What if the witness is more twisted than the killer? This is the whole premise of the book. Ruby Johnson has had her own troubles but after witnessing a murder her devious side she has kept hidden starts to emerge. When Eddie Flynn steps in to take the case of the accused murderer, Eddie and Ruby’s path collide with disastrous results.

I was not aware this was a series when I started reading it but that did not matter. I was able to jump right in and follow the characters without any issues. While I liked the premise of the book a lot of it was outlandish to me but it was a fun ride.

Witness 8 is a relentless, pulse-pounding thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go — a true masterclass in suspense.

Although this was my first time diving into Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, it certainly won’t be my last. Eddie Flynn, a former con man turned sharp-witted trial lawyer, is hired to defend a wealthy man accused of murdering his neighbor on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. But the case takes a dark, unexpected turn with the involvement of Ruby Johnson — a nanny to the accused man’s children — who claims to have witnessed the crime. The twist? Ruby is lying. And as the layers of her dangerous game unfold, it becomes clear that the murder she “witnessed” is only the beginning.

What makes Witness 8 so compelling is the dual narrative — Eddie’s desperate fight for justice and Ruby’s unsettling, unpredictable scheming. Either thread could have anchored a gripping novel on its own, but together, they create a perfect storm of tension. Ruby is a brilliantly drawn character — deeply troubled, enigmatic, and impossible to pin down. Her motives remain shrouded in mystery until the final, heart-stopping reveal.

Eddie, on the other hand, is instantly likable — a flawed but fiercely determined lawyer surrounded by a colorful and unconventional team. Cavanagh’s own legal background adds an extra layer of authenticity, making the courtroom scenes crackle with intensity.

In a crowded field of legal thrillers, Witness 8 stands out. It’s smart, relentless, and brimming with unexpected twists. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. If you haven’t read Steve Cavanagh before, start here — you’ll be hooked. I know I am.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review, and all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review this novel.

Witness 8 is a gripping psychological and legal thriller that delivers a compelling narrative through multiple POVs. The varied perspectives provide a deep, layered understanding of each character, which enhances the tension and intrigue throughout the novel. The short chapters and fast-paced storytelling make for an addictive read, and while courtroom dramas are not typically my preference, the legal scenes were engaging and well-executed.

Mr. Christmas, a hitman with surprising depth, was a standout character, while Ruby was the least compelling for me. The novel ties up all major plot points while leaving subtle openings for future installments, making me eager to explore the previous books in the series. My only critique is that the major twist felt somewhat abrupt before the narrative quickly moved forward. However, this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I read Kill For Me, Kill For You and knew I had to read more from Cavanagh. I didn't realize this was part of a series but I didn't feel lost at all.

Ruby who was living in wealth and lost it all because of her father is now a maid for the wealthy. She was walking home and witness a murder. Instead of calling the police, she decides she can use this an opportunity.

The story is told in multiple POV and there's a lot of characters to keep track. I could not put this book down. I enjoyed Ruby's POV and what motivated her and also Eddy's POV and how he was creative with his defense.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy morally grey characters and legal thrillers.

Thank you @atriabooks for a copy of this book.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh is the eighth book in the Eddie Flynn series. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC through NetGalley. I requested this book because of Cavanagh's "Kill for Me, Kill for You" that I read last year. This book did not disappoint. I found it to have just enough twists to keep my interest, and I didn't see the biggest twist coming. Because I haven't read any of the other books in this series, I had a little difficulty keeping the characters straight. That being said, there was plenty of back story and character details included in Witness 8 for me to be able to figure it out and be able to develop connections to the characters. I will definitely go back and read the rest of the books in the series. You can get a copy on March 25, 2025. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Witness 8 was a great fast paced thriller. It took me a little bit to get used to the different perspectives but I appreciated them the further along I went. I can very much imagine this as a movie or even a TV series if they wanted to keep it going. The characters were very detailed and had good backstories.

Eddie Flynn is a con-man turned lawyer who has surrounded himself with a loyal team. Together they help Flynn defend the wrongly accused or those who have simply made a mistake. His methods are unorthodox but they get results. Unfortunately, his latest results have put him crosswise of one of the biggest criminal organizations in NYC and they have put a contract out on his life.

