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.

My friends are OBSESSED with Steve Cavanagh and particularly the Eddie Flynn series so I was extremely excited to get an ARC of the first US publication of this novel - it did not disappoint!

I did find the writing to be a little disjointed, choppy, and repetitive at times but it wasn't so distracting that I couldn't enjoy the book. Cavanagh is masterful at planting seeds of doubt as you read and that was exemplified perfectly in the 'SHE' chapters. I truly could not guess what was happening until the final chapter and the whiplash between the suspected sisters was exhilarating.

Honestly - how can anyone not love Eddie Flynn? This was my first of his series but it certainly won't be my last!

Fifty Fifty ⚖️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Suspense, Legal thriller
Pub Date: June 3, 2025

Two sisters each call 911 to report the attack on their father. Each sister blames the other sister for this gruesome murder. Which one is guilty?

This is another book in the authors Eddie Flynn series. Eddie is a former con artist turned lawyer. Thankfully you can read this Eddie Flynn book as a standalone, and you won’t miss a beat. I really loved the plot of this and looked forward to figuring out the mystery. I really liked all the characters as well, and found them to be well developed. I did have a lot of fun reading this and enjoyed reading from a few different perspectives.

For a seasoned thriller reader, I don’t think the ending will be very shocking. I think this book was still entertaining and would make for a good palate cleaner or something to try to get you out of a slump. I look forward to reading more in the Eddie Flynn series and seeing what other cases Eddie Flynn will pick up!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Atria Books for the advanced copy!

Have you ever binged a book that left you not wanting it to end because it's that good, but at the same time you want to know who the killer/killers are? This is that book!

This book is about two sisters who are accused of killing their father. Eddie Flynn, a reformed con now turned lawyer, takes on cases based on his ability to read who's innocent. He is representing one sister and Kate, a new attorney trying to make a name for herself, is representing the other.

This book has so many twists you won't know who to believe or who did it. It will leave you speechless at times and you'll find yourself switching sides so much you'll get dizzy. The only part of the book I didn't like was Part 4. You will have to read it to know why. This is my second Eddie Flynn book (Thirteen was the first and great also) and I can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read! Two sisters, found next to their murdered father’s body and accusing each other. Either one could be guilty but which one? Eddie Flynn is the defense lawyer for one sister and Kate Brooks for the other. During the trial it was never completely clear which sister was guilty. That was what kept me on the edge of my seat. I have not read anything by this author before but am now going to read everything!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this was a fun courtroom thriller & i read it in one sitting!

i wish it was more unpredictable though because it was so obvious who it was that i didn’t think it could be her.

Absolutely amazing. Kept me on my toes through each twist and turn. Was a very quick and easy five star review.

I wasn’t aware this was part of a series; that being said, I think it did a good job of making a new reader welcome to the background of the characters. A bit predictable but I enjoy a legal thriller and I could see myself reading the rest of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.