whitneydaniell

Summary

When former con artist–turned–lawyer Eddie Flynn is asked to visit a small town in Alabama after the suspicious practices of District Attorney Randal Korn catch the attention of a high-level government official, he reluctantly complies.

To Eddie’s knowledge, he’s in Buckstown to represent a young Black man, Andy Dubois, on trial for the murder of local college student and co-worker, Skylar Edwards. But once Eddie, his partner Kate, his mentor and retired judge Harry, and their investigator Bloch arrive and get the lay of the land, they begin peeling back the layers of corruption in this town—and quickly realize that no one is safe and no one can save them from the pungent stench of decay and deceit.

As the team combs through case files, revisits crime scenes, and begins talking with witnesses and townspeople, they start to see the forest for the trees. Something big is brewing in Buckstown, led by the county’s most powerful figures: the sheriff, the district attorney, and the entire sheriff’s department. There’s no one they can trust—and no chance for a fair trial for Andy.

Through quick wit and sheer intellect, Kate and Eddie manage to gain some ground as the trial takes shape, but Korn won’t back down so easily. With a taste for death on his tongue and an insatiable bloodlust to get it any way he can, Korn is determined to secure a guilty verdict and send Andy to death row. But has he gone too far this time? Is he out of options?

As the stakes rise and the bodies pile up, can Eddie handle the heat?

Character Summary

Defense attorney Eddie Flynn has standards about who and what he defends. He knows the more money a client pays, the more likely they’re guilty—and Eddie wants to stay above the fray. After losing someone close to him, he knows this case could bring unjust harm to his team, but even with danger around every corner, he’s grateful to have them by his side.

Especially Kate Brooks, his new partner and one hell of a lawyer. With Kate also comes Bloch, their sharp, savvy investigator and Kate’s good friend. While short on words, Bloch makes up for it with intelligence and strategic thinking. Rounding out the bunch is retired New York Justice Harry Ford, the fun, drunk uncle of the group, who always has the best advice. He knows exactly what to say and when to say it—and he’s never met a bottle of bourbon he didn’t like.

Sunville County District Attorney Randal Korn is nothing to bat an eye at—but where he lacks in looks and hygiene, he more than makes up for in unspeakable ways. Korn is rotting flesh in a suit. He carries a dark spirit, and nothing good will ever come from him.

Sheriff Lomax, Deputies Leonard and Shipley, Ryan Hogg, Assistant District Attorney Tom Wingfield, and Governor Patchett all hover at the story’s periphery. All five are scum.

My Thoughts

I have to admit, this was the first time I was adamant about who the culprit was—and by the end, I was wrong, wrong, wrong! The reveal peeled my muffin cap back blue (word to Kevin Hart).

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It’s the first book I’ve read in a while that I couldn’t wait to pick back up. I needed to know if my hunch was correct—if I was on the right path—and lo and behold, I was near the right track, but not quite on it.

There are a lot of characters who skate through the main plot while lingering on the outskirts. Though Buckstown is a small town, there are a lot of people to keep an eye on. And there’s a red herring introduced very early (that I totally fell for), which stumped me for quite a while. On top of the high-profile, death penalty case, the story also tackles the racial tension in the town, which adds complexity without distracting from the main plot.

Cavanagh makes it clear in this book that the FBI and other U.S. security agencies have identified white supremacists as the most significant threat among “domestic violent extremists”—a fact. He also introduced me to the Knights of the White Camelia. And while Sunville County and Buckstown aren’t real places, there are real U.S. counties and states at the top of the execution list: Texas being number one, with Harris County leading the way. In his Author’s Note, Cavanagh also references an article about the five deadliest prosecutors:

• Joe Britt, Robeson County, North Carolina
• Donald Myers, Lexington, South Carolina
• Bob Macy, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
• Lynn Abraham, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
• Johnny Holmes, Harris County, Texas

I love a book that entertains me and teaches me something. Well done.

Final Verdict

I loved it. Well written. Concise dialogue.

My only gripe is the lack of character development for some of the key characters—mainly Flynn and Brooks. However, after reading this, I realized The Devil’s Advocate is the sixth book in Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series. I’m clearly behind, and it’s likely he’s already developed Flynn’s character earlier on. So this gripe is on me.

Acknowledgement

Although this is a reprint with an anticipated publication date of August 5, 2025, I’d like to thank Atria Paperback, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Devil’s Advocate in exchange for an honest review.