Small Town Conviction: A Legal Thriller filled with Gripping Courtroom Drama

by Peter Kirkland, Mike Avery

One small town. One deadly weekend. Three shocking crimes…

A local business owner is shot and disappears under mysterious circumstances. Another man goes on a hit-and-run rampage. And a horrifying day care incident sends innocent children to the ER. At first glance, the events appear unrelated. But as he investigates, local attorney Spencer Dunn begins to think otherwise.

When Spencer digs beneath Autumn Harbor’s idyllic surface, he uncovers a dark thread weaving the cases together—a thread that leads straight to Jack Butcher, the flashy civic leader whose shiny public persona masks a rotten core. For years, Butcher has operated from the shadows, untouchable… and Spencer is determined to change that.

With pressure mounting and his own family under threat, Spencer races to connect the dots before his innocent clients are convicted. But the truth is more twisted than he ever imagined—and Butcher will do anything to keep it buried.

Now, with the impact of past and current cases coming to a head, Spencer must put more than his legal skill to work—or he may become the next casualty.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

About the author

Peter Kirkland grew up in Beaufort, South Carolina. As a kid, Peter loved history and learning about his area. One year in school, he was given a project to research a few South Carolina law cases and the precedents they set and their effect on people’s lives.
This research project lit the flame for his passion for law and creating a more equal justice system since. Soon after this, Peter began reading legal thrillers voraciously and enjoyed the legal maneuvering and justice found within. As an adult he has continued researching the law and understanding the system and its effects on individuals. A few years ago, he decided to try writing his own legal thriller.


Now a full-time writer, he uses his research, passion for justice, and real case studies to bring together courtroom dramas with deep, rich characters, and gripping twists and turns. New to the industry, Peter would love to hear from readers and other authors and invites you to connect with him.

Reviews

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There is a lot going on in this book, with three cases appearing in court but it doesn't take long for Spencer to work out that they are all connected. Then it's a case of fitting them together to best help his client and more importantly prove there innocence. This might sound confusing and to the jury it probably was. Especially in the early stages of the trail but as the reader you are with Spencer as he puts it all together and rather than confusing it's intriguing, the way everything comes together and gets wrapped up. I like the characters and the new little family Spencer has built for himself, it's a nice interlude between the seriousness of the cases. Look forward to the next book.

Spencer as a defence lawyer is being kept busy with a man arrested for reckless driving charges and with a woman accused of killing her husband. Both are causing him problems the driver seems more nervous that the situation warrants and Spencer gets the feeling his client is hiding something. The murder charge is hampered by the fact that the wife isn't sad that he is gone and by the fact that she might have done it while under the influence of sleeping pills. Can Spencer help his clients? It's only after his father in law is in a traffic accident and Spencer gets his case load that Spencer starts to see the big picture. A child carer is accused of endangering children under her care when they find a stash of drugs and a number end up in hospital. Could the drugs prove the connection to finding his client innocent of the crimes they are accused of?
I was given this free review book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the Spencer Dunn series. I strongly suggest that you read the first two of this series, as some court cases (and characters) carry over from the previous books. You may be lost if you haven't read them.

In this book, Spencer takes on several cases, which turn out to be interrelated. The biggest case involves the arrest of a wife for the murder of her husband whose body was never found. After being interrogated for two days (without sleep), she confesses that the Ambien probably did it as she doesn't remember. Spencer is convinced she didn't do it, and she was framed by a notorious local heroin dealer.

Other cases concern a woman charged with possession of heroin in her daycare center, a man who has two traffic accidents in the span of about an hour,and the follow up to two cases discussed in previous books.

The book was well written, flowed very well and the courtroom scenes were especially well done. I've read other of Kirkland's book series, and they're all winners.

Thanks to the author and Booksprout for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Marcia F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. It builds on the main characters introduced in the first 2 books and further develops them. The court cases have unique and interesting twists and turns, making the book hard to put down, even if a bit confusing at times. Overall an excellent book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly Smelcer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spencer Dunn is back in this legal thriller that will keep you guessing from the beginning. He takes on a drug case, a car accident case and a missing/potentially deceased case. As he investigated, he realized they may all be connected, even though their differences are stark.