⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh


“Here was a man who’d murdered for pleasure. It was a game. Only this wasn’t a man. This was one of the monsters.”

Thank you to Orion and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book!

This was a wonderful court room thriller that does not let up! Robert Solomon and Ariella Bloom are the latest Hollywood hot couple. When Ariella is found brutally murdered in bed next to their security guard, all evidence points to Robert being responsible for their deaths. Eddie Flynn ends up as the primary defence attorney for Robert and as he investigates, he links these murders to several other case and realizes that they may actually be dealing with a serial killer. He believes the killer is in the courtroom, but he’s not the one on trial.

This was such a fast paced book with lots of moving parts and many important characters but Steve Cavanagh manages to introduce them all wonderfully. I loved flipping between the detective and the killers view and watching the trial unfold from their perspectives. The way that Cavanagh wrote this serial killer story is mind blowing and bone chilling! Joshua Kane is truly a brilliant and terrifying character. Although this is the fourth instalment of the Eddie Flynn stories, I still felt that as a reader you get to learn a lot about his backstory and he is a very likeable detective. Thirteen works well as a stand-alone book but I still look forward to going back and reading the other Eddie Flynn novels! This one certainly kept me up past my bedtime!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary e-copy of THIRTEEN by Steve Cavanagh in exchange for my honest review

Eddie Flynn, an ex con man, is a defense lawyer in NYC. His new case has been swept up by the media because his client, Bobby Solman, is a movie star that is charged with killing his wife and head security. The evidence they have on Bobby is incredible but Eddie believes him.

The other POV we hear is of Joshua Kane. He is an intelligent serial killer and has managed to get a seat on the jury! I haven’t read too many courtroom dramas and now I am a fan! I love the back to back arguments between the lawyers!

The suspense that is built up in the court room scenes is electric and I had real difficulty putting this book down. I don’t think I’ve ever come across this concept before, and that’s a rarity these days.

But as strange as the concept may seem the story is very believable, and completely engrossing.

Definitely a MUST read.

The serial killer on the jury! Smart, bold, original, and it kept my interest throughout! I highly recommend! I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really liked this book and the writer's style. The pace was good and kept my attention. I liked that ethe ending was not predictable. I will definitely read more fro. Mr. Cavanaugh. Thank you!

WOW! Amazing book!! Started reading and just couldn't stop myself. There is so much suspense, drama and mystery in this book. Eddie is defending a Hollywood actor accused of killing his wife and bodyguard and a serial killer ends up in the jury with a purpose. What could possibly happen!? Riveting and Outstanding! Definitely recommend!

This was the first book I read in the Eddie Flynn series and am excited to go back and read the others. The concept of this book is excellent. Although I enjoyed Eddie’s POV much more than Kane’s, overall I was very entertained by the entire story.

I do not really enjoy courtroom dramas, but this one is a courtroom with a difference - the defence lawyer is Eddie Flynn.

I have not read any books in this series before so I was not familiar with Eddie and his methods, but I quickly came to enjoy him very much indeed. He has very strong personal beliefs in fairness and justice but is always ready to use a con in court if it will lead him to the right end. He is also very smart.

Almost as smart as the murderer who is not even being tried but has insinuated himself onto the jury! Both of them were much smarter than me as I had absolutely no idea which of the jurors was our man. I dutifully followed all the author's red herrings and got it completely wrong.

This was a really exciting read. It moved fast, the characters were interesting, the death count was beyond belief! It is a fun book. Don't try and analyse it, just dive in and enjoy it.

What a interesting take on your usual serial killer mystery thriller. I didn't even expect the twist! What a fun read.

Book Description

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?

My Thoughts

This is the fourth book in Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn series and though I rarely jump into a series, not having read the prior books....well, come on.....that tag on the cover! There was no way I was going to let this one get by me, and I am happy to say that it worked fine as a stand-alone. I tried thinking of one book I had read where the killer is a member of the jury, and nothing clicked....not saying it hasn't been done, but I thought it was so clever!
Robert Soloman is on trial for murder. He swears he is innocent and when Eddie Flynn joins his legal team, he believes Robert. This is an important point because it is a huge part of Eddie's character. Unlike some lawyers, Eddie will not represent a client that he thinks is guilty, so no matter how much the 'evidence' suggests Robert is guilty, Eddie will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth and make sure that justice is served.
The POV shifts from Eddie to Joshua Kane, aka, the serial killer and both perspectives kept me riveted to this suspenseful story. A beach read for me, and an enjoyable afternoon getting to know Eddie and hoping he would figure out who was on the jury. The prior books are now on my TBR list!
Steve Cavanagh won the 2019 Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year! Congratulations!
I received a DRC from Flatiron Books through NetGalley. The US publication date is August 13th!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Orion Publishing through Net Gallery in exchange for an honest review.

