You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Decent thriller. I’d say it’s far from his best.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- Main character: Eddie Flynn, con-artist turned lawyer
- Location: New York
- Pace: Slow start, but action picked up towards the end
- Prose: Well-written
- Plot: All tied together well at the end
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
fast-paced
I found this book very satisfying after a one day DNF adventure with Mrs. March. I’m going to track down more in this series and read them asap.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gripping legal thriller with sharp twists and a standout lead
The Defense by Steven Cavanaugh is a fast-paced and cleverly plotted legal thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The premise is immediately compelling—Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned defense attorney, is forced into defending a mob boss in a trial where the stakes are life and death. The tension builds quickly and doesn’t let up, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing.
Eddie is a great main character—flawed but likable, smart, and resourceful. His background as a con man adds a unique edge to the courtroom scenes and makes his strategies feel fresh and unpredictable. I appreciated the balance between legal drama and action, and the pacing was tight throughout.
The reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is that while the story is intense and engaging, a few parts stretched believability just a bit too far for me. Still, it was thoroughly entertaining and a strong start to what looks to be a promising series.
If you enjoy legal thrillers with a twist of grit and clever storytelling, The Defense is definitely worth picking up.
Good book with a good story but frankly it just never grabbed me. Perhaps it’s because I just finished two Grisham books and he simply does legal thrillers SO much better but I can’t be sure. In theory, the book should be edge of your seat with kidnappings, bombs, and a trial with twists and turns. Wish I enjoyed it more.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes