well this was not my type of book though it is very well plotted. i just didn't like the violent scenes as i always feel them while reading.

thank you very much to #Netgalley and the author for this ARC

Loved this!! The author really took time and details into this book. I felt like I was watching a thriller/action movie!!

Steve Cavanagh's latest book Thirteen is downright clever. This is the story of a serial killer who manipulates the system to place himself on the jury. What an intriguing idea for a novel!

The story captured my attention from the very first chapter, and I could hardly wait to find out what would happen next, all the way through the book. The action never slowed down, but along with this fast ride was a cast of clever characters that didn't disappoint.

When I started this book, I did not realize it is the fourth book in a series starring defense attorney Eddie Flynn. The reader does not have to have read the other books in the series before picking up Thirteen; however, I loved this writing so much, I will certainly go back and read the other novels in the series.

Thirteen is smartly written, fast-paced, and impressive. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh was a very fast-paced thriller. I was attracted by the blurb and the hype, and it didn't disappoint. A serial killer in the jury!! Loved the intriguing story. Looking forward to reading other books by the author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this courtroom drama! Such a different premise, the murderer could be on the jury?! Great twists and turns in this one make it such a fun read. I spent time in a jury, we were sequestered at one point, that experience helped this book seem so vivid to me. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed the plot line and the idea behind it, however I felt like there were a few issues with the plot line. There were quite a few "this could never happen" moments and quite a few "That twist was just put there to throw us off, without any foreshadowing." I also felt some parts of the story went too slow.

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh is an amazingly intense thriller! I really loved reading this book! I liked the combination of murder and court room drama. It reminded me of Grisham’s novels but amped up to the next level. I was in shock at the end of so many chapters. It was great to be kept in suspense until the very end of the book. I had no idea this is actually book number four in the Eddie Flynn series. I want to go back and start reading from book number one now.

Lawyer Eddie Flynn gets himself a job as co attorney in the biggest case in New York history. Weekly plotted, lacking character development, and odd chapter cliff hangers that don’t get solved for several pages.

This book is apparently part of a series, which I didn’t know going into it. However, I think it could be read as a standalone.

It’s told from two POVs: the lawyer and the killer. The plot moves at a steady pace, and there were a few unexpected twists. The characters didn’t seem to have a lot of development, and they were just okay overall. I’ve read a few courtroom dramas, and this one was just average for me.

Review -
If you're looking for a great read in thrillers, check this out! One of the most unique thrillers I've read. Twist after twist.
I received the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
After I read it, I wanted to check out the construction of the story. I went back and bought the audio and listened. Just as compelling in this format, with a wonderful reader. A story to be savored by thriller fans.

(Also included the cover and a link to Amazon)

Steve Cavanagh really hooked me with the premise of Thirteen. A serial killer places himself on the jury in a murder trial. The killer of course is smart, diabolical, amoral, and ruthless. Hero Eddie Flynn, a defense attorney is also smart, however he has a strong moral compass. Eddie has been featured in other Steve Cavanagh books, but Thirteen works as a stand alone. The villain was not as complex as I would have liked. The focus was more on the complexity and variety of his crimes, which at times made me uncomfortable and incredulous. Eddie Flynn was a much more layered character and I appreciated Mr Cavanagh's allowing him to grow throughout the novel. The pacing is fast, the story well woven, the twists and turns are for the most part untelegraphed. I was definitely entertained. Im now watching for the next book.... Twisted, though it doesnt feature Eddie Flynn.
*I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

4 Stars.

What happens when a Serial Killer finagles his way onto a Jury? Let’s call it what it is: One Wild Ride!

Celebrity Movie Star Robert Soloman has been convicted of murdering his wife Ariella Bloom and her lover, though he swears he’s innocent.

Former con artist, Eddie Flynn is now a lawyer. Hired to represent Bobby Soloman he quickly realizes that the guy is in fact, innocent even though the evidence makes it appear as though the guy is guilty as sin. How to prove it? Now that’s the question!

Joshua Kane is a Serial Killer. He is not who or what he seems. Little does anyone know that Kane has gotten himself a seat on Bobby Soloman’s jury. For what purpose exactly? Ha. I’m afraid I can’t say. What I can say is that I hope I never meet anyone like Kane.

