I really enjoyed this one! From the beginning the author grabbed my attention. I read as quickly as possible so I could get to the end, while simultaneously not wanting the book to end!

This book was an absolute thrill ride and I could not put it down. All of the characters were vibrant and intriguing. This story was so unique and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. You must read this one!

Book review 📖

📜Witness 8
✍️Steve Cavanagh
📠Atria Books
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: March 25, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @atriabooks for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Ruby Johnson is now a maid for Manhattan’s uber upper class, although she used to be one of them. She’s able to blend into the background and get a glimpse into everyone’s lives and secrets. When Ruby witnesses a murder, she has other ideas—wicked ideas—of what to do with the information rather than turn it over to the police.

✨Ex con-man-turned-lawyer, Eddie Flynn, now represents John Jackson, the man accused of killing his neighbor. A gun was found in his closet with his DNA on it and matches the murder weapon. Eddie suspects this is a set up.

✨Eddie is on a race to find out who the true killer is, while simultaneously dodging some of the city’s biggest organized crime syndicates, who have a target on his head.

✨Although I loved the storyline and the fast paced action, there were some spots where I felt the story as a whole was a little too dragged out and disjointed. I felt as if Ruby‘s story was very separated from Eddie Flynn’s story. In fact for the first part of the book, I had a hard time sometimes remembering about Ruby and her importance in the plot.
However, I will say I am a fan of Eddie Flynn’s character, and having not read about him in the past, I will definitely go back to read prior books that he’s in.

#netgalley #witness8 #stevecavanagh #atriabooks #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #winterreleases #thrillerfiction

Publishing March 25th

4.5
Ruby and her mother once lived in the opulent neighborhood where she now works as a nanny and housekeeper. Their fall from grace was due to Ruby's father leaving them with all his debts.

As she's walking home one night, Ruby sees a neighbor's murder, and can easily identify the killer. Instead of sharing the truth about what she's seen, though, she leaves a trail to manipulate the story to her benefit.

Ruby is pretty awful, but Eddie knows a thing or two and with clever moves and close co-workers, we'll learn what really happened that night. And he'll do it all while being threatened by multiple hitmen.

I LOVE this series, I had a couple good guesses on this one that proved true and a couple twists I never saw coming. Cavanagh's plot pacing is excellent as always.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4⭐️s Buckle up for this one! Super fast paced, twisty thriller that I could not put down. Short, punchy chapters with different POVs makes this one a page turner. I loved the characters, especially the main guy, Eddie. And of course, his entourage. I need to catch up on books 5-8 on this series but each one so far can be read standalone. Multiple villains from all different angles drives the entertaining plot. I could see this picked up as a network series! Great popcorn thriller and recommend.

Expected release: 3/25/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was hard for me to get into because there were so many shifting POVs. That being said, things seemed to really pick up at the 40% mark. I did enjoy this story, it kept me engaged and interested throughout. I heavily enjoyed Ruby, and I do think some of the other POVs could have been skipped for more of hers. While the author was successful at building a lot of suspense and intensity, I found the twists to be predictable, and outside of the epilogue chapter, I guessed everything that happened.

4.4 stars - Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC copy of Witness 8! This was my first book by Steve Cavanagh - I'd been dying to read a few of his books (Kill for me, Kill for you & Th1rt3en) for awhile now. Witness 8 is a part the Eddy Flynn series and while I'm neurotic for reading books in sequential order, I had researched that all of the Eddy Flynn books could be read as stand alone books.

The first chapter absolutely hooked me. The description of Ruby left me with such a bad taste in my mouth, I couldn't wait to see how the cards fell. Eddy Flynn is a complete bad ass and I just wanted to be a part of his team. There were a lot of characters involved in this book and admittedly, I had to reread a few parts to make sure I followed all the different moving pieces. This book was fast paced, thrilling and had me rooting for Eddy and his team from the very beginning. I loved every second of this book and can't wait to read more books by Steve Cavanagh!

