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A review by asourceoffiction
The Defence by Steve Cavanagh
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Having read Thirteen, I was keen to start the Eddie Flynn series from the beginning. But it felt strangely like The Defence wasn't the first in the series because Flynn has so much history already when the story begins. The real-time plot is not very long, and is interspersed with recollections that slowly flesh out Eddie's backstory as a hustler and lawyer. And it works quite well; it generates an emotional investment in the case while cementing Eddie as a likeable but complex series protagonist.
What I found really clever (if a little hard to believe) is how Eddie uses his con days to come up with interesting ways to manipulate his situation and plot his defence strategy. And as a reader you're rooting for him but it's hard to watch him try to win a case for a known murderer, which makes for compelling reading.
As I got further into the book, the many different gang characters and allegiances got a bit hard to follow. But it also becomes an absolute adrenaline rush of action that ramps up to insane proportions by the end, which was great fun if a little too full on. The character set up and cliffhanger ending make it an intriguing opener for the series.
What I found really clever (if a little hard to believe) is how Eddie uses his con days to come up with interesting ways to manipulate his situation and plot his defence strategy. And as a reader you're rooting for him but it's hard to watch him try to win a case for a known murderer, which makes for compelling reading.
As I got further into the book, the many different gang characters and allegiances got a bit hard to follow. But it also becomes an absolute adrenaline rush of action that ramps up to insane proportions by the end, which was great fun if a little too full on. The character set up and cliffhanger ending make it an intriguing opener for the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Alcoholism, and Murder