I was incredibly excited to receive this book to review via NetGalley and Wow- this latest Eddie Flynn novel certainly lived up to expectations! It has everything - an innocent man on death row in Alabama, defended by Eddie and his team as well as an extremist terrorist plot! What’s not to like?
I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve loved Steve Cavanagh’s series about a con artist turned defence lawyer, Eddie, right from the very first book and in my opinion it just keeps getting better and better. The Devil’s Advocate is a real page turner!
Eddie is asked to defend young Andy Dubois who has been accused of murdering Skylar Edwards, a co worker at a local bar. They both left together after their shift but Skylar is later discovered dead and Andy is the only suspect. However he claims he didn’t do it despite an early confession and Korn, the rather unpleasant local Prosecutor, is keen to have him convicted and sent to the electric chair.
Prosecuting death penalty cases seems to be his hobby and he doesn’t seem to care whether his victims are innocent or guilty.
The town itself is hostile to Eddie as they believe Andy is guilty and it doesn’t help that he is black in a town that contains some very prejudiced people including white supremacists.
This is a very topical novel which examines some difficult themes as well as being a fabulous page turner and legal thriller which kept me guessing until the very last page. It really made me think about how an advanced democratic country like the US can still sentence people to death despite the fact that mistakes cannot be rectified once the deed is done.
This is definitely a five star read for me and highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

In Buckstown, Alabama, Skylar Edwards finishes her shift at the diner and is heading home when a familiar face offers her a lift home. Her body turns up two days later and her coworker, Andy Dubois is put on trial for her murder. The prosecutor, Randell Korn is determined that Andy is sentenced to death, just like the other 115 people he has put in the electric chair in his role as district attorney. Things don’t look good for Andy until Eddie Flynn becomes his lawyer. But has Flynn bitten off more than he can chew? Someone is prepared to kill for secrets to be left uncovered and their message to be heard. The bodies are stacking up and Eddie’s may be among them.

If you have read Steve Cavanagh’s books before, you will have met the absolute genius that is Eddie Flynn. You’ll already know something about what is heading your way in the pages of The Devil’s Advocate - Eddie Flynn’s insightful legal mind, a near impossible case with the odds stack against him, revelations and danger for Flynn and his client around every corner.
In this latest instalment, you will get everything you anticipated, everything you love from Steve Cavanagh’s books and a whole lot more as well. The Devil’s Advocate is a nail biting, heart wrenching and brilliantly clever legal thriller.

It’s no secret that I am a massive fan of the author and the character but the Devil’s advocate exceeded my expectation and made me love the series of books even more than I could have thought possible. I loved the stellar team that Eddie surrounds himself with. They are an unbeatable combination. I wish I could be more Bloch or have Kate’s shrewd mind and Harry’s insight into people.
I really enjoyed the chapters written from the different characters . They gave valuable insight in to the events of the book and into the thoughts of the depraved Korn and the true killer. Cavanagh wrote the tension of the trial and the danger outside of the courtroom perfectly. There were times when I was reading the book that I had remind myself to breathe because I had held my breath across several pages, desperate to know what happened next. If that isn’t amazing writing, I don’t know what is. These moments of tension were interspersed with perfectly timed dry humour - I am looking at you Harry with your 101 Dalmatians comment!

Favourite moment - when the power of fiction leads to life altering consequences . That was a really great touch.

The Devil’s Advocate is going to be your book of 2021 if the love tense and fast paced fiction, legal thrillers, books that explore morality and corruption in society or any book that makes you feel and make you think long after you finish the last page. Not to be missed!

Thank you to Steve Cavanagh, Orion Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book.

With thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the ARC.

Steve Cavanagh has come up with the goods yet again.

Eddie Flynn is a New Yorker to the sole of his boots, so how would he get on down south in deepest Alabama?
He, and his team, finds themselves defending Andy Dubois, a young black kid charged with the murder of local high school sweetheart, the beautiful, and white, Skylar Edwards.

Corruption, right wing extremism and racism are rife in the small Alabama town and Andy has no chance of a fair trial.
Step in Team Flynn.

Cavanaghs storytelling will keep you on the edge of your seat turning pages till way too late at night.

