The Defense – Steve Cavanagh

The Defense was my first Steve Cavanagh read, and I went into it expecting a thriller that would grab me by the throat and not let go. Instead, it walked up politely, shook my hand, and said,
“Hi, I’m actually a legal drama wearing a thriller costume.”
Not bad — just… not what I ordered.

We follow Eddie Flynn, a former con-man turned lawyer (and let’s be honest, those roles have more overlap than they should). Eddie gets taken by a mob boss, strapped with a bomb in his suit pocket, and given the world’s worst assignment: defend their boss in court today, or they’ll kill his daughter, Amy. Extremely high stakes. Extremely stressful. Extremely “sir, I am just trying to read a book” energy.

With a setup like that, I was ready for chaos. But for a large chunk of the book, the tension simmered instead of boiled. Eddie spent a lot of time maneuvering around legal obstacles, FBI requests, mob threats, courtroom logistics — all things that make sense for the story, but not necessarily for my thrill-seeking brain. It often read more like a regular fiction novel with a sprinkle of danger rather than the twisty thriller I’m used to devouring.

Where the book did shine was whenever Eddie got to tap back into his con-man roots. Those moments? Electric. Anytime the plot stepped away from courtroom motions and into clever scams, my interest flew back up. And woven in between all the action were Eddie’s memories of his daughter — warm, heartbreaking, and surprisingly tender. The moment he genuinely thought he might die and Amy was his last thought? That got me. You can tell she’s his whole world.

Twist-wise, this book plays it subtle. Nothing slapped me across the face, but I did enjoy the reveals we got — like Witness X being Arturas’ brother and Eddie’s unexpected team-up with Olek. It wasn’t predictable, just not the kind of jaw-dropping twist-fest I’m used to. More “Oh! Interesting,” and less “hold my coffee while I scream.”

Then we hit the last quarter of the book, and suddenly it remembered it was marketed as a thriller. Things finally sped up, pieces came together, and the action kicked in. I had fun — I just wish this momentum had started 200 pages earlier instead of strolling in like the diva of the show.

Will I read more Eddie Flynn books?
Probably! Just… not immediately. I want to see if later books pick up the pace, but I’m not sprinting to book two right this second.

Who would love this book more than I did?
• Readers who enjoy legal puzzles and courtroom strategies
• Anyone who likes mob-heavy plots
• People who want a hero who outsmarts everyone instead of outrunning them
• Thriller fans who prefer slow-burn tension over twist-heavy chaos

For me, it lands close to four stars — a solid, clever, well-built story that wasn’t quite the adrenaline rush I was craving. But Eddie himself? Loved him. I’ll check in on him again someday… after my brain recovers from all the legal jargon.

My Rating: ⭐ 3.8 / 5

👉 Click here to grab The Defense on Amazon.