This is one crazy read! It's a legal thriller, a police procedural and a mystery/suspense rolled into one. Well done Steve Cavanaugh! This is the 4th book in the Eddie Flynn series however I read it as a standalone. I loved the character of Eddie Flynn and would definitely go back and read the rest of the series.

This was another buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Steve Cavanaugh for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 8.28.19.

This started out a little slow for me, but continued to build at a steady enough pace to keep me intrigued. A little over half way, it took off and didn't slow down until the last page!

Fun read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Wow! This was an absolutely fantastic thriller/courtroom drama! Totally far fetched, but chock full of twists and turns. I read a lot of thrillers, but this one really does keep you guessing the whole time. Well written with a great central character (Eddie Flynn - con artist/defence lawyer with a conscience). I haven't read any others in the series, but that didn't matter, it's good as a standalone. Looking forward to reading the other books by Steve Cavanagh.

Thirteen starts off with describing a serial killer. You can tell right away he is deceptive and smart by the way he is pretending to be a homeless person and stalking his victim. Come to find out, all he wants is a jury summons. He has a plan to be on a very specific jury and has to become one of the summoned to achieve that goal.

Thirteen is about a murder trial of a famous actor said to have killed his wife and head of security. It flips from the perspective of a lawyer on his defense and to the serial killer who made it his mission to get on the jury. It describes how the defense team works and the crime that leads up to the trial. The parts about Kane, the killer, is very interesting and different from any book I’ve read.

As the story develops you begin to learn more about the case and what happened. A serial killer emerges, but it’s not clear if it is Kane, or why he is so invested. As the story evolves, you learn what happened in Kane’s past to turn him into a cold-blooded killer.

There is a fantastic twist at the end of Thirteen and it kept me on edge the whole time. I couldn't wait to learn what happened, and each chapter showed an evolving plot with much more than meets the eye. Juror vs. Defending Lawyer, who will come out on top?

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC!

The premise for this book was absolutely ingenious! A typical murder trial is getting underway. Did I say typical? Only if you think that having a certified serial killer on the jury is normal!
Are you kidding me! Gimme, Gimme! I had to read this one!

Bobby Solomon is Hollywood’s latest and greatest heartthrob who finds himself on trial for the murder of his wife and security man. And of course he swears he’s innocent!

Eddie Flynn is an independent lawyer with a reputation for thinking outside the box. His courtroom theatrics are legendary! (Well...let’s just say he’s good at what he does!). He’s been asked to sit second-chair at Bobby’s trial. Like any defense attorney, he believes in Bobby’s innocence and agrees to help. But before long he finds himself sitting in the lead chair at the trial.

So what happens when you find you have a rogue juror!? One whose own agenda takes precedence over the actual evidence being presented? Perhaps even more disturbing…that juror is a serial killer!

If you like clever courtroom antics... Perry Mason moments if you will, then you’ll love this book! The courtrooms scenes were my absolute favorite!

You’ll need to suspend your believability! If you can....then I think you’ll walk away loving the new favorite summer thriller!

A fabulous buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Steve Cavanagh for an ARC to read and review.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

"It’s the murder trial of the century. And Joshua Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house – and to be sure the wrong man goes down for the crime. Because this time, the killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury."

A few interesting twists and turns in the plot, couldn't always tell who the good guys were.

3.25☆

Thirteen is the 4rth book in the Eddie Flynn series. I have not read any of his other books but I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. This book can be read as a stand-alone but I am definitely going to read the previous books.

This book was well written with strong characters. It was a fast-paced, page-turner with a shocking ending that I did not see coming. I love a book that sucks you in at the start and doesn’t let you go ’til the very end. If you are looking for a gripping thriller, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for a copy of Steve Cavanagh's "Thirteen" in exchange of an honest review.

