Brilliant. This is the first book by Steve Cavanagh and now I need to go and read the others. A fast paced court room read that I just couldn’t put down. There were times where I was shouting at the book. Everyone should read it!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started to read Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh, I used to read a lot of American crime books but now I rarely do and wondered whether this book would change that.

I loved the concept of having a trial influenced by someone on the jury, let alone that someone being the person who committed the crime that trial is for. But when I started the book I didn’t know that that was what the book was about, as I had heard about it from other bloggers and how much they had loved it so I read it on that alone. It didn’t take me long to work out and I have to say that I loved it, such a different concept to the standard court drama and one that hooked me and kept me right there, devouring the pages as I discovered just how far he was willing to go to get the result that he wanted.

What he hadn’t banked on was defence lawyer, Eddie Flynn, being brought in at the last moment and his different approach causes problems for our naughty juror. Eddie was a great character, totally believable and definitely a lawyer that I’d like to have on my side if I were ever to face a trial. He also provided some lighter relief from the darkness that surrounded the juror.

I really enjoyed reading Thirteen, it has a very clever premise and is well written and I was sad when it ended. I will definitely be reading more from Steve Cavanagh, and I will definitely be reading more American crime fiction again.

Thank you to the publisher, Orion Books, and Tracey Fenton, for a copy of Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh. I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

I absolutely loved Thirteen ,it really was one of those books that are hard to put down.It is a fast paced story about defence lawyer,ex con artist Eddie Flynn who is asked to defend a famous movie star accused of murdering his wife and bodyguard.The real killer is in the jury but which one is it ? The characters are so well written and the twists come thick and fast leaving me gasping at times ! This was a brilliant book that I didn't want to end .10 stars .
Many thanks to the Publisher,the Author and NetGalley for a review copy in return for an honest review.

Although I'd never read any of Cavanagh's novels previously, 'Thirteen' is a perfect stand alone novel. The plot itself - the murderer actually being on the jury himself - was something new to this genre and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the plot came together at the end - no spoilers! The two character arcs certainly made the most of the plot, but while I enjoyed 'Thirteen' as a stand alone, I wasn't completely compelled by Eddie Flynn as a character - possibly because I hadn't followed his journey so far. Altogether though, Cavanagh has given us a fresh look at the genre here, and it's one I'd definitely recommend.

A great read. Brilliant the whole way through. Steve Cavanagh keeps getting better and better. This book definitely lives up to the hype. The plot is wonderfully put together with so many well thought out twists and turns. Not everyone is as they seem. The idea of the murderer being on the jury had been excellently executed in every detail. I want to read this book again to get every detail. More Eddie Flynn please.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Who could resist a book with the tag line 'The serial killer isn't on trial, he's on the Jury' - not me! I'm so pleased that line caught my eye, this was a well written, fast paced courtroom drama with a highly likeable defence lawyer in Eddie Flynn and an eerie protagonist in Kane.

The style of the book took me a few chapters to get used to with the switch between first and third person depending on which character we were following but I soon got used to it and didn't really notice the switch for long as the narrative grabbed me and wouldn't let you. A real page turner of a novel that I stayed up far to late to finish.

I didn't realise until after I'd finished the book that this was not in fact the first Eddie Flynn novel - however this did nothing to spoil my enjoyment of Thirteen and I very much plan to go back and catch up on Eddie's previous outings.

With thanks to Orion and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all: the tagline, #thatbookthathook? Spectacular. The cover, with its stylised TH1RT3EN? Genius. The book itself? Bloody marvellous!

To start with, this was a step outside of the norm for me. I don't think I'd read any legal thrillers before and my only previous experience has been Perry Mason, The People v. O.J. Simpson and My Cousin Vinny! However, with its thrilling, twist-filled plot, Thirteen has converted me totally and I will definitely be reading the rest of this amazing series.

Thirteen is completely compelling from the first page. Despite knowing whodunit and what the set-up is going to be, watching it unfold is fascinating. Every step of the way is tense, gripping and suspense-filled and watching Joshua Kane's machinations is both impressive and terrifying. He is a great bogeyman and one of those chilling villains that, despite yourself, you are actually rooting for at certain points!

