As a native of Alabama, this one was fascinating and terrifying.

The reality of the culture and climate is starting and unsettling.

Cavanagh does a phenomenal job setting up unidentified characters and dropping a big reveal.

His insight into legal cases and the courtroom aspect is also executed well and I keep coming back for more.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in advance of the paperback release.

Cavanagh's books are always riveting and gripping and The Devil's Advocate was no different. I genuinely might re-read this one on audio once it publishes because there is something SO GOOD about an all consuming thriller on audio!

The Devil’s Advocate 5⭐️

This is my second Eddie Flynn book I’ve read (books #5 and 6 in the series) due to being approved for ARCs of the books being republished this summer. WOW. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series. In ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ Eddie and his crew travel to a corrupt Alabama town run by a death-penalty obsessed district attorney. The writing is wonderful and captivating. Some chapters had me holding my breath while the suspense and tension built up. Amazing character development for both main and secondary characters. I highly recommend this book/series if you’re looking for an edge-of-your seat reading experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Aug 05 2025

This book is part of The Eddie Flynn series, but these can be read in any order!

I don’t know how Steve Cavanagh does it. This is my fourth book I’ve read by him, and the fourth book I’ve rated 5 stars. I truly cannot get enough of his storytelling and his legal knowledge he puts into these books. This one starts off with a bang and will make you hate a certain character sooo bad.

Eddie Flynn is one of my favorite characters ever, and I love his team. They’re a mix of personalities that work so well together. I get so excited to see what they’re up to next and how they’ve outsmarted who they’re up against.

This one was a phenomenal story, but a very hard read. The bad guy and his evil, illegal, wrong doings made my blood BOIL. And the whole other issue happening just hurt to read about, even though it’s unfortunately somehow still an issue in today’s world. Goodness I had all the emotions pulled out of me with this one.

The books in this series have numerous POVs and lots of information, so make sure you pay attention and you’re in the mood for a lot going on!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for my gifted copy! All thoughts are my own.

I will continue to read anything Steve Cavanagh! At this point I don’t think he can write a bad book. It was an easy and fun read that I flew through. The plot as always was *chefs kiss*. Can’t wait for more Eddie Flynn in the future!


Thanks @netgalley & @atriabooks for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh is a gripping legal thriller that throws Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned defense attorney, into the heart of corruption in a small Alabama town. Eddie is called in to defend Andy Dubois, a young Black man accused of murdering a white college student. But as Eddie and his team—his sharp partner Kate, savvy investigator Bloch, and wise, bourbon-loving former judge Harry—dig deeper, they uncover a town rotting from the inside out. The sheriff, district attorney Randal Korn, and nearly everyone in power are hiding something—and they’re all determined to secure a guilty verdict by any means necessary.

This book had me hooked. The pacing is tight, the stakes are high, and the courtroom scenes are some of the best I’ve read. The racial tension and systemic injustice add depth without overwhelming the plot. Cavanagh also ties in real-world facts about the death penalty and domestic extremism, which ground the story in reality.

I was so sure I had the culprit pegged—and I was dead wrong. The reveal? Flawless.

My only critique is the limited character development for Flynn and Brooks, but since this is book six in a series, I’ll definitely be circling back to start from the beginning.

Eddie Flynn is back, raising hell (for good).

4.5 stars rounded up.

The gang's all here - in Alabama?! "The Devil’s Advocate", book no. 6 in the Eddie Flynn series, sees everyone's favorite conman turned lawyer and his formidable crew trading New York’s skyline for the sweltering, sinister backroads of Alabama - and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Eddie Flynn heads to Alabama to defend an innocent man from a death sentence - only to find himself up against a corrupt DA, a rigged system, and a town that’s already picked its scapegoat. With very little time to expose the truth, Eddie and his team must work every angle to survive and save their client, all while trying to dismantle a system built to destroy lives.

