This book was great! Two women on trial for murder both of the alleging that the other is the killer. The different point of view from the lawyers as well as “she” which is one of the women is so well done! This was my first Flynn novel but I will definitely be going back and reading the previous ones. The twists had me hooked and I’m not a big fan of whodunnit stories. Highly recommend for a faced-paced, quick witted novel that’ll keep you guessing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I have loved Steve Cavanagh’s work beginning with the first book of his I ever tried, and this book is no exception. It is very well written, easy to read, and kept me engaged from start to finish. I definitely would recommend this book to others!

I had a great time reading this. Everything about this just was great. I am a huge mood reader and vibes are evrything to me and this was really something!

This was a very solid mystery/thriller! I have read one other book by the author that I thoroughly enjoyed and so was thrilled to have received this ARC. The tension throughout the story is well maintained. I don’t usually enjoy alternating perspectives in books, as I feel they aren’t usually well done, but this book (and “Thirteen”, the other book I’ve read by the author) pulls this off quite masterfully. You genuinely feel as if you are in the narrator’s POV with each voice change and there’s no awkwardness from the female POVs either, which can be hit or miss from male authors. Overall, this was an EXCELLENT read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys legal dramas, thrillers, or mystery novels. I would give this a 9 on a 10-point scale, but I rounded up to 5 stars since NetGalley doesn’t do half stars.

Like a lot of American readers, I discovered Steve Cavanagh via his brilliant “Witness 8” thriller. I am so thankful to Atria Books which decided to reissue older Eddie Flynn books in paperback in the U.S. Eddie Flynn is one of those lawyers you remember as honest, intelligent, and scrappy — a former con man mentored by a wise judge to put his smarts to use. As Eddie says, “his biggest problem as a lawyer is I want the guilty to get punished and the innocent to go free. And the law doesn’t work that way. Never has. Never will.”

In “Fifty Fifty” we have the story of two sisters almost simultaneously calling 911 to say the other sister just slaughtered their father, a former New York City mayor worth about 50 million dollars. They are only a year apart in age and they witnessed the staircase death of their sadistic mother years ago (what awful parent bites their children as punishment? And what evil child bites their mother’s corpse as her head is stuck in the bannister?) Dad was correct in separating the two bad seeds into different boarding schools and remarrying. But stepmom suspiciously died as well. What a lovely family.

Eddie is hired to represent Sofia, the sister with a pattern of mental health issues and definitely the meeker one. Kate Brooks is defending the more polished and successful sister, Alexandra, but only after she “stole” her client from the over-the-top, good ol’boy, sexual harassing white shoe law firm where she’s been treated like dirt. Eddie witnessed Kate’s revenge play and approves. Both Eddie and Kate are up against yet another wannabe predator/prosecutor named Dreyer who is favored by the racist and misogynistic judge (who can behave himself, given enough legal impetus). And both Eddie and Kate are assisted by smart women investigators, Harper and Bloch. Eddie also has recently retired Judge Harry Ford (his mentor) as a consultant.

The prosecutor thinks he can’t lose — the sisters are being tried together so either they both are convicted or one of them will prevail in accusing the other. Eddie does not believe in letting murderers go free and he’s convinced Sofia is the innocent one. Kate, however, also believes in Alexandra’s innocence. A lot is made of the “fact” that one or both must be guilty — I was a tad irked that the possibility of a third person was never considered at all, especially since the evidence against either sister was flimsy.

This is a smart, action-packed courtroom thriller that continually surprises until the very end. I totally understand the appeal of the Eddie Flynn series and I’ll be searching out the previous books. And, yay for Clarence, the stray dog who assists in discrediting an expert witness! 4.5 stars!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Steve Cavanagh is one of my favorite legal thriller authors and I was excited to be offered an #arc of this - but then I realized it came out already? Apparently it is being rereleased in ebook, audio, and paperback so this is your chance to fall in love with the Eddie Flynn series in ALL the formats!

Eddie Flynn is a con man turned lawyer and many of Cavanagh’s books feature him (like Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar). They stand alone so don’t have to be read in order. In this one, a prominent New Yorker is found dead - both his young adult daughters are found in the house covered in blood and both say the other sister did it. Who really did it is at the core of this book and the twists and turns keep coming! Loved it - was so glad to revisit Eddie Flynn. I read some of his books a few years ago but it was hard to find them all.

