I haven't read the first three books so I was a bit worried with this one but WOW! What a book! I don't think I've read another like it. Steve has a brilliant way with words and I'll be recommending to everyone!

TH1R3EEN by Steve Cavanagh published by Orion and out June14th

Sometimes the author or the blurb on the back cover catches your eye and causes you to pick that particular book, with Thirteen ( enough with the funny way of spelling it, its fiddly 😃 ) it was deffo the front cover blurb of ‘The Serial Killer isn’t on trial, HES ON TH JURY’ that stood out, I think it would do to any lover of mystery and crime books, it feels ‘exciting’ and ‘shocking’ before you even read a page.....and it lives up to its promise,Ive actually found this review while thinking what to write difficult as dont want to give anything away....enough to say there is a very VERY dangerous man, a serial killer, who has managed to be a juror on the trial for his latest killing, ( a Hollywood actor has been accused with seemingly irrefutable evidence) the way he did it is shocking as is his life, past and present, a chilling, cold, extreme, scary guy who manages to act and seem normal
and have influence, this is just as scary as his crimes
I am not usually a lover of ‘trial based’ books but this book is different, it is told by the killer as he sits on the jury and also by the defence lawyer, a ‘ loveable rogue’ who also has a past.....
There was not one page that bored me or didnt keep my interest, it IS a book you need to concentrate on as so much happens and it changes rapidly
I was there in the courtroom and....well, you need to read it to find out where else the story goes
Fascinating, clever, intense and thrilling, loved it
10/10 5 stars

Thirteen is a fast paced and very clever novel with twists galore. A real page turner that I could not put down. Brilliant characterisation and a gripping storyline. A unique twist on the usual courtroom drama, having the real killer sitting on the Jury trying a man for one of his crimes.
A great thriller that kept me reading late into the night.

My thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thirteen is an action packed thrill ride! Plausible? Not so much but a properly guilty pleasure packed full of twists and turns sure to keep you guessing. Who would think a court room drama could pack such a punch?! Quite a lot occurs in the courtroom and the background investigation. The body count is pretty high but it is quick and easy, usually, with little to no gore, should you be squeamish in nature.

I haven’t read any of the previous Eddie Flynn novels but that didn’t matter much. I suspect the previous books are just as adventurous as Eddie’s mouth is sure to get him in hot water. Thirteen was a fun read, very inventive and well thought out. A lot of detail goes into this and it shows.

This is a really clever, twisty thriller.
I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy all the court scenes but because of the way this is written, it really draws you in.
Eddie Flynn is asked to be on the defense team for Bobby, a movie star accused of murder. When he meets him he thinks he’s innocent, but he also thinks he’s hiding something from him.
Meanwhile the killer is plotting from the word go, and ensuring he’s on the jury for the trial, he puts his plan into action.
Even though you know who the killer is from the beginning, it doesn’t detract from all the games he plays with the other jurors and defense team. He really is a twisted individual.
This is a gripping thriller, full of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat towards the end.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Clever plot, twists and turns. Thank you for providing me with a copy of book. Not a usual legal thriller and I will look out for more by this author. One of my books of the year so far

Thrilling!
At first I will admit that for me it was a little slow as I haven’t read a legal thriller in a while so I am used to more drama early on.
However, I am so glad that I carried on, this was such an intense book from halfway through. The twists just kept coming and as soon as you thought you had it all figured out, bam, something else was thrown at you.

A clever plot, well written. It is not a typical courtroom scenario. A lot of twists and turns.
A young lawyer takes on a seasoned campaigner, really with no hope of winning but tries anyway.
I enjoyed it very much

Courtroom drama at its best. If you like Grisham you will love this. Great characters and excitement all the way. Why have I not discovered Steve Cavanagh before now?

This book got me hooked from the start, I felt compelled to read it at every opportunity. I had not read anything by Steve Cavanagh before but will certainly make the effort to do so now.
Eddie Flynn, a defence lawyer in the USA, ex con, takes on a high profile murder case. All evidence points towards his client and a guilty verdict. A famous Hollywood actor is accused of murdering his wife and security guard. What if the killer is not on trial but sits on the jury?
I really love the character of Eddie Flynn, he is a little down on his luck but he is one of the good guys that you would find hard not to like.
This book is gripping and has many twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who loves a good thriller.

I have been hooked, what an incredible book.

This was my first introduction to this author, it was the hook on the front cover that well had me hooked!

This does work well as a stand alone novel as I hadn't read the three Flynn novels before it. But this could be my new addiction!

Brilliant writing from start to finish! Loved it! Will certainly be reading this again and again

Simply superb! One of the best books I have read so far! Simply stunning. Don’t read any spoilers .. just pick it up and read it!

A fantastic fast paced book, I really enjoyed the main character and totally fell for the twist at the end! I would definitely recommend to anyone that likes thriller books, I read this in 2 days- couldn’t put it down!

This is a really gripping read that seems to stick to your hands until it is finished. So many twists that were not expected right up to the last few pages. Basically a courtroom drama with a thriller in the background running parallel. The main characters were so well described as evil or good and so many ordinary character descriptions that enabled me to mentally see the person and feel their emotions. Loved the book. Highly recommended as a compulsive read that keeps the reader on the edge throughout.