Eddie is also a great character: moral, smart, funny, brave - I grew really fond of him throughout the book and am looking forward to seeing more of him in the rest of the series. The supporting characters are also well-drawn and entertaining.

The complex plot is incredibly clever and Steve Cavanagh is extremely talented. The legal side of Thirteen is enthralling, the mystery is gripping and the twists: O.M.F.G! Yes, you might have to suspend your disbelief at one or two points but bloody hell it's worth it; I did and it was bloody brilliant!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orion for my copy of Thirteen and to Tracy Fenton for my stop on the Blog Tour.

Ok - a quick confession. When I read the synopsis for this book, I hadn't read any of this series, so I quickly read the first two and I have to say that each book gets better. This one has the premise that a serial killer manipulates trials by sitting on the jury. Yes it seems a little improbable but Cavanagh sells it well. There were a couple of times I went "Come on, really?", but for the most part it was a well-written high octane thriller and there was a nice dummy at the end there. I would definitely recommend this.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Orion Publishing Group, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Not knowing that this was the fourth book of a series I've read the book as a one-off and as Eddie Flynn is written in the first person one knows he is going to survive the trauma of murder and mayhem that envelops him. Nonetheless a book of suspense, twists and turns that makes it hard to put down.

Thirteen is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series, which is a legal procedural series. This book features a high-profile Hollywood murder case, where the defendant, Bobby Solomon, rising acting star, is accused of murdering of his wife Ariella and their bodyguard, Carl. The prosecution are determined to prove that the two victims were sleeping together and Bobby killed them in a murderous rage. Cue Eddie Flynn, former con artist turned defense lawyer. He's one of those guys who just wants to help people, and he's recruited by Bobby's legal team to help prove that he's innocent. But as Eddie works on Bobby's defence, it becomes clear that these murders may be the work of a serial killer. Oh, and the serial killer may also be on the jury of this case...

So before I start, let me just say. I'm not a huge fan of crime books that are told from the pov of a detective or police officer or even lawyer. Just a personal preference. But the concept of a serial killer infiltrating a jury was just too interesting not to read. And I have to say, it wasn't all that bad. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I don't think you had to to understand this book.

There were a few niggly bits. I didn't really enjoy the chapters from the pov of Kane. I don't really know why but they just didn't gel with me. Also, Eddie was a bit swarmy at times. Like too smart for his own good. But overall, like I say, it wasn't all that bad. Not sure if I'll read any of the other books, but this one was okay

The premise of Thirteen immediately caught my attention on NetGalley – the serial killer is not the one on trial, rather he is occupying a seat on the jury!

I had high hopes for this read and wow, it even surpassed my expectations.

Let me start by saying that this is actually the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series but you don’t have to have read the other three – I hadn’t and I loved it! Cavanagh makes his characters easily accessible to us, filling us in while, I imagine, refreshing the memories of long-term fans.

A Wee Summary
Hollywood actor Robert “Bobby” Solomon stands trial for the murder of his equally famous wife and their security guard. All the evidence points towards Bobby’s guilt, but Eddie Flynn finds himself believing in Bobby’s innocence and working his case.

All the while, Flynn is watched from the jury by Joshua Kane who has infiltrated the bench. With chapters told from both Flynn and Kane’s perspectives, we gain a fascinating insight into the minds of the defense lawyer and a highly intelligent killer.

My Thoughts
Cavanagh’s writing is brilliant. He provides us with just enough information that we find our own theories evolving, feeling compelled to read on.

I really liked the character of Flynn, an ex-con-man turned into a defense attorney. I knew I’d love him from the outset, with his tricks in courts piquing my interest.

The whole concept of the trial itself was fascinating to me. The evolving case kept me guessing, with Flynn and Kane head to head.

I don’t think there’s higher praise to give this book than to tell you that the minute I finished it, I downloaded Cavanagh’s first book in the series straight to my Kindle (it’s currently 99p). I’m so excited to learn more about Flynn.

I could gush all day about this book but I’m so wary of any spoilers. It really is an altogether fantastic read. It almost felt like a movie playing out in my mind. Read it!

