The Defense: A Novel

Wow! If you could squish a courtroom drama written by John Grisham and a thriller by David Baldacci together, you get Steve Cavanagh’s “The Defense” (2015, 381 pages in paperback). “The Defense” is Cavanagh’s debut novel, and it’s a blockbuster. Publishers Weekly’s starred review states, “Everything a reader could ask for in a thriller — a nail-biting suspense, a Russian nesting doll of a plot, and an original and compelling lead.” Cavanagh’s protagonist is a con-artist and hustler turned lawyer, but there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the professions, at least as far as Eddie Flynn is concerned. And in this story, both his early background as a grifter and his current talents as an attorney are needed to deal with a tense situation that gets more nerve-wracking as the plot develops. The story opens with Eddie being kidnapped by the Russian mob, headed by the most unsavory of characters who have already kidnapped his 10-year-old daughter Amy. Not only is Eddie in the hands of the head of the Russian mafia, he’s also forced to wear an exploding jacket, defend the mob boss against a murder rap, and smuggle the jacket into the courthouse so that it can be placed under the witness chair where it will be detonated to kill a mob member who is scheduled to testify for the prosecution. Oh, and if he doesn’t do exactly as he’s told, his daughter Amy will be killed. As Russian mafia boss Volchek tells Eddie, “It just takes a phone call.” Eddie’s major concern, of course, is protecting his daughter from the Russian monsters. But his every attempt to secure her safety is met with some sort of stumbling block. However, he has two aces in the hole. One is his boyhood friend who is now head of the local Italian Mafia, and the other is an esteemed judge with armed service fighting experience. Volcheck, who has never had reason to question the devotion of his men, isn’t aware that Witness X isn’t the only member of the mob who has plans for the Bratva (brotherhood). And, as if this three-way pressure on Eddie isn’t enough, the FBI has him in its crosshairs as a terrorist. Aside from the tense drama and action, a major highlight of the book is Eddie’s manipulation of the court, the prosecution, witnesses, and his abductors. Our protagonist is in constant panic mode, yet he manages to out-maneuver whoever stands between him and his goal. But time is a constant enemy. The mob and the court each has its own schedule, and so does his daughter’s life. This is a tightly-written book with a great plot, interesting characters, and a twist every few pages. It’s one of those unbelievable tales that the author somehow makes us believe. It’s also one of those books that make it easy to root for the good guy without ambiguity. Cavanagh’s second book is The Plea, and I’ve got it on order....Jim Glynn

Book one of the <i>Eddie Flynn</i> series was not a disappointment! I am giving it <b>4 well deserved Stars</b>.<b>SUMMARY</b>I am reading this series out of order. I didn't discover this series until the third book was published, so I started there. I really couldn't help myself and I HAD to skip back and read the rest of the series.This book wasted no time slowly easing into the plot. In the first chapter Eddie is kidnapped from his favorite diner, shoved into giant limo and told he must represent the head of the Russian mob, who is acused of murder. When Eddie refuses, they tell him they have daughter and will only release her if he agrees to their terms. Of course Eddie knows his client is guilty and of course there is way more to this particular assignment than Eddie's conscience allows. But he has no choice. They have his little girl, what else could he do?In addition to the court room drama, this book gives the reader some insight into Eddie. It explains a little more about his past, how he went from a con artist to an attorney and why, although he seems to adore his ex-wife, they are no longer together.<b>WHAT I LOVED</b>I really like Eddie. He's an interesting character; very smart and <i>crafty</i>. He was actually a con artist before becoming a lawyer and always sees an angle most people do not.I love fast paced, twisty plots and this book delivers! Although there were a couple twists I saw coming, most of the story was nothing I could have imagined or predicted.I did the immersion reading with both the Kindle version and Audible. The narrator was spot on! I highly recommend this combo. The narrator captured exactly what I imagine Eddie sounds like, with a slightly rough NYC accent. It's not quite as heavy as some of the stereotypes but you could imagine him representing a wide range of clients in his criminal defense practice and fitting right in. He's a bit of an enigma; a tough guy ex-con man who is now an educated, mostly, law abiding citizen.<b>WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE</i>The whole premise of the book is pretty darn unlikely. I know a lot of this type book tends to be based on unlikely premises so it's not surprising, but still kind of annoying.<b>OVERALL</b>I thoroughly enjoyed Eddie! I will definitely read book 2. In fact, downloading it right now.

