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44th out of 144 books
—
112 voters
Defending Angels (Beaufort & Company Mystery #1)
by
Mary Stanton (Goodreads Author)
With a long list of ethereal clients who need her help, Savannah lawyer Brianna Winston Beaufort's career choice is beginning to haunt her
An already dead businessman needs Bree's help to find his murderer and prove his innocence against the charge of greed, which comes from the mightiest hand of the law, the Celestial Court. And the verdict in this case could put Bree's...more
An already dead businessman needs Bree's help to find his murderer and prove his innocence against the charge of greed, which comes from the mightiest hand of the law, the Celestial Court. And the verdict in this case could put Bree's...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
December 2nd 2008
by Berkley
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**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 in the hope of catch...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 in the hope of catch...more
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.
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.
This...more
This...more
I'd never heard of Mary Stanton or the Beaufort & Company mysteries before one of the books, AVENGING ANGELS, was recommended to me. When I discovered this was a series, and being a linear sort of reader (I hate dropping into the middle of an established series), I snagged the first book. I don't quite know how to classify this book, or series for that matter. It's paranormal. It's fantasy. But it's not Urban Fantasy or a Paranormal Romance. It's published by Berkley Prime Crime Mystery but...more
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. However, the ev...more
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...more
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 forgetable. I h...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 forgetable. I h...more
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...more
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 she is interviewi...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 she is interviewi...more
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 owned...more
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 the potential that w...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 the potential that w...more
As if it isn't enough that Bree is trying to set up her own new life and legal practice away from her family, now she's got office space in an all-murderer's cemetery, she's got her odd land-lady telling her what to do, her sister shows up unannounced, oh and her first big client hired her to prove he was murdered - several hours AFTER he died!
This is a quirky, delightful unusual story. Mary Stanton has created a clever, interesting cast of unlikely characters to help Bree with her highly unorth...more
This is a quirky, delightful unusual story. Mary Stanton has created a clever, interesting cast of unlikely characters to help Bree with her highly unorth...more
In Stanton’s mystery novel, Brianna Winston-Beaufort has just inherited her uncle’s law practice in—where else?—the most haunted city in the world, Savannah. Since her uncle died in a fire in his office, Bree rents temporary space in an old house located in the middle of an all murderers’ cemetery while she waits for the renovations to be completed. Her first case rises from a local businessman who manages to call her just hours after his death.
Mystified, Bree is stunned to realize that her new...more
Mystified, Bree is stunned to realize that her new...more
If the same person authors a different subject, can the reading experience be a new ball of wax? I’m relieved to find it can. Mary Stanton attracted me with such an original premise and cast of characters, I collected a few non-paranormal stories too. I tried ‘Claudia Bishop’s’ ‘Hemlock Falls’ first since it’s older, featuring a chef. Bickering sisters were a turn-off and frequent use of expressions I detest like ‘God damn’. I pushed to the end, apprehensive of the Mary Stanton volumes I’d alrea...more
I liked the character of Brianna.... Bree
She take weird things in her stride..
(view spoiler)...more
She take weird things in her stride..
(view spoiler)...more
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 celestial practice is the focus of t...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 celestial practice is the focus of t...more
I don't usually read mystery novels, but my mom recommended this book, so I checked it out from my local library and gave it a shot. It was so worth it, and I have already reserved the second book and can't wait to get the call that it's in and ready for pick-up.
Brianna has been practising law in her father's law firm, but when her Great Uncle Franklin dies and leaves her his client list, she packs up and moves to Savannah to strike out on her own. While waiting for her Great Uncle's old office...more
Brianna has been practising law in her father's law firm, but when her Great Uncle Franklin dies and leaves her his client list, she packs up and moves to Savannah to strike out on her own. While waiting for her Great Uncle's old office...more
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 where t...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 where t...more
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 I stumble a...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 I stumble a...more
Brianna Winston-Beaufort is taking over her uncle's law practice in the most haunted city in the world - Savannah. Her Uncle was killed in a fire in his office. While the office is being renovated, Bree rents space in an old house located in the middle of an all-murderers cemetery. Weird. Right. Weird is just beginning. Bree's first case comes from a local businessman who manages to call Bree after his suspicious death. Surrounded by quirky characters of all kinds - including a wonderful dog - B...more
The friend who loaned me this book wanted me to know that it was a very different kind of mystery in that angels played key roles. Defending Angels by Mary Stanton is the first in a series that can be called paranormal legal thrillers. Ordinarily this would not seem to be my type of mystery and yet I was entranced by it. I read it straight through, couldn't wait to find out what happens next. The setting is Savannah, our delightful heroine is Brianna Winston-Beaufort, and her office helpers are...more
Eine leichte Lektüre und tolle Ablenkung vom Alltag.