Searingly brutal, this story of a serial killer is an unputdownable page turner though not for the squeamish. The killer's true identity kept me guessing to the end and I especially loved that the lawyer Eddie Flynn was narrated in the first person, while the serial killer Joshua Kane was in the third. The plot is an absolutely brilliant premise and makes for one of the best thrillers I have ever read. Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

As legal thrillers go, it doesn't get much better than Steve Cavanagh's Thirteen!

It also doesn't get much weirder! An ex conman as a defence lawyer? and a serial killer on the jury! But this was such a gripping read - the tension was unbearable at times. The characters were cleverly brought to life with a storyline that was not only intense, but oh so clever. The twists came thick and fast towards the end, reaching dizzying heights, and made it impossible to put the book down. I've read some truly terrific books this year, and 'Thirteen' has made it onto that list. Read it if you get the chance!

*Thank you to Netgalley, and Orion for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh is the best legal thriller I have ever read. When I requested this book, I didn’t realise it was part of a series but thankfully it can be read as a stand-alone book.

I have said many times that Crime books are definitely not my favourite genre and of these legal books are probably my least favourite, so Steve Cavanagh had his work cut out and I was incredibly surprised that I liked this book. It was exceptional.

Thirteen was one of those books you can’t stop reading until you reach the end. In fact, I was so absorbed in it that my boyfriend said he had never seen me so absorbed with a book. I finished it in just one day and wanted to reread it straight away.

Despite not liking legal dramas I do find books about serial killers fascinating and it was the tagline on the book mentioning a serial killer that made me request a copy for review.

I was hooked on Thirteen from the first few lines of the prologue. It was chilling from the start and begins with Joshua Kane laying on a cardboard box outside the Criminal Courts Building thinking about killing someone.

Kane was an incredibly chilling character and Thirteen wouldn’t have been the same without the chapters from his perspective.

“It was true that Kane had at times, while on the subway or watching passers-by, occasionally thought about killing a nameless, random New Yorker who happened to fall into his line of vision…How would it feel to kill them? What would they say with their final breath? Would their eyes change in that moment of passing from this world? Kane felt a ripple of pleasure feed heat into his body as he explored these thoughts.”

Every action Kane takes is meticulously thought out and relevant to his plan but disturbingly some of his decisions to kill or not rest on a coin toss.

The man Kane is thinking of killing is a mail man with a bag full of jury service letters. Kane needs access to them so that he can get himself on the jury for a very high-profile trials whose outcome he wants to influence.

“Kane shot Elton in the face, walked briskly into a dark alley and disappeared. Such a quick, easy execution gave Kane no pleasure. Ideally, he would’ve liked a few days with Elton, but he couldn’t spare the time.

He had a lot of work to do.”

The above passage shows how cold-blooded and calculated Kane is.

Whilst the chapters written from Kane’s perspective were written in third person those written from the perspective of Eddie Flynn were written in first person and made it easier for the reader to identify whose perspective they were reading.

When we meet Eddie Flynn, he is in court defending a woman on a trumped-up drug charge fabricated by a corrupt policeman named Granger. Eddie wins the case and in doing so makes an enemy of the NYPD officer.

When he goes to leave the courtroom, he is approached by lawyer Rudy Carp who asks him if he would be interested in taking second chair on “the biggest murder trial this city has ever seen.”

Rudy is the lead lawyer on the most high-profile case in the city at the time. Actor Bobby Solomon is on trial for murdering his wife and their head of security and the trial is due to start in three days time.

Kane is a highly intelligent and skilled serial killer. We find out through a series of flashbacks that he has been skilled at mimicry since he was a young boy. He used his skills to study one of the potential jury members, along with taking photos of him to study his appearance and following him to determine his social interactions.

Shortly after this there is an incredibly detailed and gory scene describing how Kane gets rid of the man’s body so there will be no evidence.

Initially, Eddie is inclined to decline the case because everything he has seen so far about the case suggests that Bobby is guilty.

“It’s not about the money. I don’t roll for the guilty. I’ve been down that road a long time ago. It costs more than money can buy.”

In the past Eddie has taken a series of cases that put his integrity at risk and his family in danger. His marriage is currently on the rocks and he doesn’t see his daughter as much as he would like. He knows that taking Bobby’s case on if he is guilty would be a step too far but agrees to take a look at the case files when Rudy suggests that the NYPD framed Bobby for the murder and that Eddie is the only one who can prove it.

Having met Bobby and listened to his story Eddie believes that he is innocent and not just acting a part. He agrees to take on the case and attempt to help prove Bobby’s innocence.

Meanwhile Kane continues killing jury members in order to get the outcome he wants on the trial, but has he met his match in Eddie Flynn?

As the case progresses Eddie begins to suspect that someone else may have committed the murder and many other’s beside. A killer the FBI have been hunting for years.

Thirteen was a remarkable book and I didn’t want it to end and when it did I wanted to start it all over again.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This book was quite confusing in the beginning. But i kept reading on. It’s one of those books that you can’t put it down. It’s one of those books that has you hanging on the edge of your seat. Literally.. brilliant storyline great characters. It definitely stands out. A great psychological thriller. A must read.

This is what any reader wants from a murder mystery. It is fast moving and has an ingenious plot. Just as you sit back thinking you know how it is going to end,you will get several surprises. It is very well written and the characterisation is realistic. The plot is also original which is an added bonus; no hackneyed story lines.

Didn't realise this was part of a series until it was too late. I requested it purely because of all the hype I've seen about it on social media. Unfortunately legal thrillers just aren't my cup of tea.