Steve Cavanagh delivers another masterclass in misdirection with "Fifty-fifty," a courtroom thriller that plays with your certainty like a cat with a ball of yarn. Having read two of his previous works, I thought I was prepared for his trademark twists—I wasn't even close.

The central mystery is brilliantly simple yet impossible to crack: which sister committed the murder, Alexandria or Sophia? Both accuse each other, both have evidence against them, and both are represented by formidable lawyers. Cavanagh throws red herrings with such skillful precision that just when I believed I'd identified the guilty party, new evidence would surface, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew.

What elevates this thriller beyond its twisty plot is witnessing the early partnership between Eddie Flynn and Kate Brooks. Having first met them in "Witness 8," exploring their origins adds surprising depth to characters I thought I understood. Eddie's vulnerability feels painfully authentic as he battles personal grief while maintaining his courtroom presence. Meanwhile, Kate's background at her previous firm and her tactical brilliance showcase a character with both intellectual prowess and emotional resilience.

Supporting characters Harry and Bloch never feel peripheral—they create a genuine sense of camaraderie that grounds the narrative amid its dizzying plot turns. Their presence transforms what could be a straightforward legal thriller into something with real heart beneath its suspenseful exterior.

The trial scenes are particularly engrossing, crafted with such tension that putting the book down becomes physically impossible. Cavanagh's pacing keeps you simultaneously satisfied and hungry for the next revelation.

I'm already looking forward to continuing the Eddie Flynn series. For thriller readers craving both intellectual challenge and emotional investment, "Fifty-fifty" is a must-read!

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

4.5 stars

My first legal thriller (I think?) - and wow, what a ride.

I was a little hesitant at first with a simple "she said/she said" murder plot but somehow it turned it into this twisty, high-stakes courtroom rollercoaster. I loved the pacing, it truly felt like a movie playing in my head and I threw in the L&O "dun dun" at various times.

The characters were fantastic. Eddie Flynn is smart, scrappy, and just the right amount of charming - I'm rooting for this man! I also really liked how the story flips between perspectives adding layers to the chaos. With only 2 possible suspects it still kept me guessing until the very end.

My only bleh~ comment is that some of the plot layouts had such perfect timing that I was like "HOW?!" But then I remembered that this also happens in television.

Still, it was a super entertaining read that made me want more legal thrillers in my life and will continue to read the Eddie Flynn universe.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This book grabs you from page 1 and doesn’t let go. I felt like a ping pong ball the entire time, bouncing between “She did it!” and “No, wait… SHE did it!” 😅 The suspense is so well done, and the twists kept me guessing until the very end.
I loved the main characters, and Steve Cavanagh’s writing is razor-sharp. I’m so glad I stumbled upon his work; he’s officially on my must-read list! 🙌📚

WOW! This book had me misguided into believing I knew what happened and where it was going. The twist was there and I was there for it!!! I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good thriller.

Steve Cavanagh does it again with a riveting page turner. I have not been reading the Eddie Flynn series in order (I read Witness 8 which is the 8th one in the series and then this one) but I can see why he is such a beloved author. This was so propulsive and I enjoyed the dual POV with the clever unidentified "she"perspective. I was second guessing myself the entire time because I genuinely did not know who the guilty sister was! The last 20% flew by and I was surprised by the ending. I look forward to reading more by Cavanagh. Thank you Atria and Netgalley!

🄵🄸🄵🅃🅈 🄵🄸🄵🅃🅈- First of all… @netgalley got me with this one. I thought it was a new release from Steve Cavanagh, and I needed to have it. However… I realized this was actually released in 2020, and they were just doing a re release with a new cover. 😆

🅂🅈🄽🄾🄿🅂🄸🅂 - two sisters are on trial for the murder of their father. They both blame eachother. Who do you believe?

🄼🅈 🅃🄷🄾🅄🄶🄷🅃🅂- this book was completely unhinged and I loved every second of it. It kept me guessing the entire way through. The chapters alternated between multiple POV’s and when each chapter revealed new details, my opinion on who the killer was, changed. You will absolutely eat this one up if you are a thriller gal like me. Don’t worry that this is #5 in the “Eddie Flynn series”, you can read it as stand alone book without missing a beat.
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Kept me interested and plotting the twists and turns throughout. There were almost too many twists so I figured one out after being yanked back and forth so much.