What works brilliantly is the return of the full Eddie Flynn crew - now including Kate and Bloch, the perfect additions to Eddie's team following [book:the previous book|50805422]'s case. The gang is firing on all cylinders: smart, scrappy, deeply loyal, and full of heart. Their dynamic brings warmth and levity, which balances out the book’s darker themes and heavy subject matter. The courtroom scenes crackle with energy, Eddie’s trademark con-artist tricks are on display, and the legal drama is both compelling and emotionally resonant.

Yes, the conspiracy might stretch belief at times, but it never undercuts the narrative’s momentum. And while the book’s tagline (“He’s behind every murder”) is more marketing than plot truth, DA Randal Korn is definitely a chilling villain. Though he sometimes tips into cartoonish evil with his literal stench of decay (yes, really), he serves his purpose: making your skin crawl and raising the tension to eleven. And as the author's note reminds readers, Korn's actions concerning the death penalty, at least, are very much inspired by real events and persons.

Author Steve Cavanagh’s writing is as tight and propulsive as ever, and despite hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland, he manages to drops his readers right into the heat and hostility of a corrupt Southern American town where justice is far from blind. As a lawyer myself, I especially appreciate Cavanagh's legal background, which lends a lot of credibility to his Eddie Flynn stories, but on top of that, he has an innate talent for pulling the reader right into the heart of his novels. Not surprisingly, I flew through this book. It’s gripping, fast-paced, and grounded in just enough heart and righteous fury to keep you hooked through to its bittersweet conclusion. "The Devil’s Advocate" delivers scorching courtroom drama, a twisted villain, and Eddie Flynn and his crew at their very best.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Goodreads:
📚 Brief Overview
The Devil’s Advocate is the sixth book in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, but it works just fine as a standalone (though series fans will enjoy seeing the crew back together). This time, Eddie—a former con artist turned defense attorney with a taste for chaos—is headed deep into the American South to take on a death penalty case that feels more like a trap than a trial.

What starts as a courtroom battle quickly becomes a high-stakes chess match against a corrupt system, a ruthless prosecutor, and a town that would rather hang a man than ask questions. It’s a legal thriller with teeth—tackling themes like systemic injustice, institutional corruption, and the power of team loyalty under pressure.

✅ What Worked / Why I Loved It
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Steve Cavanagh knows how to write a thriller that actually thrills. The pacing is relentless in the best way—just when you think you’ve got your footing, the rug is yanked out from under you and set on fire for good measure.

Eddie remains a standout character in the legal thriller genre: clever without being smug, scrappy without being cartoonish, and deeply principled in a way that doesn’t feel forced. His background as a con artist continues to pay dividends, especially when the justice system needs more than just good intentions—it needs someone who knows how to play dirty to fight dirty.

But the real magic here? The ensemble cast. Kate, Bloch, and the rest of Eddie’s misfit legal team bring energy, heart, and a dose of grounded realism. Bloch especially commands every scene she’s in—equal parts terrifying and magnetic.

And let’s talk about the stakes. This book doesn’t shy away from tough subject matter. It’s not just about winning a case; it’s about exposing a system that’s designed to crush the people it claims to protect. Cavanagh manages to weave real-world issues into the narrative without ever feeling preachy or heavy-handed. The result is a book that entertains and makes you think.

⭐ Final Rating: 4 stars
The Devil’s Advocate is a taut, timely legal thriller that delivers a punch to both the gut and the heart. The pacing is excellent, the writing sharp, and the tension nonstop. My only critique? With so many moving parts and perspectives, a few moments felt slightly rushed, especially near the climax—but that’s a small tradeoff for a story this gripping.

If you like your thrillers fast, smart, and morally messy—with a side of courtroom chaos—add this one to your list.

Want the chaotic, full-emotion version of this review—with swearing, pop culture references, and a running conspiracy theory about how Eddie Flynn would totally outsmart half the MCU? You’ll find that at maniacalbookreviews.substack.com

Substack:
Book Review: The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh ⚖️🔥🧨 One town. One executioner. Zero chance at justice.
Read this if you enjoy rage, legal drama, and yelling at fictional towns.

