The Devil's Advocate by Steve Cavanagh.
Thank you to #OrionBooks & #Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Eddie Flynn is back but not in his normal NY setting but in Buckstown, Alabama.
Popular student Skylar Edwards has been brutally murdered and her co-worker Andy Dubois has been arrested & charged with her murder. So begins the latest roller coaster of a read from Steve Cavanagh.
Eddie and his team travel to Alabama to defend Andy and the odds do not look good from the beginning.
Randall Korn is the DA and his record of winning guilty verdicts with the death penalty attached is unmatched.
Racism, corruption, biased judges, forced confessions are all here but there is also love and humour too.
Eddie only represents clients he believes are innocent and Andy is no exception but rural Alabama is very different to New York.
Facing obstacles at every turn Eddie and his gang are determined to save Andy's life.
Steve Cavanagh draws you into this world of blatant racism with more twists and turns than a mountain path. The steamy oppressive amotsphere is used to good effect and at times left me feeling as if I was there, I could almost feel the sweat.
Do not pick up this book if you have appointments or obligations because you won't be able to put it down. Steve Cavanagh has produced another engrossing read and my only disappointment is the wait for the next one!

Randal Korn is the most ruthless district attorney in America. If you are in his court you end up on death row. This is the fate of Andy Dubois, accused of murder and the evidence against him is overwhelming.
His defense attorney has gone missing and the odds are stacked against him.
Con-artist turned lawyer Eddie Flynn is asked to represent him, but this is a case in rural Alabama and not his beloved New York. So Eddie will have to battle the odds in a town where everyone thinks Andy is guilty.
It’s not long before things start going awry and bodies start turning up and Eddie wonders if he might be next.
This the case of a lifetime and Flynn will use all his skills to save a man from death row, providing he can stay alive long enough to do so.
Steve Cavanagh has produced his best book to date with The Devil’s Advocate.
A book of some distinction, his writing is outstanding. The characters are captivating and the plot is sublime.
Eddie Flynn is the best character to come along in fiction since Jack Reacher.
A truly outstanding book which I highly recommend.

I wonder if readers of this blog will remember a show which premiered in the US in 1974. It was called Petrocelli, and it was about a defence lawyer who lived in a house trailer in San Remo, Arizona. All through the two seasons the show was on, Tony Petrocelli and his wife Maggie toiled away with building a house for themselves near their trailer home. Viewers never got to see the finished product because the show finished airing after these two seasons. When I read an Eddie Flynn novel from Northern Ireland author Steve Cavanagh, I always think of Petrocelli. He took the cases in which his client appeared guilty as sin, looking for holes in the prosecution’s evidence, and upon finding them, exonerate his clients in the eyes of the law. What happened after that was of no concern to Petrocelli. His job was done once his client got released.

I loved Petrocelli and I recently rewatched the pilot episode. It still stands up. Barry Newman is a good actor and the stories were always compelling. I happened upon Steve Cavanagh‘s creation a couple of years ago and found myself reading the first four books in the Eddie Flynn series one after the other. They are tightly plotted novels, with enough twists and turns to make your hair stand on end. Forever getting into scrapes that threaten his life and the lives of those he cares about, Eddie uses his ingenuity and skills as a one-time con-artist to help his clients who would otherwise be incarcerated for life or worse.

The Devil’s Advocate is the sixth book in the series and for my money it’s the best yet. The stakes for Eddie, his team, and his client are high: literally life and death. But Eddie is well out of his comfort zone. Used to the hustle and bustle of New York streets, police stations, and courtrooms, Eddie is in a backwater town of Buckstown, Alabama, a relic of the Confederacy era, where the local District Attorney Randall Korn has sent more convicted murderers to the electric chair than any other DA in US history. Eddie is approached by a ‘frenemy’ from a previous case and asked to take on the defence of Andy Dubois, a young Black man whose been accused of the murder of his colleague and friend, a popular girl called Skylar Edwards. Andy’s previous lawyer, who’s already had dealings with Korn, is missing under suspicious circumstances, and the young man seems destined to be found guilty and sentenced to death. Eddie has never taken on a capital murder case before, but it’s not long before he and his team, Kate, Harry, and Bloch find that all is not what it seems with the prosecution’s case. Plus, if Andy didn’t brutally murder Skylar, the question is: who did?