Another amazing addition to the Eddie Flynn series. I loved it all the twists, the multiple POV, the “She” chapters, and the new characters. Can’t wait to devour the next one.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping and tense legal „she said, she said“ thriller.

"Reading clients and reading juries was my bag. This case wasn’t normal. There was nothing remotely normal about it. This was the first verdict that I couldn’t call. I was too close to it. In my mind, it was an even split. The verdict may as well come down to a coin toss. A fifty-fifty."

Eddie Flynn, con man turned criminal defense attorney with a conscience, gets the case of his life when he starts to represent Sofia Avellino. Accused of murdering her father, Sofia's case is high-profile not just because her father used to be the mayor of New York, but because Sofia and her sister Alexandra were both in his house at the time of his gruesome murder, and both of them placed separate, frantic calls to 911 to report the crime - and accused each other of committing the murder.

Part courtroom drama, part legal thriller, "Fifty Fifty" is a fast-paced, clever, gripping and tense „she said, she said“ that will leave you wondering until the last of its many twists. It helps that the author is a lawyer himself, which makes the case and the courtroom showdown so much more believable.

The story is mostly told from the perspectives of both Eddie Flynn and his counterpart, Alexandra's lawyer Kate Brooks, as well as the unnamed, ruthless killer. Both lawyers are formidable protagonists, though Kate's portrayal is a bit more generic, and their sidekicks, both human and canine, add an extra layer to the story. The author definitely knows how to keep readers on their toes; the two sisters' storylines match so closely that nothing is given away regarding the killer’s identity, and even if you decide early on which sister you think did it, the masterful misdirections will still make you doubt yourself and keep you going back and forth between the two.

While this is part of a series (no. 5 of the Eddie Flynn books), it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The US publication of "Fifty Fifty" is slated for June 3, 2025.

Okay, I’m officially in deep with the Eddie Flynn series and there is no getting out. Not that I’d want to. I’m five books in now and Fifty Fifty has me fully committed. The kind of committed where the oxygen’s running low but I’m staying for the courtroom showdown.

This one is a masterclass in pacing. Steve Cavanagh doesn’t waste a single sentence. He hooks you in the opening chapter and you’re stuck, held hostage in the absolute best way. The premise is already wild: two sisters, both claiming the other murdered their father, and only one of them is telling the truth. And then it gets even darker, twistier, and smarter.

The chapters titled She were creepy, cryptic, and so well done. I kept trying to figure out which sister’s voice was bleeding through the page, and just when I thought I had it, doubt would creep back in. Every theory I had crumbled by the next chapter. Cavanagh makes you work for it. He knows his readers are smart and he never makes it easy. I love that. This isn’t just another popcorn thriller. This is a psychological puzzle disguised as a legal thriller.

And Eddie Flynn? Still the ultimate book boyfriend. A little bit con man, a whole lot lawyer, always two steps ahead of everyone in the room. The courtroom drama here is high-stakes, intense, and full of those perfectly executed twists that make Cavanagh so fun to read. Even five books in, Eddie is evolving and that just keeps me coming back.

I never guessed the killer. Not once. I was completely and happily manipulated all the way to the end. If you’ve read Cavanagh before, you know that’s part of the fun. If you haven’t, start anywhere. But know this: once you fall for Eddie Flynn, there’s no turning back.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for my honest review. And if Steve Cavanagh happens to read this… I’m in this series for life.

Please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one was SO GOOD! I loved the different POVs, especially the POV from “her.” The premise of this book was awesome and the execution was flawless. It had be constantly guessing and the ending was perfect (especially the bit about Levy finally getting what he deserves. The card was a nice touch).

5/5

This was such a smart, twisty legal thriller that completely sucked me in. The premise alone is enough to hook anyone: two sisters, their father is dead, and one of them did it—but they’re both pointing the finger at each other. That setup immediately had me spiraling into theories, second-guessing every interaction, every piece of evidence, every memory. It’s the kind of story that makes you want to shout just one more chapter until you realize you’ve read the whole thing in one sitting.

I’ll be honest, the beginning took a little time to find its footing. I wasn’t fully invested until about the halfway point, but once it clicked, it really clicked. From there, it was off to the races. The pacing sharpened, the tension ratcheted up, and suddenly I was flipping pages like my life depended on it.

