncle’s law practice of defending dead people in a celestial court. Her first case involves wealthy Benjamin Skinner, who wants her to solve his murder. First she has to prove his death was a homicide since the police ruled it an accidental drowning. The mystery is clever and the paranormal elements are fascinating. You’ll keep turning pages to see what Bree has gotten herself into wit
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Aug 26, 2011
Erin
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 03, 2011
Christine
rated it:
This is sort of like a mix between the Southern Gothic of Charlaine Harris mixed with the Southern gentility of Laura Childs' Tea Shop mysteries. very intriguing, and Bree is a good main character. I think this was a little short on explanation, unfortunately, for an opening of a series, but the mystery was really deep--different from other first books I've read. Looking forward to the next one.
Apr 06, 2011
Dorie
rated it: 
Finally giving up on this book. Much of it didn't make sense and isn't explained well. And the main character is portrayed as silly and over reactive, which is bizarre for a lawyer. It's too bad because I thought it had a good premise. I'll stick with Thomas E. Sniegoski, who writes terrific angel books.
Jun 25, 2010
Warnie B.
rated it:
Well. I think there are some interesting things that could happen in this series. The first book...not a FANTASTIC start, but I'll probably read the next one or two at some point and see where things go from here. I thought it was mostly pretty enjoyable, especially once Bree FINALLY kind of wrapped her head around the ghosts and angels stuff in the last fourth of the book--it just seemed like there was waaaay too much of her being stubbornly oblivious, too much of all the people in the know not
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Jan 20, 2012
Belle
rated it:
I read the second book in this series last year, and really enjoyed it. It was fun reading this first book and learning how Beaufort and Company was created. My copy of the book could have used better copyediting, but still, it was a fun and quick read, with an enjoyable plot line, some great paranormal elements and very likeable characters.
Apr 02, 2011
Wonderbunny
rated it:
I really enjoyed this paranormal cozy mystery. I was a little surprised to because I do not go for angel books at all (they end up being just a little too religious for me). I thought Brianna (Bree) was an interesting character but more than that, the setting and other character were very well done and it gave the book a nice atmosphere.
