Synopsis:

Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson.

A former resident of the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, Ruby now works as a maid in the type of houses she used to live in. Unassuming, she sees everyone’s dirty secrets from the inside of their beautiful, renovated brownstones. But when Ruby witnesses a murder, she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home. Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.

Thoughts:
I’m torn because I couldn’t stand the ending of this book. But I also couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Like his other book, Kill For Me, Kill For You, this book has about a thousand points of view. Which I wasn’t a fan of. But the mystery was very intricate and intriguing. If you don’t mind a multi POV book, I highly recommend it!

I’ve only read a few of the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh. But I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read. He’s known for legal thrillers with multiple plot lines, lots of action and plenty of twists. Witness 8 is no exception. It’s not at all believable and if that’s important to you, you’ll struggle with this. But it is fun entertainment and I read it quickly.
The story starts when Ruby, a former resident of the Upper West Side, now works as a nanny and maid in her former neighborhood. When she witnesses a murder walking at home one night, she decides to turn things to her own advantage. Meanwhile Eddie takes the case of the surgeon accused of the murder. The mystery here is why Ruby has focused on the good doctor and what she hopes to gain from it. I had my suspicions early on and I was spot on.
Eddie also has some complications in his own life when a corrupt police mafia places a hit out on him. I thought the resolution to this subplot was great.
Cavanagh has created a great group of characters, not just Eddie but his whole team. Even Mr. Christmas, a hit man, was unique. The only one I struggled with was Ruby who came across as just a little too psycho for my taste.
While this is the 8th in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

Wow! This book had me feeling all the emotions! This is absolutely one of my favorite series and this book did not disappoint as it had me on the edge of my seat and my hand over my heart bracing for what was to come!

A huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader!

Whew!! Whenever I see another installment in this series, I know I need to get ready for a whirlwind of a ride. When it comes to Eddie Flynn nothing is easy or normal and I am here for it.

The imagination of this writer just has me floored! The twists and turns and all the chaos in between had my head spinning. I eagerly await the next installment as I know it will be a read I can't put down.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

“Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson” That’s an understatement, with Steve Cavanagh’s latest psychological legal thriller, Eddie Flynn novel, Witness 8. This is my second book from this author and it did not disappoint. Eddie is an ex con artist turned lawyer, he’s streetwise and finds himself defending clients he believes innocent. This story had me literally on the edge of my seat. Short chapters, giving you each character pov along the way. Eddie has to clear his client and save his own life in the process…yep it was a real roller coaster. It’s a grand slam read, this author will definitely be an automatic read for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Steve Cavangh for another great Eddie Flynn story, in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended read!! Pub date March 25, 2025.

I love every book Cavanagh puts out. This is no exception.

I don’t have time for a 100 character review at the moment but wanted to make sure I didn’t forget.

Steve Cavanagh’s Witness Eight delivers an edge-of-your-seat legal thriller that fans of the Eddie Flynn series will undoubtedly love. For new readers—or for those like me who’ve only read the first book—it’s still enjoyable, but the full emotional weight of the story is best appreciated with a stronger familiarity with the series. That said, the book hooked me enough that I’m planning to go back and pick up with book two (The Plea) to get the full picture!

What I Liked
✅ Riveting plot: The high-stakes legal battle and the shocking twists kept me turning pages late into the night.
✅ Eddie Flynn’s wit and skill: The protagonist’s quick thinking and clever strategies are a highlight, making the courtroom scenes electrifying.
✅ Fast pacing: The story wastes no time plunging into action, with plenty of tension to keep the reader hooked.
✅ Standalone readability: Despite being part of a series, the book’s main plot can be followed without prior knowledge, though you might miss the deeper layers of character history.

What I Didn’t Like
❌ Missing context as a newcomer: Although I’ve read the first book, jumping from The Defence to book eight left me without much of the backstory for Eddie Flynn’s relationships and past cases. That’s on me for skipping so far ahead, but it did make some moments feel less impactful.

When someone witnesses a murder, the first step would be to call the police. However that is not what Ruby has in mind. Ruby is a maid but also a former resident in the ultra elite Manhattan residences. When she witnesses a murder, Ruby goes to great lengths to set up an innocent man to take the fall.

And who ends up representing that man is no one other than Eddie Flyn. Now a defense lawyer, and former con artist, Eddie and his team must pull out every tactic they have to prove the man is innocent. However Eddie has his own problems when he finds out a hit has been put out on him.

Why is Ruby trying to put an innocent man behind bars? How will Eddie survive a contract put out on his life when his former life has brought on plenty of enemies?