I am not one that usually reads crime thrillers or anything to do with law. I just never find it exciting. However, this book caught my eye a few weeks ago, before I even received an ARC to review it. I am so thankful I did because I do not think I would have picked it up for a long time. Not because I didn’t think I would enjoy it, but because I would probably want to see more reviews on it before I decided to spend money on it. That is probably a terrible thing for me to say, but in the end, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to spread it throughout the book community!

So, where do I begin? Well I’d like to make it know that despite the fact that this book is labeled as Eddie Flynn #4 it is fitting just as a stand alone. Cavanagh does a really great job in explaining Eddie’s background and all the people in his life. At certain points I was a bit confused with his affiliation and feelings towards certain characters so I will definitely need to revisit the books prior to this one.

However, I do not recommend this book to the faint of heart because oh. my. God. The way people are killed in this book is terrible. Also, I am now scared of the world because the way people are framed in this book. I can’t. I am never going outside again… I say this as I am currently as work.

Th only downside I have is that a lot of things are thrown at you towards the end and it did confuse me. Maybe it is because I don’t read crime thrillers much so I couldn’t follow. Though, despite that, I do recommend this book as that miscommunication was probably just a “me” problem. So if you’re into crime thrillers or action packed novels, this book is definitely for you.

If you would like to see my review in addition to the spoiler section, please check out my blog!

Thirteen is the 4th book in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series. While this book can stand alone, I feel that the reading may be more engaged with the main character if they knew more of his back story.

Bobby Solomon, one of the hottest actors of the time is on trial for the murder of his also famous wife and their chief of security. In this case, the killer is not the defendant but a serial killer so intent on getting away with his crime that he works his way onto the jury.

Bobby’s hot shot legal team finds Eddie Flynn, a local defense attorney who is not afraid to go after the police department but as the trial gets under way and more information comes to light, Eddie turns out to be Bobby’s only hope. Eddie employs everything from legal maneuvering to sleight of hand to keep Bobby from going to jail for the rest of his life but it might not be enough as the serial killer works from the inside to gut the jury.

This was a an interesting mix of police procedural and psychological thriller.

I found the pacing of the first third of the book to be a little slow and disjointed. There were a few course changes so fantastically improbably that I found them to be unbelievable. The story telling really picks up as the trial begins and there are enough twist and turns and red herrings to keep the reading guessing and surprised.

The entire novel is written without a setting in the sense that nothing was described, not the wood grain of the bench, the leather interior of the car, the leaves on the trees. Just as in books where the setting is so important as to become its own character, the lack of setting in this book was just as glaringly noticeable and made everything read in grey-scale.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange to my honest opinion.

A brutal double murder has been committed and a Hollywood star with a dream legal team is in the hot seat. He may be innocent but unfortunately for him a serial killer is not only on the loose, he's on the jury. The reader's eye view into one of the most ruthless, psychopaths ever written was a perplexing puzzle of serpentine twists layered with tense, gripping courtroom drama. Prepare for a all-nighter because you will not want to put this book down! One of the best thrillers I've read all year!

Have I been living under a rock?? How have I not discovered Steve Cavanagh before this? I adore legal thrillers and this one is brilliant! What a premise: a serial killer manages to get on the juries to sway the other jurors in his favor. There are so many twists and turns in this book that my head was spinning! Told from the perspectives of the defense attorney, former con-man Eddie Flynn and Kane, the killer, the novel moves at a break-neck pace as we witness Flynn attempting to defend the accused of murdering his wife and her lover in bed. The evidence appears to be solid for the prosecution as there is video, the murder weapon, blood, and DNA. But don't even try to figure this one out; Cavanagh will outsmart you every time! I may have even squealed a little! But then I immediately ordered his newest one, Twisted, that I will wait for with baited breath! Also amazing is this is book 4 of a 4-part series but can stand alone very easily (I will be ordering those as well). If you are a fan of courtroom drama, murder mysteries, serial killer scenarios, dirty cops, or just great thrillers, run to the bookstore immediately! Out August 13.

4/5🌟


This books follows two POV’s Kane the serial killer and Eddie Flynn the lawyer . There is a huge murder trial happening , a famous young actor Robert Solomon is being accused of murdering his wife .


