Another belter from Steve Cavanagh.

It’s exactly what you come to expect from this author-fast paced, snappy and oh so clever.

I love how he weaves all the parts of the story together, Ruby is a deliciously dark character and Mr Christmas is a great addition to keep you reading.

Highly recommend if you like a good crime thriller.

A gripping page turner full of twists and turns, several plots just enough characters which make it easy to follow. Almost at the end of the book before I figured out the conclusion would recommend

My first Steve Cavanaugh book, but after reading this, am going back to read all of the others!

Ruby Jackson is a nanny and general dogsbody to the neighbourhood, pitied as she used to live in the area until her father lost everything and left the family.

One night she witnesses a murder, she knows the victim very well, but also knows the murderer.......

Brilliant book, great characters. Highly recommended

Ruby Johnson is dangerous, and she witnesses a murder by accident but she knows the victim and the killer. What begins is a game of deathly murder.
Eddie Flynn is a conman turned trial lawyer who is defending an innocent man for the murder of the victim. But Ruby is using the knowledge she has to her advantage.
It's a great thriller with some complex characters but aren't we all... Ruby is a fascinating flawed character, with an interesting perspective of her problem is how the picture of the priest seems to talk to her telling her what she has to do and who to kill

I am recommending this book with five stars for a great thriller

This is the first book I’ve read by Steve Cavanagh and it was a great, fast paced thriller that can be read as a standalone.
Having said that, there were so many characters introduced during the first few chapters, it was quite confusing at first! Maybe if I’d read the other Eddie Flynn books, I would’ve known who everyone was and their connections.
The book starts with Ruby, who witnesses a murder and decides to use it to her advantage. So cold and calculating - what a great character!
I really warmed to Eddie Flynn and his colleagues who set out to prove the innocence of John Jackson, who has been falsely accused.
With a great sub plot, I couldn’t race through the pages quick enough to see how things would end.
It’s made me want to read the other books in the series too.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A tightly wound ball of mystery and deceit.

I really enjoyed this book, even though this is part of a larger series that I hadn’t read before. It took me a while to get into the narrative as there were lots of sun plots and chapters from different characters’ point of view. In particular I really enjoyed Bloch and Mr Christmas as characters, for me they were really interesting and quirky characters.

The start of the book is really engaging and thrilling but for me part 1 was a little bit of a struggle. I found it hard to keep up with all of the characters relationships and history (and there were a few!) and it’s where the whole book becomes completely tangled with multiple plots. I stick with it though and I’m glad I did because the writing and personalities in this book are fantastic. Once I got to midway through part 2 the pace of the book takes on a new level. Eddie Flynn is/was a conman and he was the perfect character to hide twists within as he always ‘had a plan!’.

I’d definitely pick up another from this series although I feel that perhaps this wasn’t the best one to begin with? The characters and the way in which they work together was reminiscent of PJ Tracey’s Monkeewrench novels, so fans of those (myself included) I believe will enjoy this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed the duality of Eddie trying to clear the name of a rich man accused of murdering his neighbour alongside the story of Ruby, who witnessed the murder but wants to use that information for her benefit.
There are plenty of thoroughly dislikeable characters (essential for a book set in a privileged neighbourhood!) and Ruby in particular steps off the page with her increasingly strange behaviour in one of the homes she cleans.
The book has several threads running through the main story, not least the bounty on Eddie's head and his relationships with an assassin or two but all the threads twist neatly into a thoroughly satisfying outcome!

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh is an unputdownable page turner from a master of the legal thriller genre. It is part of the ongoing Eddie Flynn series, and while I highly recommend reading those books for their entertainment value alone, this book works perfectly well as a stand alone. Fair warning though, if you pick up this one you will more than likely end up going back to read the rest of the series, it is just that good.
The protagonist Eddie Flynn is a con man turned lawyer, and he's not afraid to play a little dirty when the situation warrants it, something that can cause others to be more than a little annoyed by his tactics, especially when they are successful. In this book he is hired to defend a surgeon accused of murdering his neighbour. The surgeon loudly proclaims his innocence but the physical evidence is very much against him, the gun used was found in his house with a partial palm print and latent DNA that is a partial match. As the tagline of the book says, there is a witness, one that is more twisted than the killer. Meet Ruby, who works for the accused as a babysitter, and has apparently framed him. Why you ask? Well that is something that you will need to read the book to find out, but all I will say is that she is a fascinating character and one that will definitely keep you guessing about just how far she will go. Oh and remember how annoying Eddie can be? Well now someone has put a target on his back and it's open season for some of the country's most chilling assassins.
There is a lot going on in this book but never once was I confused, the pacing is perfectly on point and the different character perspectives kept me turning pages to see how all the plot threads would be woven together. Of course that was expertly done, and I hope that at least one of the characters introduced here makes a future appearance in the series .
Once again an excellent thriller, cannot fault it.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. So. This was a thing. As always, Cavanagh blows me away with his ability to weave intricate stories and build tension which is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. I have to read his books in daylight because the thriller aspect is truly captivating.

First off, we are introduced to a lot of characters very quickly. I will admit to not following who everyone was. There was also some confusion over “good” and “bad” guys. I’m not really sure what I was supposed to be feeling for everyone. I did get confused. At one point there were even two Johns. I think one was a fleeting mention but I still found myself double-taking and wondering why another name couldn’t be chosen for the ease of a reader taking in information. This is the reason for 4 stars from me.

All I will say is that Ruby is a superbly done character. She is nuanced and complex with a number of psychological issues. Whilst not ‘psychotic’, she is portrayed as exhibiting behaviours that are erratic and quite probably unstable with a traumatic past. It would be very easy to pigeonhole her into a typecast but Cavanagh deals with the nature of humans very well and I found that I didn’t just throw the book aside because of stereotypes. Bravo.