This was my first book in the series and I was a bit nervous that I would be lost and not understand who was who. This book does a good job giving a basic understanding on the characters. So you can absolutely jump into this blind. This was a fun and twisty read. I look forward to going back and reading the rest of the series. I guarantee even the most avid mystery thriller readers will have a hard time figuring out what is wrong with Ruby.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this arc

4.5 stars!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

WOW I could not put this book down. It was a bit difficult to keep all the characters threads straight at times (and I’m not sure all characters were truly necessary), but this will go down as one of my favorite psychological thrillers. Unexpected twists and turns keep the suspense going from the beginning to the end of the book. Will definitely be reading another Steve Cavanagh book

I didn’t realize this wax number 8 in a series, but I found it didn’t matter. There were several plots in this book, all interesting, that neatly tied together by the novels end. Many characters, but it wasn’t hard to keep track of them. I found the character of Ruby intriguing, and look forward to reading g more about the reoccurring characters in the next book.
The main character Flynn, is a conman turned lawyer and he’s always aided by loyal friends, each with their own special set of skills. Flynn gets a client off on a bogus charge from the police which earns him a new enemy, and he’s also defending a man falsely accused of murder. A page turner.

DNF @ 25% - this one’s a bit on me, I didn’t realize this was part of a series and while I thought I could get by, I was very overwhelmed by the cast of characters… there was so much characterization and story development that was lacking, and I fear that’s due to the fact that I haven’t read the rest in the series. I do really love steve cavanagh’s writing style so hopefully I’ll return to this one at a later date! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review (although I would argue to make a stronger case on social media that this is indeed part of a series)

I wanted to like this but first and foremost, I was incredibly surprised that this was a title in a series—I’m not sure if I missed previous books or if this is a first, but I felt inadequately prepared for it! That said, it was an interesting twist on a bystander/witness to a crime novel and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

It took me nearly three weeks to finish this book. After a slow and uneventful first 120 pages, I was tempted to give up, but I pressed on, hoping the pace would pick up. Unfortunately, for me, it never did. I’m giving it 4 stars purely for the quality of the writing and a few quirky characters I enjoyed, like Mr. Christmas and Tony Two F^cks. That said, there was just too much happening. I counted at least six points of view, and I’m probably missing some. The constant perspective shifts slowed the pacing and disrupted any suspense the story managed to build, and many of the POVs felt unnecessary. Overall, this one didn’t quite land for me.

This story was fantastic!
There are twists, multiple baddies, and unexpected surprises during a journey to solve a high-profile case. I loved the intense and descriptive characters (even if I didn’t “like” them in the book) they were very well written. I haven’t read the other 7 in this series, but I didn’t feel lost or anything. You can definitely read this one and still enjoy it a lot.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Witness 8 - Steve Cavanagh
Ruby used to be just like them, part of the upper class of Manhattan, but her fathers gambling cost them everything. Now Ruby is now just their maid. But, being their maid has its benefits. She has access to all their dirty secrets.
When Ruby is a witness to a murder within one of their beautiful brownstones, she decides to use it to her advantage.
When defense lawyer Eddie Flynn takes on John Jackson, accused of killing his neighbor, his unorthodox methods draw attention to himself, putting his team in potential danger. He truly believes John Jackson is innocent and will stop at nothing to ensure his freedom. Eddie Flynn is a mastermind that uses all the cards in his hand to not only protect his client, but to protect himself and his team as well.
I was unsure what to expect when reading the synopsis for Witness 8. I sometimes find murder mysteries involving cops or lawyers to be a bit dry, but this one captivated me. I found myself entranced by Ruby, wondering all along how crazy this girl could possibly be. Was she just really dark and twisted, or actually insane. And Eddie’s antics I found to be actually kind of funny and out of the box. I didn’t realize it, but there are actually multiple books with Eddie Flynn as the star player that I’m going to have to devour. However, even though this is Eddie Flynn #8, I didn’t find I was lacking any information to understand the story, so you can most definitely read this one without reading the others! This one got 4 stars out of 5 from me!

This was a fun one. I’ve heard lots of good things about this author in the reading world and I can see why. Eddie is a conman turned lawyer who’s defending an innocent man accused of murder. The woman accusing him is a maid who wants money and will stop at few things to get what she thinks she deserves. And Eddie will also have little fear in finding out the truth. A quick and riveting read with plenty of twists.

As an attorney, I always love seeing legal thrillers done correctly. This book wasn't as good as some of his others, but it captured me. Setting someone up for murder just to get rid of a body seemed a bit far fetched in my opinion.

I absolutely loved the book! The main character, Eddie Flynn, is not just your average lawyer; his creative way of solving cases is so entertaining and it kept me guessing how he would tackle each challenge. The story is packed with court and action scenes, where I resonate it with the TV show - Suits but with more actions and depth. On top of that, the psychological elements with twists made it hard to put down.

What I appreciated most was that Cavanagh answered all my questions by the end, tying everything together in a satisfying way. Overall, I found the book incredibly entertaining, and I find myself already looking for his next book to read!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I didn’t realize this book was part of a series, and I think that hindered my enjoyment a bit. But that’s on me. All in all, this was an entertaining and gripping read.

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

There were some good twists at the end
But there was too much going on it was hard to follow it all