
Member Reviews

This was my first Steve Cavanagh read ever and I was impressed! I was intrigued from very early on and even though there were a lot of characters to navigate between I stayed focused and couldn’t wait to the end.
It had a lot of elements that I wasn’t expecting, but felt so realistic at the same time.
The only thing that would have made this better would have been the understanding of the core characters which I would have had if I read the other books in this series prior.
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked! I felt like I was along for the ride when Eddie Flynn and his team took on the case of Andy Dubois. From New York to the deep South of Alabama where DA Korn puts everyone he can to death by electric chair, guilty or innocent. The author really brings to light different political and racial issues happening.
Some of the characters in this book will really stick with you. You will laugh, you will cry, you will feel outraged, you will be on the edge of your seat. On repeat. REALLY good!

I am a big fan of Steve Cavanagh, and was very happy that Atria Books sent me this advanced copy. I really enjoyed this one!
Eddie is back at what he does best, saving the innocent. This time him and his team head down to Alabama to a small town where all law enforcement is crooked. He’s got a tough job ahead of him this time. The twist or big reveal at the end was great. It was a nail biting finish for me. I didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend grabbing this one. If you’ve never read anything by Steve Cavanagh then you’re missing out. Eddie Flynn series is great!
Thank you NetGalley and thank you so much to Atria Books for this eARC.

I really enjoyed The Devil’s Advocate. It reminded me a lot of To Kill a Mockingbird, which is one of my all-time favorite books. The setting, themes of justice, and the moral tension throughout felt familiar in the best way. What stood out to me the most was how the story managed to be both thought-provoking and fast-paced. The stakes are high, and the characters are compelling, especially the defense attorney who’s fighting a system that seems rigged from the start. It’s not just about whether the accused is guilty or innocent; it’s about whether justice can survive in a place that doesn’t seem to want it. This novel also explores how silence in the face of injustice can be just as dangerous as wrongdoing. If you loved To Kill a Mockingbird, but want something that takes a deeper dive into the legal side of things, this one is for you. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What in the world did I just read?! It was incredible! I absolutely love the character Eddie Flynn and how he will only stand for someone who is innocent. In this story, a young black man in Alabama is being framed for the murder of a young white woman. How deep does this corruption go? Eddie and his team are pulled into this case that they aren’t sure they can win. But they are going to play the hand they’ve been dealt and try to save this young man from execution.

Eddie Flynn is persuaded to travel down to the Deep South to defend a death penalty case where corruption is the norm and everyone seems to be on the take. Can Eddie win this case where all the cards are stacked against him as people surrounding the case drop like flies? Another exciting and suspenseful Eddie Flynn legal thriller. I love this series!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This series never disappoints! This might be the darkest one yet - you’ve got white supremacists, cult vibes, misogynists and much more. I just love Eddie and his team and was totally terrified for them throughout this entire book. His brand of justice is something I can really get behind as he follows his morals but also will play dirty to make sure the good guys get off. I cannot wait to get my hands on The Accomplice (and The Liar - why is this not available in the US!?)

I should start by saying this is the first Eddie Flynn novel that I have read. It won't be my last. This time, Eddie is asked to travel to the deep south to represent a young, Black man (Andy Dubois) accused of sadistically murdering a young, White woman (Skylar Edwards). The prosecutor, Randall Korn, is known as the "King of Death Row, " because of his ability to win cases and send men to the electric chair. In due time, we come to learn that Korn is as corrupt as they come and will do whatever is necessary to get a guilty verdict. It seems he has bought/blackmailed the sheriff, the bar owner, members of the jury, and possibly the judge presiding over the case. The original lawyer for Dubois goes missing, as does his secretary, as does critical pieces of evidence. It seems things can't get any worst for Flynn and his team until they learn that the death of Edwards is part of a larger sick and dangerous plot. This book was a real page turner for me. Lots of twists, turns, suspense, and action. The courtroom scenes are intense and smart. I loved how Eddie and his team dismantle what appears to be irrefutable "evidence." So why not five stars? I really did not appreciate that everyone that Eddie encounters in town is racist, ignorant, distrustful, and small minded. Everyone? It works to move the story along but I can't believe/don't want to believe that this is an accurate portrayal of small Southern towns. My second qualm is that it really wasn't Eddie that won the case- it was a jury member who grew a conscience. It's a small qualm but one that tipped the trail in Eddie's favor.