A couple of things of note.
The Eddie Flynn novels before this were Eddie Flynn novels, this is definitely now Team Flynn.
The addition of his new partner, Kate, her investigator Bloch and ex Judge Harry, have really changed the dynamics of the book. There are more POV's which expands the authors options.

The other massive difference in this book is the setting. Not only is it set in Alabama rather than New York, but there is very little of this book set in the courtroom. We get 2/3 of the way through before we get into court.

Neither of the above things take away from a brilliant story, very well told. In fact I'd say this has opened up a whole load of new vistas for Mr. Cavanagh.

100% recommended. Well done Steve.

"When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something"
In his Author's notes Steve Cavanagh uses this quote from a civil rights activist, John Lewis, speaking in December 2019.
This book is very apt for the times we are living in now and is alarming to think that the atrocities that are wrote about could have or be happening still.
I was delighted to be one of the lucky readers to be picked for the next installment in Eddie Flynn's cases. It doesn't disappoint, Eddie and the whole team have to take on an evil corrupt District Attorney who takes great delight in imposing the death penalty, a police team who have no morals and a whole town baying for the blood of Andy Dubois who is accused of killing Skylar Edwards. This is one of Eddie's toughest cases yet.
I don't want to give anything away but my one very minute criticism (if you can call it that) is I felt the ending was slightly rushed compared to the rest of the book.
Fabulous read and leaves me waiting now for the next installment. How Steve can top this though I don't know
Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishers for the advanced copy, my opinions are my own

This is a rollercoaster of a read, set in Alabama, with a strong sense of injustice. Eddie is fighting to keep a young black man out of the electric chair, with many corrupt people against him. Absolutely riveting.

Since reading Fifty Fifty, I have been waiting with bated breathe for the next book by Steve Cavanagh and boy oh boy, was I not disappointed!!

Fantastic reading, totally engrossing, I could not put it down. Eddie Flynn was back with a powerful punch, fighting against a cause which is certainly in existence today.

Simply put, BRILLIANT!!!

I can´t praise this book enough. You simply have to read it!

Hurry up with the next one Steve!


My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

Firstly, thank you so much to @sscav, @alexxlayt and @orionbooks for allowing me to be one of the first 100 people to read The Devil’s Advocate! You really could have scraped me off of the ceiling when I received the email.

There’s yet to be an Eddie Flynn novel that hasn’t left me on the edge of my seat, or shouting at the book, or texting my sister with the regular “OMG”s. I didn’t think the shock factor could get any shocking than in Fifty Fifty but nope, Cavanagh has done it again and to be honest, I think this one has left me the most mentally exhausted! It is one crazy ride - you have been warned! With a gripping death penalty case, in a small town influenced by a corrupt district attorney it’s impossible not to be sucked in and instantly connected to the story. Mixed with a cast of loveable characters and tension building as the story progresses it is one of my favourite reads of the year so far.

There’s nothing I don’t love about Eddie Flynn - the cockiness of his actions, purely on a gamble, relying on wit and intuition, you can’t not love him! Harry Ford… I love you, I need you in my life! The retired judge is the “father figure” of the group and had one of the best lines in the book when it came to Kate examining the medical examiner on the stand. Speaking of Kate, if you love a lawyer who is as loyal as the day is long, she’s your gal! But Bloch, wow! Such a badass! If I’m in a life threatening scenario then I want Bloch!

The subjects explored in The Devil’s Advocate are some of the most important subjects in the world today - racism, corruption and terrorism - and Steve Cavanagh deserves an award for this sheer work of art. Not only for casting a light on these matters but also giving us a lesson in the history of such cases. It’s opened my eyes to a lot of things going on in the world which I have never really thought about, and the fact that some states in America still use the death penalty is mind boggling. We’ve all seen things on TV about miscarriages of justice or wrongful imprisonment and the idea that someone could be put to death for something they didn’t do terrifies me.

If you're looking for your next crime thriller read, this is it!

This is my review on Goodreads.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orion for an advance copy.

This is another great Eddie Flynn novel. If you want a synopsis, click on the book, you wont get one here.

The prologue introduces the reader to two characters. I was hooked from that point and there more twists and turns than Spaghetti Junction. If you like a courtroom drama, a mystery or a thriller, read this book. Better still, start from the first Eddie Flynn book and see how he's evolved.

