Tony R Cox is an ex-provincial UK journalist. The Simon Jardine series is based on his memories of the early 70s - the time of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll - when reporters relied on word of mouth and there was no internet, no mobile phones, not even a fax machine.
Eddie Flynn, central figure and fulcrum of a story that veers naturally from menacing crime fiction to action-packed thriller with a very healthy dose of humour to keep the tale moving effortlessly forward, is a likeable character.
He’s a highly successful ex-conman who turned his life around and became a lawyer, his dark past giving him a deep insight into the rights and wrongs of man. Witness 8 is a true page-turner. Each chapter is individually structured round the central characters; a style that maintains pace through the final denouement.
Flynn has, during an absorbing career, gathered around him people who not only have his back when things get tough, but also guide him through the intricacies of the legal profession. They’re needed. They protect and enhance his sharp mind as it deceives and persuades with the ease that only an ex-conman mastermind can achieve.
We are aware of our key villain from almost the outset. Ruby Johnson has a massive chip on her shoulder. From a life of wealth and opulence in one of the best addresses in town, she has been reduced to cleaning, child-minding and serving those whom her family would have shared cocktails with in a previous life. Almost destitute after her father’s financial crash, and with an ailing mother to care for, Ruby sees a murder take place. She knows the victim and the killer and she calls the police, but Ruby is deeply damaged and she doesn’t tell the whole truth of what she’s seen.
Witness 8 moves at a fast, carefully constructed pace. Eddie Flynn, the lawyer, faces a near impossible court room task; Eddie Flynn, the ex-conman, has upset some powerful gang bosses and he’s in the crosshairs of professional hitmen. Ruby Johnson could be his downfall, but only if Eddie doesn’t fall prey to those lining up to end his days.
Author Steve Cavanagh has been gathering awards from bestsellers for many years. His Eddie Flynn character has been in print for nearly ten years. Will he make it or will this exceptional author have to create a new hero with a dodgy past?
