I mean, that tag line says it all, I didn’t need to know anything else before diving into this! There is a need for a bit of disbelief suspension, but otherwise this book did not disappoint. Thrilling, suspenseful, twisty - all delivered expertly. And I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, but that didn’t affect anything and there were no spoilers as far as I could tell (references to previous events were kept vague). Highly highly recommend!

Thanks to Flatiron Books for a free digital galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It has been so long since I got the galley that I bought the physical book and read that instead. But must give thanks to the publisher for their faith that I would read this on time lol!

Get you journal ready! I had to keep track of characters. I loved the POV change and the way the author slowly revealed edge-of-your-seat plot twists! The ending was fabulous!

This was fantastic! I really liked the premise and was intrigued the whole time. I liked that we got to read from the POV of the villain and the main protagonist. It helped to see the puzzle from both sides and yet there were still things that remained a mystery until the end. I am definitely interested in reading more of this series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

I recieved this arc through NetGalley for an honest review of my thoughts and mine alone. This novel was very enjoyable, this character growth was impeccable. I really felt myself being amiable towards the characters and could feel myself empathizing with all the emotions they were going through. This novel was very enjoyable. The serial killer vibe isn’t normally my go to style but this one was actually quite fun to read.

Outstanding Courtroom Drama/Serial Killer Thriller!

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this story as I hadn’t read the first 3 books but knew that this could be read as a stand-alone.

If anyone ever tells you that courtroom thrillers are boring, please give them this book!

It was fantastic! Part edge of your seat thriller, part creepy serial killer murder mystery and part courtroom drama all mixed together to make a story that you want to keep reading, all night. You’ll also want to call in sick to work so you can spend a few hours with this book to get to the end as quickly as possible.

The main character, attorney Eddie Flynn, is great at what he does. Smart as a whip, not afraid to get in and mix-it-up and is a good guy, through and through. I think I’m half in love with Mr Flynn and will have to now go back and read books 1-3.

I was bowled over by the ending too – love when that happens! This has been out for a couple of years now – if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?

This book was just an okay read. Although there were a few twists in it the story overall was quite predictable and did not keep me interested.

I've had this book on my netgalley shelf for 3 years now and I am KICKING MYSELF for waiting this long to read Thirteen - it was absolutely freaking fantastic! I was able to snatch up an audiobook copy via Hoopla, but I think I would have preferred to read this vs. listen. The main narrator played both characters and this was really confusing at certain points. I would have loved to have separate narrators for the audiobook because there is so much action to unpack.

Because of my obsession with Serial Killers, I knew this would be one that I loved. It was just the right amount of gruesome and gory, but my the characters weren't even my favorite part of this book. I absolutely LOVED the legal thriller vibes with this one and I am astonished at how Cavanaugh was able to weave such an intricate and educational/enjoyable story in this genre.

I see that this is part of a series and I've already got my hands on THE DEFENSE, which was published in 2016. If you love thrillers that will unsettle you and keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this book!

This was fine. Not as fun and thrilling as I had hoped it would be. If you are new to the genre you would probably find it more creepy than I did.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC provided to me for this review.
Steve Cavanaugh constructs the ins and outs of cons so well. He also has this embodied in his defense attorney, Eddie Flynn, a former grifter who's seen the very murky, grainy, down and dirty sides of human behavior, and lived among it. So Flynn is a really great, fleshed-out character, and the trials that Eddie is a part of reflect both sides of his lives. Always interesting and gritty.
I didn't give this a higher rating just because I really didn't totally believe in the sociopathic character that propelled this story forward, the story of a Hollywood couple, where one is murdered in bed with the bodyguard and all evidence points to the other half. Is it a conspiracy? Sloppy policework? Corruption? Or just brilliance on the part of the serial killer......sometimes it just seemed too pat.
But the story is riveting, and the pace proceeds to quickening slowly, so that you can't put the book down. The last third of the book, you're not moving.
Cavanaugh is a really good writer, totally enjoyable, and I would recommend this book.

I put this book on the back burner for way too long. It is book 3 of a series and I haven't read the others. I thought that might be a problem, but it really wasn't. you can enjoy the story fully without having started at the beginning. This legal thriller is a puzzle, and just when you thought maybe you know what's going on, things shift and change. A fun and gripping read.

Full disclosure... I didn't know this was number four in a series til I'd be approved. It can definitely be read as a standalone. But I would recommend the rest if possible. This was more than I expected. It was fast paced and had a very complex plot that kept me guessing!.

Received a copy for review

This one just didn’t click.. I mean yea the serial killer and sadism part was intriguing, yet the way it ended..just ‘eh’ like no!! The pace was what I really liked, the end didn’t sit well with the expectation it built 😐

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

"The serial killer isn't on trial. He's on the jury." That line sucked me in to request this book, even though I hadn't heard of this author or this series. You definitely can read this book without reading the rest of the series, but I'm definitely going to read them now.

Bobby Solomon is Hollywood's hottest actor, and he's on trial for killing his wife and his head of security. He claims he's innocent, but the forensics point to him being guilty. Eddie Flynn, past conman now lawyer, is fighting for Bobby and proving that he was framed.

This was a wild ride, and I felt like Steve Cavanagh did such a good job with the details. You can tell that he knows his stuff, and this was such a good book.

4.5 stars

A fast paced legal thriller that kept me guessing until the end. When I started reading this book I did not realize that it was a part of a series. I will definitely go back and read the other books in this series. I would highly recommend this book to any thriller lover.

Steve Cavanaugh is a brilliant writer. I was highly anticipating this read, and it didn't disappoint. right up to the ending that left me wanting for more. I still recommend this read, its a fast paced thriller, and it may just by my preference on the ending, some of my friends loved it.

Excellent legal novel. Eddie Flynn is a former con man, turned defense lawyer. He is tapped to be second chair in the trial of a famous actor accused of murdering his wife and her lover. After meeting him, Flynn is convinced of his innocence and decides to defend him. The chapters alternate between Flynn’s story and that of the murderer. Very suspenseful and interesting. Highly recommended.

Yes, yes, yes! This was the thriller I needed this week.

An amazing court drama that hooks you from the very start, Thirteen has so much mystery and thrilling moments to keep you engaged throughout. A one-sit read, I hadn't read the other books in the Eddie Flynn series but I'll be seeking them out now.

When actor Bobby Sullivan's wife and business manager are found dead, in his bed, he is the obvious suspect and is quickly arrested. His movie company is aghast at this development in their marketing of Sullivan and his latest movie and hires an expensive law firm to represent him.

Eddie Flynn isn't one of the city's expensive lawyers but he is effective and creative. When he is hired to be second chair, he sees a chance to be hired fulltime by the firm which will help him in his quest to reunite his family. As he learns about the case, he begins to believe that Bobby is innocent. When the law firm pulls out, Flynn becomes the lead attorney and is determined to do whatever it takes to free Sullivan.

But there is an adversary Flynn never suspected. A serial killer has been operating for years under the radar. His joy is in the killing but also in managing to get someone innocent found guilty for the killer's crimes. Sullivan is his latest case and this time the killer is upping the ante. Through devious maneuvers he manages to get himself on the jury where he gets a front row seat and can assure a guilty verdict. Can Flynn uncover the killer and prove Sullivan innocent?

Steve Cavanagh has written an intriguing and fascinating novel that is a mix of a legal thriller and a serial killer novel. Eddie Flynn is a sympathetic character and the reader will be pulling for him. The killer seems invincible and it is hard to see how he can lose. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

This took a conventional story line, murder trial and the jury, and added a new element. I liked that it was a fresh take on this typical story line, so I couldn't exactly guess how it was going to end.