Fifty Fifty is a wild ride. There are a multiple perspectives to keep track of, being that it is told from the POV of a handful of characters, but I see the intention behind it and it makes for a riveting story.

I tried to read between the lines and solve the mystery before the end, but I honestly wasn't sure if I was correct. Also, Eddie and Kate's characters are well written and I really enjoyed reading their parts of the story, but the true winner for me was the anonymous perspective of the antagonist. I was completely enraptured by those chapters and sometimes horrified at what I was reading, which made for really good entertainment.

While it was a lot to follow, I can appreciate a great author like Steve Cavanagh.

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Absolutely devoured this book! Was hooked from page one and spent the entire time going back and forth on who the killer was. There was also a part that really made me tear up and feel for Eddie Flynn because this man is just going THROUGH it! Absolutely loved Kate too and finally getting to see her introduction into the series, especially since I’ve only read all the books after this one takes place so far. Definitely another fantastic Steve Cavanagh book and will be reading everything he has written. An autobuy/autoread author for me at this point.

I love this legal thriller series! I haven't read them in order but love Eddie Collins and his legal team. In this one there are 2 sisters who were both at the scene when their Dad was murdered and both are blaming each other. They have never gotten along at all and now are convinced the other killed their Dad for his money and to get the other one convicted. As the trial goes along, witnesses keep getting murdered and this one will hold you until the end trying to figure out who did it! Steve Cavanagh is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! #fiftyfifty #netgalley

Fifty-Fifty is gripping, shocking, and hard to put down. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor at one point! Whew! Steve Cavanagh has wowed me yet again with his 5th book in his Eddie Flynn series. If you have not read this series, you are seriously missing out! Eddie Flynn is a con man turned attorney who relies on the skills he learned in his younger days to help him in the court room. In Fifty-Fifty, two sisters, Alexandria and Sofia Avellino, are both on trial for the murder of their father. Each sister is claiming that the other one is the killer. A HUGE inheritance and justice are a stake. I enjoyed this aspect of two sisters being pitted against each other. Both seemed believable and I enjoyed not knowing who could be trusted and who was telling the truth.

Eddie has always prided himself of being a good judge of character. He is representing Sophia while new attorney, Kate Brooks is representing Alexandria. Both Eddie and Alexandria believe that their client is innocent. There are also sections of the book titled "She" which allows readers to get into the head of the diabolical killer! This makes things even more intriguing and interesting.

This book was a hard to put down page turner for me! I loved the courtroom scenes and Eddie's insight and antics while defending his client. I also enjoyed doing my own super sleuthing while reading and kept changing my mind about whodunit.

This book has a nice amount to tension, twist and turns, not to mention the suspense which occurred near the end of the book. This book had a few shocking scenes, and I loved. This proved to be another wonderfully written, well thought out, and thrilling installment in the series. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to Atria Books and Steve Cavanaugh for my copy of Fifty Fifty. This book was about Alexandra, a woman who calls 911 in a panic because she found her father’s mutilated body slashed to bits and knows her sister just murdered him. This book was also about Sophia, a woman who calls 911 in a panic because she found her father’s mutilated body slashed to bits and knows her sister just murdered him. Both women call 911 minutes apart. And both women are accusing the other. But which one did it?

Now both women are on trial at the same time for the same murder. But who killed Frank? Was it one of the sisters? Was it both? One of these women is lying and one is exactly where she planned to be. One is carrying out a long planned murder and the other is being set up. But who is who?

Thoughts: This book was impossible to put down. This is my new favorite of his! It was the perfect blend of fast-paced police procedural and detective thriller. I loved the idea that it could have been either sister who murdered their dad and they both were so similar yet so different. They both creeped me out so much and I was rooting for both Eddie and Kate to be right.

I loved the chapters of “she” mixed into this story. All the characters were so interesting to read about and I felt myself rooting for all the good guys. I loved following Eddie as a main character in this series and this was my favorite book yet. I honestly didn’t know who the killer would be, and I can’t wait for the next one- 5 stars!

This book was very compelling and had my blood boiling but I had to see it through. Phew! I am hooked like hooked on phonics fr!

