Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author.

This was such a clever book and definitely on my list of recommendations to others!

Really hoping there's going to be more with Eddie in it - he's pretty cool.

5 stars from me

Another great read! Good pace throughout the book, kept me gripped. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s brilliant

Action packed courtroom crime thriller. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it's brilliant, the plot is intriguing and very clever, never a dull moment. I will definitely go back to the beginning of The Eddie Flynn series and read them all.

Review:Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing for the opportunity.

I hadn’t read and Steve Cavanagh before this, and when I realised this was book 4 of a series I was a little concerned. Jumping in mid-series can result in a couple of problems, either you can’t keep up because you don’t know the backstory, or it is replete with spoilers that ruin the earlier books for you. There was enough detail here that I could get a feel for the hero, Eddie Flynn’s character and life, but the previous books remain largely a mystery to me.

In brief, Eddie is. Conman turned defence lawyer who gets drawn into a celeb in murder case. However, all is not as it seems. The real murderer manipulates his way onto the jury so that he can affect the verdict for his own ends.

The narrative alternates between Eddie (written in the first person) and the killer (written in the third person). This is a neat trick, that I’ve come across before means you don’t get the two mixed up. I appreciate the effort as that is often a problem for me in multi-narrative books.

The murderer in this book is unashamedly evil, knocking off people with a cheerful abandon that gave me chills. It is. Mark of Cavanagh’s writing skill that my stomach churned each time it switched to his viewpoint.

Eddie was the perfect counterpoint. Though a lawyer he displayed the requisite tired, romantically challenged nature of your standard novelised detective. As a former con-ma, though, he opens up the court scenes for us, breaking down the theatricality of a game of bait and switch. Naturally, as a con-man, he knows the game.

The real bait and switch, however, is in the plot and I have to say, I never saw it coming. Not done with messing with the reader’s head, the author throws in a further twist before the end, which is just the cherry on top.

A worthy thriller that earned its 4 stars and made me want read the earlier books as soon as possible..

Improbable and far fetched.....and I loved it! I could feel my heart beat speeding up as the plot twists came thick and fast and the tension ratcheted up another notch. I hadn't realised that the book was part of a series, but the didn't spoil my enjoyment in the slightest. It has, however, made me want to go and read the first three books in the series asap.

Thanks go to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

The tagline for this book "The serial killer isn't on trial. He's on the jury", is one of the best I've ever read! The trouble was I saw it months ago and have been desperate to read Thirteen ever since. All I can say is it was well worth the wait I certainly wasn't disappointed. This is a brilliant series featuring lawyer, Eddie Flynn, and this latest book, sees Eddie at his "back to the wall" best. An exquisitely executed plot keeps this legal thriller interesting, exciting, gasping and gripping from page one. As ever, an exhausting and exhilarating journey with Eddie Flynn but I am so looking forward to the next case! Just brilliant!

What can I say about this book ? WOW. I loved it and even though it is the fourth of a series and I haven't read the others it just didn't matter as I got to know the characters anyway.
Eddie Flynn is the defence lawyer in a case against a hollywood celebrity Bobby Soloman and the jury selection is proving difficult as one man really wants to get on that jury and will go to any end to make sure it happens. When the court case starts Eddie comes into his own and even though the odds are against his client he finds some amazing ways to refute their evidence, he realises that Bobby isn't telling him everything about where he was that night his wife and security guard were killed but he doesn't think that he is guilty and he has to prove it. This is a fast paced and a disturbing look into the mind of a killer and it is done so well that I couldn't put it down and found myself totally hooked.
I will definitely go back and read the first 3 Eddie Flynn books now.

A true cat and mouse story filled with many twists and will have you doubting everyone in the book. The main character Flynn isn't perfect but he wants to do the right thing and his deductions on who the real killer and are are inspired. Highly recommend!

If I was ever to be accused of a crime I'd want Eddie Flynn to represent me. Wow! He's an amazing lawyer, thinking of things that nobody else thinks of. But then he has to be one step ahead when there's the most twisted, most cunning serial killer on the loose.