For fans of Steve Cavanagh and Eddie Flynn, there’s no need for me to tell you to get on out there and buy this book. Chances are you already have it preordered. But for the unconverted, let me tell you that this book, and the others in the series, are a delight to read. What sets The Devil’s Advocate apart from previous novels is not just the change of scenery, but Cavanagh allows the supporting characters to share the spotlight in many sections of the story. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Bloch, Eddie’s investigator: you do not want to mess with this woman. The Rogue Gallery is especially strong, too. Not only does Eddie and his team have to contend with Randall Korn, but the sheriff of Buckstown is a force to be reckoned with, too, despite and because of his own tragic backstory. And then there’s the mysterious Pastor. We don’t find out his identity until the climax of the novel, and what a surprise that turns out to be. So, not only do the good guys have to deal with an insidious district attorney, they also find themselves up against the worst of the worst: domestic terrorists and white supremacists. The Devil’s Advocate will rock your boat. I defy you to finish it in fewer than three or four sittings.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishing and Steve Cavanagh for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Eddie Flynn is back with a bang. I genuinely didn’t think Fifty Fifty could be topped but Steve has done it again. This is a nail-bitter of a thriller focusing on the death penalty and racism. I devoured this book in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. My anxiety went sky high. Steve Cavanagh is the undisputed king of thriller. This book is intense, dark, gritty and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Devil's Advocate by master storyteller Steve Cavanagh is yet another Eddie Flynn zinger!! High drama inside and outside of the courtroom. 5 stars!

When Eddie Flynn is visited by Alexander Berlin in his New York office, he doesn't want to hear what he has to say but ends up taking the case for a defendant who is likely to face conviction and a death sentence in a small town in Alabama if Eddie doesn't help. Eddie is shocked to learn the details of the prosecutor's evidence but also perturbed by the disappearance of the original defence lawyer.

This seems like an impossible cás for Eddie Flynn as the sheriff's office and the district attorney control everything that goes on in Buckshot.

The pacy action in The Devil's Advocate is matched by the superb characters, the oppressive heat and the frustration at the extent of illicit goings-on.

Another brilliant book from Steve Cavanagh.
Eddie Flynn is asked to represent a man who faces the death penalty and it seems the prosecutor will do anything to see it happen.
Randal Korn has sent the highest number people to be killed by the state and Flynn wants to stop him.
Andy had been accused of killing his colleague, Skylar but it seems Korn and the Sheriff have framed him for the murder.
Flynn, Harry, Kate and Bloch head South to try and save Andy from a death sentence, but will they be able to outsmart Korn in the courtroom?
This a brilliant crime thriller with a clever court battle to keep you on your toes.
This can be read as a standalone but I’d highly recommend the other Eddie Flynn books too.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A fast paced legal thriller that is gripping and unique the return of Eddie Flynn is spectacular. The Devils Advocate is one of the best thrillers of all time.

Eddie Flynn is a criminal defense attorney from New York, who agrees to defend a murder suspect in a small town in Alabama. He is joined by his colleagues from "Fifty Fifty" - Harry, Katie and Bloch. From there he'll face corrupt cops, and simmering racism.
The prosecutor, Randal Korn, has convicted many men for murder, and has a strong history of sending them to death row. Throw in a corrupt police force, sweltering heat, and the mysterious murderer, and you've got an explosive story that is impossible to put down.

Yet again, Mr Cavanagh has written a belter ... definitely one of my reads of 2021 so far and one I can't recommend highly enough and even though this is number 6 in the series, don't let that put you off because you can absolutely read and enjoy this delight as a standalone.

I am a fan of Mr Cavanagh's incarnation of Eddie Flynn having read a couple of his previous outings but, I have to say, this is the best one I have read so far - an absolute peach of a story that had me on tenterhooks and devouring the pages as quick as my little eyes could manage.

With excellent characters, fantastic plot and side plots, perfect setting and pace, the right amount of twists and thrills, I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who loves a great thriller.

What are you waiting for? Go get it!

Many thanks to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Oh my gosh!! Eddie Flynn Is back with a bang and this is possibly the best instalment yet.

I have devoured this page after page in just one sitting. Eddie Flynn is a superb character and as straightforward as they come. I love the no nonsense and direct approach he takes.

This has been completely captivating. I love the death row element. This really has added an extra dimension for this book. I have seen many documentaries relating to death row, but this is only the second book I’ve ever come across which contains it.

This is a novel filled with lies, corruption and a whole array of characters that are easy to be suspicious of and instantly despise. There are several side plots in this one but as always Cavanagh has intricately weaved them together.

I adore the cover of this one, although I do wish that the same theme as previous books has been applied. Cavanagh’s books are easily disguinshable by the cover designs.