Steve Cavanagh is a remarkable and brilliant author.

OH MY GIDDY AUNT
Just when I thought that Eddie Flynn book's couldn't get any better Steve writes a humdinger of a novel.
Eddie and the team, Harry,Kate and Bloch are asked to take on a death penalty case by Berlin as he believes that the current DA of Buckstown Alabama Randal Korn is dishing out the death penalty like confetti and this time a young black man Andy Dubois is accused of killing a young white girl Skylar Edwards.

This is a thought provoking novel. That some people will find hard to deal with but what Steve has achieved with Eddie Flynn is no more short of a miracle.
There are very few authors that can pull off a novel like this and Steve Cavanagh is one of he best.

I cried at points in this book which was written so powerfully. Absolutely outstanding.

Oh this is a cracker!

One of the things I love about an ongoing series is the way you get to know the characters. I really like the group of characters in this and I thought this instalment really saw the gang start to gel and I loved seeing Bloch grow a little.

I enjoyed seeing Eddie forced to operate outside of his comfort zone.

The plot was fiendish with multiple layers of villains, loads of twists and turns and misdirection. It was fun, engaging and absorbing. Loved it!

The bad guys in this book are proper bad guys with very few redeeming features which is quite a refreshing change from the morally grey characters that tend to crop up more and more.

Existing Eddie Flynn fans will devour this and any new fans coming in at this book will be delighted with Eddie's shenanigans.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for allowing me early access to read this book. Another great Eddie Flynn novel that did not disappoint. Eddie and Co took on a capital punishment case with all the odds stacked against them, which obviously presented us with lots of twists along the way. I experienced so many different emotions throughout this book and I absolutely loved it and could not recommend it more. Steve Cavanagh presents us with a great quality novel once again!!

I'm a big fan of the Eddie Flynn books so I was delighted to get the chance to review The Devils Advocate.
I'd just like to say that it is absolutely outstanding. Steve Cavanagh has absolutely outdone himself and if this isn't up for every award it's eligible for then there is something wrong in the world.
I never give five stars, but I have today.

Steve Cavanagh has a fantastic way of keeping you guessing while giving little bread crumbs along the way, and just when you think you may have figured it out, Cavanagh throws a twist in there to keep you guessing a little longer!

The Devil's Advocate is superb and Eddie Flynn is back with a bang!

I have four favourite fictional lawyers – they are, in no particular order, Lionel Hutz, Saul Goodman, Mickey Haller &, of course, Eddie Flynn. Having read all of Steve Cavanagh’s previous books I was chuffed when NetGalley approved me for an ARC of The Devil’s Advocate which took me all of a day and a half to finish.
The author is once again on top form and the twists and turns are delicious, but there’s something about this latest instalment that sets it apart from the others. Firstly, it is a lot less courtroom based and a good 50% or so of the book revolves around the interactions of the bad guys. Secondly Eddie is even more part of and reliant on his team – Kate, Harry & Bloch. Bloch is tremendous here, though I would give special mention to Harry for his talkdown in the truck aided by a bottle of Bourbon.
If you’ve read any of these books you won’t need telling twice to get this one, if you haven’t, dive in – the water’s great.

I kid you not, I literally jumped for joy when I was chosen as one of the hundred to receive a netgalley arc for this book! So thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and Steve Cavanagh!

Skylar Edwards is found murdered and Andy Dubois is arrested for her murder. The DA for the County has the highest death penalty convictions in America.....because he gets a thrill from watching people be executed. He doesn't care if they are innocent, infact he will bribe everyone and anyone to lie and tamper with evidence to make sure he gets a guilty verdict!! Can Eddie and his team save Andy Dubois?

I can honestly say I don't have a clue how Steve Cavanagh can pull these brilliant books out the bag! I mean the man is clearly a genius!! I am loving the team of Eddie, Harry, Kate and Bloch!!

Now the difficulty in writing this review is, I am scared I give anything away but what I will say is, this book is a bloody rollercoaster! There was a point when I literally cried out 'noooo', i had my head in my hands thinking it was all over then there was a twist and a turn. I have no nails left!! I am actually exhausted after reading this!!

Absolutely bloody brilliant! Now.....the long wait for the next installment!!!

