Received from NetGalley.

Alright so, a few months ago I got an ARC of the 8th book in this series.. without realizing it was the 8th when I took it. Being a procedural with an interesting premise, I took a chance jumping in at book 8. Well, it was great. There was just enough personal stuff to feel for the characters without being too heavy that I felt like I was playing catch up. The case itself sucked me in.

But I have been bogged down by ARCs to go back and ready the 7 previous books.

So when Fifty Fifty came my way, I was like sure, I might as well keep going with book 9. Readers, it was not book 9. This wasn’t an advance. It was book 5 and it came out in 2020.

Putting aside my eye twitching at not only starting at 8 and then going back and ready 5, the premise was too good to skip over.

I mean. Really. How could I not read this? No regrets.

Now I’m taking a break from ARCs to go read book 1. Though I was tempted to just go to book 6 but I don’t think I could take being that chaotic.

Another book by Steve Cavanagh that DIDN'T DISAPPOINT! I need the Eddie Flynn series to be made into a tv series, stat. Much like the other books in the Eddie Flynn series, Fifty Fifty grabs your attention from the first page. We follow Eddie Flynn and a rival lawyer as they defend sisters who are blaming their father's murder on each other. What really keeps you guessing though, is the POV of 'she', presumably the guilty sister. I thought I had it figured out about 20 times throughout the story, and I still wasn't right in the end. While I didn't predict the ending, I also didn't find it as shocking as Steve Cavanagh's endings normally are, which is why I'm giving it a 3.5 stars!

I will always recommend Steve Cavanagh, so run to pick this up on June 3rd!🫶🏻

LOVED! This book was fantastic and I will be buying a physical copy to add to my shelves. I loved the characters and how the book unfolded! highly recommend!

Cavanagh does it again!! Kept me hooked from the beginning!! Loved this legal thriller!! Would highly recommend.

Thank you net galley for this ARC!

Fifty Fifty is my first Steve Cavanagh book, but definitely not my last. This had me instantly hooked, and kept me guessing the entire time!

I can't get enough of Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn series. I am planning to go back and read them all!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and I just love Eddie, Harper and Harry I can’t get enough! With every chapter I kept switching on which sister I thought was the killer and it had me questioning everything. It kept me on my toes and the twists were great, the ending was perfect.

The story of two sisters, Sofia and Alexandra Avellino, who are both accused of murdering their father, a former New York City mayor. Each sister blames the other, and they are on trial together before the same jury. One sister is a liar, and one is a killer, but which one? The novel explores themes of betrayal, family secrets, and the complexities of legal proceedings. Eddie Flynn, a lawyer with a strong sense of justice, is drawn into the case, representing Sofia and trying to uncover the truth

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC
Publication date :June 3, 2025

Since going to law school, I have mostly stopped watching and reading legal shows and books because I typically can’t enjoy the experience anymore because of the way many characters act with reckless abandon over their legal license. Having loved Kill for Me, Kill for You though and knowing Steve Cavanagh practiced as a lawyer, I was intrigued to give this a try. It took me a bit to get into, and the sexism and harassment Kate faces at her firm was too close to home, but by the 30% mark when Kate pulls out her “nuclear option,” I was strapped in.

Fifty Fifty is a suspenseful, fun ride. I enjoyed that Eddie and Kate relied on clever thinking and their detail-oriented eagle eye for their arguments, making the trial scenes compelling. When they do act in ways they probably shouldn’t as lawyers, it was justified because of the situations they’ve been placed in. The way Cavanaugh switches perspectives from Eddie to Kate to “She” helps build the suspense, and I was particularly at the edge of my seat during “The Dark Red Night.” While I called who would be the killer, there were plenty of twists and turns, and it was very satisfying that all the clues that are dropped along the way are eventually tied up.

There’s too many books on my TBR and legal thrillers aren’t my cup of tea anymore, but I can see myself one day revisiting the Eddie Flynn series again, especially with the exciting new beginning the book leaves these characters at.

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

I'm such a huge fan of Steve Cavanach. But I really wish these books would be re-released here in the US chronologically because I read book 8 first, which came out this past March, and that would have made a lot more sense if I'd read this book, book 5, which has a lot of the backstory I was missing.

