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

I don’t know any grifters so his fantastical slight-of-hand tricks may or may not be far-fetched. However, They made for interesting reading. But when he climbs out a 19 th floor window in the rain and hurls himself out a 14 th floor window with bullets flying at him while building itself blows up — well, my eyes were rolling so hard I gave myself a headache. I like action. And I’m willing to stretch incredulousness to the maximum —. But come on ! I read the novel 13 out of order and had to go back and start at the beginning of the series. I’m going to chalk up the ludicrousness of this novel as a first time novelist’s over zealousness. I liked the story. But like another reviewer, i can’t get a picture of Eddie in my head. I’m not sure I like him. I’m going to read the next one and re-evaluate.

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!!

This has some great twists and turns. It is a proper legal thriller and Eddie Flynn is a great character.

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.