Book review: Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh is a tricky read as one of our narrators (a young woman called Ruby Johnson), with whom I initially assumed I was meant to bond, ends up being thoroughly unlikeable. Possibly quite psychotic in fact. We’re offered some insight into her unpleasant childhood which could potentially elicit some sympathy, but… she’s guilelessly wicked in quite a purposeful way and some of her actions make it impossible to feel anything but shock and horror. Of course at the same time there is something sufficiently charismatic about her that she’s able to play nice and sane… some of the time, at least.

Ruby Johnson is a nanny and maid to wealthy families in Manhattan's West 74th Street. She knows their routines. Their secrets.

One night, on her way home, Ruby witnesses a neighbour's murder.

She knows the victim. She knows the killer. She makes an anonymous call to the police and names the murderer.

But Ruby didn't tell the truth... Because there's something wrong with Ruby Johnson.

Eddie Flynn, conman turned trial lawyer, must defend an innocent man accused of this terrible crime.

As Ruby's deadly game begins, one thing is certain. it won't be the last murder this witness is involved in...

We’re in safer hands with our usual gang… defence attorney Eddie Flynn and his team, brought in to defend a man accused of murdering his neighbour.

As this book opens Eddie is decimating a NYPD case against his client pulled over in an unlawful stop. It brings him to the attention of New York’s Finest – not a moniker for the police, but an organisation comprising a heap of dodgy cops all on the take – and, as a result, a bounty is put on his head. Thankfully his old days as a con-artist mean he’s still got friends in low places and those wanting him dead need to find out-of-towners willing to do the job. Hence… and enter from stage-right… the unusually-named but eminently fascinating hitman, Mr Christmas.

I often get antsy when there are two many threads detracting from the main storyline but here it works well with Mr Christmas (and a few others) trying to take down Eddie while he’s trying to keep an innocent man out of jail.

Cavanagh (through Ruby who witnesses the murder) narrows our killers down quite early here, giving us two options… both of whom Ruby blackmails to keep secret their affairs with the victim. I must confess I kinda understood her motivation for needing the money but she goes WAY further than needed to misdirect the police and discredit others… that it felt quite shocking – not least of which is framing a likeable, and very innocent man.

So adding complexity but not confusion to this is Ruby’s agenda. And though I didn’t necessarily like Ruby she’s an interesting antagonist, as is Mr Christmas, and Cavanagh does a great job to ensure they’re the kinds of characters we’d like to meet again… and I suspect we will.

In some ways there’s a sad poignancy that any tragedy around the original murder victim is lost amongst everything else happening here but we learn, [the murder] rather than kick off the series of events here, plays into a killer’s hands.

This is another excellent addition to this fabulous series so bring on book #9. *taps fingers impatiently*

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh was published by Headline Publishing in the UK and is now available.

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