Sometimes you need a good, reliable thriller and Steve Cavanagh delivers every time. I love Eddie and his crew and this twisty story kept me guessing until the last page.

This book had tons of twists and turns. There was so many different characters that were not good people. The plot moved quickly from start to finish and had me entertained. My biggest issue was so many different character POVs. It sometimes made it confusing who was who.

Witness 8 sounded like a really fun premise but it wasn't until I got the book I realized it part of an ongoing series about characters. I did okay not knowing anything about the previous books, the author recaps a lot. But I wish I would have realized it was a series before I requested it! It was a lot of characters to randomly be dropped in on. The story was really fun and original and I can see why the series is doing well, they were a fun group to follow. The writing was easy to read and had a lot of twists and turns!!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the eARC, publishes 3/25.

this was just okay for me. i read kill for me kill for you & really enjoyed the majority of it, but i haven’t read his other eddie flynn books. this was a legal drama/thriller that follows a murder that happens in a affluent neighborhood in nyc. the murder is witnessed by ruby, who is a nanny/maid for several of the families. but she keeps the information to herself & uses it to twist the situation for her benefit. eddie is a con artist turned defense attorney that’s assisting the man wrongfully accused for the crime. but things take a turn and eddie ends up with a target on his back. the best part of the book was ruby and her insanity lol. books like this just aren’t really my jam and that’s okay! i still enjoy steve cavanaugh’s writing style and his characters are always really well written.
thank you atria books for the early e-book!

a good plot but a little chaotic for me. there were a lot of characters and everyone had so much happening that it took me a while to read because i would forget details. the epilogue was great, though.

This is the eighth book featuring former conman Eddie Flynn, turned defense attorney, and the first book in the series I’ve read. I found that it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the previous books; the author did such a good job of giving each character’s backstory that I found the premise of a con artist becoming a lawyer intriguing since many lawyers are portrayed as shifty characters.

Ruby’s early childhood was one of wealth and privilege until her abusive father gambled away most of their money and then disappeared. Now, Ruby earns a living working for the people she grew up with, barely making ends meet as she cares for her dying mother. When Ruby witnesses a wealthy socialite’s murder, her first thoughts aren’t of reporting it to the police but how she can make some money.

Doctor Joe Johnson is charged with the murder, and the evidence is damning: the murder weapon is found in his home with his DNA on it. Knowing that he faces an uphill battle, Eddie Flynn agrees to represent Joe. However, proving Joe’s innocence isn’t Eddie’s most significant problem because he’s crossed the wrong person, and now there is a hitman after him.

I liked Eddie and enjoyed how he outsmarted a mob boss and a prosecuting attorney while staying one step ahead of a hitman. There are good supporting characters, and I even rooted for Ruby toward the end despite her manipulative nature. The pacing is good, and there were enough twists to keep me guessing. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 25, 2025.

I’m gonna be honest and say I did not realize this was #8 in the series. Eddie Flynn I was unfamiliar with your game. It was truly thrilling and a page turner! However I feel I did miss some lore involving Mr. Flynn. It just makes me want to read the previous novels however. 4/5 ⭐️ thank you Netgalley, Steve Cavanaugh and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if instead of revealing the whole truth to authorities, a witness to murder contemplates using the information as expensive leverage. This is the precarious position a young caregiver, Ruby Johnson, considers after an elite socialite in a familiar neighborhood is shot and left for dead. What will happen when Ruby’s fears of poverty far surpass her fear of a known killer?

Eddie Flynn returns as a streetwise defense attorney who wholeheartedly believes in his client’s innocence. He and his colleagues may have to get super creative to prove that to a jury who hears testimony to the contrary.

He sets ‘em up to knock ‘em down, you simply can’t go wrong with Cavanagh! I love how he blends sharp wit and a zig-zagging story line . . . buckle up buttercup or you’ll get whiplash during those finale twists.

I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy clever cat and mouse type antics, zippy dialogue, or thrilling crime and courtroom dramas.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Witness 8 for my unbiased evaluation.  5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It is a very rich people behaving, badly thriller, and the mystery aspect was intriguing. I really enjoyed Eddie Flynn and his group of colleagues, but I will say by not reading the previous books in order. I definitely feel like I’m missing some of the backstory which is my fault I would definitely say reading them in order would be the ideal experience and I will definitely be going back to read them in the proper order as well.

LOVED this book. I knew I was going to because the premise was intriguing but i enjoyed it even more than I anticipated because of how well written and put together it was. The twists toasted, the turns turned and I was shocked all along the way! Definitely going to recommend to thriller and suspense lovers!

This is the second Eddie Flynn book I’ve read, and he’s an entertaining character. This book contained two storylines: the murder of a NY socialite and a group out to get Eddie. The storyline about the contract on Eddie - even though it did intertwine with the other story - seemed superfluous and distracting from the more interesting part of the book.