While dodging hit men coming from all directions, Flynn fights for his client who has been set up for a murder that he didn't commit, with no idea why. The who? She's a piece of work!

This is the 8th in the series and they are all winners! Cavanaugh's work is becoming more accessible in the US which is a win for us all and well deserved. I think my days of ordering his books from Ireland might be over!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with Cavanaugh's latest book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Steve Cavanagh’s "Witness 8" delivers an intriguing legal thriller packed with twists, but it suffers from an overstuffed cast and a plot that can be difficult to follow. Eddie Flynn is once again thrown into a high-stakes case, where the key witness, Ruby Johnson, has her own dangerous secrets. The premise is compelling, and Cavanagh’s signature fast pacing keeps things moving.

However, the sheer number of characters makes it tough to track who’s who and how they fit into the bigger picture. At times, the plot feels tangled rather than cleverly layered, which slows the momentum. While there are some strong moments of tension and classic courtroom drama, the book lacks the tight, focused storytelling of Cavanagh’s best work.

Overall, Witness 8 is an enjoyable but slightly chaotic read. Fans of the series may still appreciate the twists and legal maneuvering, but newcomers might find it overwhelming.

Steve Cavanagh has quickly become a favorite author for me! I have not read the previous books in this series but after finishing this book I will be!

Ruby once grew up among the upper west 74th street in New York. But after her father left her and her mother broke, they find themselves holed up in a small apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. Ruby isn’t ready to leave the old neighborhood. She finds work among the wealthy families she used to live around. Now Working as a maid, a nanny, really whatever they need, she will do she’s determined to save money to help her mother. Don’t worry Ruby has an agenda. She’s waiting for perfect opportunity and then she will be able to set her plan into action. The plan has dropped in her lap when Ruby witnesses a murder, and she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.
Detective Eddie Flynn is back once a former con artist, he’s now a top criminal attorney in New York. If he believes in your innocence he will fight with everything he has to get you acquitted. His latest has him defending a doctor whose accused of murder, but Eddie finds himself dodging bullets as someone has put a hit out on him. This was an edge of your seat read and I loved it!

Witness 8 introduces us to Ruby Johnson, a nanny and maid on Manhattan's West 74th Street. One night, she witnesses her neighbor Margaret's murder. Knowing both the victim and the killer, Ruby makes an anonymous call to the police, but she doesn't tell the whole truth. There's something unsettling about Ruby, and her actions set off a chain of events that pull in Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned defense attorney. Eddie takes on the case of John Jackson, a pediatric brain surgeon accused of the crime, and must navigate a web of deceit to uncover the truth.​

👨‍⚖️ Legal Thriller – The courtroom drama is intense and central to the plot.​
🕵️‍♂️ Amateur Sleuth – Ruby's involvement adds an unconventional investigative angle.​
🔄 Unreliable Witness – Ruby's dubious credibility keeps readers guessing.​
💥 High-Stakes Tension – Eddie faces personal threats while defending his client.​

If you're a fan of authors like John Grisham or Michael Connelly, who masterfully blend legal intricacies with suspenseful storytelling, you'll likely enjoy Steve Cavanagh's work.​

In conclusion, Witness 8 is a gripping legal thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. With its complex characters and unpredictable twists, it's a must-read for fans of the genre.​

​I received an ARC from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Steve Cavanagh, and Atria Books for the eARC. This was a fantastic detective mystery, packed with twists and turns intricately woven into the narrative. Steve Cavanagh's ability to craft a complex story with multiple characters and plotlines that seamlessly come together is truly impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

⭐️: 3.5/5

I had no idea going into this that this is technically part of a series of interconnected stand alones. I think because of that, descriptions for the main characters were lacking. I cannot tell you what Eddie looks like. I’ve got nothing. Not knowing this was part of a series did hinder my experience just a little. That’s my fault not the writers.

With all that being said, I did really enjoy this story. Specifically Mr Christmas. I’m so intrigued by him for only being somewhat of a minor side character. The way this ended did set up for another book, which I will be reading. Something about a con man being a lawyer makes a normal procedural book interesting.