Die junge Anwältin Bree ahnt noch nichts davon, dass sie zukünftig tote Menschen vor Gericht vertreten soll...welches Gericht dies ist und wer ihre neuen Mitarbeiter sind erfährt man im Laufe des Buches..nur Bree besucht etwas länger um das alles zu verstehen und dies führt zu einigen lustigen Situationen. Man wird sehr gut unterhalten und kann sich die Personen wunderbar vorstellen.
Ein Krimi gemischt mit Fantasy und Mysterie, mein erstes Buch...more
Die junge Anwältin Bree ahnt noch nichts davon, dass sie zukünftig tote Menschen vor Gericht vertreten soll...welches Gericht dies ist und wer ihre neuen Mitarbeiter sind erfährt man im Laufe des Buches..nur Bree besucht etwas länger um das alles zu verstehen und dies führt zu einigen lustigen Situationen. Man wird sehr gut unterhalten und kann sich die Personen wunderbar vorstellen.
Ein Krimi gemischt mit Fantasy und Mysterie, mein erstes Buch...more
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 ne...more
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, and the writing, the dialogue...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, and the writing, the dialogue...more
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 will reveal m...more
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 dark, but...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 dark, but...more
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...more
I had so much fun reading this book. It's a very well written story, with great characters I wanted to know.
Bree is setting out on her own in her own law practice she inherited from her Uncle Frank in Savannah Georgia. She is setting up shop, temporarily, in an old home set in the middle of the Murderers Cemetary.
Bree's team is made up of her landlady, a window dresser, the brother of the woman Bree thought she was hiring, and very enigmatic (and hot) PI named Gabriel Striker who always shows...more
Bree is setting out on her own in her own law practice she inherited from her Uncle Frank in Savannah Georgia. She is setting up shop, temporarily, in an old home set in the middle of the Murderers Cemetary.
Bree's team is made up of her landlady, a window dresser, the brother of the woman Bree thought she was hiring, and very enigmatic (and hot) PI named Gabriel Striker who always shows...more
What does one do when they find themselves the head of a company of angels? First, one questions their sanity and then they get to work.
I found the basic premise of this book fun and enjoyable, but it was also a bit confusing at times. I had to re-read several passages to try to figure out what was going on in place and the story did not always flow well from one part to another.
Since this is the first book of a new series, I am hoping that the the next book will be a bit better formed.
I found the basic premise of this book fun and enjoyable, but it was also a bit confusing at times. I had to re-read several passages to try to figure out what was going on in place and the story did not always flow well from one part to another.
Since this is the first book of a new series, I am hoping that the the next book will be a bit better formed.
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...more
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Mary Stanton was born in Florida and grew up in Japan and Hawaii, after which she returned to the United States and received a B.A. in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Minnesota.
Stanton’s career as a fiction writer began with the publication of her first novel, The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West, in 1984. A beast fable similar in tone and theme to Watership Down, it was pub...more
More about Mary Stanton...
Stanton’s career as a fiction writer began with the publication of her first novel, The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West, in 1984. A beast fable similar in tone and theme to Watership Down, it was pub...more
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“This was our last night. We only had one curtain call, Bree. And I thought they were going to give us a standing ovation, but no-o-o-. Do you know why half the audience stood up?"
"To get a head start on the traffic," Bree said.
"To get a head start on the traffic," Antonia agreed in indignation. "I mean, here we are, dancing and singing our little guts out, and all those folks want to do is get to bed early. I ask you, whatever happened to common courtesy? Whatever happened to decent manners? Doesn't anyone care about craft anymore? And on top of that, it's not even nice.”
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"To get a head start on the traffic," Bree said.
"To get a head start on the traffic," Antonia agreed in indignation. "I mean, here we are, dancing and singing our little guts out, and all those folks want to do is get to bed early. I ask you, whatever happened to common courtesy? Whatever happened to decent manners? Doesn't anyone care about craft anymore? And on top of that, it's not even nice.”
“Forget the garden rake. Remember that time you dived over the desk at that guy in moot court? Had him by the throat in two seconds flat, that's what I heard."
"You heard wrong."
"And they suspended you for how long?" Antonia innocently asked.
"A day. And I apologized. Actually I crawled like a slug and ate dirt," Bree said ruefully. "But that was years ago, and have I pulled a stunt like that again? No, I have not.”
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More quotes…
"You heard wrong."
"And they suspended you for how long?" Antonia innocently asked.
"A day. And I apologized. Actually I crawled like a slug and ate dirt," Bree said ruefully. "But that was years ago, and have I pulled a stunt like that again? No, I have not.”
*snort*
Apr 14, 2010 07:56pm
Apr 14, 2010 09:51pm