Overall, a great addition to the world of crime/thriller books. This one is a solid recommendation for anyone wanting a thriller with a twist (especially when the tagline tells you what that twist is!) I find I am still surprised, turning those pages faster and faster to find out what’s going to happen next. Well worth a read.

Another amazing book by Steve Cavanagh. The Eddie Flynn series is one of my favourites and each book is a welcome addition, I love the characters, the interactions and there's always a twist and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Ruby Johnson used to live on Manhattan's West 74th Street, with her parents. This is a very exclusive area, but the family lost everything, including their home, due to her father’s gambling. Her father disappeared leaving Ruby and her mother to deal with the aftermath.

Now she works on that very street as a maid to some of the wealthy families, but she hates not being ‘one of them’. Ruby knows all their precious secrets, so when she witnesses a murder in one of the homes, she sees an opportunity to make some cash and change her mother’s life - and her own!

Ruby knows the victim, and the killer, and so it is that she makes an anonymous call to the police and names the killer, but she’s telling a lie, and, as we eventually find out, she has a very good reason for doing so!

Eddie Flynn, conman turned lawyer, represents the man who Ruby named, and let’s not forget that this guy is completely innocent. However, Ruby is intelligent and extremely devious - she has some big plans and will endeavour to ensure that he is found guilty of murder in order to start her new life.

Eddie Flynn is not your average lawyer, he can be completely reckless, and plays dirty if he needs to, but you’d definitely want him in your corner.
Lots of twists and turns and a cold and clinical character in the guise of Mr Christmas (a name normally associated with love and joy) no sir, not on this occasion! Recommended.

Eddie Flynn is back!

I'm such a fan of this series. Great recurring characters and always a lot of twists and turns which means that it's just an amazingly enjoyable read. Highly recommend.

3.5/4

It's been a while since I read a Steve Cavanagh but I seem to remember enjoying it. I enjoyed bits of Witness 8 as well and the trial was really good.

The story started out quite explosively then settled into a convoluted murder and trial that ran alongside Eddie Flynn trying to dodge several assassins.

The main story deals with the murder of a socialite living in a fancy part of New York. The suspect, John Jackson, is a family man who denies the charge from the beginning but as the evidence mounts a witness comes forward to say they saw the whole thing.

On the whole it's a good story. However I'm notorious at not knowing what's going to happen next and it didn't take me long to work it out.

Apart from that I didn't really buy into the characters of Ruby or Mr Christmas who both felt very two dimensional. However the niggles are few and minor ones at that.

I'd recommend this for Eddie Flynn fans or just an enjoyable, fast-paced holiday read.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Headline for the advance review copy.

Witness 8 by Steven Cavanagh is the latest book in the Eddie Flynn series and the first book I have read in this fabulous series. I have heard very good things about this series, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Eddie Flynn is an ex con artist now a lawyer who is defending a Brain surgeon who is falsely accused of murder. Apparently, he killed a woman who lived on the influential street of the 74th.
Ruby used to be a resident of the street but after her fathers gambling her life fell apart. Ruby is a nanny of the defendant and Ruby is giving her testimony of what happened that day and who really killed their neighbour, but she is trying to frame her employer.
Do ever read an author for the first time and you feel like that you have come, and you have no problem fitting in. I found this to be a fabulous read and no problem resonating to the storyline. This has a great storyline and eccentric characters (especially Mr Christmas) and although it is an addictive thriller, there is a quite a bit of humour in it too. I loved all about this and I can’t wait to read more.

Flynn is back!! Fantastic book and actual page turner, left you wanting more after each chapter! 4.5 stars

As a fan of the Eddie Flynn series I was really pleased to get an arc of the newest book. As usual, it hooks you from the first chapter and takes you on a brilliant journey through the mind of Eddie as well as the 'villain' of the piece. No-one in these books is completely good or bad, resolutions aren't always clean and you're always left wanting the next one. (Copy received from Netgalley in return for an honest review)

There's one word that floated to my mind several times while reading this book – perfecton. I love courtroom dramas and this book is that and much, much more. Eddie Flynn does his thing with the team he's assembled over the years. I cannot fault it other than it should be longer. When's the next one coming out?

Is it just me or is every Eddie Flynn book better than the previous one? Lee Child did that with Jack Reacher for a while but Steve Cavanagh is achieving this feat consistently. Again, when's the next one coming out?

Its a while since I've read a Steve Cavanagh or Eddy Flynn novel, and I'd forgotten quite how fast paced and clever they are. The reader is led into a select neighbourhood with a seemingly kind and trusted nanny who witnesses a murder but doesn't report it, meanwhile Eddy and his team have their client's case dismissed, and in doing so upset the local police ..... and so begins a classic Cavanagh story of actions having consequences, but not always the expected ones, and Flynn and Co. trying to do the right thing, via a number of wrong ones and dodgy people!
Thank you to netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of this book

This is a good read. Ruby has always had issues and looking after other people’s homes and children was not her plan because she believes she is better than the neighbours who live in her selectvstreet. Then she sees a murder and that gives her the opportunity to arrange things to point the finger at the wrong man. She gets satisfaction out of doing that but also can blackmail the real murderer. The small neighbourhood is well drawn and the reader only gradually finds out what really happened. The book is well written and is a rewarding read. I recommend it.

The latest novel in the Eddie Flynn series sees the conman turned criminal lawyer .defend a neurosurgeon accused of murdering a neighbour.. Interesting characters.and fast moving.story. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.