The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

The Defence
By Steve Cavanagh
Published by Orion (12 March 2015)
ISBN: 978-1409152309

Publisher's description
Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter Amy.

Eddie only has forty-eight hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if he wants to save his daughter.

Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

Lose this case and he loses everything.

My verdict
The Defence is a fast-paced thriller. So fast, there's little time to pause and think. The short sentences, paragraphs and chapters and the snappy dialogue keep the book flowing from beginning to end. I felt quite exhausted (in a good way) by the last page.

Yes the plot is cliched, in fact totally ludicrous at times. There are good guys, bad guys, action scenes with plenty of suspense, twists and turns ... But that just makes the book more appealing. And I loved the ending (don't worry, no spoilers - you will have to find out for yourself).

Eddie is a brilliant character, with a sense of morality despite his dodgy past - and I look forward to hearing more from him (and the author) very soon.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley and won the audiobook in a competition through the author. I read parts of the book and listened to the rest. Due to the short snappy chapters, and dialogue that reads like a film script, The Defence works very well as an audiobook.