4.5 Stars

When I saw that this book was available for request on netgalley, I was so excited because I have heard such great things about this book. While I found it to have a bit of a slow start, once the trial got going I flew right through this book. What I appreciated about this book the most is I was truly fifty-fifty split throughout the book on which sister did it, Steve constantly had me second guessing myself.

As always, a Steve Cavanagh masterpiece. I absolutely love the courtroom drama and suspense in each page. I was left guessing until the very end. If Eddie Flynn is the main attorney you KNOW it’s going to be a five star read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. This was a fast paced read that followed two sisters who are being investigated for the murder of their father. Each sister is blaming the other and the story line navigates their experience of life after the death of their father and being on trial.

Overall this book had me guessing until the end. I thought that I had figured out who had murdered the father but was surprised at the end. This is a great read for anybody who loves a court thriller or a quick read.

Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh is the fifth installment in the Eddie Flynn legal thriller series. This novel delivers a gripping courtroom drama that keeps readers guessing until the final verdict.

Overall, I found it to be a smart, well-crafted thriller that was hard to put down and deeply satisfying especially for fans of twisty legal mysteries.

Steve Cavanagh delivers another compelling legal thriller in Fifty Fifty, the fifth installment of the Eddie Flynn series. The novel centers on the brutal murder of former NYC Mayor Frank Avellino, with his daughters, Alexandra and Sofia, each accusing the other of the crime. Eddie Flynn represents Sofia, while newcomer Kate Brooks defends Alexandra, leading to a tense courtroom battle where only one sister can be telling the truth.​


The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, including the enigmatic "She," whose identity remains concealed, adding layers of suspense. Cavanagh's background as a lawyer shines through in the realistic courtroom scenes, and his signature twists kept me guessing until the very end. The dynamic between Eddie and Kate adds depth to the story, and the moral complexities faced by the characters enhance the narrative's richness.​


While the pacing is generally brisk, a few sections felt slightly drawn out. Nevertheless, the novel's intricate plot and well-developed characters make it a standout in the legal thriller genre. Fans of Kill for Me Kill for You will appreciate Cavanagh's ability to weave suspense and emotion seamlessly.​

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a page turner. I loved the characters Eddie and Kate. I can't wait to read more about them in other installments. I also loved the "She" chapters written by the killer! Steve Cavanagh is becoming one of my favorite authors!

Fifty-Fifty will keep you on your toes with relentless twists and unusual turns.

Fifty-Fifty has a truly gripping plot. I raced through the pages as if there were no tomorrow; I was hooked. Alexandra and Sofia Avellino discovered their father’s mutilated body. Naturally, 911 is called, but by both sisters, minutes apart, blaming each other for the brutal death of their father. The situation turns into a thrilling, high-stakes courtroom drama where both lawyer truly believes their client is innocent. This book had all the elements I love in a thriller: suspense, tension, conflict, shock and plot twists. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought the characters were strong, unique, likeable, and intelligent, which made me eager to follow the story and see how the characters progressed. The characters were one of the reasons I enjoyed this story as much as I did, especially Kate. Her character had a lot of growth. Honestly, she was an inspiring character. She had a lot to lose but wasn’t letting anybody get in the way. Again, the characters were all wonderfully written. They had a lot of depth. They were met with a lot of challenges, and it was interesting to see how the characters met the challenges and overcame them. It made for a compelling story.

I love a good plot twist, and Steve Cavanagh gave what every thriller fanatic loves: some good plot twists. However, the main plot twist was too predictable. I saw it coming from the start. I do read a lot of thrillers, though, so what’s obvious to me might not be obvious to someone else, especially someone who doesn’t read a lot of thrillers. That said, it was a good twist; I’m not saying it wasn’t; there is a lot of shock value to the twist; I knew what would happen. Did that take away from the excitement of it all, a little, but the other elements of this story were strong; they kept me hooked. I may have predicted the ending quickly, but other shocking moments throughout the story had me grasping at the next chapter.

3.5

This book follows Eddie and Kate as they represent two sisters who accuse each other of their father's murder. The story is told in both the lawyers' perspectives, along with a third "She" narrator, who is the unnamed murderer. It is very fast-paced and covers the lawyers gathering evidence, interviewing their clients, the trial itself, and more murders/cover-up committed by She (Her?).

