This is the best legal thriller I have read in years, probably ever. If you are a fan of courtroom drama you absolutely cannot miss this one.
Eddie Flynn is minding his own business getting a cup of coffee at a cafe in New York City when he’s convinced to attend a meeting in a town car parked out front. (Threatened really by a thug with a gun.) Eddie just finished a stint in rehab after a case led him down the rabbit hole and just wants to focus on putting his family back together. Imagine his surprise when the head of a Russian mob family tells Eddie he will be taking on his case. Eddie hasn’t practiced law in months, his former partner would be a better defender. Too bad his former partner was this guy’s former lawyer, and his former partner’s head is now in a bag. Eddie is tasked with getting a bomb into the courtroom to blow up the state’s key witness if the trial goes badly. Oh! And the trial, that he knows nothing about, starts in less than an hour. And oh yeah, motivation? The Russian mob has Eddie’s daughter. One thing the Russians don’t know is that Eddie Flynn was a con man, one of the best, before he took the bar. He’ll be using all the resources he has to get his daughter back and if that means winning an impossible case, he’ll do just that.
I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen next. I love reading the snappy dialogue of smooth talking characters who can think on their feet and Eddie Flynn is a master. If I were a prosecutor I would feel ill if I saw him sitting at the defense table; he’s amazing. And that’s just his legal skills. His former profession has made him some interesting friends and given him some interesting (semi-illegal) knowledge that just may let him pull this off.
Almost all of the book takes place in the court building or in the courtroom over the course of only two days. If you like John Grisham you are going to LOVE Steve Cavanagh. I cannot wait for his next book.
