This book follows the trial of a famous actor being charged for the murder of his wife. The real killer isn’t on trial though, he’s on the jury. (Dun dun dun)

This was my first ever legal thriller and I ended up enjoying It more than I thought I would. When I was reading, I really liked it, but as soon as I set it down I just didn’t want to pick it up again.

It’s definitely a more plot driven book. There was so much action but I never really got invested into the characters.

Overall, I do think it was a good book if you are interested in law and order type story.

*thank you Netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'm giving this one a five star rating because once I started it I couldn't put it down. Even though you meet the bad guy right at the start, that didn't keep it from being a page turner.
(Also Goodreads, or whomever writes the blurbs for each book, don't give away a major plot point in the first sentence of your description! Bad form!)
I hadn't read any of the other books in the series but that didn't keep me from getting to know the main characters right away. The author did a great job of bringing new readers into the story without making it obvious he was doing it.
It was a bit gory for my normal reading tastes and had a high body count, but I managed to overlook that because it was crucial to understanding the killer's psyche.
I'm definitely going back to read other books in the series, because the writing was superb. Always nice to find a new author with a back catalogue!

Can’t wait to read more from Steve cavanagh, I have his first book in the Eddie Flynn series, The Defence and I’m excited for it

Thanks for a chance to read the ARC - this was a new author, new series and kind of a disappointment. Sadly, I really wanted to like it but was confused by the confabulation of the set up and was not ever able to engage. Sadly I put it down and never got back to it. I am DEFINITELY in the minority here, so perhaps I need to give it a second chance. Next go round, will start at the beginning of the series.

The concept of this book had me from the beginning! What could be better than having the serial killer on the jury?!? However, I found that it was a slow build and was often forcing myself to read, rather than simply enjoying the book. I liked Flynn, the lawyer, but I had trouble reading the Kane chapters. Maybe it was difficult because I couldn’t relate to the killer. The last 50 pages of the book had me interested again, but it was hard to get through the middle parts.

I just realized I never sent in my review! I did read this book and am looking forward to the next one!! I just added TWISTED to my list of items to purchase for 2020. I also ordered multiple copies of this book for my library.

WOWZA! What a great legal thriller! Firstly, thank you @netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC!

Secondly, the writing is impeccable. The story is written extremely well and executed skillfully. Each sentence makes me hungry for more! I also enjoyed that the chapters are shorter and the dual POV- both characters are completely brilliantly developed! If that's not enough to convince you to read it, then read it and prove me wrong! 😉


It truly is an original plot and I loved seeing how it unfolded throughout the novel. It is highly recommended for fast-paced, legal/crime thriller enthusiast!

Unfortunately due to a kindle error i have lost my copy of this book and will not be able to leave a full review until I have purchased.
I did however download a sample and I loved what I read. Already gripped just from a couple of chapters so I will be purchasing very soon. I am definitely looking forward to reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for accepting my request to read this book.

This is a novel that took me by surprise and I devoured it in only a single day. Steve Cavanagh’s writing is amazing and very compelling; I was, from the very beginning, fully invested in the story. The content is very detailed but nothing too complicated so as to prevent you from integrating every aspect of the thriller.
The novel is fast-paced and action-packed, mainly due to the construction with short chapters and the double narration. It is truly a read you can’t put down.
The author does not lose time by divulging important piece of information. They are meticulously scattered throughout the plot and each reveal will keep you on your toes.
They are multiple twists that you can’t foreshadow. The pacing is consistent, you can feel the tension from start to finish and the author will keep you on the edge of your seat. I was blown away by the cleverness of the plot-building and its progress.
I was afraid the trial would drag on but it wasn’t the case. Along the trial we get to see the behind-the-scenes of the defense strategy. Intercepted with the preparations of the serial killer’s next move, you don’t have a minute to breathe or even get bored.
This thriller also has complex and well-developed characters. Both main protagonists are extremely clever and I enjoyed seeing both sides of the story; getting inside the thoughts of the serial killer is a smart move and brilliantly executed.
Like I said this novel was a huge surprise and I’m glad I got to discover Steve Cavanagh’s writing. I’m tempted to pick up his previous works.
I would recommend it for readers looking for a thrill and a roller-coaster ride.

In the courtroom drama THIRTEEN by Steve Cavanagh, the author builds a storyline where a serial killer frames another then wrangles his way onto the jury. It’s evil at its finest and will have you glued to the pages. 5-star must read.

Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned lawyer represents a famous actor named Bobby Solomon, who is charged with the murder of his wife and head of security. Despite strong evidence against his client, Eddie is convinced of his innocence and is determined to win the case but what he doesn’t know is that the real killer is on the jury.

