The Advocate's Saboteur: Legal Suspense Murder Mystery

by Teresa Burrell

When a mysterious cyberattack shakes the heart of juvenile court, attorney Sabre Brown is drawn into one of the most complex cases of her career. Sealed records have been breached, and children may be at risk. Chaos ripples through the legal system.

With her trusted investigator JP Torn at her side, Sabre follows a trail of digital breadcrumbs that lead to more than just a data breach—it’s sabotage, and someone powerful is pulling the strings. And the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes.

Tension builds as Sabre races to protect her clients, uncover the truth, and stay one step ahead of a faceless enemy who will stop at nothing to bury the past.

Justice has always been her mission. But this time, the system itself is under attack.

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Teresa Burrell maintained a private law practice where her work focused on abused minors. She has received several awards for her countless hours of pro bono work with children and their families. Burrell has also enjoyed a satisfying career as a teacher, working with children of all ages with diverse backgrounds and special needs. Now in semi-retirement, Burrell continues to educate groups about social issues impacting children and write novels, many of which are inspired by actual cases.

She has written 22 mystery novels: 17 in The Advocate Series, 4 in the Tuper Mystery Series, and one standalone, co-authored with LJ Sellers.

Reviews

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This book is very different from the usual Advocate stories, as Sabre and the courtroom drama does take a step back when the investigation takes on a life of it own. That's not to say she isn't still fighting the good fight, it's just Lana and her hacking skills are very much needed. Don't let that put you off this entertaining story, as Lana is a great character and the hacking talk doesn't bog down the story or get to technical. Sabre is working two cases, the main case is the teenage boy caught up on cyberterrorism charges that takes a deadly turn and a boy refusing to go back to his foster home. Of course things are never simple as they seem but with Sabre and the gang on the cases everything gets a happy ending, well for the good guys. With the way we all rely on computers it's a bit frightening how easily they and people can be manipulated but it makes for a great story.

Sabre is asked to defend a teenage boy who while looking for his baby sister hacks the criminal courts system, leaking lots of classified and sealed documents in the process. Sabre thinks it's more than that and the young boy was used. While trying to come with a defence for him Sabre's private investigator finds a dead teen and another one on the run. Can they help there young client stay out of jail by following the cookies? She can't do it alone but calling in help puts all there lives in danger because it's a lot bigger than even she knows.At the same time Sabre is helping another teen who locked himself in the school cupboard and refuses to go back, can she gain his trust in order to help him and find out what is wrong.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review

[Big Time Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Advocate's Saboteur is the latest, greatest addition to The Advocate series and if you're a fan of this series, definitely do not miss this one! If you aren't yet a fan of this series, please do yourself a favor and pick up the first book in the series because these are all great reads.

A young teen that has a talent for coding and all things computers decides to look for his sister - in the child welfare department's files. That's where Sabre gets involved - her client has been arrested. Unbeknownst to the teen, his actions while looking for his sister have caused wide-reaching problems.

I love all things techy and was excited to see Lana back in this novel. She is such a crusader and will take on anyone that causes harm to others, much like Sabre does while defending her young clients.

The action and risks are nearly non-stop in this latest addition to the series and I while I wanted to know how it would end, I didn't want the book to end. To me that is a sign of a wonderful read and this definitely was an excellent read.

This author goes from strength to strength, her characters are well-rounded, interesting people and her background as a child advocate shines through, especially during courtroom scenes and those dealing with children in the system. You won't go wrong picking up a book in this series - they are all very good!

Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and freely shared.

[Carolyn Silberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teresa Burrell is one of my favorite authors and her The Advocate series has kept me on the edge of my seat every time I read her books. Just when you think you have it all figured out, she surprises you with a new twist. The Advocate's Saboteur is no exception - two thirds of the way through the book, I could not put it down and had to read to the end for the plot answers. This book also is very techy, so if you want a great mystery, letal series/book, and you enjoy computer tech stuff, this book fills the bill. Her books are easy, fast reading and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Janie Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Advocate’s Saboteur

Fast moving and current, this story has Sabre at the center of a computer breach. She has to move quickly to stop the release of sealed records. JP and Lana help to plug the saboteur’s incursion.

[Jack L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes good can come from evil situations

I liked the plot, the settings, and the characters. The computer jargon was a bit over-the-top, but I'm getting old and I haven't kept up with a lot of cyber evolution. Good read, very intricate. Jack Durrett

[Crystal Kamada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner

The Advocate is back, but this book adds a more cyber-tech edge to the series with a case involving a child hacker. It was so nice to see another one of my favorite characters brought over from the Tuper series to help on this case.

[Marie Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a mystery!!

This, by far, is Teresa's best of the series. There's suspense, terror, heart break, compassion, and a huge moral compass apparent in this novel. I really enjoyed this!

[vicky overfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!

I just move this series by Teresa Burrell! She makes the characters come alive…. you find yourself caring about all of them!!!! Not all authors can make you invested in their characters and the storylines are wonderful!

[Pamla Messinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

saboteur

If you like coding and in depth computer talk you will enjoy this book. Lana is sweet, crazy tech smart. JP, Sabre, the rest of the gang that support each other. Family first, but truth foremost. You won’t want to put it down.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

complicated Story

This story was good, but way too much computer jargon. Way too much. Also. The story of Caden was fine, but it interrupted the flow of the main story and at times confused me, trying to remember who was who. It wasn’t necessary in this intense plot.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never disappoints

Great storyline and relevant to this digital age. I didn't understand all the internet references but it was written in a way I could follow along without any problem. Fun read. Teresa Burrell never disappoints. Already looking forward to her next book.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read

I have read all of the advocate series so far. I am never disappointed. This book keeps you guessing till the end. There is intrigued, suspense and danger. The characters are real, well thought out and personable. Theresa Burrell has done it again.

[Valerie Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Advocate’s Saboteur

I have always enjoyed Ms Burrell’s series. This one was a little over my head with all the computer trails, but made perfect sense. And, as always, Sabre always rules. Thanks for another mystery.

[Karen Bowen]

Another winner.

The Advocates Saboteur had good twists. I'm not good with technology but clearly Teresa did her research to make the story believable. I liked how Lana is becoming more part of the family and how her character developed.

[marie walraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Reading

I enjoyed reading.I tried to figure out who the criminals were. It is worth reading this book. It contains a lot of information.

[Pat Mcguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific as Always

The advocate series never fails to engage me. Always twist and turns along with surprises. Can't wait for the next one.

[Patricia Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ

Burrell has done it again. The only problem is once you start you can’t put it down. It is a fabulous book, now I can’t wait for the next me

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GREAT STORY

The Advocates Saboteur is an amazing and complex story of family love and cyberterrorism. Most of the book discusses tech coding and tracing,most of which I could actually follow. I learned a lot about what’s under the ‘hood’ of the computer.
Recommended

[Linda Troncoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

great series

Great book that is a bit of an eye opener for me. These hackers who use the dark web have a very different approach to the web.

[Connie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and turns

Characters you care about and twists you don’t expect. Another great book and I can’t wait for the next one!

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I was totally hooked throughout the story and cried at the end.

[Dawn & Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!!

I love all of her books. I have read all of them. They always have twists I never see coming. Looking forward to more books!