My Thoughts
I don’t typically read legal thrillers or courtroom dramas; however, if there are other books out there like this one I may have to amend that immediately because this book was awesome! Here are my pros and cons for TH1RT3EN:

Pros

- This is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series by this author and I didn’t know that when I started reading it. That said, this could easily be a standalone. I don’t feel like I was missing anything in the story at all. This book definitely held its own.
- Page-turner alert!!! This was a hard book to put down. Very hard! This book grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go! It was an awesome ride!
- This is a great thriller with an intellectual plot. The situations were very creative and the courtroom drama was awesome! There were a few convenient circumstances that required a little bit of a suspension of belief, but the story was so awesome that I didn’t even mind it!
- The dialogue was realistic and easy to read.
- Kane was creepy and smart and just an awesome character. He gave me some serious heebie-jeebies!
- This was written in alternate POVs between Kane and the lawyer Flynn. The back and forth viewpoints were well-written and smoothly done.
- I loved the breakdown of the evidence and the presentation of different scenarios to explain what could have happened during the murder trial.
- Awesome twist at the end!!!
- Definitely one of my top 5 reads so far this year. It was simply that good.

Cons

- The book is full of violence and murder. This isn’t a con per se – this is a legal thriller about a serial killer after all! I included it here more as a warning for anyone that doesn’t like to read things like that since the violence is somewhat graphic.

Summary
I absolutely did not want to stop reading this book. I raced through it and now that I’ve read it I wish it wasn’t over. This is easily one of my favorite reads this year and I am going to read Cavanagh’s other books as soon as I can. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a great thriller and a fantastic courtroom drama!

The book follows the story of a trial. A movie star is accused of murdering his wife. Of course, he says he didn't do it. Criminal defense attorney Eddie Flynn steps in to try to prove his innocence. But there's someone else following the case just as keenly as Eddie is...

My first impression of this book was that it was going to be a bit of a noir comedy. We've all read them before, with a PI firing witty one-liners at the bad guys. I was surprised at this because the blurb led me to believe it was a tense killer thriller.

In reality the book definitely leans more towards the tense side, and isn't funny at all. The protagonist, Eddie Flynn, however, isn't very far off the original idea I had of the witty renegade PI. The only difference is he is much more troubled than funny. He definitely has the cheesy name for a start. And he fits the standard profile down to a tee of the hero who is down on his luck. He's been a bad guy in the past, he has a drinking problem, his wife has left him because of his shenanigans, but he's turned over a new leaf and is determined to use his dodgy techniques for the greater good and to help those in need. Everyone has read a few detective novels all about a guy just like Eddie. The only slight difference in this book is that Eddie is a criminal defense lawyer, not a PI or rogue detective.

The story is told from two different points of view - Eddie's and the killer's. The chapters switch between the two and so the plot unfolds in two different perspectives on the same timeline. This allows the author to give the whole picture of what's' happening even though the characters themselves don't have the full story.

The book moves at a good pace, and there are many twists and revelations throughout. I was kept guessing for most of the time, which for me was great. It kept me interested in what was happening and although it wasn't really too complex, it was tense and the plot worked well overall. The writing style is quite simple - it's not flowery or descriptive and the speech is quite direct. There is no messing about, chatting or tangents to be seen. It works for the book and I found I settled into it quite quickly.

I loved the fact that this is essentially a courtroom drama combined with a serial killer thriller. The trial aspect was particularly well written. The author had obviously either done his homework or has experience of the US legal system.

The slightly negative aspect for me was the characters. They were not entirely formed, and the only aspects of the characters you really see are the ones integral to the plot only. They don't have much personality. They have thoughts, emotions and lives - they do things, but without feeling. I didn't have any love or hate for anyone in this book.

Also I can't help but feel that this was slightly cheesy, as I said before down the road of a TV courtroom drama. Although the plot worked well, it was pretty unrealistic on the whole. There is no way on earth that things would have played out how they did in real life. Which isn't really a problem for me, because I don't think fiction necessarily has to follow the rules of real life, but it is still less than my favourite book for this reason.

I'd recommend this book to crime, detective and law fiction lovers. It's been marketed as a thriller in my eyes, and although it was quite highly paced I wouldn't place it alongside the tense psychological thrillers I've read of late because of the setting and how the story plays out. It's not creepy or scary, it's all very sensibly played out on the whole. A very good book, but not a great one.