Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. Brilliant marketing surrounding this book. The killer is on the jury-an instant hook. Very clever plot well thought out and well written. I did find it a little unrealistic in places and perhaps a little rushed towards the end. A good read that certainly hooks the reader. Lots of twists and unexpected turns. Recommended.

This is sooo good. Excellent original plot and a great read. I didn’t realise that this was number four in a series proving that the book works perfectly as a standalone read. I’m sorry I’ve not read the others, something I must rectify immediately. I love a good legal thriller and this certainly does not disappoint. Read in one day I stayed awake past midnight to finish this - on a school night too!

Fast paced and really well written. I was compelled to keep reading and m looking forward to reading more by the author.

Sorry but I couldn't get into this book so I gave up and didn't finish i. It just wasn't my type of read.

Fantastic book, really enjoyed this. Ive already ordered the others in the series. Could be read as a stand alone, but think to read the others previously would be even better. Im sure this book will be big this summer, a favourite of mine so far.

An amazing read I was hooked from the 1st page and what a journey hope to read more from Steve. I was captivated not only with the story but I feel I want to know more about the main character

A really interesting plot here - Joshua Kane REALLY wants to get on the jury for the celebrity court case of the decade. He's done a lot of preparation to get there and he really wants movie star Bobby Solomon to be found guilty. However, Eddie Flynn is on the case, and he suspects that the real perpetrator isn't the defendant...
This was my first Eddie Flynn book - I haven't read the previous three - but I found it quite easy to get into. I flew through the first 100 pages, but there was a definite slow down after this, and I struggled to finish the book. The story is well crafted (although there are several very blatant plot holes which I would have preferred to have been tightened up!) and dramatic - I just thought the author got a loaded down with description and re-emphasising cliches.
All in all, a great holiday read, but must be persevered with!

Brilliant legal thriller. My only disappointment is that I hadn't read this authors previous books with this character. I'll need to remedy that.

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

What a fantastic quote and very apt for this book!

Thirteen was a breathtaking and enthralling read which had me on the edge of my seat!

Well written and fast paced the storyline was well thought out and brilliantly executed.

I’ve never read any of Steve Cavanagh’s work before and didn’t realise this was book four of a series but based on this one I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Highly recommend! 4.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly

Thanks to Net Galley and Orion Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
A fast paced mystery thriller, my first read by this author, did not realise it was book 4 of a series, a good stand alone read, a very smart well written plot. Eddie Flynn is a strong character, ex con man, now defence lawyer, defending a high profile case,, Bobby Solomon has been charged with the murder of his wife and security guard, there is a lot of evidence pointing to him being guilty.
Tense courtroom drama, the serial killer, Joshua Kane is a member of the jury, he is playing with the other jurors and Flynn, there are lots of twists and turns right to the end of this book.

This is the best book I have read for a long time.
Such a good story teller with a unique intriguing tale of deception and disguise .
I certainly did not see the end coming.
Highly recommended.

For once a thriller lives up to its blurb.

The twisty nature of this thriller made it a must-read for me, and I wasn't disappointed.

A celebrity trial, an unusual lawyer and a serial killer but is he the man on the stand? Well, he's undoubtedly in the courtroom.

Told from two points of view this predominately courtroom based story lets the reader into the psyche of Eddie Flynn, a con-man turned lawyer and Kane, the serial killer. A fast-paced plot faithfully traces court procedure with essential insights into the lawyer and killer's personality cleverly entwined with the on-going trial.

The extensive cast of characters is slickly used to add depth and authenticity to the plot. It's easy to follow, but there are plenty of surprises, well-crafted suspense and a great twisty ending. The killings are not overly graphic, but they give you a chill down your spine. The fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series but the first one I've read. There is enough backstory on Eddie and his friends to make this easy reading as a standalone story.

A chilling, clever, courtroom thriller that enthrals the reader and gives you a definite adrenaline rush.

I received a copy of this book from Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is my sort of story.
It kept me totally engaged and on the edge of my seat.
I was sorry when it ended.

