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sandysmith's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records. This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick-started my reading journey having put reading on the back burner whilst bringing up the children, previously being an avid reader. An interesting thriller 2 sisters,ons a killer the other a liar, twisty and dark. In a series but it didn't matter I'd not read the earlier books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Rape, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault
liliana92's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It gave me the jitters of nervous excitement while I read, made me gasp and get kind of freaked sometimes, even though it was a bit predictable. The way the twist starts made it lose half a star. Someone goes "hum wait a second, that was too easy" and the other goes "oh you know what? It was too easy" and then they quickly unravel it... could have been dealt with a little differently, maybe dragged it a bit longer.
Tjis was my first Steve Cavanagh. Looking forward to more.
Tjis was my first Steve Cavanagh. Looking forward to more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Self harm
secre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having read one of Cavanagh's books before, I knew before going into this one that it was going to be a twisty courtroom thriller and I wasn't disappointed. Two women stand accused of the brutal murder of their politically powerful father, both say the other is guilty. The prosecution doesn't care much who goes down for it as long as one of them does. Eddie Flynn on the other hand only represents those he believes are innocent.
Split between perspectives, you have Flynn representing Sofia, his opposite Kate representing Alexandra and the perspective of one of the sisters; the guilty party, but which one it is stays murky up until the final reveal. This is clever and well written, keeping the reader on their toes and uncertain of how the case will play out and indeed which of the sister's is guilty. It's built up well, as Flynn pulls together evidence and then the courtroom drama unfolds. It's a constant push-pull of who is guilty and who is innocent.
All in all, a great read that was both great fun and a twisty page turner. I will get around to reading the rest of this series eventually.
Split between perspectives, you have Flynn representing Sofia, his opposite Kate representing Alexandra and the perspective of one of the sisters; the guilty party, but which one it is stays murky up until the final reveal. This is clever and well written, keeping the reader on their toes and uncertain of how the case will play out and indeed which of the sister's is guilty. It's built up well, as Flynn pulls together evidence and then the courtroom drama unfolds. It's a constant push-pull of who is guilty and who is innocent.
All in all, a great read that was both great fun and a twisty page turner. I will get around to reading the rest of this series eventually.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Death of parent
nicnocs511's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Drug abuse
vikiskiwis's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think the Eddie Flynn books are just getting better and better. This one felt like a fresh, unique idea and led to so much fun speculation. And I still love how Eddie can so cleverly tear people apart in the courtroom, which happened plenty here.
I'm also really excited by the introduction new players on Eddie's side, who could bring a new dynamic to the series. With both Avellino sisters being represented by lawyers I liked, I didn't want either of them to be guilty. And Cavanagh brilliantly uses narrative and character development to make me suspect both sisters, and constantly flip between which I thought was guilty. I may have spotted the ending coming, but by the time I had it worked out it took nothing away from my enjoyment of the plot.
Ultimately the best thing about this series is its characters. I love that there's some fresh meat, and I love the role Harry took on the other side of the courtroom in this book. I can't wait to see what comes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Child abuse, and Death
micasreads's review against another edition
4.0
Two 911 calls are made, claiming their father needs help, and each caller blames the others. Alexandra and Sophia are arrested for the murder of their father, former NYC mayor, Frank Avellino. As the two defense attorneys gather information, it appears each of their clients is innocent. As the pieces of the night of the murder fall into place, the lawyers realize they must work together to ensure a murderer does not walk free.
This was a fantastic book. It had my interest from page one and kept it throughout. There were so many twists and turns in this novel that had me going back and forth between suspects. The action scenes are high-speed and well-thought-out. If you are looking for a fantastic legal thriller this would be perfect. It should be noted that this is book 5 in a 7 book series but I do not think they need to be read in order.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Gaslighting, Death, Murder, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Grief
sapph22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Self harm, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
bookthief's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
At first I wasn’t sure about reading this book as it had been on my tbr for quite some time, but i am sooo glad I picked this book up and decided to read it.
It was fantastic!!
I honestly had no idea which sister killed there dad. I had a small bit of suspicion for Sofia at the start, but then it pointed more towards Alexandra and I actually believed it was her when she was found to be guilty.
At the beginning I thought that Kate would immediately join Eddie and create a partnership. But when I found out that they were going against each other I was a bit disappointed. But i was very happy at the end when they decided to create a firm together.
I still can’t get over the fact that Harper got killed, especially when Eddie was just discovering his feelings for her!! That was just downright heartbreaking. Eddie did not deserve that after everything he has been through in his life.
I thought that the plot of the book was well thought out and incredibly intense the whole way through the book.
The writing is quite challenging, especially with all the law terminology. It’s quite hard to remember what some of the law terminology is.
It was quite slow and hard to get into reading this book initially, but once the plot and the characters were laid out the pace picked up dramatically.
I would definitely recommend reading this book. And to read this book you don’t necessarily need to read the other Eddie Flynn books that become before this one, even though it would be useful as you have more depth of the characters and there are small mentions about previous books, but nothing that would impact the plot.
It was fantastic!!
I honestly had no idea which sister killed there dad. I had a small bit of suspicion for Sofia at the start, but then it pointed more towards Alexandra and I actually believed it was her when she was found to be guilty.
At the beginning I thought that Kate would immediately join Eddie and create a partnership. But when I found out that they were going against each other I was a bit disappointed. But i was very happy at the end when they decided to create a firm together.
I still can’t get over the fact that Harper got killed, especially when Eddie was just discovering his feelings for her!! That was just downright heartbreaking. Eddie did not deserve that after everything he has been through in his life.
I thought that the plot of the book was well thought out and incredibly intense the whole way through the book.
The writing is quite challenging, especially with all the law terminology. It’s quite hard to remember what some of the law terminology is.
It was quite slow and hard to get into reading this book initially, but once the plot and the characters were laid out the pace picked up dramatically.
I would definitely recommend reading this book. And to read this book you don’t necessarily need to read the other Eddie Flynn books that become before this one, even though it would be useful as you have more depth of the characters and there are small mentions about previous books, but nothing that would impact the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Death, Murder, Drug use, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Mental illness
read_between_the_wines's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, Physical abuse, Death, and Self harm