⚠️ OPENING DISCLAIMER:
Welcome to the inner sanctum of rage-reading, where I scream about books like they broke my heart and stole my wallet. This is not a calm, measured place. This is where I come to process feelings with profanity, literary hot takes, and metaphors that probably violate international treaties.

Books are subjective. What I hate, you might love. What made me claw at the walls might give you butterflies. Great. We’re both valid. But if you came here expecting a respectful, coffee-sipping Goodreads review written by someone emotionally stable? Go check my Goodreads. I keep it professional over there. I wear pants. I use adjectives that aren’t “feral” and “disgustingly good.” But this? This is my demon blog. Leave your nice voice at the door.

🏃💨 THE QUICK AND DIRTY:
This book is To Kill a Mockingbird if it got drunk on moonshine, blacked out at a Slayer concert, and woke up on Death Row. It’s courtroom chaos in a town built out of gasoline, generational hate, and enough legal corruption to make Better Call Saul look like Sesame Street. We’ve got a demonic DA who treats executions like a fantasy football league, a town frothing at the mouth for blood, and a defense team held together by caffeine and pure spite.

Trigger warnings? Oh honey. Police brutality. Racism. Capital punishment. White supremacist undertones. Systemic injustice so bad it makes you want to set your bookshelf on fire. If you’re looking for soft, morally tidy legal fiction? You’re lost. Turn around before the banjos start.

🕵️‍♀️ THE NON-SPOILERY SITUATION REPORT:
Welcome to Buckstown, Alabama—where the humidity sticks to your skin and so does the rot. A local girl gets murdered under freaky-ass circumstances, and the town needs someone to blame. Fast. Enter Andy Dubois, poor, quiet, innocent—and totally screwed. He’s arrested before the body’s cold, handed a defense lawyer who vanishes faster than your last serotonin molecule, and thrown into the courtroom equivalent of a wood chipper.

The guy running the show? Randal Korn, aka the King of Death Row—a prosecutor who probably bathes in conviction stats and eats habeas corpus filings for breakfast. He wants Andy’s execution fast, public, and clean. No trial. Just spectacle.

Enter Eddie Flynn, ex-conman turned hotshot New York defense attorney, whose whole vibe screams “I only take clients when the devil’s already involved.” Eddie brings the team—Kate, Bloch, and the rest of his slightly unhinged legal family—and together they roll into town like the Avengers of judicial chaos. Their mission? Save Andy. Break the system. Maybe not die in the process.

But the deeper they dig, the worse it gets. The town’s secrets have teeth. And the killer? Not done yet.

🤔💭 THE REVIEW:
This book didn’t just grip me—it dragged me to hell by the collar of my hoodie, tossed me into a courtroom full of monsters, and whispered “Good luck, bitch” as the door slammed shut. The Devil’s Advocate is not a legal thriller. It’s a back-alley knife fight with the American justice system—and I’d read it again with bruises on my soul.

Let’s start with Eddie Flynn. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it louder for the emotionally damaged readers in the back: he’s a menace in a suit and I love him for it. He’s not just a lawyer. He’s a morally upright con artist with courtroom magic and main character energy that could burn out a spotlight. If Saul Goodman had a conscience and Batman’s “I work alone” trauma complex, you’d have Eddie—minus the cape, but with just as many plans hidden up his sleeves.

Eddie doesn’t show up to win the case. He shows up to dismantle the system and then insult it to its face. And honestly? I’d let him legally represent my corpse. He’s that good.

The rest of the team? Iconic. Kate is a walking razor blade with a law degree and zero tolerance for bullshit. Bloch? Imagine Miranda Priestly had a rage-fueled sister who left fashion to become a defense strategist with a sniper’s focus and a resting murder face. Every time she’s on page, I feel like I’m about to be legally eviscerated—and I thank her for it.

This is the Justice League of legal dysfunction, and they’ve all been personally victimized by the criminal justice system. You don’t hire them. You summon them like a rage-powered legal exorcism.

And Randal Korn? The villain? Oh, sweet Satan in a seersucker suit. He’s not just evil. He’s weaponized bureaucracy in human skin. He’s the kind of man who probably eats microwaved steaks and thinks The Purge is a solid policy idea. He doesn’t need to scream—he just smiles while grinding people into dust and calls it justice. He’s the kind of antagonist who makes you want to throw the book across the room and then go find your nearest elected official and scream into their voicemail.

The town of Buckstown is its own horror story. It’s not just corrupt—it’s soul-deep rotted. This place was built on fear, racism, and unspoken rules, and everyone’s just out here smiling like this is Mayberry with a murder rate. Reading this book is like being trapped in an episode of True Detective directed by Jordan Peele and scored by Johnny Cash’s ghost.

You don’t visit Buckstown. You get swallowed by it. And if you scream, no one cares.

Cavanagh doesn’t just flirt with dark themes—he throws them at your head like flaming gavels. Capital punishment, racism, abuse of power, systemic failure—this book is not subtle. It’s not supposed to be. This is a Molotov cocktail of a novel, and it wants you to feel the heat.

And yet, somehow, it’s still funny. Not “haha” funny—more like “I’m going to laugh so I don’t burn down a courthouse” funny. The banter slaps. The timing is savage. The dialogue has the energy of a Tarantino film filtered through The Good Wife and set on fire. Every courtroom scene feels like a cage match with closing arguments.

The writing? Sharp enough to cut glass. There’s no filler. No fluff. No meandering subplots about the protagonist’s dog walker’s nephew’s college application. Every scene moves. Every page bleeds tension. Every twist hits like an uppercut from Lady Justice herself, except she’s blindfolded and done playing fair.

And the pacing? God. It’s like being strapped to the front of a legal freight train driven by someone who thinks brakes are for cowards. The ending does come in hot—like, Michael Bay slow-motion-explosion hot—but I was too busy white-knuckling my sanity to care. I didn’t want to linger. I wanted blood. I wanted justice. I wanted someone to flip the goddamn courtroom table.

Does it make you feel hopeful? No. This book is a hurricane of injustice, and you’re lucky if you crawl out with your ethics intact. But it does make you feel something. Rage. Despair. That delicious jolt of “oh HELL no” that fuels every courtroom thriller worth a damn. And when the dust settles, you’re left staring at your copy like it personally insulted your legal knowledge and then emotionally ruined your Thursday.

This isn’t a beach read. This is a “punch a wall and scream at the sky” read.

If you’re someone who wants your thrillers clean, polite, and morally tidy, I’m begging you—go read something soft and pastel. This book is red. It’s loud. It’s pissed. And it’s so goddamn good it makes you want to kick over a jury box and set fire to a stack of court transcripts.

🔥 FINAL VERDICT: BINGE OR BURN?
Binge. Hard. Like you’re about to be electrocuted and this book is the only thing standing between you and the chair.
It’s brutal. It’s smart. It’s angry in all the right ways. If you’re looking for a thriller that doesn’t just entertain but calls out the rot while swinging a legal baseball bat? This is it. Read it. Rage with it. Start a book club and then burn the courthouse down.

🎯 LET’S SHOOT THE SHIT:
Did this book wreck you too? Want to scream about courtroom injustice or write Korn’s name in a Death Note? Hit me up. I’m always down to emotionally spiral about fictional (but too-real) monsters and the chaotic legal warriors who take them down.

📬 FIND ME IN THE VOID:
🕸️ Substack: maniacalbookreviews.substack.com
📸 Instagram / Threads / Goodreads: @maniacalbookreviews
🌐 Bluesky: @maniacalbookreviews.substack.com
📚 Also wreaking havoc on: NetGalley • BookSirens • StoryGraph

Thanks for surviving another descent into chaos with Maniacal Book Reviews. Smash that subscribe button (gently or violently, your call) to get more unhinged book takes delivered straight to your inbox—free, feral, and emotionally unstable.