An exciting, fast paced Courtroom drama. Eddie Flynn ex con man turned Lawyer is drafted into the Defense of a well known film celebrity who is accused of killing his wife and her lover. What Eddie doesn't know is that serial killer Joshua Kane is determined to be on the jury listening to the evidence on film star Bobby Soloman.. The author meticulously plots the action which keeps you guessing and turning the pages to find out what happens. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.

I truly can't make my mind up on this title. I was a criminal lawyer and so much of this book is complete nonsense: implausible and inaccurate. I complained about reading it several times. But by the last third, I was hooked, and had to buy other Cavanagh books. There is certainly skill in the storytelling, if not in the writing, and as a thriller, it is successful and compulsive.

The book follows the story of a trial. A movie star is accused of murdering his wife. Of course, he says he didn't do it. Criminal defense attorney Eddie Flynn steps in to try to prove his innocence. But there's someone else following the case just as keenly as Eddie is...

My first impression of this book was that it was going to be a bit of a noir comedy. We've all read them before, with a PI firing witty one-liners at the bad guys. I was surprised at this because the blurb led me to believe it was a tense killer thriller.

In reality the book definitely leans more towards the tense side, and isn't funny at all. The protagonist, Eddie Flynn, however, isn't very far off the original idea I had of the witty renegade PI. The only difference is he is much more troubled than funny. He definitely has the cheesy name for a start. And he fits the standard profile down to a tee of the hero who is down on his luck. He's been a bad guy in the past, he has a drinking problem, his wife has left him because of his shenanigans, but he's turned over a new leaf and is determined to use his dodgy techniques for the greater good and to help those in need. Everyone has read a few detective novels all about a guy just like Eddie. The only slight difference in this book is that Eddie is a criminal defense lawyer, not a PI or rogue detective.

The story is told from two different points of view - Eddie's and the killer's. The chapters switch between the two and so the plot unfolds in two different perspectives on the same timeline. This allows the author to give the whole picture of what's' happening even though the characters themselves don't have the full story.

The book moves at a good pace, and there are many twists and revelations throughout. I was kept guessing for most of the time, which for me was great. It kept me interested in what was happening and although it wasn't really too complex, it was tense and the plot worked well overall. The writing style is quite simple - it's not flowery or descriptive and the speech is quite direct. There is no messing about, chatting or tangents to be seen. It works for the book and I found I settled into it quite quickly.

I loved the fact that this is essentially a courtroom drama combined with a serial killer thriller. The trial aspect was particularly well written. The author had obviously either done his homework or has experience of the US legal system.

The slightly negative aspect for me was the characters. They were not entirely formed, and the only aspects of the characters you really see are the ones integral to the plot only. They don't have much personality. They have thoughts, emotions and lives - they do things, but without feeling. I didn't have any love or hate for anyone in this book.

Also I can't help but feel that this was slightly cheesy, as I said before down the road of a TV courtroom drama. Although the plot worked well, it was pretty unrealistic on the whole. There is no way on earth that things would have played out how they did in real life. Which isn't really a problem for me, because I don't think fiction necessarily has to follow the rules of real life, but it is still less than my favourite book for this reason.

I'd recommend this book to crime, detective and law fiction lovers. It's been marketed as a thriller in my eyes, and although it was quite highly paced I wouldn't place it alongside the tense psychological thrillers I've read of late because of the setting and how the story plays out. It's not creepy or scary, it's all very sensibly played out on the whole. A very good book, but not a great one.

Before I start, I have a wee confession to make…this is my first Steve Cavanagh read but I can assure you it will not be my last! Eddie Flynn has a new stalker in town that’s for sure! Although it is the 4th in the Eddie Flynn series, it can be read as a standalone and as a reader I did not feel as though I was missing out on anything (other than some damn good reads!) by reading out of sequence!

