Member Reviews
OK, so I tried. I really really tried to slow my reading of this book down and pace myself to enjoy it slowly. Needless to say I did not succeed slowing down but enjoy it! I love this series and the characters! I didn't feel like there were a lot of twists in this one but the ones that exist are great! More than the twists, I really enjoyed the way Eddie cons his way through complicated situations, reading about his creative strategies is always a hoot and the highlights of this story. Love all the characters in Eddie's crew and was definitely surprised by the ending.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!
I’m a big fan of Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, about a con-man turned hotshot New York lawyer who creates courtroom theatre to win his cases, but of course has a heart of gold and will only defend those he believes to be innocent, as well as being accomplished with sleight of hand and street brawling. Yes, it’s total wish-fulfilment, and you have to suspend disbelief, but the court drama is always riveting, until the last couple of novels in the series, which have taken a downward turn. At least The Accomplice was only forgettable, but I was properly disappointed by Witness 8. It felt hastily thrown together compared to earlier Eddie Flynn novels, with little of the intricate legal material that I most enjoy, and the scattergun switching between so many different viewpoints was distracting. Sadly, Cavanagh’s writing has taken a downward turn too, and it suddenly feels like he’s writing down to his reader, which hasn’t been the case in the past. Witness 8 also relies on some really hammy, repetitive plot twists regarding secondary characters. Sadly, I’m starting to wonder if Flynn has run his course. This feels more psychological thriller than legal drama, and Cavanagh might be better off turning to more stand-alones - I enjoyed his recent Kill For Me Kill For You.
New York gangsters and a vindictive girl. There are murders, Neo-Nazis, dodgy lawyers, money laundering and a girl who talks to a long-dead cardinal's portrait. Then there's a hitman called Mr Christmas. Part crime, part courtroom drama, this is a fast-paced and twisty tale. Another great read by Steve Cavanagh, once you get your head round where everyone fits in.
I loved this book, I think it's his best yet! We rejoin Eddie Flynn and pals who are defending a man accused of murdering his neighbour in a seemingly impossible to win trial. As with all his books there's plenty of action taking place outside the courtroom too.
It's a fast paced thriller with plenty of twists that will leave you unable to put the book down until you reach end. A must read. A couple of new characters have been introduced who I suspect/hope we'll see in future books.
The intriguing description of this book is what drew me to it. I have not read any books by this author before, but after reading Witness 8, I will be sure to rectify that.
This is so much more than your usual legal story of guilty/not guilty. There are several threads to the story, with characters that are unique and memorable.
When I realised that Eddie Flynn had appeared in previous books, I was worried about stepping into the middle of a series of books, but I needn’t have worried. The story stands alone, and while there are clearly references to previous stories, they did not affect the flow or impact at all.
Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I will now be looking for previous titles!
I have been eagerly awaiting the next Eddie Flynn book. Boy I couldn't put it down
I loved it. Hooked from the beginning to the end
Thank you for the opportunity to review
This series just gets better and better! Eddie’s back and doing what he does best, using his wits to defend the innocent. The characters are so well written I even found myself rooting for the antagonists, Ruby and Mr Christmas. Brilliant storyline, intriguing characters, twists galore, what more could you want?!
Thank you Netgalley, Headline and Steve Cavanagh for this ARC.
Another cracking lawyer/court room drama with depth of character, and a simulating story draws you in and wont let go, its not a John Grisham and stands alone in style. Let me share a few lines from the book:
Murder was always personal. The more Mr Christmas delved into Flynn (our Lawyer) and his history the more intriguing he became. Flynn was a man with a foot in two worlds, a gifted trial lawyer , but his past even more intriguing, son of a small time grifter excelling as a con artist he practically inherited a life of crime.
How many trial lawyers can bring the best of both worlds to court and get away with it. Just read it.
This is my unbiased review thank you publisher and the author for a free pre published review copy.
My first Steve Cavanagh read and it did not disappoint! I’ve seen his name everywhere for a few weeks now and I was so excited to be able to review this book. I finished it in 1 sitting, I totally devoured it! I love the suspense and how fast paced it was. I love a good thriller and immediately bought 2 more of his books to try out.
I’ve long been a fan of Steve Cavanagh and Eddie Flynn and so I eagerly await every new installment with bated breath. I really enjoyed Witness 8, I found I couldn’t actually put it down at times. This series has real heart, with recurring characters that you end up quite invested in as well. I love the way that the author can create such a tangled web of stories that all intermingle without ever giving anything away in relation to the threads of the others. I’ll never not recommend this series and Witness 8 is an excellent addition.
Eddie Flynn is an ex conman turned lawyer, he states there's not much difference in the two roles. And in this latest novel he certainly needs to keep his wits about him as a contract is placed on his head.
Ruby is a babysitter and cleaner for the wealthy on 74th Street, a street she knows well as she was brought up there before her dad lost all their money.
John Jackson and his wife Alison employ Ruby to look after their 7 year old Son. Their life implodes when he's accused of the murder of a neighbour, Maggs, when Eddie is invited to take on the case all the stories are entwined.
This is a great series but can be read as standalone, Eddie doesn't work in a standard way expected for lawyers, his shady past gives him access to characters that assist him in sometimes underhand tactics, but if he feels his client is innocent then he goes above and beyond to keep them out of jail. I love the books, they're fast paced and unputdownable.
Eddie Flynn is back! I absolutely love this series of books, as with the others this was brilliant. The storyline was great and kept me intrigued. I really liked that the book wrapped up all the storylines whilst managing to leave an opening for the next book! An absolute must read.