I found the format super interesting as both lawyers convinced me of their clients' innocence which kept me guessing the entire book. As a prolific thriller reader, I had the theory that a third party murdered the father, but the She chapters dissuaded me of that notion, making it clear that the story focuses on the 50/50 chance of it being one of the sisters.

I thought that after reading dozens of mystery/thrillers that I would be somewhat decent at guessing the plot twists, but this book completely fooled me. I was just as gullible as the lawyers were, with double the information. I love when mystery books have a big plot twist that I don't see coming at all but makes perfect sense with the hints given in the rest of the story, and this one executed that well.

Going into this book I didn't realize that it was #5 of a series (interconnected standalones??) but that didn't negatively impact my reading experience. I didn't feel like I was missing out on much other than not knowing side characters or Flynn's background.

Thank you to NetGalley + Atria Books for the ARC

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I wanted to love this one. Truly. Especially after being completely feral for Kill For Me, Kill For You. That book had me by the throat.

But plot twist: legal thrillers and I? Maybe not the power couple I thought we were.

This book is sharp, twisty, and packed with morally messy characters doing shady courtroom things—which I thought would be my jam. But somewhere between the objections and cross-examinations, my brain quietly clocked out and went to look for a body in the woods instead.

Is the book great? Absolutely. Is it me? Also, yes. I’m just a crime junkie who apparently prefers her drama without a judge present.

So, if you love legal thrillers, this one will totally slap for you. I’ll just be over here lurking in psychological thriller land, where no one is emotionally stable, and nothing makes sense.

#qotd What’s a genre you wish you vibed with but just can’t get into no matter how hard you try?

#Bookstagram #BookReview #FiftyFifty #SteveCavanagh #LegalThriller #AmReading #CrimeJunkie #BookishHumor #TrueCrimeAddict #TBRTrouble #BookConfessions #ThrillerReads #CourtroomDrama #BookwormProblems #IGReads #ReadWithMe 📚⚖️

Eddie Flynn is representing Sophia, who claims via 911 call, that she found her dad dead and her sister Alexandra is the murderer. Kate Brooke represents Alexandra, who claims via 911 call, that she found her dad dead and her sister Sophia killed him. This great tale takes the reader through the murder trial written from different perspectives, including the killer’s ….. I really appreciated the writing style of Steve Cavanagh, appreciated the characters, how they interacted with each other and their personalities on their own. I look forward to reading all of Cavanagh’s work!

I received Fifty Fifty from Net Galley for an honest review. The premise of the book was fantastic- a man murdered and one of his two daughters is the murderer. The book follows Sofia and Alexandra as they both are charged separately for the murder of their father. If you like crime and a focus on the court case and legal proceedings, this book would be for you.

While I loved the idea of the story, the book felt way too long. There were a few twists and turns but it felt like there were too many characters and a few too many story lines that had nothing to do with the overall story. The ending did not totally surprise me, but i like how the trial was wrapped up.

I love all the books about Eddie Flynn! Eddie is an ex con man, turned lawyer. Each of his books deal with a court case he is working on that literally keeps your heart thudding through it. This book is no exception. Eddie defends a woman accused of murdering her dad. The twists and turns keep you guessing through the book.

good but flawed

I really enjoyed this book. Two sisters accuse each other of killing their father. The book alternates views between the viewpoints of the attorneys, one sister, and another woman who is the killer and may or may not be the other sister.

My problem is that i don't think the end matched the clues. There were parts, like when the attorneys think the killer was a woman using a motorcycle but they did not check to see if either sister rode. Also, as someone who was in the legal field for a long time, the part where the attorneys were using books for legal research was pretty dated.

Even with all that, I liked this quite a bit. I will check out other books by the author and make a note to check for the next in the series.

Interesting premise but started to get boring. Stopped caring about the lawyer stuff. Didn’t feel like pushing through. This seems to be a re-release of a book that was already published so I’m not sure if/how it compares to the original. I’ve liked a couple books from Steve Cavanagh but unfortunately, most of the Eddie Flynn books I’ve attempted to read haven’t been my thing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.