#Thatbookthathook is the hashtag being used to promote the novel and by God it is right! What a hook indeed with the serial killer smack bang in the middle of the action on the jury! And I have to say damn that prologue… talk about perfect performance! This one was primed to hook the reader in and that is exactly what it did to me! It dragged me in and spat me out, a broken mess, at the other end!

At just ten percent into Thirteen I already knew that this was probably the best book I’d read this year and I was not wrong! It ticked every single box for me and then some!

Thirteen is not a whodunnit but rather a how and whydunnit but don’t think that this means it is an easy ride for the reader! Nope, not at all! You will need to have your wits about you for this one! All I am going to say about the plot is that it is slick, it’s fast, it’s twisted, it’s intelligent and it’s perfectly executed!

Strong, powerful and multi-dimensional characters engaged me from the very start. From the sociopathic serial killer, to corrupt law officials to Eddie Flynn himself, each of the characters you meet on this book will lure you into their world from the start! Now Eddie Flynn, con man turned lawyer, what a fascinating concept and indeed what a fascinating man! He might have been a bit of a bad boy in his past but I loved his strong moral stance as a defence lawyer; Eddie Flynn needs to believe in your innocence before he will represent you and his determination to seek justice along with his love of a wee dram has led to his relationship breakdown with his wife and daughter. We really get to see the whole of Eddie Flynn in this novel, his strengths and his weaknesses and we love him all the more for them! Watching Eddie Flynn perform in court made me think it would be worth sitting through the shambles that is the UK jury system if it meant watching him perform. Eddie Flynn busted me from the start, I was in the palm of his hand! You know what, I think I might just have a little bit of a #CharacterCrush going on with Mr Flynn right now!

Thirteen was perfectly paced, each chapter builds you up and leaves you teetering on the edge of the cliff but not for that long that you fall into the abyss; it takes you to the brink, hauls you right back before throwing you off again! My heart was pounding reading this!

Steve Cavanagh has magic flowing through his fingers! He made every word, every sentence, every paragraph and every chapter capture me until I felt that I was part of the narrative. I read this book using all of my senses thanks to Steve’s exceptional talent! Sights, sounds, smells all came alive as I read leaving me breathless! I do kind of worry about Steve Cavanagh’s thought processes after reading this, he clearly has an internet search history that would make your mind boggle! The next time I see him I think my jaw is just going to clatter off the floor!

If you are looking to read a novel that will engage and thrill you but is clever enough to get those brain cells ticking and working all the way through the 356 pages of genius then look no further than Thirteen, this deserves to win awards! Absolutely outstanding! Steve Cavanagh, I salute you!

I broke my 'read in order rule' when I heard about this book and was fortunate enough to be given a NetGalley review copy.
Although book 4 in the series it reads perfectly as a stand alone.

The writing and pacing are absolutely spot on, the author yanked me into Eddie's world in the first couple of pages and kept me completely enthralled and turning the pages long after I should have been sleeping. As for the characters ... Eddie Flynn is just delightful; despite his chequered past he's quirky, likeable, bright as a button and extremely principled for an ex-con. The villain has a fantastically high IQ, is chillingly good at what he does and clinical in the execution of his 'work' - the author gives us a fabulous look at the mindset and motives of the character which added that extra wow factor for me. The plot is intelligent and stunningly well crafted with lots of 'omg' moments, tension and excitement ... not only one of the best legal thrillers I've ever read it's one of the best thrillers ever!

Thirteen was my first encounter with Eddie Flynn, I'm utterly hooked and have already purchased the back catalogue to binge on over the summer. With the quality of the writing and the brilliant imagination needed to craft this sublime novel Steve Cavanagh is now on my list of 'go-to' authors.

Unreserved 5 stars - an absolute MUST read.
Massive thanks to Orion for approving me to read an ARC of this fabulous, fabulous book - this review is, as always, my honest opinion and thoughts about this book.

