The Defence

Eddie Flynn, Book 1

By: Steve Cavanagh

Narrated by: Adam Sims

The truth has no place in a courtroom. The truth doesn't matter in a trial.
The only thing that matters is what the prosecution can prove.

Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter Amy.

Eddie only has 48 hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if wants to save his daughter.

Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

Lose this case and he loses everything.

(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group©2015 Steve Cavanagh

Critic reviews

THE DEFENCE is everything a great thriller should be and I can't wait to see more of Eddie Flynn

Part classic courtroom drama in the John Grisham tradition and part Bruce Willis-like action hero fiction straight out of the Die Hard franchise, this is a rip-roaring action-packed and highly entertaining debut

[It] reads a lot like a courtroom drama that Lee Child might write about Jack Reacher's younger, hotter-headed brother . . . This is afoot-to-the-floor thriller that pulls out with tyres smoking and takes no prisoners until it judders to a halt 400 pages later

'Puts the "thrill" back in "legal thriller". Non-stop action, unexpected and totally cool plot twists, a sympathetic genius of a con-man/attorney, and a clock that never ever ever stops ticking -- this isn't narrative drive, it's rocket-like narrative propulsion! Hop aboard and enjoy the ride!'

'Imagine THE VERDICT's Frank Galvin crossed with THE FIRM's Mitch McDeere and you'd get something like Eddie Flynn, the quick thinking, troubled, kinetic lead of Steve Cavanagh's debut thriller . . . A deliriously fast and enjoyable ride from the next big Irish crime fiction star. Highly recommended'

Get ready for a legal thriller that'll grab you by the throat . . . Eddie Flynn makes his explosive debut

Cavanagh's stellar debut provides everything a reader could ask for in a thriller - nail-biting suspense, a Russian nesting doll of a plot, and an original and compelling lead

A full-on thrill-ride that hits the gas on page one and doesn't let up until the end. Steve blends a taut legal thriller with a ticking-clock suspense plot and throws in a great protagonist in the form of Eddie Flynn that readers will want to see again and again. A terrific debut

Like Mickey Haller and Mitch McDeere before him, readers will love lawyer Eddie Flynn, the star of this high-octane, hugely entertaining legal thriller. On the evidence of this blistering debut, we'll be hearing much more of Steve Cavanagh

Steve Cavanagh manages to pull off not only a terrific courtroom drama, but also a bit of an edge of the seat thriller, some witty and darkly humorous moments and a character you will fall in love with

Thriller readers, Michael Connelly readers, book readers, pick up THE DEFENCE, I almost guarantee you won't regret it. An addictive read from start to finish and one that I have no hesitation in recommending

It's a book you're not going to want to miss. I finished this last night and ended up dreaming of kidnapped children. That's how good this book is

It's sharp, clever and a brilliantly executed thriller. And it's not often I write those words. THE DEFENCE is a great debut, and here's hoping there's more of Eddie Flynn to come

Over the top but very entertaining

What did you love best about The Defence?

The complex court maneuvers by a savvy lawyer and the extremely fast pace and unpredictability of the plot.

What does Adam Sims bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His narration is very well paced and he's able to use different accents and voices.

Any additional comments?

I'll certainly look for more books by Cavanagh, but I would recommend he make his hero a bit more real and not a superman (smart lawyer, good boxer, friend to judges and mafiosi). The main character is great for a first novel but a bit much all the same.

fabulous

loved loved loved it. really exciting. hope to find many more by this author. get it!

Loved it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and have already purchased the next book in the series.

Fun read

The characters are what make these novels. There’s something fun and lighthearted about Eddie Flynn. I find this series delightful.

Novel=No Screenplay=Maybe

There are some novels that lack the depth to bring you within its clutches. Shallow dialogue, no character development, unrealistic story, etc.. This is one of those. This is Cavanagh's first book, and it shows. The author is a Lawyer in Norther Ireland, and practices law there. Why he doesn't set the story there i cannot understand. The legal portion of the story is slight, and unrealistic. You would never guess the writer does this for a living. I have to imagine that setting the story in Brooklyn NY has something to do with this. Trying to extract the feel of NY when you grew up and reside in Ireland may be the issue with the depth of the story. Beyond this, for a mystery and not a Sci-fi, i cannot suspend my disbelief this much. Maybe it would work as a movie, maybe not, but it definitely does not work as a novel. Unfortunately, not worth the credit.