I love the pace of this one. I have found this gripping and completely unpredictable. A definite five star read and one I must read.

This is book six in the Eddie Flynn series but can be read as a standalone. Eddie is asked to take on the case of Andy Dubois who is on trial for the murder of homecoming queen Skylar Edwards. DA Randal Korn is going for the death penalty despite more and more questions around the confession Andy made.
Eddie and his team are not welcome in the south as someone is trying to scare them off.
The book is written from multiple POV and I was fully engaged from the first page. The fact that the background to the book is based on historical facts makes it even more gripping. Multiple characters have the option to do the right thing and the author does a fantastic job with the characters and the reasons behind the decisions they make.
I read this in a day and can’t wait to read the previous books in the season and book seven.
Highly recommend.
Thanks to Orion publishing and NetGalley for an amazing opportunity to read the next Eddie Flynn book.
#TheDevilsAdvocate #NetGalley

I was super excited to get approved for this book to read I already have it on order from two other booksellers...

And what can I say I thought Steve Cavanagh can't top his last book or his book before that but he just keeps delivering a better book every time..... and this was ..... just so good ... sat drinking from my I love Eddie Flynn cup reading this book every second I got.

There were a few times where i was like noooo please don't let this happen and then he would just twist it all over again. I really don't want to spoil anything but if you love Steve's books then this book is for you.

This book delivers a great setting a very believable plot and explosive moments of twists corruption and always expect the unexpected its a rollercoaster of legal drama that never felt hard to follow ... and it will keep you gripped at the edge of your seat till the very end and even then you will be wanting one more go ...

Looking forward to the next instalment now and one i hope we get a film or a Netflix's series his books are just that good.

My first read in the Eddie Flynn Series but not my first Steven Cavanagh.

I was expecting a high class legal thriller and that’s what I got in spades.

Flynn and the team take on a case in the Deep South when a young black man is arrested for a murder and immediately put on trial for death row.

A story that is deep in US Culture, the racism that so sadly is so prevalent, an evil and twisted bad guy and white supremacists, Cavanagh pulls no punches in this excellent thriller.

The plotting, pacing and writing are simply outstanding and that of a writer full of confidence and the very top of his game.

High Class legal thrills with some cracking twists.

Oh Eddie Flynn.. what trouble are are getting into this time? You know picking up these books that you are in for a thrill ride and The Devil's Advocate did not disappoint in the slightest. Eddie and the team have what seems like an impossible case to win and the odds are really stacked against them in Alabama. A young girl has been murdered and her friend and workmate Andy Dubois has been arrested. DA Randal Korn wants the death penalty and will stop at nothing to get it.

There is corruption, racism and bribery. It is hot in the South and they do things their way, which doesn't' fit well with Eddie. Will he be able to prove that his client has been framed before they come after him.. If you love a clever and twisty legal thriller then this one is for you. Expect the unexpected.

Thanks to Orion Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

It took a while for me to get into this story, but once the trial started I couldn't put it down.
This was quite a scary story as it's based in true life. I look forward to Eddie's next outing.

The Devil’s Advocate is a roller coaster of a legal drama and action thriller. Eddie Flynn, no angel himself, goes up against a monster of a District Attorney as he tries to save an innocent man from the death penalty.
Cavanagh knows how to create the most despicable characters. DA Randal Korn is that most dangerous of people: one who “holds life and death in his hands, with no checks and balances”. His county leads the US in death-penalty convictions – all thanks to him. And he surrounds himself with thugs, full of hate and armed to the hilt.
After an unbelievably tense and horrendous start, Cavanagh’s taut, compelling style and the non-stop rapid tempo kept me gripped. The story is full of riddles and conundrums, corruption and power, humour and utter cynicism (“I guessed that probably only half the people on the street were armed. This was as laidback as you could get in Alabama.”) It addresses real atrocities – corruption at the highest level, bent cops and sheer depravity.
The stakes are enormously high and I became hugely invested in the outcome. There are so many strands to this story, all expertly intertwined and pulled together by a master story-teller.

Really good addition to the Eddie Flynn series. Great premise, and exactly the kind of high level, high stakes courtroom tension we've come to expect from Steve Cavanagh.

I was hugely excited to see there was a new Eddie Flynn book and even more so when I managed to snag myself an early e-copy from Netgalley.

This was everything I’ve come to expect from Cavanagh’s writing and an Eddie Flynn case – a case that seems impossible to win, some interesting (and not always legal) tactics, violence, determination and a lot of heart.