An absolutely mind blowing read! Initially I didn't think I would like this book as it was I thought I had the plot worked out. However, as I continued reading I became more and more intrigued. The plot was fast and cunning and each time I thought I knew what was going to happen, the story took a sharp twist! The characters were first class and I loved the fact that Eddie (a main character) was honest but had the knowledge and experience of a criminal as this made him more realistic. The last few pages were exceptional and I couldn't have determined it would end the way it did.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

Even though it was the fourth book in a series I’d never read, I felt compelled to give Thirteen a go after reading that amazing hook of a serial killer hiding in plain sight amongst the jury. It is just such a refreshing and original concept that I had to see how Steve Cavanagh approached it, even if it meant joining a series midway through. Luckily, Cavanagh makes his novel extremely accessible, possibly aware that this chapter may be more publicised than the preceding instalments and an alternative jumping-on point for readers. There are enough references to past events to intrigue readers to check out the previous three novels and novella, but no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy this book to its fullest. I came in as an Eddie Flynn virgin, and left as a fan.

Conman-turned-Lawyer Eddie Flynn is the charismatic lead of Steve Cavanagh’s novels and he reads like Jack Reacher blended with Better Call Saul. Devious and manipulative in the courtroom yet with a strong sense of justice, Flynn is willing to put himself in danger to protect the innocent and he certainly finds himself in plenty of danger in this novel when he is pitted against corrupt cops and a cold, merciless serial killer on the juror’s bench. Hired as the defence in a Hollywood murder trial, Eddie must prove his client’s innocence of a double homicide despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Clearly inspired by the OJ Simpson murder trial, I also wondered whether the Netflix series “Making a Murderer” had also influenced Cavanagh’s writing – especially the theory that Steven Avery was also framed by a serial killer – one who even attended the trial.

Cavanagh introduces readers to a different breed of serial killer in the form of Joshua Kane, a highly-functional psychopath whose detached methods of execution recalls memories of Javier Bardem’s inhuman Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. Unable to feel any sensation of pain, Kane is presented as a cold, remorseless killer who gains a perverse pleasure in framing the innocent for his brutal murders. Chapters alternate between Flynn and Kane’s perspective on the events in the courtroom, giving readers an uncomfortably close insight into the killer’s motivations and behaviour. While I found Kane to be a fascinating antagonist, it felt like there were some stretches in credibility sometimes to enable events to unfold.
 
As events escalated throughout the novel, I found myself become more and more engrossed in the trial itself to the point where I practically devoured the final third of the book in one sitting. I also loved how Cavanagh played with reader’s preconceptions, teasing us with a false sense of security so that just when the reader (and Flynn) thinks they know it all, he is able to pull the rug out from underneath us with another spectacular twist. I have to say that the final act was an intense, pulse-pounding conclusion to a roller-coaster ride of a novel. I have never read anything like it, and I couldn’t put it down. I would love to see this adapted for the big-screen, although there might be some difficult in maintaining some of the core twists and turns in a different medium.

I’ve never really been a fan of courtroom thrillers, but this novel was a complete joy to read from start to finish. Cavanagh maintained the tension in both inside and outside of the court, and I didn’t need a law degree to understand what was going on. Any moments of confusion were either on purpose, or explained in layman’s terms later on, making the novel extremely accessible for all audiences. I loved the theatre and misdirection that Flynn implements in his defence of Solomon, and I could really feel the impact of those damning revelations in the testimonies. The prosecutor is described as enjoying the sport of the courtroom, and reading the tennis-style back-and-forth between the two, I can see how it could become an addictive thrill.

Existing fans of the Eddie Flynn novels will find plenty to enjoy here, and will be no doubt gripped to the developments in the character’s personal life. However, the novel is extremely accessible and very enjoyable for those just joining the series like myself – in fact, I would argue that Thirteen is the perfect entry point for new readers. It has left me eager to catch up on Eddie Flynn’s past and discover more about the cases that led him to become estranged from his family. Those intrigued by the ingenious hook will be pleased to know that Cavanagh does the concept justice, crafting a breath-taking courtroom thriller that has plenty of twists and turns. I cannot praise this book enough – it was easily the most fun I’ve had on my eBook reader this year!