I think this one would be more enjoyable if I read the whole series as I think there was a lot of backstory to Flynn I was missing. I didn’t think the plot was anything special either… quite a few storylines and really the murder they’re solving is sort of back burner to everything else. A few twists, but nothing totally jaw dropping. I am slightly intrigued by the epilogue and possible next book, so TBD if I go back to the beginning of the series or even just continue the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Review now live on GoodReads and StoryGraph

Even her grandmother knew that something is definitely wrong with Ruby Johnson. Once part of Manhattan’s elite, Ruby now works as a nanny and maid, quietly observing the hidden lives of her wealthy employers. But when she witnesses a murder, her chilling plans go far beyond simply telling the truth. Enter Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned defense attorney, who must defend an innocent man framed for the crime while staying one step ahead of dangerous organized criminals. Did I mention he's also got a hit out against him?

Witness 8 is the eighth book in the Eddie Flynn series, but it works as a standalone as well. Cavanagh does a solid job reintroducing recurring characters, so I never felt lost even though I’ve only read one other book in the series. The story is told through quick, action-packed chapters, each from a different character’s perspective. While there are a lot of characters (so many I lost count!), the third-person narration helps keep things clear and adds to a well-rounded view of the story. You really understand everyone’s motivations, which adds depth to an already fast-paced thriller.

Speaking of depth, Ruby was twisted. Some of her actions gave me genuine chills, and she’s a character I won’t forget anytime soon. Eddie Flynn, with his con-man background, brings a unique twist to the legal thriller genre. His unconventional methods and tricks kept me hooked, and even though this story was jam-packed with action, it never felt overwhelming—it was just exciting. I couldn’t put this book down and raced through it in a few short days. There's a lot to keep up with but it's kind of like reading an action movie that you know will be satisfying in the end.

If you love fast-paced legal thrillers with lots of twists and morally complex characters, this one’s for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️'s ! My first Eddie Flynn novel and I am hooked! Smartly written with a lot of suspense. I enjoyed how when he was questioning someone on the stand he would explain why he asked the question and what he was expecting from the answer. It got into the psychology of a person and how lawyers can access that. I wonder if in court lawyers are thinking like Eddie Flynn? 🤔

Ruby Johnson a babysitter for the Jackson family is walking home at night in a very exclusive Manhattan neighbor and she witnesses a client and friend, Maggs, become brutally murdered. She sees it happens and know's who killed Maggs. She goes to retrieve the gun. She has an idea of what she will do with the gun. Ruby is no ordinary person. Most people are fooled by her kindness and thoughtfulness.

Eddie Flynn is a trial lawyer in New York and is being targeted by multiple hitmen, including a Mr. Christmas while defending an innocent man, John Jackson, a pediatric brain surgeon, from a charge for the murder of Maggs.

The story continues with so many twists and turns I couldn't put it down. I couldn't figure it out until the very end. Cavanagh's character of Eddie Flynn is charming and charismatic which makes you love him. The other supporting cast of characters were well developed and engaging including Mr. Christmas.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC for an honest review.

Witness 8 is the 8th installment in the Eddie Flynn series, however, it can be read as a standalone. Eddie is an ex-con turned lawyer who in this novel, is helping Ruby, a housekeeper who has witnessed a murder. Cavanagh does thrillers like no other! He doesn’t hand out the information, you have to work for it as a reader to piece the clues together, which is what I love the best about his novels. Witness 8 does just that! Be sure to pick up this 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

There is something about the lives of the New York elite that just sets the stage for a fantastic book! I loved the thriller element of the book and it felt like there were constant twists and turns that I was trying to navigate. I was so hooked on Ruby and her questionable background that I grew to love and hate her all at the same time. Her talking to the red priest constantly was a interesting element that added to the overall story and one that I frankly never saw coming. This was my first novel by Steve Cavanagh, and I have to admit that I felt very confused about some of the characters. At times I felt like there was too much back story on all of the supporting characters and for me that took away from the overall story. I loved everyone that worked in Eddie's office but there was just too much backstory on each that led to the overall experience being very confusing. I had a hard time keep track of who was who. I also found it extremely difficult in the end with the timeline. You would read about one characters in one chapter and then the next chapter took place two hours before the previous chapter. It all just felt like too much to me.