Ok so this was my first Eddie Flynn book and you can definitely read the series at any book without needing to read them in order.
This books characters made me so angry! I hated them- but I hated the people the characters were not the writing of the characters. Steve Cavanagh did an excellent job writing realistic characters you want to punch in the face. The social problems in the book were very of the times. Which probably led to some of the anger I felt because you could see these things happening in real life.
It has enough plot twists to keep you guessing throughout- I couldn’t put it down at times! I typically don’t go for legal thrillers but I’m glad I read this one.
With a satisfying end I will be going back and reading more of the Eddie Flynn series.

This book was an intense and gripping legal thriller! The Devil’s Advocate follows Eddie Flynn as he tries to save an innocent man from death row in a corrupt southern town. Right from the first chapter, the story pulls you in with high stakes, twists, and a chilling villain.
Eddie is clever, bold, and relentless, exactly the kind of lawyer you root for. The courtroom scenes are fast paced and smart, and the suspense never lets up. Randal Korn, the DA, is one of the most hateable characters I’ve read in a while, and that made the story even more satisfying.
Steve Cavanagh does an excellent job of blending thrilling action with important themes like racism and justice. It was both thought provoking and exciting. Even though it’s book six in the series, it can be read on its own. A must read for legal thriller fans, but I highly recommend his books to any reader.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Thank you, @SSCav and @AtriaBooks for my free advance copy. #AtriaPartner
📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Devil’s Advocate (Eddie Flynn, Book 6) by Steve Cavanagh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 432
Genre: Legal Thriller
Release Date: August 5, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉
Sending people to the electric chair and watching them fry is District Attorney Randal Korn’s most favorite thing—whether or not they’re actually guilty. Having sent more people to death row than anyone in U.S. history, Korn caught the attention of black ops fixer Alexander Berlin. Determined to keep Korn from executing another innocent person, Berlin sends New York defense attorney Eddie Flynn and his crew to Alabama to defend a young black man from being Korn’s next victim.
Nothing’s more satisfying than watching violent racists get their due and Cavanagh delivers. As usual, this Eddie Flynn legal thriller is full of intriguing characters and surprising twists. Although this is the sixth book in the series, you can definitely read this one as a standalone.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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Eddie Flynn is back and taking on more than he bargained for. Prosecutor Korn has set records for death row convictions and executions in a very small town. How, you ask? Corruption. Korn has put these people on death row by any means necessary and stuck around to make sure the execution was carried out. Eddie Flynn was called to prove the innocence of a young black man in Alabama accused of murdering his white coworker. Korn has already put the corruption in motion, but Korn hasn’t went against Eddie Flynn yet….
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This is only my second book by Steven Cavanagh, after reading fifty-fifty this year, and I cannot believe it has taken me this long to read his work. This was such a high tension book full of the worst people you can imagine. The regular group from his previous work was back to try and solve the case, and it was not only refreshing to see them again, they were a welcome presence among the truly evil villains he introduced this time. I will say it is hard to read just because it feels so real, it feels like real evil we’re seeing ramp up today. However Eddie Flynn is explosive in this one. In a case that seems impossible Flynn and co. are ready to prove Andy’s innocence by any means necessary. My hands were white knuckle GRIPPING my kindle trying to race to the end. If you haven’t already you need to start Eddie Flynn ASAP

The sixth installment in Steve Cavanagh’s thrilling Eddie Flynn series, The Devil’s Advocate takes readers to the American South, where Eddie steps in to defend a young man wrongly accused of murder. While trying to prove their client’s innocence, Eddie and his team uncover something much more sinister than a rigged justice system. They discover a deeply rooted web of corruption and cruelty.
Much like my favorite Eddie Flynn novel, Thirteen, this story features the most chilling type of villain: a killer who doesn’t act out of passion or greed, but for the sheer thrill of it. Cavanagh excels at crafting these kinds of characters, and the result is a page-turning story full of tension and a sense of urgency.
As always, Cavanagh shows off his deep understanding of the American legal system and sociopolitical dynamics, especially impressive given that he’s born, raised, & still living in Northern Ireland. His depiction of the racially charged landscape of a small town in the Deep South feels authentic.
The Devil’s Advocate is a must-read for Eddie Flynn fans, as well as lovers of legal thrillers & courtroom drama, especially those where justice is swiftly served.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a crime thriller, book six in the series. I unfortunately did not realize it was part of a series when I requested it, so I do feel like I might have missed some background knowledge when reading this one, but I still really enjoyed it. I love Cavanaugh’s writing. It is intelligent and his characters are witty. Sometimes with courtroom cases I will feel a little bored, but not with his books! I definitely recommend this one, but maybe read the series in order. Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the arc!

