The Plea by Steve Cavanagh

The Plea
By Steve Cavanagh
Published by Orion (19 May 2016)
ISBN: 978-1409152347

Publisher's description

When David Child, a major client of a corrupt New York law firm, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to secure Child as his client and force him to testify against the firm.

Eddie's not a man to be coerced into representing a guilty client, but the FBI have incriminating files on Eddie's wife, and if Eddie won't play ball, she'll pay the price.

When Eddie meets Child he's convinced the man is innocent, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. With the FBI putting pressure on him to secure the plea, Eddie must find a way to prove Child's innocence while keeping his wife out of danger - not just from the FBI, but from the firm itself.

My verdict
I loved the first Eddie Flynn book, The Defence, so was very excited about reading The Plea. And it certainly lived up to my expectations.

The Plea is a page-turning legal thriller, a mixture of an intelligent court room drama and tense non-stop action. This is crime fiction at its best and I struggled to put the book down from chapter one - when you first come across Eddie at the wrong end of a gun. The writing is fast-paced and entertaining. Cliffhangers at the end of each chapter enticed me to keep reading until the end.

Eddie Flynn is a loveable rogue, a con man turned lawyer (although some people would say there's not much difference!). He has a good sense of morality, a big heart and plenty of determination to seek the truth and justice for those in the wrong. There are many surprises along the way, as he seeks to prove his client David Child is innocent of his girlfriend's murder, exposes corruption at the centre of a major New York law firm and is forced to protect his own family from the FBI and the firm itself.

Steve Cavanagh is a talented writer and his books are highly addictive. I'm looking forward to the next Eddie Flynn instalment.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Writing and The Law - an author guest post by Steve Cavanagh - Blog Tour

I'm delighted to welcome Steve Cavanagh to my blog today, to talk about Writing and The Law (juggling two careers).  Steve's latest book The Plea is published by Orion today (19 May 2016).

Writing and The Law

By Steve Cavanagh

A drunk man once told me, “A trial is simple. It’s all about telling a story. In a trial, whichever side tells the best story usually wins.” The man was my friend, and fellow first year law student. It remains the simplest and yet most profound thing I’ve ever learned about the law. Clients and witnesses go to court to (hopefully) tell the truth. In the course of my career I’ve seen witnesses approach the task of testifying with a sense of relish. They are not nervous at all: they know they are right, that their version of events is truthful and honest and exactly how it happened. Inevitably, they go down in flames. Their story, irrespective of its truth, may not in fact be the BEST story. Their perfect recollection is questioned, prodded, pulled apart and dissected in minute detail. Before they know what’s hit them, an inconsistency appears.

                  “Mr. Bloggs, in your statement to police, at the scene of the accident, you stated that the traffic light was red. In your evidence to this court today, you stated that the light was amber, then it turned red…”

The slightest deviation from a previous statement by any witness is ruthlessly exploited and treated not as a lapse of memory, but as a dagger through the heart of their credibility. It is the trial lawyer’s job not only to produce a good story to the court, but to destroy his opponent’s story in the process. I suppose that having the kind of mind that is able to pull narratives apart does lend itself to editing.

A trial is conflict. There is a loser, and a victor. One story will be declared the best, and the verdict follows. Similarly, you can’t create drama on the page without conflict.

My skills as a lawyer probably derive from storytelling. I’m Irish, so I grew up in a house full of people that told and read stories all day long. I knew what a good story sounded like and it gave me an advantage in my career as a lawyer. Sure, I went to University, and did my post graduate stuff alongside my apprenticeship, but I didn’t learn anything that was of any use in my legal career. Knowing the law is not too difficult. It’s knowing how to apply it, and when necessary how to change it. The only other thing that I cling to in my legal career is a healthy disrespect for the law. There is such a thing as bad law. And bad laws can be manipulated.

I would never draw upon real cases that I’ve handled and allow that to feed my writing. That just wouldn’t be right. Has law helped my writing? It certainly helps when you’re writing legal thrillers, but my abilities as a storyteller probably help my career as a lawyer more.

There have been many great lawyers and writers. John Mortimer, the creator of Rumpole of the Bailey, immediately springs to mind. For many years he was able to balance writing and legal practice, and I’m doing the same at the moment. The only other lawyer and writer that I know of is Scott Turow. He continues to practice and produce a new novel every few years. I don’t mind telling you, it’s tough. But I wouldn’t pursue these careers if I didn’t enjoy them. I know that when John Grisham hit the big time with his second novel, The Firm, he said he left his law offices so fast he didn’t even stop to turn the lights off. In fairness, I suppose he could afford a large electric bill at that stage. In fairness, he could probably buy the electricity company.

At the moment I’m enjoying both careers. As a lawyer I get to help people during the day, and as a writer I make up stories at night. Just as long as I can keep doing that, in that order, I think it’ll all work out in the end. The moment I start making stories up during the day…well, let’s not go there.

About Steve Cavanagh

Steve was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is a qualified solicitor. He currently practices in the fields of Discrimination Law, Employment Law, Personal Injury Law and Judicial Review. He holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy jointly awarded by the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy in Boulder, Colorado. In 2011 Steve was appointed to the Labour Relations Agency’s panel of Arbitrators and Independent Appeal Chairmen by the Northern Ireland Department of Employment and Learning. As well as practicing law, he often lectures on various legal subjects (but really he just likes to tell jokes).