Recommended for fans of Harlan Coben and Patricia Cornwell. The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The multiple povs really added for me to be totally confused about who really did. As soon as I was convinced it was one sister another thing is revealed and I second guess myself. It was a Rollercoaster and I was here for it

Former NYC mayor, Frank Avellino, is brutally murdered, and two 911 calls pleading for help come from inside the house at the same time- from each of his daughters, accusing each other of the murder.

The premise of this book really grabbed me. It was unique, and exciting to try to figure out which sister (if either), was guilty of the crime, and why they would want to accuse each other. The fact that the author chose to present the story via multiple POV, including that of the killer (whose POV was simply labeled 'She'), was one of my favorite parts. I really enjoyed getting to see the inner workings of both legal teams prep for the double defendant trial, and how their strategies changed throughout the trial as well, while trying to line up clues from the 'She' chapters against what both lawyers experienced with their clients.

The twists are breakneck, I couldn't put this one down, I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Atria, for the digital ARC and chance to review this book. All thoughts are my own :)

SYNOPSIS: 2 estranged sisters are charged with murdering their father. Each was present at the scene at time of death and each blame the other. Who is the real killer?

I knew just based of premise alone, that this book was going to be a roller coaster. And I was correct! The chapters are told between multiple POV's, including Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn, who has been hired to defend one of the sisters. The story grabs you right away and each time a new piece of evidence was found I found myself bouncing back and forth between who I thought was the killer. That was what was so much fun about it! You won't know until the very end, so strap in and hold on!

If you plant to read 'Fifty Fifty', do yourself a favor and make sure you have six hours you can devote to it, uninterrupted. I read a lot of good books but it is rare that there is one for which I don't want to go to sleep or go to work because I can't wait to see what will happen next.

I requested an advanced reading copy (thank you, NetGalley) because of the simple premise listed on the front of the book, "Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other. Who do YOU believe?" Author Steve Cavanagh really took a chance on this because with half of your readers bound to guess correctly, you face the likelihood of some reviewers calling it predictable. I can assure you that 'Fifty Fifty' is anything but predictable. There are enough hints and red herrings throughout the book that it really could go either way.

This is the second book I've read in the Eddie Flynn series (which does not need to be read in order, by the way) and they both were excellent. I think I'll have to check out the rest of them now!

this is my first book from the eddie flynn series, and it certainly won’t be my last! the way that eddie is such a fun and likable character while also proving his worth in the courtroom with tricky cases 🙂‍↕️ we have to stan

in this case, eddie is representing sofia, one of two sisters accused of unaliving their father, while newcomer brooks is representing alexandra, the other daughter. and the back and forth between the two of them was SO well done!!

what didn’t quite work for me was the in between chapters titled “she” - describing one of the sisters in their attempt to get away with murder. from the beginning, the red herrings and ultimate conclusion seemed fairly obvious to me, and I was a bit disappointed in how it all played out…

but the pacing of the book was so fast that I flew through it in a single day! I got so attached to both eddie and brooks’ teams - and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series!

thank you to atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: barbara d’asti red blend

Steve Cavanagh delivers his best legal thriller yet with this gripping, high-stakes courtroom battle. When former NYC mayor Frank Avellino is murdered, both his daughters—polished real estate star Alexandra and troubled artist Sofia—call 911, each blaming the other. Eddie Flynn takes on Sofia’s defense, while ambitious young lawyer Kate Brooks represents Alexandra, setting up a thrilling “she said/she said” showdown. As secrets unravel and a corrupt judge looms, the twists keep coming, leaving readers questioning who the real killer is until the very last page. Packed with razor-sharp legal maneuvers, unforgettable characters (including a tough-as-nails ex-NYPD investigator and a lovable dog named Clarence), and a breakneck pace, this book was impossible to put down.

Thank you for this opportunity to read this book. It was a little bit hard to get into in the beginning. It took me a few different days to get interested which was partially due to the legal terminology and the beginning of the trial process which seemed to drag on. HOWEVER, once you hit that sweet spot where you get to really form the opinions about the sisters you find yourself not being able to put the book down. I really enjoyed the main character Eddie more than I enjoyed Kate’s character almost until the end when she finally wins me over and isn’t a “victim” anymore. The writing style really had me going back in forth like I was the jury in this book trying to find out who SHE could be. The Final Twist was definitely great! But my absolute favorite part of this book is when they quickly switch point of view when SHE was walking up to murder someone. This is the first time I felt like WHATS going to happen and couldn’t put it down until you find out. This was a new way of writing and was my favorite part of the book.