🔖 Legal thriller fans, don’t sleep on this one.

Another impossible to put down book from Steve Cavanagh. If you love smart courtroom thrillers with real stakes and twisty turns, The Devil’s Advocate is going to hook you from page one as it did me. Even though this is a series I have been reading the books out of order and it really doesn’t matter.

This one takes Eddie out of NYC and deep into Alabama, where he and his team are fighting to save Andy Dubois, a young Black man on death row for a murder he didn’t commit.

Here’s what he’s up against:

👨🏻‍⚖️A corrupt sheriff’s department that “lost” the real evidence
👨🏻‍⚖️A prosecutor with a perfect win record (and zero morals)
👨🏻‍⚖️Two confessions, a missing defense lawyer, and a town full of people who’ve already made up their minds
👨🏻‍⚖️An organized group of white supremacists who want Andy dead.

I absolutely loved this one:

👩🏻‍⚖️The pacing was so fast and nerve wracking
👩🏻‍⚖️The plot was so expertly layered
👩🏻‍⚖️The characters were perfect, Eddie, Kate, Bloch and Harry.
👩🏻‍⚖️The setting of Buckstown, Alabama was basically a character itself.
👩🏻‍⚖️The theme of racism, corruption, justice were right up my alley

I’ve heard people compare this to To Kill a Mockingbird if it was a thriller, with Eddie Flynn channeling Atticus Finch (but with street smarts and con man skills).

Many thanks @netgalley & @atriabooks for my review copy in exchange for my honest review!

5 ⭐️

I don't think Steve Cavanagh can write a bad book. I have loved all that I have read and this is no exception. It was so good. Well-paced, Great continuation of series. Lots of excitement. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

This is a re-release of a book in a series of interconnected standalones. I have not read the other books in the series and I don’t think that affected the reading experience for me at all, other than not knowing the main character before this book. While I thought Eddie Flynn was an interesting main character, this book didn’t pull me in as much as I wanted it to. I’ve come to realize that legal thrillers aren’t really my thing, but the writing style was great in this one. For perhaps the first time ever, I found myself audibly cringing because of how truly gruesome some of the descriptions were. I would recommend this if legal thrillers are your thing!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“The Devil’s Advocate” is my first Steve Cavanagh book and I am instantly a fan. The D.A. right from the beginning made me so angry and showed corrupt politics. He wanted to increase his death penalty conviction rate, and in my opinion, he was just a psychopath that found legal ways to murder people. Eddie Flynn was a great character and I look forward to reading the rest of this series. I really enjoyed this novel.

This is a re-release of the sixth book in the Eddie Flynn series. The Devil's Advocate has also been published under the title Seven Days in some countries so check if you have read it before ordering. I did like this book, but did not find it as strong as the previous book Fifty, Fifty.

While this can be easily read as a standalone, the characters make more sense if you have some background on them so I do think the book is more enjoyable if you have read at least the last one if not the whole series. But the storyline does stand on its own.

Eddie reminds me of the Lincoln Lawyer, a little outside the lines but for the good of his client. The Devil's Advocate has him facing the "King of Death Row", Randall Korn. Eddie is not in New York this time and Korn has all the advantages, not just playing on home field, but he doesn't lose for a reason. He is taking over at short notice when his client's lawyer goes missing with the evidence that could exonerate him.

With all that is going on in the US right now, this one maybe hits a little too close. They are in Alabama and the justice system is not fair to those who don't have deep pockets, but even less so if you are not white and not one of the boy's club. Korn along with the Sheriff and Governor make up that boy's club but even though you know Eddie will likely prevail, their actions are still infuriating.

I think that played into not enjoying it as much as the previous book, the themes were heavier and while mental health is an issue in the justice system, harder to solve than people just not being racist. Maybe a few too many socio-political themes going on at a time when racism is on the rise again. It also focused a lot more on the days leading up to the trial rather than the usual courtroom drama of a legal thriller.

