‘Joshua Kane was not like other people. There was no one like him.’
Luckily, there’s no one quite like Eddie Flynn, either. Ex-conman, now a defence attorney, Flynn has a moral code and a knack for tricks that makes him enemies but, crucially, wins cases.
Welcome to another thrilling courtroom drama from Steve Cavanagh, heir to John Grisham’s throne and writer of multiple Eddie Flynn stories. This outing’s high concept twist? The serial killer is on the jury…
What’s it about?
A celebrity is on trial for the brutal murder of his wife, but he insists he isn’t guilty. Eddie Flynn is recruited to prove his innocence, while the defendant is hiding something and the prosecutor is determined to find it…
Meanwhile, Joshua Kane has inviegled his way onto the jury and he’s determined to complete his own agenda. Can Eddie really win this case? Or will it cost him his life?
What’s it like?
Fast-paced with a cliff-hanger closing almost every chapter, Cavanagh switches the narrative focus back and forth between Kane and Eddie as the trial rushes towards a shocking conclusion.
This is not your typical lawyer; Eddie is a magnet for trouble and his opening scene, in which he defends a client set up by a corrupt cop, beautifully elucidates his moral stance and penchant for showmanship. Expect Eddie to get hurt in ways that you might think would be trial or even life ending as he refuses to back down from defending a client he believes is innocent.
Kane is a brutal killer and the reader witnesses him at work, but the focus is on strategy rather than gore; the violence isn’t described excessively.
Final thoughts
If you can sufficiently suspend your disbelief, this is an exciting courtroom drama. Eddie Flynn – and Joshua Kane – may both seem almost omniscient and omnipotent at points, but their supporting cast provide vital twists and turns.
This is the fourth book in the series but, having read and really enjoyed Cavanagh’s first Eddie Flynn book, ‘The Defence’, many years ago, I read this essentially as a standalone and it worked fine with just the right amount of backstory included.
I disliked the final twist, which explained a lot but seemed to completely contradict an earlier scene, but thoroughly enjoyed the ride and look forward to reading more of Cavanagh’s courtroom thrillers.