Wowza... I love a good legal thriller and this one did not disappoint in any way. Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist who became an attorney. After a horrible case haunts him, he has given up on being a lawyer and takes a break. In comes the Russian Mob to rock his world. The head of the Mob is on trial for murder and they have kidnapped Eddie's daughter and refuse to give her back if he does not take the case and work a miracle to get an acquittal. Eddie tries to explain that he no longer wants to practice law and refuses to help them, but they do not care. Eddie is forced to represent the mobster or he will never see his daughter again. This book was fast paced and kept me reading well into the night. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. This is the second book by this author and I have enjoyed both so far. If you are looking for a good courtroom thriller, this one will be perfect.

Eddie Flynn is a character you're not sure if you're going to like or hate when you first start reading. You can see the reflects of his past but also the ghosts that haunt him, leaving his life in shambles. Until the Russian mob comes in. The character starts to take on a very larger than life but down to earth quality. There are moments that are unrealistic but still makes for a damn good read. There is really no slow parts, but some of the plot is easier to figure out.However, when I go to get the rest of the Eddie Flynn series, I learned that A-it's not all on Kindle (I wear bifocals, my Kindle makes it easier to read) B- if it is on Kindle it's in German, Spanish, Swedish, or French--none of which I can speak or read. GRRRRRRRR Not sure if publisher or Kindle's doing but freaking annoying!!

The book is extremely well written,style of writing keeps one guessing what happens next.The twists and turns make you want to keep reading without putting it down.The protagonist is also very clever and makes you feel amazed about his skills.The entire storyline feels like it deserves an award for the amount of planning that must have gone into it.Many instances covalesce and make sense together at later parts of the story.However,there are also some minor flaws like some loose ends(in 1 or 2 places) where the story didn't seem to fit/felt a little unnatural compared to real life.

This is the beginning of a good series. I was hooked immediately it's a fast and good read. I'm hooked on Eddie....

Como la mejor novela negra. Hacía tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto. Voy a seguir con toda la serie. Chim pun.

Very unrealistic.

I started reading the Eddie Flynn books when Thirteen was on offer on Kindle, and then 50/50 too. They are both superb, both in concept and execution, so I thought I’d go back to the start.The Defence is an excellent mix of thriller, action and courtroom drama. It’s almost a bit Die Hard in its concept and action (with all the elements of ‘suspension of disbelief’ that this requires!), but at the same time adds a dose of realism through the courtroom scenes, where the author’s legal expertise shine through.Eddie is a loveable rogue of a character, an ex conman turned genius lawyer, he’s the sort of mate you’d love to have but wouldn’t ever want to upset! Others have said that the introduction of his back story into this at key points of the central story of the novel was annoying or am distracting, but I found it interesting - elements from his past are hinted at repeatedly and then finally revealed and it gives motivation and expiation to the character which carries through into the later novels. It’s exactly how you would expect a tv show or film to do it.The other central characters are also great in their own way too, some of whom return in later books. Whether it’s Eddie’s mafia boss childhood friend, the remorseless vicious Russian Mobsters, judges, or the staff in and around the courts, everyone has their part to play and are built up well.I also really like the way that you can imagine Eddie talking like both a wisecracking, street smart Italian or also as a sort of hardened film noir character! It works either way (even though the former is more accurate)The story mixes some great action, an intriguing premise, some pretty nasty violence in a wide variety of ways and some cracking dialogue. I’m genuinely surprised it hasn’t been snapped up by HollywoodI often find it hard to review books without inadvertently giving spoilers away, so won’t say too much, but if you like a bit of Lee Child with a sprinkle of John Grisham, this is for you