The case this time was perhaps the hardest Eddie has faced so far, facing off against a prosecutor who always fought for a death sentence and had a high conviction rate, Eddie is not only fighting for justice but also for his clients life. To make matters worse the prosecutor is corrupt and seems to have the entire local police force working for him.

As always the characterisation in this was strong, Eddie’s new business partner Kate, PI Bloch and the lovely Harry in a consulting role were just as wonderful as last time we saw them – I really like Bloch and I have a feeling there is a lot more of her to get to know.

In a link that a Cavanagh himself points out in the book this case has overtones of the one in Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Eddie’s client is a young black male accused of murdering the pretty young white girl he worked with, there is a thread of racism running through the case and that makes Eddies job even harder.

Yet again though Cavanagh manages to show some of the better sides of humanity even while the story is centred around some of its worst bits. I did actually work out who the real killer was before the reveal this time, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Not sure the tag line is completely accurate on this one – but it gives a feel for what’s going on, still is a bit misleading though.

Another gripping, twisty, heart stopping case for Eddie and a great read.

With thanks to Orion and Netgalley for an e-copy in exchange for honest review.

The Devil’s Advocate will publish on 5th August 2021

OMG, a new Eddie Flynn novel! If you haven’t read any of these books yet, then you really should, they are addictive and gripping stuff. They can be read as standalones, but they’re too good not to read them all.

This latest one is set in the sultry heat of Alabama, and reading it is like watching a movie, it’s just so real and so breathtakingly thrilling.

This novel is both a crime and a courtroom drama, and the tightly plotted and complex story will have you totally hooked.

There’s a real sense of danger in this book, and I genuinely feared for Eddie and his team. The people he is dealing with will stop at nothing, and have no morals. It’s real edge-of-your-seat stuff, and hard to put down.

Superb atmospheric writing, with excellent character development, high intensity drama and a complex legal battle, this book has it all, and had me hooked from start to finish. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Steve Cavanagh is on fire!!! The Devil’s Advocate is a truly impressive book. Cavanagh takes Eddie Flynn out of his New York comfort zone and into the deep south - to Buckstown, Alabama for his first ever capital murder trial. The stakes don’t get any higher than this and for Eddie, who never knowingly takes on a guilty client, losing would be genuinely unbearable.
But even though the gentle young black man, Andy Dubois did not murder attractive Skylar Edwards, he doesn’t really have a hope in hell. Because Buckstown is hell and the devil reigns there.
The thing that first struck me about this thrilling, ingenious and compelling novel is the way that Cavanagh suffuses this book with real evil. Reading it, all the way through, I had echoes of Stephen King’s The Stand in the back of my head. Not because of plot similarities – this is an outstanding, original piece of work, but because the horror is real and it is embedded in Cavanagh’s characters and he has given us a primal battle to the death between good and evil. I don’t know whether the use if Randall for the Prosecutor’s first name was deliberate, but I am guessing so, because the chilling vibes from this antagonist work from the outset.
It’s all the more chilling because there is foundation in reality for the premise of this book, as Cavanagh makes clear in his afterword. But this is also a thrilling work of fiction with some exceptional moments showcasing Eddie Flynn’s remarkable talents and bringing #TeamFlynn right to the fore. It’s delightful to watch Kate in action in court and adding in her investigator, the redoubtable Bloch and Eddie’s friend ex-judge Harry Ford also bring a lot more skin to this game.
It feels right that there is now a unified #TeamFlynn and together they are a formidable foursome. Just as well, because they need all their formidable talents to tackle a seemingly unwinnable case where all the odds are, quite deliberately, being stacked against them.
The Devil’s Advocate is everything a good thriller should be and the book shivers with tension and suspense. We care, not just about Eddie and his team, but for the stitched-up plaintiff, Andy Dubois and his mother Patricia – and ultimately for the people of Buckstown who live in such a fetid, poisonous atmosphere.
Steve Cavanagh has taken the most pernicious of crimes – racial hatred and played it into a scenario which, sadly, is not so difficult to envision in an America tainted by a Trump leadership, where division reaps rewards and hatred rules by fear.
That he does so incredibly successfully and still manages to infuse the book with Eddie’s dazzling humour and sleight of hand to amuse and surprise us, is testament to how good a writer he is. I think this is his best book yet – and that is saying something!
Verdict: Absolutely unmissable. A must read book that sings out from every page; luring you in and making you forget anything else exists. I was captivated, horrified, spellbound. This is a brilliant, explosive and beautifully plotted thriller that will leave you gasping. If this doesn’t make it to No 1 in the charts, I’ll eat George Galloway’s hat.