I love Steve Cavanagh. And to tell the truth I need to finish reading his back catalog. Eddie Flynn does it again! This was a fast paced thriller that was so easy and quick to read. It dealt with heavy subject matters...murder, racism and more! It is a book full of twists and turns and I couldn't quit reading it! I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this ARC!

This new one in the Eddie Flynn series was intense and dark, dealing with racism, corruption, and murder. The story started off with a bang and this intensity and deep sense of unease permeated the novel. There were red herrings, twists, and surprises which made for a compelling read. The courtroom scenes were well done.
I thought the pacing was generally good and I flew through the first half of the book. I thought the middle slowed down a bit and while good, the ending could have been shortened - in some ways, I think the novel tried to delve into too many subplots. However, that being said, I thought this was a solid read that touched on many timely social issues. In fact, the plot reminded me a bit of David Baldacci’s A Calamity of Storms with the focus on a Black man on trial for killing a white person, but with a thriller vibe.
I like the Eddie Flynn series and this author’s writing and am looking forward to reading more of his novels.
This can be read as a standalone or out of order in the series.
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I have not read all of the books in this series but I’ve read a few and I really enjoy the characters.

This one felt more like a John Grisham than a Steve Cavanagh. It has the gritty dark southern town with major overtones of racism and religious zealots. Made for a much heavier read and less focus on the trial itself. Tons of characters to keep track of.
As always - extremely bingeable, lots of interesting and fun twists to keep the pages turning, and endearing characters. You'll always root for the defendant in these stories.
There was one part that wasn't explained and I am dying to understand what the heck it was. The stench. IYKYK. It was sort of discussed but I still don't understand.

Atria eARC
Steve Cavanagh has quickly became a new favorite author after another impressive legal thriller. I love how his novels are plotted. He gives you just enough to keep you flipping pages quickly, yet doesn't unravel things until the perfect time. I also love being with Eddie, Harry, Bloch, and Kate. These are such a memorable group of flawed and lovable characters. The plot in this one is so dark. And I loved it. He captured the south and the oppressive heat. He created such evil villains. The mystery here is solid, and I was hooked from beginning to end. I have read this series out of order, and that hasn't stopped me from enjoying it at all. I am definitely going to go back and read the books I've missed.

This is my first Steve Cavanagh book, and it's as if John Grisham's main characters were action heroes on steroids!
This is the 6th entry in his Eddie Flynn series, and does not disappoint. This time, the con-man-turned-lawyer takes on a case that pits him against a corrupt legal system and the death penalty itself in the Deep South. Cavanagh blends courtroom drama with pulse-pounding suspense, tackling themes of justice, power, racism, and institutional cruelty.
Eddie heads to Alabama to defend Andy Dubois, a young Black man wrongly accused of murdering a white woman. The local District Attorney, Randal Korn, known as "The King of Death Row", has a perfect conviction record and a deep hunger for the death penalty, so the odds are already stacked against Eddie.
But Korn isn’t just a southern ruthless prosecutor, he’s actively corrupt, manipulating evidence and witnesses to ensure guilty verdicts, irregardless of the truth. As Eddie and his team dig deeper, they uncover a chilling conspiracy with roots far beyond the courtroom.
Despite the page count, this was a quick read, as the chapters are short, and the action is non-stop.
Unlike the other novels in the series, this one is said to be perhaps the most overtly political. It takes aim at the death penalty, racial injustice, and prosecutor misconduct with unflinching intensity. Eddie’s mission feels not just personal, but urgent, to make sure that justice is served, no matter the cost.
You'll be rooting for Eddie, a charming and scrappy underdog, but this entry gives more time to the ensemble, especially investigator Bloch and legal prodigy Kate. The villain, Randal Korn, is disturbing and memorable, so much so that it often seems over the top and implausible, but we only have to look at a few news headlines to strike a comparison.
It's a compelling, socially charged thriller, that has twist after twist that will leave you with whiplash. A gripping mystery and a scathing indictment of a broken justice system.