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!

Cavanagh’s writing grabs you from the start, with sharp, tense moments that make you question every character. The twists keep coming, and just when you think you’ve got it figured out, Cavanagh throws you off the trail. Ruby’s intentions are dark and complex, and Eddie’s struggle to protect his client and himself makes for a riveting read. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, twist-filled thriller, Witness 8 delivers.

One of my favorite books this year was Kill For Me, Kill For You so when I had roe opportunity to read another book from the same author I was thrilled.

Witness 8 is a new addition to the Eddie Flynn books.it was fast paced and kept me guessing. The twists were incredible. Steve Cavanagh is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Witness 8 by Steven Cavanagh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steve Cavanagh does it again! Master of plot twists and twisted characters. In Witness 8, Ruby witnesses a murder in the elite neighborhood where she once grew up but now nannies in. She seems innocent enough but when she retrieves the murder weapon, she has ideas of her own. Has her elaborate plan gone too far? Leave it up to Eddie Flynn and his entourage to figure out what is going on. Fast paced, different subplots and plot twists had me hooked! Highly recommend! @sscav is an auto buy author for me and it should be for you too! Witness 8 comes out in March 2025.

Thank you to @Netgalley @Atriabooks @simonandschuster @sscav for the advanced ebook of Witness 8.

A very fast paced and quite enjoyable courtroom psychological thriller. This was my first Eddie Flynn novel, it will not be my last. Eddie is one heck of a lawyer and an even smoother con man. When faced with an assassin's bullet, Eddie never flinches. Eddie and his team has been hired by another firm to defend thier client in a murder trial. With nearly undisputable evidence, Eddie and his team work overtime to clear their client. A large cast of extremely interesting characters work well in this courtroom thrill fest!

4.5 stars

Ruby Johnson once lived a privileged life on Manhattan’s West 74th Street, but after her father’s gambling destroyed her family, she now works as a maid for the wealthy. When she witnesses a murder, she sees it as her chance to escape her troubles and lies to frame an innocent man. Eddie Flynn, a sharp and unconventional lawyer, must defend the accused while unraveling Ruby’s dangerous plan. This was a twisty book.

The story has intriguing characters and some gripping moments, but too many perspectives slow the pace and weaken the suspense. While the twists are predictable, fans of courtroom drama may still enjoy Eddie’s resourcefulness and wit.

The story is narrated by multiple characters, with some different plots that intersect. I felt like some characters were more interesting than others, which made some chapters more interesting than others. But overall the story is interesting - a murder was committed in a wealthy neighborhood and the only witness is a nanny that works for many houses on the area. She seizes the opportunity to attempt to get something out of it, but not everything works out so wellZ

4 stars

Cavanagh is by far one of the top in his genre, better than most of the big names we all know.
Though I haven’t read this series in order, it hasn’t affected my enjoyment or understanding of the story and its characters.
I was introduced to Cavanagh with his book Th1rt3en and I was hooked. Witness 8 is just another fantastic installment.
One day I will go back and read all of these in order but for now, they are awesome as stand alone.

I first read this author this year and ‘Kill For Me, Kill For You’ was one of my favorites.
This is book 8 of the Eddie Flynn series but they can all be read as standalones.

This book surrounds the premise: what if a witness is more unreliable than the suspect?

I read this book on Christmas Vacation, while my family binged episodes of Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix… at points it felt like the show and the book were the same type of story. So, if you wanted to know what the book is like, I’d say it’s like Lincoln Lawyer meets Gone Girl.

The twists were SO good.

This book will be released by Simon & Schuster on March 25, 2025.

First, a huge thank you for allowing me to read this ARC. It's an honor and a privilege.

This book follows former conman Eddie Flynn in his quest of getting to the bottom of a murder. A murder he believes his client did NOT commit, despite all of the evidence leading to him. It's a game of cats and mice because not only is Eddie looking for a killer, but killers are looking for him. A bounty on his head, Eddie works in his own way to take down a killer and stay alive. The twists are fast and fierce. I haven't read all of the other Flynn novels, but do plan to go back and read the ones I haven't yet. I strongly recommend this book, especially if you like Steve Cavanagh's other books.