What really stood out to me was the courtroom drama—it was taut, layered, and grounded in emotional stakes. It wasn’t just about who was lying or what twist was coming next (though there were plenty of those too), but about the weight of family loyalty, betrayal, and survival. The legal strategy felt believable without bogging the story down in jargon, and every revelation felt like a punch to the gut in the best way.

I also loved the alternating POVs. Getting into the killer’s head? Absolutely chilling. It added this delicious unease to everything else happening on the surface. You never really know who to trust, and that uncertainty was so well done. Every character felt like they had something to hide, and I was hooked on trying to figure out what the truth actually was.

If you love legal thrillers that keep you guessing, with morally grey characters, sharp writing, and a plot that gets under your skin the deeper you go, this one absolutely delivers. Just be prepared to question everything—and everyone.

I love this series so much that I'm willing to overlook the *glaring* NYC anachronisms (finding parking directly out front of every building you need to go to? really?). This book is another great twisty legal thriller. And I ate it all up.

The new characters add different flavors to the mix, I'm looking forward to seeing how they feature in future books. The old characters are back at it again and they've got some new tricks. The story had lots of twists and turns and I never truly knew the direction it was going in.

I don't totally understand the US release order, I've read the 8th book but this is the 5th and it "releases" in a month? Whatever, thankfully this series doesn't require you to read them in order, it's just helpful to do so.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another edge of your seat Legal Thriller by Steve Cavanaugh!

A prominent Figure, ex- Mayor of NYC, is found murdered, in fact fileted 70 times, in his bedroom and the police respond to 2 911 calls made within minutes by his 2 estranged daughters, who are both covered in his blood accusing the other of murdering their Father.

Ex Con Man, turned Lawyer, Eddie Flynn, is lucky enough to represent one of the sisters in what will turn out to be trial of decade in NYC . With each new piece of evidence, and revelations that witnesses are being killed by a mysterious biker all clad in leather, clues are dropped that make the reader question just which sister is the murderer and which one is being framed by the other. As the story unfolds, and the joint Trial begins, both Eddie, and new hotshot Lawyer Kate Brooks believe they are representing the innocent sister and try to steer the Jury to convict the other sister, while the DA sits back hoping to convict the right one.

This one will keep you guessing till the end, and keep you up all night trying to figure out if was Alexandra or Sofia. Highly Recommended!

Fifty fifty by Steve Cavanaugh.

A 911 call comes thru from a hysteric young woman yelling through the line that her father’s been murdered and my sister Sofia has killed him.

Talk about hook line and sinker! I was shook by this book and scooped in for the long haul!

What a trip with defense attorney Eddie Flynn! This book was suspenseful, dramatic and put me into borderline hysterics!

I loved it! Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this arc!

Steve Cavanaugh is a genius. His books never cease to leave me with my jaw on the floor and turning the pages so fast that my head spins!

Eddie Flynn is back at it again when two sisters are accused of murdering their father. Eddie knows he's representing the innocent.

This book will make you second guess yourself so many times while you are reading it. I never knew what was fact or fiction with the guilty party.

I also loved the "She" chapters. They were fun and added so much more to the mystery around the story. Flynn's character is hilarious!

thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this advanced e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

Fifty Fifty had all of the makings for a perfect mystery and the two 911 calls + She chapters (from the POV of the sister who committed the crime)= chefs kiss!! However, it felt wordy and dragged at points and left me disappointed! Was I disappointed because my expectations were so high or because the execution just wasn’t there?

This was soo good. I was convinced I knew who the killer was the whole time and I was floored by the ending. This was a part of a series but it read well as a stand alone. I'm definitely going to binge more books by this author.

Another wonderful book by Steve Cavanaugh. Two sisters who hate each other are alone in the house with their murdered father...which of them killed him? Loved the two POV on this.

Twists and turns, just loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Two sisters arrested for the same murder and they blame each other! Courtroom drama at its finest! I cannot get enough of Eddie Flynn and this amazing series! I first heard of Steve Cavanagh when picked up “kill for me kill for you” and that was a 6 star read so of course I had to pick up his other books! So glad I did I hope he keeps writing these wonderful stories I can’t get enough!