Thirteen is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series but my first which I felt can be read as a stand alone. It is a fast paced legal thriller with lots of twists and turns and great characters. A compulsive, page-turning thriller that I would definitely recommend

I would like to thank Flatiron Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be in the mind of a killer and a detective?

In this novel you meet Eddie Flynn and Kane both having very different pasts but both connected to each other in a weird way. Never really knowing what the true end game is the novel continues where you learn both men aren't having the best lives. Eddie being the lawyer and detective who needs to get a high profile client out of some hot water. Kane being the evil doer needs to make sure his plans go just right or his life might fall to pieces. The story does this very well and I have never seen this concept done so well. The reader is able to learn both what the Lawyer and the murderer is doing at the same time. You are also able to learn back story even through this is the forth book in the series. The reader is able to just read this novel and still understand where Eddie is coming from when he does things.
Cavanagh is an author I would have never picked up when just walking into the bookstore. The title and cover of this one made me pick it up right away and he was able to peak my interest sooner than most when I started reading this novel. He does a very good job at making you love the characters and hating the ones you are suppose to. This novel really throws you in head first when you open it up and that's why I loved it. It wasn't slow at the beginning it just jumped in and ran with it. This book is for any reader that loves a good mystery or just needs to get away from reality. I was scared to put it down because sometimes it felt so real. I just needed to finish it so I knew it was safe to close my eyes at night. Eddie Flynn has truly become one of my favorite detectives.

When I requested an arc of Thirteen, I was unaware it was the fourth in a series. Luckily, that did not diminish my enjoyment and I was thrilled to learn there are three more to read while I wait for the next. I'm a lifelong reader of mysteries and thrillers, and it is very rare for me to be stumped. This one did it. I figured out only a tiny bit that was really insignificant. I really can't say anything more specific without ruining some of the fun. This is a new favorite series and author.

He wasn't given to hate in his most passionate moments. When he wielded a knife, or felt a throat closing beneath his fingers, the fear and the panic in his victim's faces only gave him pleasure. Hate was not a facet of his work. It was all for pleasure.

Every good thriller has the extreme of plots, characters, and emotions. You get all that with this read. The good guy Flynn, attorney at law who is selective when representing the accused. He has to believe they are innocent. His life is in turmoil has he takes on this new case. His wife has left him due to his dangerous job. He wants to make changes to keep his family safe and he thinks he has found a way when a large firm approaches him on up in coming actor that has been accused of killing his wife and security guard. The scene is horrific and troubling. Flynn sees inconsistencies of the case that asks more questions. One being is this the covering of the police department. Flynn as a few enemies on the force and to bring the bad apples of the police department would serve justice that he lives by. Flynn breathes, eats, sleeps justice. He is one of those guys that you would want on your side.

Kane, bad guy extraordinaire that does not feel pain but wants to serve the justice of his own makings. The ironies of the two men are polar opposite. One feels passionately, the other feels nothing. He has an elaborate scheme of serving his own justice by serving on the jury of the one who is accused of the murder he committed. A sick sick mind that is unbelievable that is made believable. I think that is what makes this so good. So get your boots on this one. You are about to go for a ride.

A Special Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron books for the copy of this book
This was my first Steve Cavanagh book and won’t be my last.
A great story but totally unbelievable to me. I liked the characters but there was just something missing so that’s why I’ve only given 3 stars.
Review also posted on Amazon

I enjoyed this book. This book has just the right amount of suspense to keep me reading. I read every chance I got and didn’t want to put it down. There were even a few times that I had as trying so hard to stay awake, I was reading with one eye closed 😂. This book is part of a series, so there were a few places where I was unsure of what was going on. For the most part though, it could be a standalone. I may change my mind on that once I read the others though. I am curious to learn more about Eddie Flynn’s background, since it was just hinted at in this book. I liked how the book threw me off on who the person actually was. The plot to this was definitely original and that is a nice change.

Th1rt3en is the third installment in author Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn series, following The Defense and The Plea, but each book may be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone volume.

Th1rt3en kicks off with an exploration of Joshua Kane's inner thoughts. On a cold December afternoon, he's on a cardboard bed outside the Criminal Courts Building in Manhattan, thinking about killing a man. Not just any man -- although he has killed "a nameless, random New Yorker who happened to fall into his line of vision" in the past. But on this particular day, he has a target in mind. And a plan. An elaborate, detailed plan.

Joshua Kane's background, rationale, and the details of his scheme are revealed in detail through chapters drafted in the third person that alternate with Flynn's first-person description of the state of his life. He is separated from the wife he loves, Christine, who is also a lawyer, and unable to see their twelve-year-old daughter, Amy, as often as he'd like. His drinking, the complicated emotions he feels as a criminal defense attorney, and a series of cases that put the family's safety in jeopardy caused the marriage to falter. Eddie wants to be with his wife and child, but not until he is "finished with the law." He thinks about doing something other than practice law, but just can't bring himself to walk away. He carries the guilt of knowing that he helped ensure that a guilty client was exonerated. And that client "went on to hurt somebody real bad." Eddie feels that he must help people in order to atone for his role in that tragedy.