Ruby is an absolutely bonkers character, and the book was most enjoyable when she was the focus. The reader needs a few leaps of faith with some of the assumptions and deductions that happen, but overall, it’s a fun book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/3.5 ⭐️
when a witness to a murder turns out to he more deranged than the killer. in this book we follow ruby- who grew up on the upper side but, after her father left her and her mother with nothing they struggled. as her mother's health declines the odd house cleaning/nannying jobs aren't cutting it anymore and she is growing increasingly desperate. overall its a decent thriller and having not read any of the other books in this series it wasn't super hard to follow along. i did find that there were a lot of characters and reading from the different POV's did make it a little confusing at times.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh was a great read. It was gripping and entertaining and I expected nothing less…There’s something wrong with Ruby and right from the get go you find out why. And things can only get better from there.

This is my first Steve Cavanagh book and I must say that I enjoyed it. I was a little worried when I found out it is a part of a series, because I have not read the others. While I feel that my reader experience would have been enhanced if I had read the prior novels, I still was able to enjoy this read without doing so.
I did have a little difficulty getting into the book. It was a little flat in the beginning and I believe that is completely my fault by not having prior introduction to many of the characters in this book. By around 40%, the plotlines really started to pick up and things began to grab my attention. The whole time I stayed curious of what Ruby's, the neighborhood maid/nanny, end game was. The other main character, Eddie Flynn, had his own issues he was dealing with on the side which gave the whole novel a more complex read. Again, I feel like I would have enjoyed his plotline more had I read the prior novels, but it was okay. I do intend to go back a read them. I did not find the twist shocking. I felt that it made sense and really could see it leading to that.
Reading this felt like watching an episode of Law and Order and I think that any fan of that show would also enjoy reading this series if they follow the same format.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy in return for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Witness 8 grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go. Ruby Johnson, the main character, is fascinating. Once part of the wealthy Manhattan elite, she now works as a maid, observing the lives of the rich and powerful from the inside. But when she witnesses a murder, her plans for revenge take an unexpected, dark turn. I loved how Ruby's character was so complex—she's unassuming on the outside but has this secret, dangerous side to her.

Then there's Eddie Flynn, the ex-con turned defense attorney who always seems to take on the most hopeless cases. His character is tough and street-smart, and the way he uses his unique skills to try and save an innocent man from a murder charge is nothing short of impressive. The tension throughout the story, as Eddie and his team fight against both the law and dangerous criminals, had me constantly on edge.

The plot twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. While I could have done with a bit more depth in some secondary characters, the writing was fast-paced, and the way the story blended suspense, and mystery made for an incredibly entertaining read.

This is the 8th book in the Eddie Flynn legal thriller series. Normally I like to read a series in order, but so far reading a couple out of order (This one and Thirteen) has worked out. I really enjoyed them and look forward to reading the rest of the books. This one has a complicated plot, but one that comes together nicely by the end. I enjoyed the complex characters and the 'shades of grey' they present. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 4/5 stars

This is my first Eddie Flynn book and I will need to start reading the series at book 1.
Steve Cavanagh is a new author and need to read his back list. Than you for the ARC, much appreciated!

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria books for the ARC of this novel.

This book is a crime procedural that I don’t think I was expecting going into the book. I have read other books by this author but I didn’t realized until I started this book that it was part of a series.

I think if I had read other books in the series I would have enjoyed this more. I didn’t know the characters from the other books and I think that I just couldn’t fully invest in the book because of it.

Overall, I think if you have read the other book in this series you will enjoy this book.

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I came so so close to DNFing this book at around 40%, instead I ended up just skimming a good portion of it. At this point of the book I just found myself not caring about anything going on especially things that weren't necessary to the main plot. The only two things that I found interesting were Eddie and Ruby.

For one thing when I first read the synopsis of this I had no idea that this was part of a series so I probably would not have requested this on Net Galley if I had known otherwise. It definitely could be read as a standalone but I still felt like I was missing out on things. There were also a TON of points of view, too many for my taste. With it being in a series every time a new point of view came up I had to ask myself who the heck this person was and if I was supposed to know them already or not.

I have read one of this author's standalone books and I would definitely read more of those but I wouldn't read anymore of this series. Though the main character Eddie is interesting, this book just wasn't for me.

I was genuinely excited to dive into this book, especially after how much I loved the author's first book in the series. I didn't release that this book was in the series associated with "The Defense". However, this book never captured my attention in the same way. I felt like this lacked the pacing and intrigue that I had with the first book in the series. I was disappointed throughout the entire book and felt boredom while reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced ready copy in exchange for an honest review.