Overall, I loved the thriller aspect and the plot of the book. I will most definitely be reading more by Cavanagh! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

so well written!!! i'm obsessed with Eddie Flynn now and want to read subsequent books in this series!!! great work!

A solid thriller, a page turner that kept on the edge and turning pages.
Solid plot, good storytelling, a story which is both entertaining and disturbing at times
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Witness 8 is a murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Cavanagh's books.

This was a gripping crime thriller. I love this authors work because even though some things can be predictable the way the stories shake out are incredible.

I was so intrigued by all of the characters. With multiple POVs I was invested and curious about how everything and everyone was going to tie together. A lot of the characters are morally questionable. Ruby has amazing character development and I was invested in her story.

The ending is wrapped up perfectly which is what I prefer in a novel.

I had awaited the author's next....Driving narrative as is customary Cavanagh strength. Protagonist Eddie and several support characters compelling; others 'carboardy' with insufficient dimensions. Legal machinations were engaging, but, overall, too many unbelievable components/dimensions. Moreover, the young villain was just not credible in her history and motivations. Not among his best....2.5 of 5 stars

”There’s something not right about that girl…”

This was a wild ride! Dirty cops, hitmen for hire, multiple homicides, and an absolutely psycho witness who is manipulating everything behind the scenes - there’s so much happening between these pages that it left my head absolutely spinning. (In a good way!)

”The little pebbles that Ruby had been throwing down the hill were slowly eroding the slope, knocking into bigger stones, which rolled into even larger ones. The landslide was beginning. All Ruby had to do was make sure that it buried the right people.”

Witness 8 was my first read by Steve Cavanagh, but it won’t be my last. If you took a blender and combined an old classic gangster movie, Suits, a hint of The Telltale Heart, and an epinephrine syringe for the adrenaline rush, you’d have this book. About a third of the way in, I gave up trying to predict all of the twists and outcomes, because it was downright impossible to figure out where the story was going. Cavanagh is a master of out-maneuvering!

”There are no retired con men. Sooner or later, this game catches up to everyone.”

I didn’t realize that this was an installment in a series, and I would have liked to have read the prior books first, but it stands on its own well and I still enjoyed it, despite maybe missing some of the backstory between certain characters. Ruby and Mr. Christmas were fascinating villains, and if the epilogue really is setting up a sequel for their storyline, I can’t wait for it!

——

A huge thank you to Steve Cavanagh, Atria, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ruby Johnson is used to seeing things. Once a former resident of an elite Manhattan neighborhood, Ruby now spends her time as a maid in some of the residences—collecting more than one kind of dirty laundry. When a resident is murdered and she is the only witness, Ruby makes plans that don’t necessarily involve the truth…

Defense attorney Eddie Flynn’s next client is a doctor accused of murdering his neighbor—complete with a mountain of evidence against him. Coupled with additional problems, Eddie needs to figure out how to prevent an innocent man from going to jail.

But what do you do if the witness is more twisted than the killer?

My introduction to Eddie Flynn came when I read Thirteen—which was outstanding!

Witness 8 continues the thrilling quality of the Eddie Flynn series. Cavanagh (who also wrote the gripping and clever “Kill For Me, Kill For You”) has a knack for writing brilliant, page turning thrillers with great characters and impeccable twists—both in the twist itself and when that twist is revealed. And that’s all I’m going to say because you should read this book.

You can read the Eddie Flynn series as standalone novels (I’m working my way through the series) but knowing some of the characters from prior installments adds a bit more to the story.

I really enjoyed this story! Steve Cavanagh did an amazing job (once more) of telling a story that plays like a movie in your mind. The attention to small details bring you along for the ride. I often wonder how reliable witnesses are because perspective is everything. Add their own motive and that could be very interesting....thus the premise of Witness 8. This story has a little more personal depth around Eddie and his Team, but I like it. It feels like the setup for future stories. Yes please!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Steve Cavanagh for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review. I'm excited to continue reading more Eddie Flynn books. Thank you once more!