This is my first Steve Cavanagh book, but it's the fourth Eddie Flynn book. However, I had no problem at all reading it as a standalone as any relevant background information is fed into the story seamlessly.

So, Eddie Flynn finds himself defending Hollywood rising star, Bobby Solomon, who is accused of the murder of his wife and their security man. Eddie is a lawyer with integrity and no way would he defend somebody he thought was guilty. So he's happy to take on the case. So far so good. Except, as the tagline suggests, there's a serial killer on the jury, taking the best seat in the house to watch all his plans come to fruition. And this particular serial killer is one of the best I have come across.

The plotting in this book is amazing. The first half of the book is great but the second half was on fire and absolutely thrilled me. I almost want to go back and read it again to be able to take it all in properly. Also, the characterisations are excellent. I thought Eddie was perfect. He's likeable, smart and, as a former conman, he knows all the tricks in the book. And then there's Joshua Kane, said serial killer. Now he is one sick creation, but a fantastic one nevertheless.

I really don't know how Cavanagh managed to come up with such an intense, intricately woven tale but that's exactly what it is. Th1rt3en is an extraordinarily clever story, somewhat incredible perhaps, but not so much so that it lost plausibility. It's fast-paced, exciting and full of clever twists. It really is a gripping crime thriller with non-stop action and a fabulously clever hook. I loved it.

This is a well plotted courtroom drama with some great twists. It's my first meeting with Eddie Flynn, and on the strength of this book I'm looking forward to going back and reading some of his previous cases.

Fantastic procedural, murder/mystery. The detail was amazing and totally absorbing. So many twist and turns that kept me guessing to the very end. Very clever story and I enjoyed every minute.

How many people actively want jury duty? This guy does and there seem to be no steps he won't take to be the juror with the right attitude to get the trial result to go his way.
Want to know why? Get reading.

This started off a little slow for me. I found whenever I put the book down I struggled to want to pick it back up, however once I did I soon got back into it.
This book is grim with violence and intense at times, which you would expect for thus type of book. The unnerving character of the serial killer makes the atmosphere even more chilling. I found myself intrigued by Kane, the fact he couldn't feel any pain made him instantly someone to fear. How could you win a person who doesn't feel pain?
I liked that the chapters were short but you still got enough from each one. The characters of Eddie and Kane still had enough voice and power within each of the chapters.
I didn't find myself struggling to keep up with anything that came out or happened, the writing made it easy to keep track.
I'll definitely be checking out more by Steve in the future.

I really enjoyed this book - the plot was impressive. It's part of a series, but I read it as a standalone. I will now go back and read the others!

Such a great idea for a book, it would make a terrific film! The premise of a serial killer, in the courtroom but not on trial makes for a brilliant read, Once you start it you can't stop, I starting reading it one evening and finished it by morning. I don't think you can say anything more complimentary about a book than that!

The text flows well and I'll definitely read more of his books, starting at number 1 might be a good idea!

I haven’t read the previous books in the series and although this is number 4, I didn’t feel I missed too much. I do feel I would have benefitted from starting at the beginning however as there were several parts of the backstory I would love to know now I have read Thirteen.

I was totally drawn into this story and it kept me gripped throughout. The characters are all written very well and the storyline was intriguing to say the least.

A story which will keep you guessing.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

What if somehow, through various machinations a serial killer positioned themself on the jury of a crime they had committed? Eddie Flynn, ex con man, now a lawyer, has found himself defending Hollywood darling Robert Solomon of the murder of his equally famous wife and alleged lover. The case against Solomon seems unshakeable but a series of sinister incidents and odd coincidences make Eddie believe differently....

This is my first Eddie Flynn book and I can only wonder how I've missed this series. It's original, intelligent, intriguing and (praise the lord) surprising - I usually have books like this worked out very quickly but this was one that made me think "wait - what???" and go back a few pages. I really had no idea. It was fantastic, and for that alone I could rate this as my favourite book so far this year. But more than that it has a great narrative and very likeable lead character in Eddie Flynn - he's a flawed and slightly rogueish man but also someone it's easy to root for and empathise with. And for that I will definitely rate this as my favourite of 2018 so far.

