I’m loving this Eddie Flynn series by Irish author Steve Cavanagh. The legal procedurals offer a great balance of courtroom drama, twisty plots and a really likeable and engaging cast of characters. Here in particular, amidst the legalese and police investigation, Cavanagh’s inserted the FBI. Or more aptly, an FBI-reject who I found to be fascinating. There’s reference, for example, to the much-lauded FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) having very poor solve-rates and a flawed profiling methodology. *Googles to check*

I’m not usually a fan of detail but Cavanagh offers up loads and has the talent to drop it in seamlessly without detracting from the events unfolding.

The Accomplice
by Steve Cavanagh
Series: Eddie Flynn #7
Published by Orion
on 26/07/2022
Source: Hachette Australia
Genres: Crime Fiction, Legal Procedural
ISBN: 9781409198741
Pages: 326

Goodreads

THE MOST HATED WOMAN IN AMERICA
The Sandman killings have been solved. Daniel Miller murdered fourteen people before he vanished. His wife, Carrie, now faces trial as his accomplice. The FBI, the District Attorney, the media and everyone in America believe she knew and helped cover up her husband's crimes.

THE LAWYER
Eddie Flynn won't take a case unless his client is innocent. Now, he has to prove to a jury, and the entire world, that Carrie Miller was just another victim of the Sandman. She didn't know her husband's dark side and she had no part in the murders. But so far, Eddie and his team are the only ones who believe her.

THE FORMER FBI AGENT
Gabriel Lake used to be a federal agent, before someone tried to kill him. Now, he's an investigator with a vendetta against the Sandman. He's the only one who can catch him, because he believes that everything the FBI knows about serial killers is wrong.

THE KILLER
With his wife on trial, the Sandman is forced to come out of hiding to save her from a life sentence. He will kill to protect her and everyone involved in the case is a target.

Even Eddie Flynn...

Eddie and his team become involved in the trial of Carrie at the very last moment when her lawyer’s forced to recuse himself. Eddie is reticent but fellow lawyer Kate, former judge Harry and firm PI Bloch convince Eddie to meet Carrie and he believes in her innocence so takes her on.

It’s hard to describe the truth. It has a weight. A density. It makes a sound when it drifts through your breastplate, hits your soul then falls into your guts. You feel it. It haunts the air and it’s so thick and undeniable you almost feel like you can take a bit clean out of it. Mostly, you know it when you hear it.

She was telling the truth. And I knew then I would fight for her. pp 29-30

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Carrie’s husband Daniel is the Sandman but Eddie and his team are forced to prove that – though she had her suspicions, she wasn’t certain enough to go to the police. (Let alone join him in the murders.)

Meanwhile the FBI is still hunting down the Sandman who decides to continue to help Carrie’s trial by killing some witnesses before kidnapping one of Eddie’s colleagues to ensure he wins the case.

Cavanagh doesn’t shy away from ripping from us one of our narrators, which brings Gabriel Lake, former FBI profiler into the mix.

There’s a lot going on here as Eddie and his team revisit the murders Carrie’s accused of participating in; try to find Daniel (and their colleague) before his killing spree continues; and understand more about Carrie… made more difficult because she’s gone missing and breached her bail conditions.

It all works here because it’s all part of the same plot so (as is sometimes the case) it’s not distracting focussing on several investigations at once which miraculously fit together at the end. Cavanagh sets a fast pace from the beginning and it doesn’t let up until the very very end. And he offers up some very clever twists, bumping this up to a rare 4.5 star read for me. Bring on Eddie Flynn #8 I say!

The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh will be published in Australia by Hachette in late July 2022, though is available now elsewhere.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.