This was my first Eddy Flynn book, and it stands alone pretty well despite the large cast of characters. Eddy is a former con man turned defense lawyer in a version of New York City that will be familiar to watchers of shows like Castle or Suits. Eddy has a crew helping him out: Harry, his mentor; Kate, another lawyer; Bloch, his investigator/body guard (she's magically capable of kicking the asses of bad guys twice her size); Denise, his office manager; and Lake, a former FBI profiler who only eats organic food and is comfortable killing bad guys at random.

Eddy is called in to defend a guy accused of killing his neighbor, a Nicole Kidman type who'd been having affairs with at least two of the men in her wealthy neighborhood, and since this is a Steve Cavanagh book things are not all they seem. The person who witnessed the murder and tipped off the police about Eddy's client is a con woman in her own right with dark secrets to hide.

Overall, I'd describe this book as fun, with a bit of humor and a huge cast of colorful characters. I'd recommend it for dads who love Justified, people who enjoy cozy mysteries but want to graduate to something a bit darker, and fans of old detective movies. Despite the violence, it's not a good fit for anyone who wants their mystery novels to be dark, gritty, or--and I don't mean this as an insult--believable.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to give this book a 3 star rating
I think had a read the previous books in the series it might have been higher. But I found the multiple POVs to be too much for my taste. But like I said had I had background it might have been better. It has a lot going on. The courtroom drama was entertaining. I think maybe I’ll start from the beginning of the series and try to put more together. But if your a fan of the series you might wanna give this book a try

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: March 25, 2025

Steve Cavanagh wrote one of my top books from last year, which was his standalone called Kill for Me, Kill for You. I've also read and loved one other book (Th1rt3en) from this same series that Witness 8 is a part of. I did enjoy this one for the most part, but unfortunately, not quite as much as I had hoped.

This book (and series) follows Eddie Flynn, who used to be a con artist, but is now a defense attorney who only represents clients he believes to be wrongfully accused. In Witness 8, a woman named Ruby witnesses a murder, and instead of reporting what she saw to the police, she plots a way to use this to her advantage. This results in an innocent person being arrested and tried for the murder, which is who Eddie's team is representing in this book. This book (and the rest in the series) can be read as a standalone, so you don't have to read them in order.

As I mentioned above, I did enjoy this one for the most part. What's bringing my rating down is that it felt like there was quite a bit of unnecessary stuff thrown in. This is a 416 page book, so some of that could have been cut, and the page count would have still been fine. Additionally, there were NINE different POVs. Granted, a few of them only had 1-2 chapters, but in my opinion, only about four POVs were needed. The core story was good, but the unnecessary details and POVs threw off the pacing. If the book focused on the core mystery instead of adding extra side-plots, then I think this would have been a 4 or 5 star book. However, as Dwight Schrute once said about Michael Scott's breath, it was "good not great." 3 stars!

This was my first Eddie Flynn book & it won’t be my last!
This book was incredibly entertaining & I never knew what Eddie’s next move was going to be.
I really enjoyed the side characters as well!
The only downfall for me was it took awhile to get all the characters figured out- seemed to be almost too many.
I still really enjoyed it nonetheless, & might have to start at Eddie Flynn #1!

"Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson."

From the first sentence, Witness 8 plunges you into a mind-bending, high-stakes thriller that grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Ruby Johnson is the definition of a perfectly twisted protagonist—her choices, calculated and chilling, are the spark that ignites this electrifying tale. When tragedy strikes the street she calls home, Ruby seizes the moment with unnerving precision, setting the stage for a story packed with moral dilemmas, corruption, and chaos.

And then there’s Eddie Flynn. True to form, Eddie’s razor-sharp wit and unconventional legal tactics deliver laugh-out-loud moments while keeping his enemies (and the readers) on edge. He’s always three steps ahead, but with his team backing him, it feels like they’re an unstoppable force. The twists and turns in this case were genuinely unpredictable. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Cavanagh pulled the rug out from under me.

A standout element of Witness 8 is its unforgettable character development. Lake, in particular, surprised me the most. Watching his evolution and partnership with Bloch unfold was a masterclass in tension and chemistry. These two didn’t just "stand on business"—they redefined it. Their dynamic brought an added layer of grit and depth to the narrative that thriller fans will devour.

For anyone who loves a thriller that tackles corruption head-on, explores the power of family ties, and keeps you guessing until the final page, Witness 8 is a must-read. Steve Cavanagh has done it again, crafting a story that will haunt you long after the last chapter. This book was the perfect companion for my snowy days in—and trust me, you’ll want to carve out uninterrupted time to devour it too.

Well done, Steve Cavanagh. Witness 8 was worth every twist, turn, and gasp. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed it, less compared to other cavanagh books but that largely is because I feel like Rubys ending came out of nowhere and was rushed versus actually getting her end piece with Flynn explained more. I think after investing so much time into her storyline throughout that I would’ve loved to actually be a part of how it wrapped up. Other than that it’s the usual praises. It was a great story and I didn’t see the ending coming. Steve Cavanagh is an incredible author.

This book was unfortunately a DNF for me. I've loved a couple of books from this author, but this book had far too many POVs and wasn't gripping me. I also personally don't care when thrillers have a mob boss/organized crime element to it. I was interested in the initial story involving Ruby but not anything else involving Eddie, unfortunately. The writing was also a little too simplistic and stereotypical for my taste. Will continue to read from this author though!