Simply one of the best legal thrillers I have read. This kind of legal drama isn’t usually my type of thing, but this blew me away. Kane is a serial killer, a super smart, twisted killer and he’s found himself on the jury. A clever and thrilling read.
I’ve never read anything by Steve cavangh before but after reading this I will definitely be reading more, perhaps catch up with the rest of the series.

This is the first book I have read by the author and there are clearly previous ones which are referenced throughout the book, This didn’t spoil my enjoyment of it, though, and I liked the main character, Eddie, very much,

It is clear from the blurb that the killer in the case is on the jury and you get his opinion and back story throughtout. The excitement is in whether and how he will be caught, After a slower start, the action really picked up and the end was tense and pacy.

I will look for any future novels in this series.

I have had Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh on my reading radar since the end of last year, it is one of those books that has a buzz about.  As soon as I read the premise for this book I was really excited so when I heard there was a blog tour I jumped at the chance, and I am glad I did; it was everything I expected and a lot more.

Thirteen is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series, but this can be read as a standalone which is how I read it.  There are passing references to the previous books but nothing that has an influence on the plot line or your enjoyment of the book.  I have to say that I have now bought the previous three novels for my Kindle. Eddie Flynn is a lawyer with a background as a con artist.  He always seems to get himself in trouble that, in the reference to the previous novels, has cost him his marriage, and it is through an altercation with the police that he finds himself on the defence team for Hollywood actor Robert Solomon.  Solomon is in trial for the murder of his wife and head of security and the evidence is not in his favour.  Solomon's main lawyer, Rudy Carp is the polar opposite to Eddie, all white teeth, designer suits, slick and has a client list of the rich and famous, and needs Eddie to look into the police investigation to see if any corners were cut.  But of course, Solomon is not the killer,  Joshua Kane is a serial killer who sets others up for the crime and manages to infiltrate the jury.

The plot line of Thirteen is origional, clever and absolutely brilliant.  The book is narrated by Eddie and Joshua Kane; Eddie in the first person narrative which gives a personal feel to the narrative, and Kane is in the the third person narrative, keeping a distance from the reader.  Eddie's character has obviously developed over the previous books, but here we find him on the brink of divorce, but trying to help those who deserve it.  He has nearly stopped drinking, and is trying to stay out of cases that are controversial and could cause  trouble.  I found him a very likeable character, his heart is in the right place and will go to any lengths to fight for his client, even putting himself in danger, and he seems to have a few enemies, especially in the police force.  The first person narrative made his voice personal, and as a result the reader is part of his journey and invested in the outcome of this case.  In contrast Joshua Kane's narrative is a step back, not as personal, the reader is more like a voyeur.  He is a dark character that is like a shadow, lurking in the dark, always watching, we don't get much detail on his appearance  as he transforms himself into others to others in order to kill.  He is obviously an intelligent man, he has been killing for years and has never been a suspect; others have been found guilty and in one case been given the death penalty for his crimes.  He is an evil, dark killer but I had to have some admiration for his opus operandi, chameleon like in his ability to transform his appearance and being able to commit the perfect crime with none of his DNA, but that of the person who will take the blame for his crime.

Steve Cavanagh's writing is brilliant, there is a attention to detail in the descriptions of the law, the procedures, and the characters.  There has obviously been a lot of research into forensics and the grisly details of the crimes in this book and the science behind it.  The plot line is original, intelligent and compelling to say the least.  There are so many twists and turns, red herrings and gasp out loud moments that make you want to sit and read this in one sitting.  The tension builds throughout, and my stomach was turning as I got towards the end go the book.  The hook of the premise, the killer on the jury, is exceptionally clever, and Cavanagh is able to keep the hook in and slowly reel you in for the shocking conclusion.

Thirteen did live up to the hype for me, and I think it will one of my favourite books of the year.  It is outstanding in it's premise and is able to keep you hooked all the way through, the tension and suspense are there throughout keeping you on the edge of your seat until you fall off that seat with the dark and shocking conclusion.  A skilful and mind-blowing thriller that is a must read, I can't wait to get to know Eddie Flynn better.