🚨Book Spotlight🚨
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Thank you @atriabooks and @stevencavanaugh Were you a fan of Kill for Me, Kill for You ?! He’s got a new book out 🥳. This is part of a 8 part series, but you can easily just jump into this book without reading the previous books. It’s a combination of Housemaid, police procedural, and more. Definitely a super fun and quick read!
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Summary- A former resident of the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, Ruby now works as a maid in the type of houses she used to live in. Unassuming, she sees everyone’s dirty secrets from the inside of their beautiful, renovated brownstones. But when Ruby witnesses a murder, she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home. Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.
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I’m excited to add another new to me author to my thriller author list!

Despite Witness 8 being the eighth book in the Eddie Flynn series, I decided to make this my first book by Steve Cavanagh. This book was delivered as a psychological legal thriller with con men & multiple villains and it delivered. This book has many twists and turns so it kept me engaged until the very end.

I did find there were too many characters to keep track of, and this could be because I’m starting the eighth book where these characters have been introduced in previous instalments.

Overall, I enjoyed this and can totally see why Cavanagh is loved for his propulsive thrillers. I’m going to pick up his beloved standalones Thirteen and Kill For Me, Kill For You since this was such a quick and grasping story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This one hits the shelves March 25!

First of all, I had no idea this book was part of a series. I definitely have to go back and read the rest of the books.. What a character Eddie Flynn was!! You will absolutely love him..

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Unfortunately, I did not connect with the stories or the plot of this book. With that being said, I am interested in checking out more by Steve Cavanaugh in the future as he seems to be extremely popular...

So I’ve been obsessed with @sscav since discovering this series. And oh my God was this worth a wait. I love the Flynn series so much. The character development is always fantastic. The expressive detail makes you feel like you’re watching a movie instead. I would actually love for this to become a TV series. The way the Bosch books were done. I was pretty much hooked from page one. So much excitement right upfront. This is very much a fast paste read and don’t be surprised if you wait up all night just to finish it. Can’t wait to buy it.

Steve Cavanagh delivers a gripping legal thriller with Witness 8, a fast-paced and twist-filled ride that keeps you guessing until the very end. Eddie Flynn, the sharp-witted former conman turned defense attorney, is once again thrown into a case where nothing is as it seems. This time, he’s defending a wealthy man accused of murder—but the only witness has her own dangerous secrets.

What I loved most about this book was the intricate plotting and constant tension. The courtroom drama is intense, and the multiple perspectives add layers of suspense. Cavanagh is a master at misdirection, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another twist changes everything. Eddie remains a fantastic protagonist—cunning, relentless, and always a step ahead.

That said, Witness 8 does juggle a lot of moving parts, and at times, the number of characters and perspectives made it feel a bit overwhelming. Some plot threads could have been more streamlined for a smoother narrative flow. Still, the twists kept me hooked, and the ending was incredibly satisfying.

If you enjoy legal thrillers with sharp dialogue, high-stakes courtroom battles, and morally gray characters, this is definitely worth picking up. Witness 8 is another strong entry in the Eddie Flynn series, proving once again why Cavanagh is a standout in the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book will keep you guessing what is going on until the end. My mouth dropped at the ending.
A nanny/housekeeper/helper who used to live in the affluent neighborhood witnesses a murder when she's walking home. This starts a whole slew of who done it's and brings in people from the outside that add some crazy to the story but also have you asking how is this all going to work out.
There were a couple slower times in court that I could have done without the long spiels but that I guess added to the suspense and what pans out in the end. It is a wild book. Steve Cavanagh has quite the mysterious imagination.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I love Eddie Flynn!! If you have not started this series and you enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend starting it immediately! You will not be sorry. Each book is a standalone mystery but I recommend starting at the beginning to meet all the side characters that become a part of Eddie’s team/family.

This story was so good! It was fast paced and action packed. I enjoyed the investigation and the court scenes. I love all the side characters.

The only thing I’m disappointed about is I have finished the book and now have to wait for the next one!

Thank you @atriabooks @sscav and @netgalley for the eARC of this book!!