Going into this book I missed the fact that it was book 8 of a series. But it worked completely fine as a standalone story and since I loved it, I'm excited to go back and start the series from the beginning. I actually love when that happens.

"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘶𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘢 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺."

Ruby Johnson used to live among the upper-class in the elite neighborhood that she now works as a maid and nanny. Her family's fall from financial grace has left her slightly bitter. One night while walking home from work, she witnesses the murder of a neighbor... and sees it as an opportunity of sorts.

Eddie Flynn is a former con-artist and current defense attorney who takes the case of the person accused of the neighbor's murder. The story follows his eclectic team during the investigation and trial.
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There were so many things I enjoyed about this book. I think my favorite was the cast of characters. Eddie himself was so smart and interesting with his background as a con-artist. It was obvious that his way of thinking was a little different than everybody else because of his previous lifestyle. I also loved his team with each character being unique and fleshed out.

The plot was fast-paced with multi POV so it was a super quick and entertaining read. Part legal-thriller, part mystery, part domestic suspense... if you enjoy any of these genres I think you'll have fun with this book too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Why am I only finding out about author Steve Cavanagh now? Witness 8 is a legal thriller with a side of psychological thriller. Set in New York City, much of it takes place on West 74th Street in Manhattan as well as at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. The novel is the eighth book in the Eddie Flynn series and is told from multiple points of view. Those include Eddie as well as Ruby Johnson, a maid and nanny that works for many of the families.

Eddie is a streetwise former con-artist who is now a defense attorney with an unconventional team. He is cunning and has a quick wit, but he can be reckless at times and doesn’t always follow conventions. Ruby used to live on West 74th Street until she and her mother were forced to move. She tends to see and hear everyone’s secrets, is greedy, a liar, and a manipulator of people and situations.

The prologue immediately pulls readers into the story as they get to know the kind of person Ruby is. On her way home one night, she witnesses a murder. She doesn’t tell the authorities the truth since she has a much more complicated and diabolical plan in mind. Eddie is introduced in the first chapter in court and readers get a feel for his trial law capabilities.

Eddie and his team are willing to take on hopeless cases if they believe their client is innocent. John Jackson’s case seems hopeless, but they take the case after meeting with John and his wife, Alison. Readers would think this might be enough on Eddie’s plate, but organized criminals have a grievance with him that have him looking for trouble around every corner.

With a complex and multi-layered plot, an unreliable narrator, distinctive characters, a murder investigation, and a trial, this story kept me rapidly turning the pages. This is not your typical murder mystery or legal thriller. It has more depth and is thought-provoking and full of surprises and twists. The pacing is fast and the ending brings everything to a satisfactory conclusion that is well done. Many themes run throughout the novel including secrets, knowledge as power, family, lies, friendship, and much more.

Overall, this is a compelling, entertaining, and suspenseful story that kept me rapidly turning the pages. This is my first book by the author and I’m looking forward to reading more of his works. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Readers of legal thrillers that are unique as well as fans of the series will likely enjoy this high-stakes book.

Atria Books and Steve Cavanagh provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 25, 2025.

This was my first Eddie Flynn book and that could be why it was hard to follow for me. I liked the story, however, with so many POV’s and moving parts I found it hard to follow at times. I really enjoyed the character of Eddie Flynn and it was an overall good detective thriller.

I just have a soft spot for Steve Cavanagh and Eddie Flynn. These are good old fashioned crime novels and they are always entertaining. They are full of colorful characters and ridiculously hilarious situations- over the top in the best way. Can they be cheesy? Yes. And that's part of what makes me love them. This series is almost timeless, could take place in any decade.

This isn't my favorite in the Eddie Flynn series but it's a good time- entertaining and fun nonetheless.

3.5⭐️ Eddie Flynn, ex-con turned lawyer, is back on the scene as he works to clear his newest client, John Jackson, the sole suspect in a murder when the neighborhood maid places him at the scene, along with the weapon. But as Eddie and the gang work to save their client, he will come under fire from some of the most dangerous criminals in the city who are out for blood.

I have only read one other book in this series so far, Thirteen, but am already completely in love with Mr. Eddie Flynn. His character is whip-smart, full of sarcastic wit, and of course, has a heart of gold. I appreciate each and every scene he is in, and cannot get enough of him, especially as he works to figure out what happened and who is out to get him. A new character to this story that also completely drew me in is Ruby, one of the most cunning characters I have read lately. I found myself most drawn to her chapters as I tried to parse out just how much of her was smart versus insane.

While I enjoyed the overall plot line and, of course, Eddie Flynn, I found the story as a whole to be a little confusing as we bounced back and forth between so many characters and subplots. Looking back, I wish I had read this one solely with my eyes, or combined the audio with the physical book, and not relied solely on the audio due to the large cast of characters and complex storyline. All of that said, I would still recommend this book, and will definitely be continuing on with the series myself.