I've read one other book in this series featuring former hustler turned lawyer Eddie Flynn, and was blown away by the storytelling.

Thirteen is an absolute adrenaline ride. Flynn is such a strong and plausible lead character you never lose faith with his judgement, no matter how off the wall it seems. He's sharp, funny and despite getting into situations from which there seems to be no way out, he takes the reader somewhere unexpected every time. As a British reader, he makes the procedures (sometimes farcical) of the American legal system easy to understand and uses the vagaries to his advantage. Steve Cavanagh's plotting is superb; so twisted it's impossible to predict the outcome and with Flynn's hands on attitude to danger and violence, it's also fast paced. I really enjoy the courtroom scenes which are tense and dramatic. This is gripping and clever stuff and I'm going to catch up on the rest of the books in the series. By far my American author of the moment for legal thrillers. Brilliant.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This was my first introduction to legal eagle Eddie Flynn, as I hadn’t read the books that came before this one (this works well as a standalone). I’ll gladly hunt down those books though!

So … Eddie Flynn … rather an unconventional and unexpected hero to be honest! From the outset I wasn’t quite sure if he was actually the good guy, and I couldn’t quite tell which side of the law he was on. He didn’t seem quite as savoury as I would have expected him to be. He’s on the verge of pulling his life together, being co-opted onto Rudy Carp’s team in a front-page legal case: Hollywood’s latest golden boy, hot-shot Bobby Solomon is accused of murdering his wife and security guard in cold-blood.

It’s obvious from the outset that Bobby’s not guilty here, as we meet one of the most ruthless, brutal sociopaths I’ve ever come across: Joshua Kane! Oh my goodness … Cavanagh’s created one of the most twisted individuals ever to stalk his way across the pages of a book (well, a kindle), and into most people’s nightmares!! He’s one mean, nasty, twisted piece of work. The only problem is … we don’t actually know who Kane is, but he’s sitting right there in the courtroom, on the jury!!

This isn’t only a cleverly plotted courtroom drama, it’s also an intricate and complex journey into the heart and mind of a deranged serial killer, made even darker by the fact that alternate chapters are narrated by Kane himself! As evil as he is, he’s also a character full of depth and charisma, and he’s oh, so brilliant!

Something else that caught my attention was the reference to police corruption – something we in South Africa tend to think is so unique to us!! It clearly isn’t and Cavanagh shows how corruption is rife everywhere, we just need to take off our rose-coloured glasses to notice it!

Get hold of Thirteen and hold on tight – it’s a helluva ride, but it’s a five star one, all the way!

Thank you so much to Tracy Fenton of THE Book Club on Facebook and the folks at Orion for inviting me along for this one.

Does someone want to slap my hands, I’ve been ever such a naughty reader, Steve Cavanagh books, I’ve never lifted one to read……….runs off to hide, but seriously I haven’t, more fool me, I have missed out on so much. Okay so I’ve read out of sequence, I know, I know very bad, but there was no way I was letting Th1rt3n pass me by, the Cover grabbed my attention, that tagline, that was me front an centre waiting for the book to download to my kindle. Nothing was going to stop me….

The serial killer isn’t on trial
HE’S ON THE JURY…

Really look that tagline its such a sucker punch, there was no way I was backing away from this one, who could……..Right lets get on with it, no more fooling around.

Th1rt3n by Steve Cavanagh is book #4 in the Eddie Flynn series and could be read as a standalone, but I think in my opinion I urge you to read the previous books to get the full comprehension of who Eddie Flynn is and how he got to this point. Yes I read out of sync and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book, so now I have laid claim to go and purchase the rest of the series. I want to know all about Eddie Flynn.

A high octane murder trial, a con-man turned defence lawyer, a Hollywood actor Robert Solomon stands accused of murdering his head of security and his wife, then there’s the sting in the tale the killer is amongst them….. he’s on the Jury, what the hell yip you read that right, an instant grab you scenario. Its not unusual for a writer to parade the killer hidden in plain sight, but hidden within the Jury what a genius.