This is an easy 5stars for Steve Cavanagh's The Devil's Advocate. As with all Eddie Flynn books there is humour amongst the drama. It is totally compelling. It has more twists and turns than a corkscrew. An absolute belter of a story with great characters .

The Devils Advocate is yet another exciting thrilling story involving the wonderful Eddie Flynn and his small team. Each time I start Mr Cavanagh’s latest book I think he can’t do any better than the previous one, every time he proves me wrong, as he certainly did with this tour de force.
There is a county in the one of the USA southern states that has the highest number of deaths on death row than all the other states. Eddie is asked to defend a young black man who has been charged with the murder of a young white woman. Upper echelons of government have noted that the district attorney in these case will go to great lengths to obtain a conviction and always asks for the death penalty.
Here is a tale, told with great depth and brilliant writing of corruption, racism, violence, right wing extremism and death. But you also have goodness, mercy and a driving force to seek out the evil and to destroy it.
Eddie has to take on a case that seems impossible to win, with DNA evidence, a witness, jury tampering and even his and his teams lives threatened.
But as usual Eddie never gives up, the court scenes are fantastic, and amongst all these thrills and jaw dropping events we also have humour.
It is a rollercoaster ride and a page turner like no other.
Also, Mr Cavanagh you are an evil man, my husband jumped out of his skin as I was reading and suddenly screamed noooo!😱
My sincere thanks to net galley and publishers Orion for the opportunity to review this book honestly .

" ... justice was simply a cloak he wore to disguise his true nature ..."

Can an outsider come into a small insular town and save a young man's life? If any man can, its Eddie Flynn. Without giving too much away, Eddie is call in to save a young man from death row - the odds are against the prisoner and Eddie as not everyone is happy to see justice served - at least not well.

Cavanagh again allows his readers to enter the inner sanctum of Eddie and his team, slowly building up the tension, drawing the reader ever deeper into an Alabama with its present deeply rooted in its past. Then the sucker punch sends you reeling back, before, like any good prize fighter, Cavanagh lifts and delivers the coup de grace with a series of body shots than send his villain to the mat.

If you have not picked up this series, it is high time you did. Each and every book is a gem; Cavanagh has a way with words that make the reader feel that they are actually part of the story and not just a interested onlooker.

After five books down, I was lucky enough to be one of a few to read this - book six (or six point five) - early via the publisher and the author; and will be adding this to my own collection without any hesitation.

Absolutely brilliant! I couldn’t put it down… I was soon hooked and just had to keep reading to see how the story unfolded. Brilliantly written and it flowed so easily, the characters were easy to get to know and there were moments when my heart was in my mouth. The courtroom scenes had me on the edge of my seat as you just a didn’t know who was going to come out on top! A must read!

I am a huge fan of Eddie Flynn after reading and loving Fifty Fifty and Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh. This new case which Eddie is defending on has it all and if it is your first time meeting Eddie you are in for a treat, as he is such a fantastic character!

Set in Alabama, the book opens with a chapter where we meet Randal Korn, known as the King of Death Row. He’s sent more men to their deaths than any other district attorney in US history! We then meet Skylar Edwards on the night she is murdered and soon come to learn that a corrupt sheriff has arrested Andy Dubois, the last person to see her alive. It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone in Buckstown that Andy is innocent and the local defense attorney representing him has now disappeared. Enter lawyer and former con-artist Eddie Flynn! He’s flown in from New York with a plan to destroy the prosecution’s case, find the real killer and save Andy from the electric chair. But the murders are only just beginning...

From the opening chapters alone I was hooked and it’s a feeling I had the whole way through this book. I was always saying ‘just one more chapter’! I love that we were given such great insight into Randal Korn right from the beginning and he really made my skin crawl. There were so many clever details which were slowly revealed as the story progressed too and I just really didn’t know who to trust in Buckstown! There were so many incredible twists and turns and I find Steve Cavanagh’s storytelling to be really gripping. I love how the end took me completely by surprise too. It was absolutely fantastic!

I also liked how this book covers some really thought provoking topics including the death penalty in the US. I don’t want to spoil anything by saying what the other themes are as they become crucial to how the story develops but it can be hard hitting in places! I really liked reading the author’s note at the end too in this regard.

The Devil’s Advocate is an absolutely incredible book! I cannot recommend it highly enough!