Witness 8 comes out on March 25, 2025. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Eddie Flynn is back again, this time to take the seemingly impossible case of clearing the name of John Jackson who is accused of murdering his neighbor. The evidence seems undeniable- the murder weapon is in John's house with his DNA all over it. But Eddie Flynn will get the job done. This is my second book by Steve Cavanagh, and it definitely won't be my last. I was up well into the night eager to see how the story would play out.

Eddie Flynn is back to take on another seemingly impossible case when John Jackson is accused of murdering his neighbor. The evidence seems clear enough - the murder weapon in his house with his DNA on it. But if anybody can save an innocent man, it’s Eddie Flynn.

I really enjoyed solving the mystery of this case as the book progressed. Even having more information than the characters, I was still unsure of how they were going to “con” their way out of all of the situations and happenings, especially since right up until the very end, someone’s life is in danger! The story had me hooked from the beginning and kept me hooked with the new pieces to solve throughout. This was definitely a good addition to the Eddie Flynn series.

5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Eddie Flynn is back, and believe it or not, his newest case is a doozy! A woman is murdered in a ritzy neighborhood in Manhattan. A witness sees it all through the window, including a clear view of the murderers face. So, why does she frame an innocent man? Eddie, with his faithful crew and sometimes unscrupulous connections, will get to the bottom of it. But, will everyone make it out alive?

I binge read the Eddie Flynn series these last 3 weeks, and I am going to miss these characters until the next book in the series. I love a good legal thriller, and not one book in this series disappointed me.

This is exactly what I expected from a Steve Cavanagh book - and that is a GREAT thing! A little bit courtroom drama, a lot bit twists and turns, bad guys, and many surprises. A fun and entertaining read!

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the early release of Witness 8. All opinions are my own.

I enjoy this author so much last year’s book was one of my top reads of the year. This was my first Eddie Flynn book in the series I’ve read. I feel like even though it was a standalone I should have read the others beforehand just to get a feel for the characters and their stories. Because I wasn’t invested or connected to the characters from the start I felt it was difficult to make a solid connection.

Overall I was a bit underwhelmed. The twists weren’t that twisty and there were so many different characters and points of view that it was difficult to keep everything straight.

I will continue to read Steve Cavanagh’s work and I will most likely go back and start this series from the beginning to get the full picture story.

I've never read anything by this author before so this was a first. I loved this book! Fast paced and I kept waiting for what was going to happen next. The writing style was also very good, reminded me of books I used to read when I was younger. I will definitely read more by this author, especially Eddie Flynn series.

I received an ARC of Witness 8, and couldn’t be happier to have just finished my first novel with Eddie Flynn. I want to read all the others now! The sharp wit of this guy and the twists and turns of the story were amazing. I definitely recommend Witness 8 and imagine the rest of the series will be just as enjoyable.

WOW! This book has A LOT going on! Ruby works as a maid in an upscale neighborhood while caring for her aging mom. She witnesses a murder one night on her way home from work. Eddie Flynn is an ex-con man turned attorney, defending the accused killer. Witness 8 tells the very complex story of how this crime was solved. It's a rough story filled with sophisticated killers and criminals.

This book is filled with intrigue and unexpected twists and turns. There are many vital characters to remember, so staying on top of the story was a tad challenging and I did get a little bogged down at times. The ending was spectacular, and worth all the work!

I recommend Witness 8 to all who love a good murder / courtroom drama.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Witness 8.

I loved KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU by Cavanagh and was so excited to receive a copy of this. This is part of the Eddie Flynn series (book 8). I did not read the others, and still thought this was good. There are all different parts in this one that all weave together, and you will be trying to piece it all together. It just totally gripped me. There's multiple characters that you'll read about and their past. It was fun seeing how they all came together. Although there wasn't any huge twists that blew me away, I totally enjoyed this one. I'd love to go back to read more in this series. I loved the detailed writing and thought it was really well done!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own..

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. The main character of this book Eddie Flynn is a con man turned lawyer. It is interesting how aspects of the law can be used in a con game. This book had murder.. hit man and good ole boys & girls fighting for justice. This isn't the first book written by Steve Cavanagh that Eddie Flynn appears in there is quite a series that can stand alone with some reflection on Eddies past experiences. The book kept me interested and trying to guess who done it along with playing fingerprint expert.

I requested this ARC after reading and enjoying the author's book Kill for Me, Kill for You. I did not realize this was the 8th book in a series until the book was over. Not reading the earlier books in the series did not at all impact my enjoyment of the book (though the book wrapped up a little too cleanly - I suspect it wouldn't have been tied up quite so nicely in a little bow if it was standalone). That said, this was a really fun ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Considering we pretty much knew what happened from the beginning, the author had lots of excitement in this book that kept me hooked until the end. Can't wait to go back and read earlier books in this series.

Thank you to Netgally and Atria books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I was excited to read another Steve Cavanagh book and this one did not disappoint! The setting in an upscale neighborhood sets the stage, a doctor is framed for a murder, but how? It takes the entire book to lay out the specifics on what was really going on. Lots of characters and stories within the story. The ending was satisfying and the book is sure to be a hit with the mystery/thriller community of book readers.

Now that is how a crime novel should be done. What a ride! id love to see Eddie team up with Mickey Haller. Similar ingredients, but the East Coast edition which gives it a unique flavor.