Absolutely brilliant! I'm a big fan of this series, so was so excited to get started. Ruby is a troubled character that you can't help but route for. She witnesses a murder and tried to blackmail the killer to give her mum a better life. Lots of twists and surprises had me shouting at the book at one point! Read this you will not be disappointed
Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh has reminded me how much I need to read all his other hard to put down books. Another highly entertaining, white-knuckle read with lots of Hitchcockian twists. The characters are well drawn, adding an even deeper layer to the story. I found this belter of a page-turner a real treat.
Ruby Johnson, a nanny to wealthy families, is well versed with secrets and the inner workings of their private lives. But when she witnesses a murder, it is even more shocking when she recognises both the victim and the perpetrator. After making an anonymous tip-off to the police in which she names John Jackson, a paediatric brain surgeon as the villain, you wonder if she has bitten off more than she can chew.
Jackson, now accused of murder, assures Eddie Flynn, a former grifter and now a brilliant lawyer, of his innocence. But will Flynn be able to save Jackson from a crime of which he may have been framed? Can he convince a power-hungry DA and a few corrupt law enforcement officers too? It’s a tough task, but Flynn’s team are familiar with tough cases, and this may be yet another tortuous puzzle they can crack.
These are characters you love to return to, bursting with enthusiasm and filled with the warmth of family. But can they defend Jackson when there is so much evidence stacked against him? In the meantime, Eddie is the target of a hitman and must use all the conman skills from his past to find out who is targeting him and why. Who is the scary Mr Christmas and what does he want?
An ingeniously constructed plot, brilliant and twisty and with all the hallmarks of Cavanagh’s previous books. Many thanks to Netgalley, Headline and the author for the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book.
Wow, what a read! I haven’t read any of the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh before but I will certainly be hunting them out now – this one grabbed me from the first page and never let go.
Eddie Flynn is a former con man now working as a lawyer in New York, and has been hired to prove the innocence of a rich man accused of murdering his female neighbour. Running alongside this is the story of Ruby, nanny to the man’s children, who witnessed the murder and knows of her employer’s innocence but is trying to frame him.
Either one of these storylines would have made a great standalone novel but putting them together is a brilliant move. Ruby is a troubled and fascinating character and her motives and behaviour are very difficult to read, with the true story only becoming clear at the very end. Eddie himself, and the unconventional group that works with him, are very believable and the author’s previous work as a lawyer himself makes the technical details all the more authentic.
Once I started this book I found it impossible to put down. The market for this type of thriller can seem a little overcrowded at times but Witness 8 is genuinely one of the best I’ve read and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Thank you to the author, publishers Headline and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.
Ruby Johnson is the sole witness to a murder. She knows who did it, but when she makes an anonymous tip off to the police she gives the wrong name. The man she names is Eddie Flynn’s client, pulling Eddie and his team in to a complex case trying to uncover the truth and save an innocent person.
I raced through this book all in one day with my heart in my mouth as the tension ratcheted up and I wondered if all of my favourite characters would make it to the end of the book. The world Eddie Flynn lives in is dangerous, and while he does it for all the right reasons, the risks he takes put more than just him in harm’s way. And the author makes full use of that knife edge Eddie walks on to really put his readers through emotional turmoil.
This is the second book in this series where I’ve been swearing at the author under my breath for putting a favourite character in the crosshairs. And at the same time being unable to out the book down as if my reading and hoping was the only thing that gave them a chance to survive.
I’m still waiting for my heart to stop racing, because once again the pace was kept up right to the end.
This is technically part of a series. But thankfully you don't really need to read them all to understand what's going on. Which is a good thing for me.
While this didn't grip me as well as a previous book by Steve did I did still enjoy the book.
The writing was a good pace that at no point did the story feel like it was dragging.
BRILLIANT! Steve Cavanagh is one of my favourite authors and he never disappoints!
I swear this series of books just gets better and better each time - IF that’s possible! Cavanagh really is the best of the best when it comes to legal crime thrillers with twists and turns to keep you enthralled!
This is a must read for all thriller fans! Five-star read by a five-star author.
The new Eddie Flynn!!! Yes please, how I've missed you!!! Our favourite book lawyer is back and he and his team's latest case is to defend John Jackson who has been accused of murder. The evidence against the man is stacking up, but he protests his innocence and Eddie believes him. We also have a separate storyline of Ruby Johnson, the only witness to the murder that Jackson is being accused of. Can Eddie and his team prove his innocence and find the real murderer?
This was a fab read!! I do love this author and have read all the Eddie Flynn books! Eddie is a great character and a super smart lawyer! He doesn't always do everything by the book, but that is what's so fun about him!! He has his work cut out on this case however as all the evidence leans towards his client being guilty. Whilst all this is happening, Eddie also has a price on his head with several hitmen on his tail. Thankfully he has his trusted team to watch his back and I absolutely love Bloch and Lake's characters!!
The storyline was fast paced, full of action and there was always something waiting to happen! I was hooked into the book right from the beginning and couldn't put it down once started. There were lots of twists and turns throughout and the mystery of where Ruby fits into it all was exciting. Mr Christmas's character was also an added bonus, being frightening yet likeable at the same time!! It was a pleasure to have Eddie Flynn back!! Would definitely recommend!
I don’t mow why but I just didn’t love this book like I thought I would. I found the story too long and started to lose interest. The ending was good but I only continued reading it because I told myself I should. Maybe it was just my mood at the time, or maybe this author/series isn’t for me. This is by no means a bad book, it just wasn’t my favourite.