Fifty Fifty
By Steve Cavanagh

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: June 2, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is my second Steve Cavanagh ARC, and my third book by him.

I enjoyed this book. The back-and-forth was so well done and the twist was expertly executed.

I’m so glad Atria is publishing this paperback installment of Eddie Flynn.

Read if: you want a good legal thriller with a GREAT twist.

After discovering Steve Cavanagh last year, I jump at the chance to request any ARC from him. I love his writing style and was extremely excited to snag Fifty Fifty, especially after reading the description -- which was before I realized this was another Eddie Flynn book! As always, I loved the alternating POVs and the fast-paced, inventive plot. Cavanagh has such a way of making the reader feel like they know where the book is going, only to flip the script. Needless to say, I could not put Fifty Fifty down!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book. Eddie Flynn is back, baby. This is the fifth book in the series but can be read as a standalone. I absolutely love Eddie. His con man turned lawyer thought process is my favorite. I enjoyed the killer's POV as well. As always I was left on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to finish it (in a good way!)

This was a good read. Cavanagh’s ability to craft a suspenseful narrative made it difficult to put the book down and I finished this quickly as I wanted to know the end! I am excited to explore more books in this series.

This is book 5 of the Eddie Flynn series and it keeps getting better. This story is a multiple POV about two sisters on trial for murder. Alexandra and Sophia are estranged and on the night of the murder 911 receives two calls from each sister.. however you do not know which one is guilty. Through many twists and turns, you are on the edge of your seat trying to figure out truly who done it love this story and it’s a great thriller.

Fifty Fifty
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“At first, watching the light die in a victim’s eyes was exhilarating. Like watching a kind of transformation. Life to death. All of it at her hand. There was no remorse. No feeling of guilt.”
👨🏻‍⚖️🔪
I think a lot of us have read a murder mystery where the whole family is a suspect, but I don’t think I’ve read one where sisters are pointing their fingers at each other and it really is fifty fifty, back and forth, the whole time and I really enjoyed it! I think some moments felt a little bloated, but overall it kept a good pace and I didn’t want to put it down! I think if you’re a fan of crime/court shows you’ll enjoy this one. I was taking notes the whole time trying to figure it out step by step! It has some gory details, but I love that lol I was hooked from the beginning! I don’t want to say too much, but definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)
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This is part of a series, but I was told I could read it as a standalone. I’m sure if I read the other books I would have a relationship with some characters, but I didn’t feel lost at all! Thank you @atriabooks @sscav and @netgalley for this e-arc, it comes out June 3rd!

Thank you @atriabooks for the digital arc!

Two sisters accuse each other of murdering their father. Which one do you believe?

It’s been a while since I have been this impressed by a thriller! This one was very clever and had me guessing until the end. The endearing characters offset the gruesome murders and the courtroom drama was shocking and entertaining. I highly recommend this one and can’t wait to read more of the Eddie Flynn series!

Rating 5

Fifty-Fifty is the fifth installment of the Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanagh and I’m ashamed to say it was my first one. But fear not, it will not be my last, not by a long shot. Fifty-Fifty is the story of two sisters and what starts as one brutal murder. Each pointing the finger at the other, evidence leads in both directions. So who is innocent and who is the killer? Well it’s a fifty-fifty shot, you see.

This story is told from multiple perspectives and I kind of loved it that way. You get to see the process of both defense attorneys who are utterly sure that their client is the innocent one. Sprinkled throughout the story there are truly chilling chapters told from the killer’s perspective. I had no idea which way was up half the time and Cavanagh’s ability to mislead and completely bamboozle his readers is unmatched. There are parts of these legal thrillers that strike me as a bit far-fetched but I was still thrilled to be on the roller coaster. I could not put this down and I will be picking up the others immediately. Do yourself a favor and read these books. Just don’t get too attached to your theories because Cavanagh will blow them out of the water every chance he gets.

A huge thank you to Atria books for offering this title for advanced review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Fifty Fifty

Okay so this was amazing and interesting from the very beginning. I could not believe this was Book 5 in a standalone series or that I was jumping from multiple POVs AND STILL DID NOT KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED! Sometimes, multiple POVs can give away details so I was absolutely shocked that this did not disappoint.

Not to mention the mystery killer can cook and garnish a plate to PERFECTION!! I really enjoyed the killers POVs way too much.. The only part I did not buy was the sister’s dislike for each other, it’s unbelievable or not enough reason for me.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you @atriabooks & @netgalley for letting me read this e-ARC!!

This is the fifth in the Eddie Flynn series and my first. My feelings about this story are mixed The premise is fascinating as are the twists. Two sisters separately call in the murder of their father, each blaming the other. Both have secrets galore...but they're not the only ones. Eddie is a criminal defense lawyer who can usually tell by asking his clients one question whether they are guilty or not. This is a different case. It was fun to try to figure out which sister could have done what by learning more about their lives and back story.

However, I dislike when an author makes political points which have nothing to do with the story, regardless of the party. Parts of the story are a bit dry. It is also time for me to stop trying to enjoy legal thrillers and stick to domestic and psychological thrillers instead. Overall, I was not riveted as much as I had hoped. I did try!

The ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one had me guessing whodunnit right up until nearly the end!! 🙌

Another great installment in the Eddie Flynn series!! While it is part of a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone! Definitely check this one out, as well as the rest of the series! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Steve Cavanagh for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️ I will definitely be picking up a trophy copy to display on my shelf!

**4.5-stars**

Fifty Fifty is the 5th-installment to Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn series, but it's only the 2nd-book that I've read in the series thus far. Take it from me, I say this with confidence, it doesn't matter where you start with this series, as long as you start it.

If you aren't familiar with the series, as I wasn't, it does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around New York City.

This starts off with such a bang, and it never let go of me. A complete mindf#*k, if you will. The opening scene features a 9-1-1 call that introduces us to the gruesome crime that is going to pull Eddie into a case for the record books.

Two sisters, Alexandra and Sofia, one of them brutally murdered their father, but which one? Eddie thinks he knows who the guilty party is, and he only chooses to defend innocent people. Thus, he chooses to defend the girl he thinks deserves to be free, but is he right?

Fifty Fifty was such an incredibly fun ride. This case is hella dark and twisted, the two sisters pitted against one another, it was so intense. I couldn't put it down. My head was spinning the whole way through. I flipped back and forth between the two sister suspects so many times, trying to figure out who the killer was. It was completely engaging and wickedly compelling.

I love the way Cavanagh provided clues along the way that could've arguably fit either girl. It was a mental workout trying to figure it out, and I love a good workout. I'm so happy to have discovered this series in 2025. These gorgeous new covers being released by Atria are the perfect reason to snatch them all up for my bookshelves. I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you enjoy fast-paced, high-stakes, twisty Legal Thrillers, I highly recommend the <i>Eddie Flynn</i> series!!!

I had already read and enjoyed the first 4 books in this series when I saw this one come up. I liked the idea of a conman turned lawyer. This one keeps you guessing back and forth the entire time. You think you know but it's 50/50!

Very good!!! Great twist!! However some parts dragged on and would have loved to hear more from the killer/suspect point of view!

I found this book to be a captivating read, alternating my attention between the two sisters as I attempted to solve the mystery. The author's ability to craft a suspenseful narrative made it challenging to put the book down, and I eagerly anticipated discovering the truth. I am excited to explore more works by Steve Cavanagh.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh is a paperback release.

"Two sisters on trial for murder. They each accuse the other. Eddie Flynn only defends people accused of crime if they're innocent. He believes the sister he's defending is the one falsely accused. The other sister's lawyer believes the same about her client.

One sister is a killer and a liar. Which one?"

This is another Cavanagh book where you never know who is guilty until the end - the very end. Cavanagh always saves a twist for the end. He's setting you up the whole time. There are red herrings and misdirection galore. There is tragedy and surprise in the courtroom. Fans of Cavanagh will recognize some future allies. Flynn is a great character from SC. There are many layers to and it's nice to see some humanity and depth in him.

This was the perfect beach read. Tell people to leave you alone and find an umbrella to read it under.

Eddie, Harry, Kate, and Bloch...name a better team? I love these books and really enjoyed this one. The only reason for removing a star was that they came to conclusions so quickly that made me think "how would they know that???"

Until the last couple of chapters, you think you know which of the sisters killed their father. Also a little voice in your mind is telling you that this is too easy and making you question if you are getting played. This is that kind of a book. This is that kind of a plot. You question every clue, every decision, every guess. It's "Fifty Fifty" after all.

Two 911 calls saying the same thing: "send help, my sister killed my father". The ex-mayor was found brutally murdered in his bed. Both of his daughters were in the house and blaming each other for the murder. They hated each other to begin with and their mother's death did not change the dynamics (it actually made it worse). One was successful, loved, and outgoing; the other was battling mental health issues, and detached. It's up to Eddie and newly minted Kate to figure out which is the liar and which is the victim.

I'm reading this series in random order, but after reading books 5 and 8 it's safe to say I'm going to read the rest of the series for sure. I really appreciated Cavanagh including real court procedures into these stories without making it too academic. I'll be back for more.

This felt like reading Law and Order:SVU. I typically go for more thriller vibes, so this was a little too criminal procedural for me, but it was still very entertaining! I knew that there would be a twist with the sisters, but the ending felt kind of predictable. I wish it was a little more spicey, but it was quite nice and tidy and the characters felt interesting.

4 stars
Wow, this book had me guessing who the murder was until the end and it was a true 50-50 chance that it could have been either of the suspected sisters.

Two sisters, one brutal murder, and a courtroom battle where only one can be telling the truth. Alexandra and Sofia Avellino both claim they found their father’s mutilated body—but each insists the other is the killer. Now, they face trial together, with a single jury deciding their fate.

The authors writing is so captivating and it makes it feel like I am there along side Eddy and Kate trying to solve the crime. The POV chapters of the murder were the ones I looked most forward to read because I was trying to find little clues to figure out who is the murder but again, I was split fifty- fifty on which sister.

If Steve writes it, I will read it. He has quickly become an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this complimentary e-book in exchange for an honest review.