Read if you like:
▪️legal series
▪️unreliable narrators
▪️psychological thrillers
▪️police procedurals
▪️interesting characters
▪️multiple storylines and POVs

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced copy.

Eddie Flynn series book #8

A legal thriller

It opens with a bang….. a murder setting the stage for Ruby Johnson a nanny and cleaner to homes in the neighborhood to become the prime witness to a gruesome murder. …Will Ruby do the right thing and tell the authorities what she really saw and identify the right killer? Or will she do something else?... Knowing who he was and where he dumped the weapon was all she needed to put a plan into action

Of course, Ruby decision points to the wrong person and this poor man finds himself defended by a one-time con man Eddie Flynn who quickly took the case. It’s a race against time to uncover the truth while Eddie faces a personal threat from a hit man, the enigmatic Mr. Christmas.

Plain old murder mystery was not in the cards for Mr. Cavanagh he definitely had other ideas and has spun a very convoluted drama for us to enjoy. It is an amazing ride that had me hooked till I reached the last page. What a fun read and a fantastic story that dragged me in its fantastic plot, its legal sequences and its peculiar characters.

“Witness 8” is loaded with surprises and takes unexpected directions when Eddie finds himself defending his client while dealing with Mr. Christmas. The machinations is the game here Ruby played it well and her tactics blended well with the legal handlings and the investigations of Flynn’s team. This story is loaded with surprises and has left me constantly on the edge of my seat till the very end.

The build up to the conclusion and the end result is extremely well done. This is a wonderful novel: entertaining and pleasurable to read.

Synopsis: Lawyer Eddie Flynn is tasked with defending his client who claims to have been framed for a murder he didn’t commit. There was a witness to the murder, and she knows who the real killer is - but is she lying?

Thoughts: I was not aware that this is number 8 in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Cavanaugh can be counted on to deliver a super twisty psychological thriller. These characters are all super interesting, particularly babysitter Ruby and hitman Mr. Christmas. I also like Flynn and his team and can totally see how a series following them works well. If this kind of story is your jam, Cananaugh definitely delivers. A note on the audio: Adam Sims does a great job narrating the multiple POVs here!

Read this if you like:
🫢 murder mysteries
🫢 crime procedurals
🫢 twisty psychological thrillers
🫢 multi pov

Looking for a riveting psychological thriller? Stop right there and grab Steve Cavanagh's Witness 8!

Eddie Flynn was a con artist before becoming a lawyer. His cleverness in a bad way came from his past but was still used as one of his lawyer tools to help good and innocent people.

Ruby Johnson was 22 years old and worked as a nanny, a maid, and a babysitter for several ultra-elite Manhattan upper-class people on West Seventy-fourth Street. She witnessed a murder scene and saw the weapon was left in the garbage. She picked it up and used it to frame another person. Why? She hated all those people who lived on that street. Again why? She used to grow up on that street. But again why? Pick this book up and read it.

Ruby was not the only problem Eddie had. He had a lot of other problems along with it! More than one group wanted his head.

A lot of twists and turns!

Steve Cavanagh's writing style intrigued me.

I find it hilarious because it is book 8 of the Eddie Flynn Series and it was my first book of this series. When I picked it up and started reading, I realized it was the latest book of the Eddie Flynn series. I am OCD, and I would like to start from the beginning. My daughter googled it and said I can technically read them out of order. After I finished it, she was right, however, it made me want to read his other seven books in this series.

This is my second book of Steve Cavanagh's books. The first was "Kill for Me, Kill for You." Highly recommended!

Thank you so much @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I admire it very much!

Eddie Flynn, you can do it all! A former conman turned brilliant defense lawyer has his work cut out for him as he an his team take on the case of Dr John Jackson, a prominent surgeon who is accused of murder.

The good doctor, residing with his family on the tony elite street in Manhattan was supposedly witnessed shooting the frivolous Maggs, (another resident) by their help Ruby. Problem is Jackson is innocent and Ruby is intent on seeing him "hang". Why is the prevailing question and Flynn and his former contacts and friends are on the case of finding the real killer., they make some eye opening discoveries.

There are lots of twists and murders. Even Flynn's life is in jeopardy. ...and who is this Ruby and her connection to a painting of a red priest?

I enjoyed this fast paced story, especially after making my way through a very slower previous book.

This book started out with a bang! It was told via multiple narrators, which kept the story moving and flowing surprisingly well.

Witness 8 is a fast paced and captivating read about a young woman who witnesses a crime and sees an opportunity, but her choices end up affecting so many others. This book wove an amazing tale of murder, deceit, blackmail, family, friendship and perseverance. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was my first Eddie Flynn novel and I was expecting a legal thriller.

This actually is more of what I would call an action thriller. I don’t enjoy stories where there’s more hit men, dirty cops, shooting, and cracking of heads than investigation. The added theme of the wealthy behaving badly is not one I enjoy either.

This is a case of it’s not the book, I’m simply the wrong reader.