Eddie is not just a troubled attorney. He's a skilled one with a strong sense of right and wrong, and the innate ability to discern "when someone is telling the truth and when someone is lying. The liars don't have the look." ]Eddie is convinced to defend Bobby Solomon -- even though he knows he is being set up for potentially catastrophic failure by Bobby's lead defense counsel, whose fees are being paid by the studio that wants to salvage the big-budget blockbuster movie it is about to release starring Bobby and his late wife. Eddie has seen "that look before" and it is impossible to forget. "It's rare to see that look." And after meeting with Bobby Solomon, Eddie he has to help him. Because "Bobby Solomon wore that look."

But Eddie has no idea what kind of formidable foe Joshua Kane will prove to be. Or why. Kane has set an elaborate, intricately-planned series of killings into motion but law enforcement investigators have not yet discovered the connections, much less the motive. Kane overlooks no details and his methodology is unique and unmistakable. He is highly intelligent and was born with congenital analgesia, a condition which causes the pain receptors in his brain to malfunction. Thus, in addition to being in top physical form, he can withstand pain that no normal person could possible tolerate. As the book progresses, he is shown by Cavanagh to be driven, ruthless, and a sociopath who will stop at nothing and spare no one in order to fulfill his goal and send his message.

Cavanagh is a former attorney putting his knowledge of the law to good use. His descriptions of the procedural aspects of criminal law and police procedure, as well as his characters' thought processes and dialogue are technically correct and believable. Eddie Flynn is a compelling, sympathetic character despite his flaws. He is committed to the law and wants to be a family man. But he is self-aware enough to realize that his passion for the law and justice cannot be subjugated to his passion for his family, and the the two cannot successfully coexist. His story is a heartbreaking one. Is is marriage to Christine really over? Hopefully, Cavanagh will explore their relationship further in the next installment.

Th1rt3en is a nonstop adventure that alternates, without pause, between the mind of a determined killer and a driven attorney who, with the help of some savvy and dedicated associates, is committed to discovering the killer's motive and saving his next targets. The nuances of the ways in which Kane is able to maneuver and function strain credulity at times, but Cavanagh's story is so original, clever, and meticulously plotted that those issues never detract from the enjoyment of how skillfully Cavanagh reveals critical information at expertly-timed junctions. The story is a masterfully constructed puzzle, full of unexpected, jaw-dropping twists and surprising plot developments. Th1rte3n includes violence, but it is neither needlessly gory nor gratuitous. Rather, it is an inherent part of the story. Cavanagh can also be forgiven for taking some liberties with the ethical duties and responsibilities implicated when a judge has a close friendship with one of the criminal defense attorneys who tries a case in his courtroom because the relationship he portrays is touching and feels otherwise genuine.

Th1rt3en is sure to end up on multiple lists of 2019's best thrillers.

Book blurb...
It’s the murder trial of the century. And Joshua Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house – and to be sure the wrong man goes down for the crime. Because this time, the killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.
But there’s someone on his tail. Former-conman-turned-criminal-defense-attorney Eddie Flynn doesn’t believe that his movie-star client killed two people. He suspects that the real killer is closer than they think – but who would guess just how close?
“A brilliant, twisty, ingeniously constructed puzzle of a book. Steve Cavanagh pulls off an enviable premise with panache.” —Ruth Ware

My thoughts…
I loved this story.
Great plotting that mixes courtroom drama with the devious mind of a serial killer is always my first pick and this novel deserves all the praise it will undoubtedly receive.
One thing I know for sure is Eddie Flynn is the sort of character I’d want defending me if I’m ever charged with murder!!

4.5 ⭐ How have I not known about Eddie Flynn?? Steve Cavanagh takes the mystery & suspense that I love about James Patterson and combines it with the legal drama I love about John Grisham. It's the perfect combination. Th1rt3en is at times slow moving and graphic, but that is not a negative at all. Steve Cavanagh builds up the characters to the point that you can see them, feel their pain, and almost feel like you are right there with them. I can't wait to read more!

I love a good legal thriller and this one didn’t leave me disappointed!!

Start with an ex-Conan as a defence lawyer and add in a serial killer on the jury and you have the perfect mix of gripping tension and thrills! So many twists and turns along the way, it really kept me guessing.

This is the fourth book in the series but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel - this one is in fact my favourite of them all! I really enjoyed how the book switched between the different perspectives and I felt the author really brought the characters to life.

A brilliant thriller, with a concept that was new and exciting! It kept me guessing right to the end and that for me makes it a winning book all round!