A compulsively readable crime thriller, I was introduced to Steve Cavanagh through his excellent thriller Kill for Me, Kill for You. While the marketing for Witness 8 is filled with thriller-y buzzwords (such as 'perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Megan Miranda'), just note this is more of a crime procedural/courtroom drama, as well as the eighth entry to an ongoing series. However, I still had a blast reading it, thanks to its dynamic cast, sharp writing (with a dash of humor), and a narrative that's constantly on the move.

The ensemble cast was pretty easy to familiarize, each with their own distinguishable persona (you didn't need knowledge of prior novels for this). Witness 8's success was anchored by its illusive antagonist, Ruby, who provided the majority of the 'thriller-y' flavor—it was exhilarating reading characters trying to out-maneuver one another. I was also pleasantly surprised by Witness 8's courtroom segments; concerned they would be monotonous and laden with technical terms, but turned out I was completely captivated by the strategic moves and countermoves.

With so many fundamental aspects against it (crime procedural/courtroom drama + serial), Witness 8 couldn't have fared better for me—tonally this is very much reminiscent of Law & Order or Criminal Minds. Aside from its resolution being a little too neat, and the leniency on realism, this one is worth looking into by readers who discovered the author via Kill for Me, Kill for You, and don't mind trying something a little different.

After Cavanagh's Kill for Me, Kill for You, I was eager to jump into another one of Cavanagh's thrillers.

I have only read a couple of Eddy Flynn books, but this book reminded me that I need to catch up with the series. I think readers will be able to jump into this book without having read any of the previous Flynn books.

The premise of this one was incredibly fascinating and the opening chapter immediately gripped me. There is a lot happening in this book and a lot of story lines to keep up with. Usually, when there are multiple POVs and story lines, I tend to grow bored with some in favor of others. That was not the case with Witness 8. Each story line was equally as compelling until they all came together to a brilliant end. I loved our villains. Mr. Christmas and Ruby were incredibly compelling. Eddy Flynn again was a joy to read.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Steve Cavanaugh, Atria Books and NetGalley for an arc of this novel, in exchange for my honest review, publishing March 25, 2025.

I have read other books by this author, but I didn’t realize this one was part of a series. It didn't affect my ability to follow along, even with multiple POVs, but I want to go back and start at the first book for character development and background. In true fashion to his writing style, Cavanaugh weaves a well crafted, complicated, suspenseful and complex story with the perfect mix of psychological suspense and crime procedurals. Detective Eddie Flynn, a former con artist, now an elite criminal attorney, is defending a doctor on trial for murder...which would be interesting enough, but Flynn is also fighting his own battle to stay alive. Mr. Christmas was one of my favorite characters that I found downright chilling. This story is full of tension, red herrings, and a handful of twists that I couldn't predict and never saw coming. I gasped and even laughed my way to a satisfying conclusion.

Eddie Flynn & Co are juggling a LOT in this one but as always, the pieces all come together for a stunning and satisfying mystery after a wild ride.

This starts with the world's most unreliable witness -- when Ruby sees a woman on the street she works on murdered in cold blood, she uses it as an opportunity to solve all of her problems with a frame job and some blackmail. Eddie, Kate, and the team take the case of the man she has framed because they know he is innocent, they just have no idea how they are going to prove it in court.

Full of his typical con man antics and lawyerly skill but add in some dueling assassins and a devious, often overlooked young woman and you won't be able to put this one down until you figure out how it all shakes out. If you aren't reading this series you are missing out!

Steve Cavanaugh is one of my favorite legal thriller authors. His Eddie Flynn series is excellent! This book is about a Manhattan murder. Eddie Flynn is hired to defend the murder suspect. Ruby Johnson used to live among the Manhattan elite. These days, she merely works for them. She is walking home from work when she witnesses a woman on the posh street get killed. I love Cavanaugh, and I enjoy Eddie Flynn. This installment in the series was not my favorite. Thank you, Netgalley, for the Arc of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This story is about a con man turned lawyer and a big murder case he’s working. Typical premise with an interesting twist.
This is the first time I’ve read this author’s work. Although it was a little show to start, I was pretty hooked and it kept me turning the pages until the end. I am excited to read more by this author and other titles from series.

A twisty twisty plot that thickens like molasses on a sidewalk in the summer. A great read for thriller lovers with a cast of characters that do not disappoint. This book would honestly make a great TV series!