Witness 8
A Novel
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4.4 • 132 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
This riveting psychological thriller from Steve Cavanagh, author of the “twisty” (The New York Times) Kill for Me, Kill for You, asks: What if the witness was more dangerous than the killer?
Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson.
A former resident of the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, Ruby now works as a maid in the type of houses she used to live in. Unassuming, she sees everyone’s dirty secrets from the inside of their beautiful, renovated brownstones. But when Ruby witnesses a murder, she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.
Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home. Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.
Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Megan Miranda, Witness 8 is a fresh knockout page-turner from an author who is “the real deal” (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Misdirection cuts both ways in Steve Cavanagh’s entertaining thriller. Con-man-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn has caught a whale—an Upper West Side neurosurgeon accused of murder. Unfortunately, he’s also caught the attention of a gangster running a grift with some of New York’s finest. Proving his client innocent and avoiding being shot in the head are both easier said than done. Cavanagh populates his boroughs with memorable characters, including the principled hit man Mr. Christmas and the doctor’s troubled nanny, Ruby. It’s Ruby’s fascinating backstory as a child of privilege whose father squandered the family fortune that really drives the plot. Eddie’s dedicated team, including a possibly psychotic former FBI agent turned private investigator, repeatedly prove their worth in fights both legal and lethal. Edgy and fun, Witness 8 pulls aces from its sleeve from beginning to end.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cavanagh sacrifices plausibility for plot surprises in his disappointing eighth thriller featuring New York City con man–turned–attorney Eddie Flynn (after The Accomplice). A prologue introduces 22-year-old maid Ruby Johnson, whose financial troubles have reduced her to working in the kinds of Upper West Side homes she once lived in. Ruby sees an opportunity for a new life after witnessing an unnamed man she recognizes gun down one of the residents on the street where she works. Ruby retrieves the gun the killer abandoned in a garbage can and uses it to frame Dr. John Jackson, one of her employers, for the crime, then takes credit for tracking him down. Jackson retains Flynn to fight the ensuing murder charge—a difficult proposition, considering Ruby managed to plant his fingerprints on the gun. Meanwhile, Flynn tries to dodge a hit put out on him by an unknown enemy, which draws out-of-town gunmen to New York once Flynn's mob boss friend ensures that no one local accepts the contract. Cavanagh stretches both plots quite thin, with reveals that are equal parts outlandish and underwhelming. Here's hoping the next installment is a return to form.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyable
It reminded me of a Pink Panther movie, the one in which all the nations send their best hit men/women to take out Inspector Clouseau. The why of Riby’s actions was easy to figure out, so there was no big reveal at the end, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Phenomenal writer!
How did I reach the age of 74 with no knowledge of this author? Read his latest book and now going back to read all that he’s written. Such clever plots and carry over interesting/flawed people, gravitating together to correct wrongs perpetrated on good clueless people. No two books are alike. Fascinating & of interest immediately.
Loved it
Took a minute for me to get into it because it was more characters than I expected. However once you get going it is a great read. Of course with any great thriller I was absolutely wrong in my guess. Mr. Christmas is my favorite