Steve Cavanagh Books in Order: Complete Eddie Flynn Series and Reading Guide

Steve Cavanagh has built his reputation on legal thrillers, psychological suspense, courtroom mysteries, and high-stakes crime fiction. His most famous creation is Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned New York criminal defense lawyer whose unusual ability to read people, manipulate situations, and think several moves ahead makes him an unconventional but highly effective protagonist.

The Eddie Flynn books can technically be read as standalones, but publication order is still the best choice because Eddie’s relationships, professional life, and supporting cast develop throughout the series.

This guide covers the Eddie Flynn novels, the related novella, Cavanagh’s standalone novels, and his notable collaborative short fiction.

Eddie Flynn Books in Order

The Eddie Flynn series currently contains 10 numbered novels, beginning with The Defence and continuing through One of Us Is Guilty. The series follows Eddie’s transformation from former confidence trickster to unconventional criminal defense attorney.

1. The Defence (2015)

The Defence introduces Eddie Flynn, a former con artist who became a lawyer after leaving his criminal past behind. When Russian mob boss Olek Volchek kidnaps Eddie’s daughter and forces him to defend him in a murder trial, Eddie has only 48 hours to win an apparently impossible case.

Publication Year: 2015
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #1
Key Themes: Legal thriller, organized crime, kidnapping, courtroom drama, deception

2. The Plea (2016)

In The Plea, Eddie is pressured by the FBI to persuade billionaire David Child to plead guilty to murder and cooperate against a corrupt law firm. Eddie believes the seemingly guilty defendant may actually be innocent, putting his own family in danger as he searches for the truth.

Publication Year: 2016
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #2
Key Themes: Legal thriller, murder, blackmail, FBI, corruption

3. The Liar (2017)

The Liar begins when a desperate father asks Eddie to find his kidnapped daughter. Eddie’s experience as a former con artist becomes crucial as he realizes that someone is manipulating the investigation and that almost nobody involved may be telling the truth.

Publication Year: 2017
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #3
Key Themes: Kidnapping, deception, missing persons, crime, investigation

4. Thirteen (2018)

Thirteen puts Eddie at the center of a celebrity murder trial where Hollywood actor Robert Solomon is accused of killing his wife and another man. The real killer, however, has managed to become a member of the jury, creating one of the series’ most distinctive courtroom premises.

Publication Year: 2018
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #4
Key Themes: Serial killer, courtroom drama, murder trial, jury, psychological thriller

5. Fifty-Fifty (2020)

Fifty-Fifty revolves around sisters Alexandra and Sofia Avellino, both accused of murdering their father and each claiming that the other committed the crime. Eddie represents Sofia while trying to determine which sister is telling the truth—and whether the murder is connected to something much larger.

Publication Year: 2020
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #5
Key Themes: Murder, sisters, courtroom drama, family secrets, deception

6. The Devil’s Advocate (2021)

In The Devil’s Advocate, Eddie travels to a small Alabama town to defend Andy Dubois, an innocent man facing the death penalty. The local prosecutor seems determined to secure a conviction, while Eddie discovers that the murders surrounding the case are far from finished.

Publication Year: 2021
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #6
Key Themes: Death penalty, wrongful conviction, murder, corruption, courtroom suspense

7. The Accomplice (2022)

The Accomplice follows Carrie Miller, whose husband Daniel is a notorious serial killer. Carrie is accused of helping him conceal his crimes, but Eddie takes the case because he believes she may be innocent. Then Daniel unexpectedly resurfaces, dramatically changing the stakes.

Publication Year: 2022
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #7
Key Themes: Serial killer, criminal conspiracy, courtroom drama, innocence, FBI

8. Witness 8 (2024)

Witness 8 centers on Ruby Johnson, a former member of Manhattan’s wealthy elite who now works as a maid and secretly observes the lives of the families she serves. After witnessing a murder, Ruby gives the police a false account while Eddie defends the man accused of the crime.

Publication Year: 2024
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #8
Key Themes: Murder witness, psychological thriller, deception, wealthy families, criminal investigation

9. Two Kinds of Stranger (2025)

Two Kinds of Stranger brings Eddie Flynn and his team into a dangerous case involving Elly Parker, an internet celebrity whose seemingly ordinary act of kindness puts her in the path of a manipulative killer. Eddie must identify a mysterious stranger while the threat continues to escalate.