This was my first Eddie Flynn book and it certainly will not be my last! I have already roped my husband into reading the others with me. Steve Cavanagh has created a universe where each character is multi-dimensional, flawed, and interesting. Eddie is easy to root for, despite not always playing by the rules. Witness 8 tells the story of a neighborhood of privileged elite, rocked by the murder of one of their own by one of their own. Ruby, a former resident of the neighborhood, is now serving as a nanny and housekeeper for the residents and witnesses the murder and devises a way to use it to her advantage. Eddie takes on the case to defend John after a tip leads detectives to the gun in his house. But Eddie Flynn doesn't defend the guilty. With the evidence stacking against John, how will Eddie and his team prove John's innocence and get him back home to his family? Cavanagh's cast of characters will have you wanting to know more about them, rooting for them, worrying about them, hating them, cursing them, and more, with each turn of the page. I found myself binging this book because I absolutely needed to know what would happen next.

This was a fantastic story. I’ve actually never read an Eddie Flynn novel before but I felt like it was written in such a way that that didn’t matter. This was so entertaining and I know if I want to read a legal thriller in the future this is the first author I’m going to turn to. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC! This will be out on March 25!

I was excited to receive this as an ARC! Thank you Atria Books. Even if you haven't read the other books in the series, like me, you will be able to enjoy this story.

"There's something wrong with Ruby Johnson."

Ruby gave me Last Mrs Parrish vibes at first! I found her to be so creepy and deranged, insane. We never knew what she would do next.

Eddie is a smooth talker and a quick thinker. Reading this book felt like watching Suits and Law and Order in one.

All the POVs are interesting. I was invested in every character.

THE ENDING. I don't want to give anything away but WOW.

I loved this legal thriller and enjoyed the experience of reading it while trying to figure out what really happened and how all the plots were going to tie together. I love that the main character, Eddie Flynn, is gritty and questionable. He gives so much authenticity to the character. There was a lot going on with this story and I had no idea how it was going to all come together.

Steve Cavanagh wrote one of my favorite thrillers of all time, “Kill For Me, Kill For You”, so I was very excited about reading this book.

I loved Ruby’s storyline. She was a perfect villain, and her motivations for her actions kept me guessing until the very end.

I could have done without so much of the hitmen subplot. Although I know this book is part of the Eddie Flynn series, it just felt almost like I was reading two different books at some points. Everything comes together in the end, but this book could have been at least 100 pages shorter and still have the same effect.

Overall, I enjoyed it, and Steve Cavanagh is still one of my favorite thriller authors!

Amazing read! Lot's of twists and turns! Overall, I found this an absorbing and entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

I started this series a while back, then got sidetracked (oops). When I requested Witness 8, I thought, “Okay, the perfect excuse to finally catch up on the earlier books.” Spoiler alert: I didn’t. But here’s the great part—I didn’t need to! This book stands strong on its own, and now I’m fully committed to going back and reading the rest. No more distractions this time.

A Defense Attorney Like No Other

Let’s talk about Eddie. At book eight, I feel I do have some catching up to do with him and his team but I felt like I picked up where we left off. He’s a defense attorney with a con artist’s mind, which makes him fascinating to follow. He takes on hopeless cases, spots angles no one else does, and manipulates the system. He’s a hustler, a risk-taker, and so sharp that I sometimes struggle to keep up. His approach is unique, giving something fresh to the crime fiction genre.

Playing to Win: Ruby’s Dangerous Move

Then there’s Ruby. She works for Eddie’s wealthy new client, who’s accused of killing a neighbor. Ruby’s had a rough past, and she’s not just sitting back and letting things happen—she’s playing her own game, trying to manipulate her way out of the hole she is in. How does she fit into the bigger picture? That’s the best part! The way the plot weaves her story in is captivating and kept me guessing what she is going to do next. And it’s not just her—the side stories, and unexpected twists make this book impossible to put down.

Twists, Turns, and (Almost) a Jaw-Dropper

The pacing is sharp, the stakes are high, and the tension never lets up. Cavanagh knows exactly how to keep you on edge. However, I do have to admit while the case came together well, I was expecting a jaw-dropping twist that didn’t quite land.

Those side stories now that’s where things came together in that thrilling way for me and won me over.

Now, time to go back and read the rest—this time, no sidetracks!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I thought the storyline and character development were great! I would definitely recommend this book.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of Witness 8.

Eddie an ex con man turned lawyer gets a case of a doctor named John who has been arrested for the murder of a neighbor but he proclaims his innocence. Eddie is good at reading people and he believes him. Ruby is the nanny for John and his family and she sees the toll that this whole ordeal has been taking on the family. That was all part of her plan. She used to be one of them until her father lost all their money and ran off. She has set a plan into motion to make her rich but she did not plan for Eddie and his ways.

This was a crazy ride of a book with many twists and turns and I really enjoyed it. This book is part of a series but they can all be read as standalones. I will definitely have to go back and read the other books in this series. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I love Steve Cavanagh’s writing!