I’ve read a lot of crime fiction over the years and I always love it when I come across a book that offers something a little bit different. And Steve Cavanagh’s Thirteen certainly gave me what I was looking for.
The blurb says:
The murder trail of the century is here.
A ruthless prosecutor
A brilliant defence lawyer
A defendant with a secret
And a serial killer on the jury…
The main protagonist is Eddie Flynn, an ex-con artist turned lawyer. I wasn’t aware until I was part-way in that Eddie has featured in previous books, but it didn’t matter: I was already hooked and keen to read more about this flawed character you can’t help but like. In Thirteen, Eddie is the lead lawyer, defending a young Hollywood actor who has been acccused of killing his wife and chief of security.
It’s revealed early on that the real perpetrator is a long-time serial killer whose MO is killing individuals, then framing someone for their murders before he finds a way to insert himself onto the jury in the subsequent trial of the wrongly accused, in order to ensure a guilty verdict is reached.
I wondered how on earth the dots would be joined, and the killer discovered, and there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way.
The book is written in a mixture of the first person, from Eddie’s viewpoint, and the third person, from the killer’s viewpoint. It’s a recipe that works brilliantly.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, gripping read, try Thirteen.
Esther Chilton 
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