Steve Cavanagh writes some of the best legal thrillers I have ever read, and this is his best one yet. We are back with ex-con man, hustler, lawyer, and all round good guy, Eddie Flynn, facing his most challenging case yet. He is going to have to fully utilise his sleights of hand and draw on his ability to con. In the hours of darkness, Eddie gets a call from a man he knew in his younger days, Leonard Howell, asking Eddie to be his lawyer. Howell's 17 year old daughter, Caroline, has been abducted and a ransom payment has been organised. Howell has other plans afoot which do not involve the FBI, are illegal, and wants Eddie to cover his back. Amy, Eddie's daughter was kidnapped in the past, and feeling Howell's pain, he agrees in a heartbeat. It all goes to hell in a handcart as the ransom drops spectacularly misfire resulting in Howell being charged with the murder of Caroline.
Eddie has no intention in letting Howell, an innocent man in his view, be convicted. At the same time, he has been served to release the casework on the trial of the now deceased Julie Rosen to the notorious lawyer, Max Copeland, who plans to appeal and ruin the career of Judge Harry Ford, to whom Eddie owes everything. Eddie is not going to stand idly by and let that occur. At White Plains, New York, Howell's trial opens, a gripping court drama ensues, packed with twist after twist. Continually facing the unexpected, Eddie is forced to think on his feet, aided by Agent Harper, whilst his client lies in a coma. In an effort to prevent a tragedy, Eddie is pushed to pull one of the biggest cons of his life, will he succeed?. As a dangerous finale takes place in a cemetery, connections with the Julie Rosen case come together.
This is a thrill ride of a novel that is so hard to put down, with its outstanding plotting and a charismatic central character in Eddie Flynn, a lawyer extraordinaire. The supporting cast is terrific, from the broken man that is Howell, to the smart and courageous Agent Harper. Cavanagh is a gifted thriller writer who knows exactly how to write stunning and tense stories full of suspense. If you have never read the Eddie Flynn series, I highly recommend that you do so. Thanks to Lauren Woosey and Orion for an ARC.