Steve is married to Tracy, they live in Northern Ireland with their two young children and a rescue dog, called Lolly, who keeps Steve company during those long nights at the writing desk.

Readers can find out more about Steve Cavanagh on his website. Follow Steve Cavanagh on Twitter - @SSCav 

The Plea
By Steve Cavanagh
Published by Orion (19 May 2016)
ISBN: 978-1409152347

Publisher's description
When David Child, a major client of a corrupt New York law firm, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to secure Child as his client and force him to testify against the firm.

Eddie's not a man to be coerced into representing a guilty client, but the FBI have incriminating files on Eddie's wife, and if Eddie won't play ball, she'll pay the price.

When Eddie meets Child he's convinced the man is innocent, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. With the FBI putting pressure on him to secure the plea, Eddie must find a way to prove Child's innocence while keeping his wife out of danger - not just from the FBI, but from the firm itself.

My review is coming very soon - I'm reading the book at the moment and it's fantastic.

Click here to read my review of The Defence. 

And click here to read a Q&A with Steve Cavanagh on my blog last year.

AUTHOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Steve Cavanagh

I am delighted that STEVE CAVANAGH is joining me on my blog today. Steve's book - The Defence - was published by Orion on 12 March 2015. 

So Steve, what inspired you to write a book in the first place?
Until 2011, I'd always had the vague notion that I'd like to write but I had no real plans to start, just a vague wish that I truly had little intention of acting upon. I'd written screenplays about 15 years before, but never got any sold so I'd given up on the writing. Then in 2011, my mother passed away quite suddenly. She was the only person who ever encouraged me to write, so I wanted to honour that faith. I wrote The Defence for her, knowing she would never read it.

Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere. Mostly they are crazy, high-concept 'What if?' kind of ideas that no real sane person should ever think about. The Defence came out of two ideas. I was trying to think about the worst possible situation for a lawyer to be in – then I got it. What if a lawyer had to stand up in court and conduct a trial with a bomb strapped to his back? What if his client was holding the detonator? Yeah, that’s pretty bad. Once I had that idea I immediately started thinking about how I could make that situation worse. Much worse.

Have your personal experiences influenced your writing? And if so, how?
The idea for the character of Eddie Flynn came to me one day during a trial. I’m a lawyer during the day, so I was cross-examining a witness and I kind of conned him into telling the truth. It struck me at that moment that trial lawyers and con artists share a lot of the same skills – misdirection, persuasion, manipulation, distraction etc. So the basis for Eddie’s character was formed.

Describe your writing style in 10 words or less?
Shorty, punchy chapters. Pace, punch, wit, finger-nail-bitingly-tense.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
I write at night – but a lot of writers do the same. I like to have a lot of coffee on the go at the time. I suppose I’m pretty normal – I don’t have to have a certain mood, or music, or absolute silence. I think very few writers get precious about their environment or habits. As long as I’ve got the essentials; a little peace and quiet, I’m naked and wearing a rasher of bacon. You know, just the basics.

Do you plot out the whole book before you start or just start writing and see where it leads you?
I know nothing about the book before I start. Well, I know a little. I know the opening and maybe a wee bit about what happens later on. I’ve yet to start a book knowing the ending. So I don’t plan, I write line by line.

What do you consider to be the hardest part of your writing?
Time. I’ve got two small kids, a loving and understanding wife, a full time job and a dog. The hardest part is trying to balance all of those things.

Has your life changed since becoming a published author? If so, how?
It has changed so much. Financially it’s a different universe. I’ve been able to travel and the best thing has been meeting other writers. I’ve made a lot of good friends.

Do you read? If so, who are your favourite authors?
Michael Connelly, John Connolly, Raymond Chandler, Lee Child, and a host more.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would be the title?
Reaching For The Ground. Or, to make it sell – The Girl On The Tram, With The Funny Tattoo, In The Red Jumper, Who Dissappeared And Never Came Back.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Write with desperation.

And lastly, why should people read The Defence?
The Defence is my debut novel, it’s about Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned street-smart New York lawyer. It’s a been a year since Eddie Flynn 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’s got 48 hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial – and win – if he wants to save his daughter. Under media and FBI scrutiny, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his client and ensure Amy’s safety. The Defence should appeal to fans of John Grisham, Lee Child and Michael Connelly.

About Steve Cavanagh

Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast and is a practising lawyer. He holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy and lectures on various legal subjects (but really he just likes to tell jokes). He is married with two young children. The Defence, has been chosen as one of Amazon's great debuts for 2015, as part of their Amazon Rising Stars programme. In 2015, Steve received the ACES award for Literature from the North Ireland Arts Council.

The Defence sparked an international publishing bidding war for the rights in the first Eddie Flynn novels.

Find Steve Cavanagh on his official Facebook page and follow Steve on Twitter - @SSCav


The Defence
Published by Orion (12 March 2015)

Synopsis: 
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.

Read my review here.

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.