THIRTEEN (EDDIE FLYNN #4) BY STEVE CAVANAGH | BOOK REVIEW

TITLE : Thirteen (Eddie Flynn #4)

AUTHOR : Steve Cavanagh

GENRE : Mystery, Crime Thriller, Legal Thriller

FR RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 Stars)

DATE OF PUBLISHING :   13 August 2019

FR REVIEW

DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Netgalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh is a legal thriller, courtroom drama, and murder mystery all rolled into an exceptionally clever story. The synopsis mentioned serial killers and I was invested. I have read a couple of serial killer stories and have enjoyed them a lot. All of them were thrillers and had the investigative angle to them. This one is not that different either. We follow two POVs one of an ex-con turned defense lawyer Eddie Flynn and the other of Kane, the serial killer. Bobby is the next big star in Hollywood and when his wife and bodyguard are found brutally murdered, he is charged with the murder. With the case being so high-profile the studio has hired the best team for Bobby. However, the defense team wants Eddie Flynn on their side and after Flynn takes the case, things start to pop up that makes him question the truth of the case. Meanwhile, Kane is clever and has escaped the law for a long time and he has no plans to stop anytime soon. He is bold, fearless, and is one step ahead of the game playing the trail like his personal toy. Eddie has to figure out a way to convince the jury that Bobby is innocent when all the evidence that has been gathered points to him being the murderer. One smart lawyer, one unhinged psychopath and a million clues left to pick up, we have one unputdownable book full of twists and turns to keep you up awake pulling an all-nighter. That’s what happened to me.

I had no idea this was actually a part of the series and I don’t know why I didn’t read the arc when I received it initially. Even though it’s part of a series, you can read it as a standalone, but I think it would be better to read the previous ones to get to know Flynn more. However, it got pushed back as I got busy with other arcs and I found myself forgetting about this one. Boy oh boy! What a story! This was a ride and I am still reeling from the suspense. And also now I am itching to read the other books in the series to know more about Eddie Flynn. The guy has caught my attention and I want to know more.

The story was so fascinating and the execution was perfect. I loved every moment of it and brought the right kind of tension and suspense to keep me going. I did not want to put it down and had to know what happened and who did it to get some peace of mind. The plot is not something that I have seen before and it was such a great twist. This was a clever story with great twists and turns making it such a great thriller. The writing was really smart and the uniqueness of the character voices brought forward well-developed and layered characters. Both Kane and Eddie are captivating in their own way and that makes it all the more thrilling to read how the two try to outsmart and outmaneuver each other. Eddie’s courtroom antics and theatrics are so entertaining to read about and I loved how it was executed.

Overall, this was an original and unique thriller in so many ways. The plot was ingenious and the execution was immaculate. The courtroom theatrics had me in their grasp the whole time. The smart characters, brilliant and unexpected twists all added to the enhancement. of this story. I gave the book 5 stars and highly recommend checking it out if you enjoy a who-dunnit style story that’s a legal thriller. Don’t let the courtroom drama style deter you from this gem or else you will be missing out on a brilliant thriller.

Do you read books mysteries/thrillers with serial killers in them? If so, please give me some recommendations so that I can check them out.

SYNOPSIS

The serial killer isn’t on trial.

He’s on the jury…

They were Hollywood’s hottest power couple. They had the world at their feet. Now one of them is dead and Hollywood star Robert Solomon is charged with the brutal murder of his beautiful wife.

This is the celebrity murder trial of the century and the defence want one man on their team: con artist turned lawyer Eddie Flynn.

All the evidence points to Robert’s guilt, but as the trial begins a series of sinister incidents in the court room start to raise doubts in Eddie’s mind.

What if there’s more than one actor in the courtroom?

What if the killer isn’t on trial? What if the killer is on the jury?