A battle between two ensues, Eddie Flynn and Joshua Kane, who will prevail will Eddie discovery the identity of the serial killer before Robert becomes another of Kane’s innocents who languish in prison or will Kane fulfil his game and defeat the justice system once again.

I really liked Eddie he seemed strangely charismatic but also is a shell of his previous self, he has lost his marriage and maybe his daughter, he has developed a drink problem and seems to land himself in endless trouble even if its not his fault, think I have a penchant for the Bad Boy turned Good. Kane on the other hand is volatile, emotionless, and has a perception that dreams and ambitions are not worthy to some, therefore they must suffer the consequences as he has done.

Steve has written Th1rt3n with a certain fluidity, the narrative flows seamlessly, trouncing my very beliefs at times that I knew which one of the Jury members was the killer, but no Steve you have to go and stick another resounding distorted scenario in my path, I gasp then I carry on.

The finality of the book came all too soon for me, I wanted to keep myself from the ending, I was thoroughly immersed in the whole plotline and I didn’t want there to be a final page……. although I’m finished with Th1rt3n, my journey with Eddie Flynn and Steve Cavanagh has only just begun…….

My thanks go to Orion Crime Books, Steve Cavanagh, Lauren at Orion and Tracy Fenton for the advanced readers copy of Th1rt3n in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Absolutely brilliant! There were so many twists and turns in this book that every time I felt I knew what was happening there was another “omg” moment!

Absolutely loved this book!

This is the first that I have read by the author and certainly wont be my last. This is part of a series which I didn't realise until after I read the book so it can definitely be read has a standalone. The tagline totally sold it to me...

The serial killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury

I was hooked from the very first page where the story starts off with a cracking prologue then we are taken on gripping story that has totally blown me away. this story is so well crafted you need to read it yourself.

It's not everyday you get to read a story with plenty of court room scenes in it. But the author has done his research making me feel like I was there in jury. In fact this story would make a brilliant movie! It is one hell of a pulse racing read, which is full of tension not to mention OMG moments.

Thirteen is an outstanding read I am just left wondering why I haven't read any of his books before I loved Eddie Flynn and I am dying to read all the other books in this series.

What more can I say but I freaking loved it...I can't recommend it enough giving it all the stars.

Terrific book. Just my type of thriller. What a clever idea. A serial killer insinuating himself onto the jury. Ok so there were a couple of weaknesses and gaping holes in the plot but overall this was a real page turner. I didn’t want to put this down. It’s the first Steve Cavanagh book I have read and you don’t need to have read the others before you tackle this but you’ll certainly want to after reading Thirtten.

The murderer is on the jury, but as a master of disguise, and feeler of no physical pain, will be ever be caught? A five star idea, which I gave 4 stars for as it was good but didn’t keep me gripped and I found myself able to put it down for long periods of time, which means I can’t give it that 5th star. Action packed at the end, so make sure you’re in a focussed frame of mind!

'The serial killer isn't on trial........he's on the jury!'

Thirteen (book 4 in the Eddie Flynn series) follows the story of a man who has been arrested for the murder of his wife and 'supposed' lover.  Eddie is a lawyer that has been invited to defend Robert Solomon, a well known Hollywood actor who proclaims he's innocent, but don't they all?  Could he be telling the truth?  Flynn is determined to find out.

I've not read any of Steve Cavanagh's books before but after countless recommendations for this one on my online book club and and a tagline like the one above, how could I not? This is an intense legal thriller, quite gory in places, with a unique storyline that keeps you hooked from start to finish and just when you think you've figured it all out, the author hits you with a twist that makes your jaw drop and you're left reeling!  I will definitely be going back to the beginning of this series and reading the other three books now.

Thank you to Orion for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

Eddie Flynn, conman turned lawyer is asked to join the legal team who are defending an actor accused of murdering his wife and their security man. When the legal team drop out, Eddie goes it alone, as he believes the suspect is not guilty and not only is there a killer on the loose but they may also be on the jury.

This could be the summer blockbuster of 2018, its clever and entertaining and will keep you reading throughout the night. Perfect for fans of John Grisham.

My only reservation is that you have to suspend your disbelief around the plot concerning Kane and how no one suspects anything even after the first death.