Defense attorney Eddie Flynn receives an offer he can’t refuse—from the Russian mafia. He must smuggle a bomb into the courthouse. Little Benny is about to testify against his former boss, the ruthless Volchek. The Russians’ plan is simple: send Benny—along with the witness stand—flying into the air. Then feign surprise. “Who, us? No idea what happened. Total shocker!” … To ensure Eddie’s cooperation, the mob kills his business partner and kidnaps his daughter. Eddie’s time is running out—and he has to find the defense method that will save him and his family.
Defense Attorney and Con Man
The Russian mafia overlooked one crucial detail: Eddie Flynn isn’t your typical defense attorney. Throughout most of his life, he’s been swindling people—reading them like an open book. On top of that, he’s an experienced boxer. And his best buddy? Jimmy the Hat, the head of the Italian mafia.
Suddenly, things aren’t so one-sided, are they?
But there’s still a bomb strapped to his back and weapons constantly pointed his way. Eddie must wait until night falls and the mafia settles down. Then, as quick as—ahem—a cockroach scurrying across the floor, he starts putting his counterattack into motion.
Eddie’s Got a Plan
Actually, he’s got more than one. He’s juggling plans like a circus act. And he has to—because he’s got a hell of a lot to do at once. He needs to save his daughter. Get rid of the Russian mafia. Get in touch with the Italians. He needs a phone. A gun. A fake detonator. A Sharpie. He also has to figure out what to do about the FBI, which, for some reason, has gotten it into their heads that Eddie is the one trying to blow up the damn courthouse. Oh, and there’s also the trial! And so on, and so on. All at the same time.
Meanwhile, he’s got to sneak out, sneak back in, organize, make calls, gather intel. And hang from tall buildings like Spider-Man.
It’s impossible not to be in awe of Eddie Flynn, who manages to keep track of and pull off more in 48 hours than most people could in weeks.
Then, after a while, that admiration starts to fade. No one, absolutely no one, could execute such a perfectly calculated operation under this kind of stress, at this kind of breakneck pace. It just isn’t possible.
And that’s before you even factor in the involvement of the Italian mafia and the fact that no matter what Flynn uncovers, there’s always another twist waiting behind it. Or something that’s more than just your standard explosion. Say, for example, a really massive explosion…
Eddie Flynn Blows the Case to Pieces
Steve Cavanagh’s The Defense is supposed to be a legal thriller. Theoretically. In practice, it’s an overcomplicated action-thriller. Sure, Eddie still has to perform in the courtroom—in a trial where he receives thousands of pages of case files that very same day.
Now, if you’re thinking I’ve been hinting that The Defense doesn’t quite work as a thriller… yeah. You got that right. And as a legal thriller? Even less so. Actually, not at all. In this regard, Cavanagh’s book proves to be laughably dumb. The courtroom scenes, which are rushed through at lightning speed, completely kill any sense of tension that Cavanagh had been trying to build up.
Ever since Presumed Innocent, we’ve known the golden rule of courtroom strategy when the odds aren’t in your favor: destroy the opposing forensic expert, the one the case hinges on. Flynn does exactly that—after a quick Google search. Great, except for the small detail that Cavanagh conveniently forgets: any half-decent attorney would have torn this expert apart long before Flynn ever got the chance.
Of the two big courtroom scenes in The Defense, the second one is even more absurd. Eddie Flynn masterfully employs the unbeatable Chewbacca defense, stringing together two completely unrelated facts to reach a conclusion so out of left field that it obliterates, flips upside down, punctures, and flattens the entire prosecution’s case. The prosecutor, the judge, and the reader all stare, dazed, trying to process what just happened. And none of them understand a damn thing.
In the Rush, the Charisma Got Lost
Some thrillers feature protagonists who are morally ambiguous—operating in a gray area, but with their hearts in the right place. (Think Lee Child’s Reacher books or Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series.) In those books, there’s that extra spark, that extra edge.
Eddie Flynn, for all his so-called shady past, is a straight-up good guy. And with good guys, you know exactly what to expect: noble, self-sacrificing actions, and nothing else. This kind of stories tend to stay on a predictable path. Nothing truly surprising ever happens. (See: Robert Dugoni’s The Eighth Sister.)
Though Eddie has the potential, it ultimately remains untapped. And it’s telling that when mafia boss Jimmy, or even better, The Lizard, enters the scene, you’d much rather follow their contradictory, complex personalities than the not-so-multi-layered main hero.
Fast-Paced, But Not Much Else
The Defense is driven purely by momentum. It kicks off with a flying start, built on a completely ridiculous premise. And if you love fast, high-octane action, you might have fun with it. But don’t expect more than that.
Eddie Flynn, the con artist, is long gone. Sure, he’s still got a few tricks up his sleeve, but you’ve seen them all before. And when the book finally reveals why Eddie’s life went off the rails, Cavanagh’s thriller sinks so deep into cheap sentimentality that even the most forgiving critic would want to shake Eddie by the shoulders and yell:
“Wake up, you stupid blockhead! What the hell did you think—that law was a profession for dainty butterflies? If you wanted a peaceful life, you should’ve just stuck to being a conman!”
Rating: 7/10
The Defense (Eddie Flynn #1) by Steve Cavanagh
320 pages, Hardcover
Published in 2016 by Flatiron Books
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