This book was so close to being a 3 star for me , I usually find courtroom thrillers very dry and sometimes boring to read .It started out very slow pace for me in the beginning it took a while for me to get invested in it . But up until the second half of the book that’s when it started to get good ! Which made me start to enjoy the book more and more each time I turned the page , it was really getting entertaining and I couldn’t seem to put the book down .

Thirteen (Eddie Flynn, #4)
by Steve Cavanagh (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Jul 24, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

Joshua Kane has killed to place himself on the jury of "The Trial of the Century". In so doing he hopes to ensure that the wrong man is convicted. Former con man , turned criminal defense attorney, Eddie Flynn doesn't believe famous actor, Robert Solomon is responsible for brutally murdering his beautiful actress wife and his security specialist.
Enter into a non-stop breathless roller coaster ride that torques up and down and jerks into an unexpected directions. This twisted narrative .. hell bent on surprising us ... is a testament to the masterful storytelling of Cavanagh. The courtroom strategy of Flynn ratchets up the tension to an explosive denouement. The machinations of both the serial killer and Flynn are juxtaposed in an ingenious perspective. Flynn is able to adroitly use his previous skill set as a con-man in outmaneuvering his adversaries.
I was glad to realize that this is actually the fourth tale of Eddie Flynn. This novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone! I look forward to immediately downloading the earlier tales of Eddie Flynn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

A great courtroom drama/police procedural that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

What if the real killer is not the defendant, but on the jury?!? This is the premise of Steven Cavanagh’s latest Eddie Flynn thriller. Flynn, a defense attorney, comes onto the defense team of celebrity Bobby Solomon who is being charged with the brutal murder of his wife and security guard. As Flynn and his team dig into the evidence, they are surprised at where it leads them – to someone potentially on the jury!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the narration switching back and forth between Flynn and Kane’s POV to see the story unfold in real time. A pager turner and a fun read for the summer. This was the first book I read from Steve Cavanagh, but I will definitely be going back to read his other Eddie Flynn books!

Thank you Steve Cavanagh, Flatiron Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #Thirteen

A serial killer who is on a jury for a murder trial - can this be crazier? The answer is yes. Especially if and when any of those jury members start to die. As someone who loves court room dramas, and actually enjoys jury duty (there might be something wrong with me), this story didn't seem entirely feasible, but it was still super entertaining.

We go back and forth between the attorney representing a possible murderer, and the serial killer who has somehow miraculously made his way onto the jury. Both of these men want to win the trial, but obviously only one will.

I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game between the two characters. I also love almost any drama that happens in a court room (Perry Mason anyone?). While the story wasn't plausible (IMO), there was plenty of fast-pacedness that kept me reading.

And I'll never look at being on jury duty the same way again.

Steve Cavanagh is now one of my favorite writers. I did not say this lightly. Normally I can take notes, and the occasional pause for a sip of water. I was not able to do any of that. This took me on a ride that I will never forget. I do not normally read courtroom dramas. There isn’t much that I find particularly thrilling about courtroom procedurals.

However, Eddie Flynn is not your typical lawyer. He is a rough and tumble kind of guy who’s street smarts (read: shady past) and impeccable memory give him a unique take on his client’s cases. I realized after receiving the advanced copy, that this book is the fourth book in a series about this lawyer. If the previous three books are anything like this, I have to read all of them. This book had drama, intrigue, danger, Nail Biting tension, precision and the unflappable courage to go past any lines drawn in the proverbial sand. (Read: very graphic descriptions)

In this book we follow both killer and Lawyer side-by-side as they duke it out. Good vs Evil. It is not often that you get the killer’s perspective. But this is not where the ingenuity ends, in fact, it’s only the beginning. We are given the killer's backstory and pieces of clues about the case. My mind started to churn and I thought I figured it out. When you think you know, Cavanagh shows you that you don’t know...anything. With so many twists and turns, riding this roller coaster was both terrifying and enticing.

I turned the last page and I was at a loss for words. To say that I enjoyed this book would be a massive understatement.

Who can pass up a book with The blurb, "The Serial Killer Isn't on Trial. He's on the Jury." I have not read any of Steve Cavanagh's earlier Eddie Flynn series, but I probably will give them a try. While I enjoyed this book, there were a few too many twists for me to find it close to believable.

Thank you to Net Galley for kindly sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Overall I did enjoy this one. It was fast paced and full of twists, turns and betrayals. It was also full of murder, gore and crime so a must read for anyone who enjoys the thriller genre. The only reason that I haven’t marked it any higher was just because I didn’t feel particularly attached to the lead detective, I’m not sure if this is because I haven’t read any of the other books in the series before reading this one or if he just didn’t appeal to me personally.

On the whole a good read and one I’d recommend.