Content warnings for white supremacy/racism, corruption, and discussion of capital punishment.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy of the Devil's Advocate, in return for my honest review.

Steve Cavanaugh has done it again, with the 6th Eddie Flynn Novel ( published out of turn ... after the 8th installment was released earlier this year ). This time Eddie is requested to take on his toughest challenge trying to represent a young black man wrongly accused of murdering a beautiful white girl in the heart of rural Alabama. The lawyer representing the accused mysteriously disappears a few days before the trial starts, Eddie has to appear "pro hoc vice" in a Jurisdiction where he is not licensed going up against a crooked prosecutor who has sent more people to the electric chair than any one in the country.

Although he initially went with just Harry Ford, the retired Judge and mentor, as is usual Eddie finds himself in hot water and his trusty partner, Kate Brooks, and their mysterious investigator, Bloch, soon join them to even the odds.

As a litigator for longer than I care to admit, some of the Court Room shenanigans are a little ridiculous, although entertaining. The deck is stacked against the Defendant, so Eddie and his team have to poke holes in the prosecutors case. While the Trial proceeds bodies keep piling up, especially with people involved in the case and/or trial. Apparently in this small town no one seems to notice or care that so many people are turning up dead.

As Eddie continues to investigate the murder, and the prosecutor, we learn that the town is overrun with White Supremacists who wish to use the Trial as a springboard to a plot to overtake the Governor's Mansion.

With all this going on, somehow the Trial continues as if nothing is happening outside the Courtroom, until there is a moment inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird, and it all comes crashing down on the corrupt District Attorney.

As exciting and fast reading as this legal thriller is, I found the "wrap up" to be a little unbelievable and detracted from the compelling story that lead up to it. Sadly this brought my rating down from a 5 Star review to a 4 star review. Still a fun fast read, and a must for any Eddie Flynn fan.

In this one, defense attorney Eddie Flynn faces off against a ruthless DA with the highest death row record in history—while also taking on a violent white supremacist group. It’s a bit over the top at times, but it works and keeps you hooked.

The real strength is Eddie’s team—Kate, Block, and Harry are easy to root for and bring heart to the story. While the pacing felt slower than previous books and the plot a bit stretched, I liked the change in setting. It gave the story a fresh feel.

Not my favorite in the series, probably a 3.75 ⭐️ but still a solid read. I love this crew, and Steve Cavanagh remains one of my must-read authors. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria.

Okay, this one had me hooked immediately. A lawyer up against a corrupt justice system, a truly sinister DA, and a town that’s basically built around the death penalty. I love that these types of books do not need to be read in order. You can pick one at random without feeling that you’re missing an entire backstory.

Underneath all the courtroom strategy and small-town horror, there’s real commentary about justice, power, and how broken the system can be.

Perfect if you love twisty legal drama, morally gray villains, and main characters who fight dirty for the right reasons. I devoured it.

This book was so good ! I love this series, and I highly have enjoyed the murder mystery elements paired with the law and courthouse thrillings. The characters were done well, and I was so excited to see more of them.

The sixth book in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn Series has our conman-turned-lawyer traveling out of state to represent a young black man Andy Dubois, accused of brutally murdering a young woman Skylar Edwards in Buckstown, Alabama, where corruption runs deep in the small town as does racism. Pitted against Randal Korn the sadistic prosecutor of Sunville County, Alabama whose idea of justice equals capital punishment and with the real killer whose agenda includes much more than simply murder, on the loose, Eddie and his team (who subsequently joins him) have their work cut out for them. From the moment they step foot in Buckstown, Eddie and Harry realize that the whole town is against Andy and by default, resent the out-of-town lawyer and his team defending the young man they believe is guilty of murder.

This book had me guessing till the very end! I was constantly changing my mind about who I thought certain characters were and I was on the edge of my seat the entire trial. I love Eddie Flynn and can’t wait to read more of his crazy adventures

The King of legal thrillers has done it again! I loved this book and I love Eddie Flynn!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!