Publication Year: 2025
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #9
Key Themes: Psychological thriller, murder, manipulation, social media, criminal investigation

10. One of Us Is Guilty (2026)

One of Us Is Guilty is the tenth Eddie Flynn novel. The story follows Vanessa Vanderpool and her husband Patrick, whose affairs and secrets create competing motives for murder. As their personal betrayals become entangled with a killing, the central question becomes which one of them is capable of murder.

Publication Year: 2026
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn #10
Key Themes: Marriage, murder, betrayal, psychological thriller, secrets

Publication note: The book was released in the UK in July 2026, while the U.S. edition is scheduled for March 23, 2027.

The Eddie Flynn Prequel Novella

The Cross (2015)

The Cross is a short Eddie Flynn novella that takes place before the main series. Eddie represents the widow of a man killed during a confrontation with a police officer, but the case becomes more complicated when the evidence surrounding her husband’s death fails to add up.

Publication Year: 2015
Reading Position: Eddie Flynn prequel novella / #0.5
Key Themes: Legal thriller, police misconduct, justice, murder, deception

Where should you read it? You can read The Cross before The Defence if you want the chronological Eddie Flynn experience, but it is optional. For most new readers, starting with The Defence is simpler.

Steve Cavanagh Standalone Books

Cavanagh has also written thrillers outside the Eddie Flynn universe. These books do not require knowledge of the series and are ideal if you want his trademark twists without committing to a long-running character arc.

Twisted (2019)

Twisted is a standalone thriller built around a narrator who claims that the police want to charge him with murder, nobody knows who he really is, and anyone who thinks they have discovered his identity could become his next target.

Publication Year: 2019
Reading Position: Standalone
Key Themes: Murder, unreliable narrator, identity, psychological suspense, deception

Kill for Me, Kill for You (2023)

Kill for Me, Kill for You follows Amanda and Wendy, two strangers who meet in New York and discover that both desperately want revenge against men who destroyed their families. They make a dangerous pact to kill each other’s enemies, while another woman’s terrifying experience becomes connected to their plan.

Publication Year: 2023
Reading Position: Standalone
Key Themes: Revenge, murder, psychological thriller, betrayal, identity

Steve Cavanagh Books in Publication Order

If you want the major novels and Eddie Flynn novella together, this is the easiest chronological list:

The publication dates above distinguish original publication from later paperback and U.S. editions, which can otherwise make Cavanagh’s bibliography appear inconsistent across websites.

Should You Read the Eddie Flynn Books in Order?

Yes, I recommend publication order, even though each Eddie Flynn thriller can be read as a standalone.

Cavanagh has designed the individual mysteries so that a reader can pick up a later book without being completely lost. However, Eddie’s professional relationships, personal history, investigative team, and recurring characters become more meaningful when experienced from the beginning.

For that reason, The Defence remains the best starting point rather than jumping directly to the widely praised Thirteen or Fifty-Fifty.

Where Should You Start With Steve Cavanagh?

Start with The Defence

If you want to experience Eddie Flynn’s complete journey, start with The Defence. It establishes Eddie’s unusual background as a former con artist and his ability to use deception, psychology, and courtroom strategy to survive impossible situations.

Start with Thirteen

If you want one of Cavanagh’s most distinctive courtroom thrillers, Thirteen is an excellent choice. Its central idea—a serial killer sitting on the jury of the murder trial—is particularly strong and gives the book a memorable legal-thriller hook.

Start with Twisted

If you prefer a standalone psychological thriller, choose Twisted. You don’t need to know anything about Eddie Flynn or the earlier books.

Start with Kill for Me, Kill for You

If you prefer psychological suspense over courtroom drama, Kill for Me, Kill for You is another strong entry point. It is completely independent of the Eddie Flynn series and centers on revenge, manipulation, and a dangerous pact between two strangers.

Are Steve Cavanagh’s Books Connected?

The Eddie Flynn novels are connected, but Cavanagh’s standalone books are separate.

The Eddie Flynn books share the same protagonist and recurring supporting characters, while each novel introduces a new major criminal or legal case. The Cross provides additional background on Eddie before the main series.