Steve Cavanagh keeps it suspenseful once again! I love the premise of this book. Two sisters call 911 to report their father has been murdered. The calls are placed minutes apart with each sister claiming the other is the murderer. I loved how certain chapters were dedicated to "She" as the story was being narrated from the murderer's perspective. As clues were provided and each sister blamed each other, I love how Cavanagh kept me guessing. Just when I thought I was confident on which sister committed the crime, something new would happen in the novel that would have me change my mind. This is one of my favorite novels from this amazing author.

Fifty Fifty is another great book from Steve Cavanagh, one of my favourite authors!
This is a 5 Star read with twists and turns that I did not see coming.
Thanks for this ARC book, I am truly grateful.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Steve Cavanagh delivers an electrifying and unique legal thriller in “Fifty Fifty,” a gripping installment in the Eddie Flynn series that will keep you on edge until the very last page. This high-stakes courtroom drama revolves around two estranged sisters—Alexandra and Sofia Avellino—who both call 911 on the same night, each blaming the other for the brutal murder of their father, former NYC mayor Frank Avellino. One of them is lying. One of them is a cold-blooded killer. But which one?

Told through multiple perspectives—including Eddie Flynn, young lawyer Kate Brooks, and chilling glimpses from the mind of the true murderer—Cavanagh masterfully plays with perception and doubt. The central mystery hinges on a thrilling fifty-fifty gamble: the reader, just like the lawyers and jury, has no idea which sister is the sociopathic killer until the very end. This structure, combined with sharp legal maneuvering and unexpected twists, makes the book an absolute page-turner.

Eddie, a former con artist turned defense lawyer, represents Sofia, the troubled artist with a history of addiction, while Kate, determined to prove herself in her first big case, defends the polished and successful Alexandra. Both lawyers are convinced their client is innocent, but as the trial unfolds, it becomes clear that one of these women is a calculating serial killer who will stop at nothing—including even more murder (there is a lot of it in this book as the court case progresses)—to avoid conviction and secure her father’s multimillion-dollar estate.

The book excels in courtroom tension, delivering exhilarating cross-examinations and a suspenseful trial that feels like having a ringside seat at a battle of wits. While some of the legal proceedings slow the pace in the middle, they are balanced by shocking twists, a rising body count, and a devastating personal loss for Eddie that raises the emotional stakes. Kate’s arc is equally compelling as she fights against systemic sexism in the legal world, making her triumphs all the more satisfying.

The killer’s perspective adds an extra layer of intrigue, though I did wish for even more insight into her twisted mind. The book’s ending is a masterclass in suspense, tying up loose ends in a deeply satisfying way—especially as Eddie and Kate’s legal teams ultimately unite to take down the true villain.

Cavanagh has crafted a slick, fast-paced, and intensely addictive thriller that blends legal drama with psychological suspense. While the book may overplay some of its twists, it remains a compulsive read that will have fans racing to the finish. Whether you're a longtime follower of the Eddie Flynn series or a newcomer, “Fifty Fifty” is a must-read that proves justice isn’t always black and white.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Another enjoyable addition to the Eddie Flynn series. Like most of Steve Cavanagh titles, it hooks you right from the start and keeps you guessing until the end.

Sofia and Alexandra both place 911 calls saying the other sister murdered their father, and one of them is lying.

This is the first book I’ve read by Cavanagh and I plan to check out more. I did hear this was part of an extensive series, but I didn’t feel lost. I’m not sure how my experience would’ve varied if I’d read any of the other books first. I enjoyed it either way.

This was such a fun “whodunnit”. It had me second-guessing myself over and over. It leads you in one direction to find out that you were wrong and then double back to consider that you were right to begin with. I was captivated by the beginning and his writing flowed nicely and was paced well throughout the book. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes thriller and legal drama.

Solid whiplash read. I love the characters and the basis of the storyline.

This once will keep you guessing until the end!

I love Steve Cavanagh and have yet to read a book of his that doesn't immediately grab me and keep me going. I love Eddie Flynn and can't wait for more books. This book doesn't disappointment and I would HIGHLY recommend.