Thursday 14 February 2019

Review ~ The Eddie Flynn Series by Steve Cavanagh



One of my favourite crime series ever! From a lawyer's POV, suspense, intrigue, twists aplenty!


Book Description: The Defense ~ Eddie Flynn #1

Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter, Amy. Eddie only has forty-eight hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if he wants to save his daughter.

Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

**Featuring an extract from Steve Cavanagh's new thriller, The Plea**

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Book Description: The Plea ~ Eddie Flynn #2

When David Child, a major client of a corrupt New York law firm, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to persuade him to testify against the firm.

Eddie is not someone who is easily coerced, but when the FBI reveal that they have incriminating files on his wife, he knows he has no choice.

But Eddie is convinced the man is innocent, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. With the FBI putting pressure on him to secure the deal, Eddie must find a way to prove his client's innocence.

But the stakes are high - his wife is in danger. And not just from the FBI . . .

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Book Description: The Liar ~ Eddie Flynn #3

***WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD 2018***

A MISSING GIRL. A DESPERATE FATHER.
A CASE WHICH WILL TEAR THEM APART.

'Plotting that takes the breath away' Ian Rankin

'A fantastic thriller writer' Mark Billingham

* * * * *

WHO IS DEADLIER ...

Leonard Howell's worst nightmare has come true: his daughter Caroline has been kidnapped. He can't rely on the cops, so Howell calls the only man he trusts to get her back.

THE MAN WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH

Eddie Flynn knows what it's like to lose a daughter and vows to bring Caroline home safe. Once a con artist, now a hotshot criminal attorney, Flynn is no stranger to the shady New York underworld.

... OR THE ONE WHO BELIEVES A LIE?

However, as he steps back into his old life, Flynn realizes that the rules of the game have changed - and that he is being played. But who is pulling the strings? And is anyone in this twisted case telling the truth...?

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Gqi8Ri (paperback)



Book Description: Th1rt3en ~ Eddie Flynn #4

THE SERIAL KILLER ISN'T ON TRIAL.

HE'S ON THE JURY...

****************

'Books this ingenious don't come along very often.' Michael Connelly

'THIRTEEN is my favourite read of the year.' Sarah Pinborough

'Outstanding.' Lee Child

'Smart and original. This is a belter of a book.' Clare Mackintosh

****************

'To your knowledge, is there anything that would preclude you from serving on this jury?'

Murder wasn't the hard part. It was just the start of the game.

Joshua Kane has been preparing for this moment his whole life. He's done it before. But this is the big one.

This is the murder trial of the century. And Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house.

But there's someone on his tail. Someone who suspects that the killer isn't the man on trial.

Kane knows time is running out - he just needs to get to the conviction without being discovered.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Ifec7H (pre-order)

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna 

The Defense ~ 4.5 stars
The Plea ~ 4.5 stars
The Liar ~ 4.5 stars
Th1rt3en ~ 5 stars

 I read Twisted by Steve Cavanagh after a recommendation in the group Crime Fiction Addicts and absolutely loved it. This led me to look at other books by this author, and so the Steve Cavanagh marathon began, I could not put this series down. Four books devoured in three days and they weren’t short! Early starts and late nights were the order of the day with my earbuds permanently fixed, and I soon realised I had found another favourite crime author. 

I love legal dramas and add the crime aspect into it, and I had the best dessert with a cherry on top. This was the perfect blend of both with serial killers, suspense and intrigue and one of the most lovable lawyers ever. Eddie Flynn was not your usual lawyer; bad boy turned good with the right guidance from one of the good guys, who is now a senior judge. Eddie was a con-man, and when up in court in front of said Judge Harry Ford, using his gift of the gab, he got himself off the charges The judge was impressed and told Eddie he had the gift and should think about law school. Under the judges’ tutelage, Eddie turned his life around until he became disenchanted with lawyer life. Now forced out of his self-imposed retirement, Eddie returns when a slew of cases come his way. Only defending the innocent, Eddie is tested to his limits over these four books with police and FBI impeding and helping in various guises. 

Eddie was definitely a natural and I loved the way the author put Eddie front and centre in these cases. Going above and beyond, proving his client's innocence, immersing himself into the investigations and solving them before the relative authorities. Eddie’s old con-man life helps in many ways and being able to think like a criminal only aids his case building and solving. 

Each book is different and unique and as this series progresses the plots just get twistier and more developed as Steve Cavanagh hits his stride and the gem that is Th1rt3en is testament to that. The in-court drama is what really brings this book to life as some others I have read centre on what happens outside. However, Steve Cavanagh takes you through the trials, with the opening arguments, cross-examinations and summations and even jury selection at some points. Steve Cavanagh brings the courtroom to life, and you are just as enthralled inside as you are out. 

With fantastic side characters, this series has something for everyone, and there is definitely never a dull moment. Eddie’s moral character and personality are what drives this series, and his stalwart, tenacious attitude both in and out of the courtroom are what cements him as a firm favourite of mine. With plot twists I never saw coming, every single one of these books kept me on my toes, adrenaline pumping. Not once did I guess the twists, each book had my jaw hitting the floor, each book had me second guessing everything. The relationship between Eddie and Judge Harry Ford is perfection and only adds to this series. Fast paced, action packed and taughtly written, this is one series that held me from the first page of the first book to the last page of the last. Now I feel bereft, Eddie Flynn is missing from my life, and I can only hope that Steve Cavanagh writes quick because I need my next Eddie fix.

Tuesday 5 February 2019

Review ~ Twisted by Steve Cavanagh


Book Description:

BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THREE THINGS:

1. The police are looking to charge me with murder.
2. No one knows who I am. Or how I did it.
3. If you think you've found me. I'm coming for you next.

After you've read this book, you'll know: the truth is far more twisted...

Buy Links:

Amazon UK Kindle: https://amzn.to/2BkAPlb
Amazon UK Audible: https://adbl.co/2SdDPdC
Amazon US: Not available

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars

I am still on my crime thriller kick and to be honest, I cannot get enough them, and this one ticked all my boxes. Set around the literary world, this one had me hooked from first to last page, and I couldn’t put it down. I tend to listen to my thrillers rather than read them, enjoying the narration as the narrators get into character and give that suspenseful edge, and in this case, the narrator did just that. The author does a fantastic job, and the book certainly lives up to its title, the ending I never saw coming and the overall “winner,” if you can call the person that, left a bitter taste. But alas, conniving is the name of the game.

This was definitely a rollercoaster of a ride with some seriously unhinged characters, but it is this that just made this book. In this case insanity bred creativity, and murder created best selling books. JT LeBeau is a best-selling crime author, and as soon as his books are released they go straight to number one and stay there. Superbly talented, written under a pseudonym and no-one knows his true identity, not even his publisher. Anyone that does find out his true identity ends up dead and the main character in his next book.

Steve Cavanagh gently brings the characters to life in the beginning, but when the story really gets into its own, the hits just keep coming. I had to rewind a few times just to make sure I understood what was said which often left the jaw-dropping at the most inopportune times. My brain was running a mile a minute as I tried to piece together the clues and just when you thought you had it sussed, Steve Cavanagh spins it in another direction.

Twisted was certainly an entertaining read, sick and twisted with plenty of suspense and intrigue and a fast-paced plot that won’t let you get off the ride. My earbuds were permanently cemented into my ears until the last dulcet tone of the narrator had wormed its way into my psyche and the jigsaw pieces that had been missing throughout, finally slotted into place. Trust no-one, trust nothing you read and you’re good to go. I will definitely be reading more from this author, and if this is anything to go by, I am in for a treat.