Thrilled to have a #guestreview from the fabulous #bookaddictshaun for Steve Cavanagh’s novella – The Cross. Enjoy!
Eddie Flynn, con-man turned criminal lawyer, has an impossible choice.
He has damning evidence against a corrupt NYPD detective who stands accused of killing a suspect.
But if he uses this evidence in court, both he and his client – the dead man’s widow – will be in mortal danger.
Should he risk their lives to win the case? Or keep quiet and let a murderer go free.
The Defence is one of the best legal thrillers I have ever read, and I keep meaning to get round to continuing with the series but am now saving them for my holiday in May. Eddie Flynn is one hell of a character and so I couldn’t wait to read this novella, The Cross, for a bit of Flynn action whilst waiting to continue the series.
The Cross is one of the best novellas that I have ever read, the action did not let up for a second and the storyline was as strong and immersive as a full-length story would be. Steve Cavanagh is an incredible writer and he really knows how to keep a reader gripped. Eddie Flynn is up in court with damning evidence against an NYPD detective. Evidence that could get him killed. Will he use it, or will he keep quiet? Readers who have met Eddie Flynn before will know the answer to that question.
For those who haven’t yet met Eddie Flynn this is the perfect place to start. He is such an intriguing character, and one who is so well-drawn. He’s likeable and The Cross shows just what sort of man he is, and the lengths he will go to in order to protect his own integrity but also to get results for his clients. I love Steve Cavanagh’s court scenes and have had a fascination with courts and lawyers even before doing jury service a few years ago. Despite this being a novella and a story written for entertainment, there is some authenticity here in the courtroom and it makes for an atmospheric read throughout. The tension and fear within the room being palpable, and I loved being a witness to it all. The storyline is powerful, emotional, hard-hitting and thought-provoking. And all from a novella. Brilliant.
The story unfolds almost in real time as Eddie realises just what he’s got himself caught up in. I started this novella at around 1.30am and would have had it read in one sitting if I didn’t need to sleep. I woke up in the morning and continued reading straightaway and finished the story wanting more from Eddie Flynn and Steve Cavanagh which means I can’t wait to continue with this series in a few weeks time. Steve Cavanagh’s success is great to witness and his storytelling ability is phenomenal. His books can easily rival John Grisham (who like most popular authors now phones it in) and so if you are a fan of legal thrillers and you aren’t reading this series yet, you need to be.