Twisted and Kill for Me, Kill for You are standalone psychological thrillers and do not require the Eddie Flynn books.

What Genre Are Steve Cavanagh’s Books?

Steve Cavanagh primarily writes legal thrillers and crime fiction, but his books also overlap with psychological thrillers, courtroom mysteries, murder mysteries, and suspense.

The Eddie Flynn series is particularly recognizable for combining criminal defense, courtroom strategy, organized crime, murder investigations, deception, and psychological manipulation.

His standalone novels move further toward psychological suspense, especially Twisted and Kill for Me, Kill for You.

About Steve Cavanagh

Steve Cavanagh is an Irish author and former lawyer from Belfast, Northern Ireland. His legal background strongly influences his fiction, particularly the courtroom strategy and procedural details found in the Eddie Flynn series.

His breakthrough came with The Defence, which introduced Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned criminal defense lawyer. Cavanagh later received major crime-fiction recognition when The Liar won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year in 2018, while Thirteen won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2019.

His books have become international bestsellers, and his writing is particularly known for short chapters, rapid pacing, courtroom tension, elaborate twists, and unconventional protagonists. His more recent standalone thriller Kill for Me, Kill for You and Eddie Flynn novels have expanded his audience beyond traditional legal-thriller readers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Steve Cavanagh Books

What is the first Steve Cavanagh book?

The Defence, published in 2015, is the first full-length Steve Cavanagh novel and the first Eddie Flynn book. It introduces Eddie Flynn as a former con artist who becomes a criminal defense lawyer and is forced into an impossible murder trial.

What is the correct order to read the Eddie Flynn books?

The recommended order is The Defence, The Plea, The Liar, Thirteen, Fifty-Fifty, The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice, Witness 8, Two Kinds of Stranger, and One of Us Is Guilty. You can optionally read the prequel novella The Cross before The Defence.

Do I need to read Steve Cavanagh’s books in order?

You do not strictly need to. Each Eddie Flynn novel contains a largely self-contained case, and the publisher notes that the books can be read independently. However, publication order is preferable because Eddie’s character and relationships develop throughout the series.

Is The Cross part of the Eddie Flynn series?

Yes. The Cross is a short prequel novella featuring Eddie Flynn and was published in 2015. It can be read before The Defence or treated as an optional extra after beginning the main series.

What is Steve Cavanagh’s best book to start with?

For the full Eddie Flynn experience, start with The Defence. If you want a standalone, Twisted or Kill for Me, Kill for You are better choices because neither requires knowledge of the Eddie Flynn storyline.

Which Steve Cavanagh book has a serial killer on the jury?

Thirteen is the Eddie Flynn novel in which serial killer Joshua Kane manipulates his way onto the jury of a major murder trial. Its premise is one of the most distinctive examples of Cavanagh’s courtroom-centered storytelling.

Is Twisted part of the Eddie Flynn series?

No. Twisted is a standalone psychological thriller published in 2019. It has no requirement to be read alongside the Eddie Flynn novels and is a good option for readers who want a self-contained Steve Cavanagh mystery.

Is Kill for Me, Kill for You part of the Eddie Flynn series?

No. Kill for Me, Kill for You is a standalone psychological thriller. It follows two women who make a dangerous revenge pact and is separate from Eddie Flynn’s legal-thriller universe.

What is the latest Steve Cavanagh book?

As of August 2026, One of Us Is Guilty is the latest published Eddie Flynn novel, having received its UK publication in July 2026. The U.S. edition from Atria Books is scheduled for March 23, 2027.

What is the latest Eddie Flynn book?

The latest Eddie Flynn book is One of Us Is Guilty, the tenth novel in the series. It follows a married couple whose infidelity, secrets, and competing motives become entangled with murder.

Final Verdict

Steve Cavanagh’s books are an excellent choice if you enjoy legal thrillers with fast pacing, clever courtroom tactics, unreliable characters, and unexpected twists. For the complete Eddie Flynn experience, begin with The Defence and work forward, while Twisted and Kill for Me, Kill for You offer strong standalone alternatives.

The biggest advantage of reading the Eddie Flynn books in order is not simply following the individual cases—it is watching Eddie evolve from a former con artist into one of contemporary crime fiction’s most unconventional defense attorneys.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.