That said, Fifty Fifty was a disturbing, twisty book that probably requires a lot of readers advisories for graphic violence and self harm. The premise is SO clever, though I sort of figured out how things had to end up.

I need to go back and read in order, if I ever have time!

This was an easy 5 stars for me! Steve Cavanagh is very quickly becoming one of my top authors. I love his writing style! This was twisty, emotional, and beautifully written, definitely one of my favorite reads this year!

3.5
I've become a fan of Eddie Flynn, Cavanagh's fictional, street smart, rule breaking, attorney who does what needs to be done to bring justice to his clients. This book is no different with a new case of sister against sister, it's a 50/50 chance that one will be acquitted and he's hoping it's his client, who he's certain is innocent...but is she?

First of all, I don't know that there would ever be a case done this way?? I'm no attorney, but it seems very unfair and a slam dunk for the prosecution. Overall it was a bit confusing and I didn't feel like the clues were there to really allow the reader to smart out this book for good or bad. It was maybe a bit simplistic, or I could have used more tangles within the storyline. I loved the SHE chapters where we heard the voice of the killer but didn't know who the voice belonged to.

All of this said. I definitely plan to continue reading the Eddie Flynn books, backlist and moving forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this gifted e-ARC.

Now THIS is a thriller!

Absolutely loved this book. The perspective switches from the trial to the POV of the murdering sister were so captivating and kept me picking up little threads and hints of who it might be based on little personal elements revealed about each sister. I especially loved that it wasn’t just about solving a who done it murder, but that we got the perspective and insight of the murderer herself to help understand everything.

The slow reveal of information and backstory and character pieces allowed things to feel like they were slowly sliding into place, but whenever I thought I knew which sister it was, a new reveal had me second guessing and switching sides yet again. This book kept me second guessing up until the very last pages! It could have easily been either of them or both of them, and the book made sure you knew it.

Well written, captivating story, and had me invested from start to finish.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC of this e-book! This book was originally published in the UK in 2020 and is being released in the US soon. I LOVED it! I am a big fan of a good, twisty, court room thriller and this one was just that. It is part of the Eddie Flynn series, but can totally be read as a stand-alone (although I do recommend you read them all!!). My first 5-star read of 2025!

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this as an ARC. I’m giving this book 3.75 stars. This is the second book from this author I have read. The first was an instant hit for me. This one was so close to being that as well. The premise of this book caught my attention. It sounded like it had great potential. All throughout the book I was constantly changing my mind on who was guilty. I would think one way and then change my mind thinking it was too obvious. I loved all the twists and turns throughout this book. However I was bored during a lot of it. This book took me a long time to finish because I had to force myself to finish a bit of it. The 60% mark is when I finally wasn’t able to put it down.

Two sisters on trial for their father's murder. Each daughter is represented by a lawyer who goes in thinking theirs is the innocent one. Then the trial begins and doubt sets in. As the plot rolls out, little clues line up with one or the other. The reader is pulled one way and then another, as is the jury. Eddie and the opposing counsel, Kate, begin to realize that there is evil in the courtroom. One of these lawyers will find themselves on the losing side. Will the right sister be convicted? Top notch courtroom drama and a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I have not yet read a Steve Cavanagh book where I know what’s gonna happen next and Fifty Fifty was no different. This book had me gripping my seat in anticipation the entire time. This family murder drama had me gasping and i was flip flopping back and forth until the very end on who I believed committed the crime. Steve Cavanagh is a genius with these courtroom thrillers!

Loved it!
The back and forth POV of Kate and Eddie were great, but the 'She' POV added so much to the mystery and suspense of this story. I went back and forth constantly trying to figure out if it was Sophia or if it was Alexandra, I was obsessed.
Chapter 24 was pure stress, I eyes couldn't read it fast enough!
Chapter 41 & 47 had the courtroom vibe of My Cousin Vinny or A Few Good Men. I could see it playing out in my head and hope they turn this into a movie so I can watch these scenes.
I need to go back and start the Eddie Flynn series from the beginning.

I am quickly becoming a big fan of Steve Cavanagh's books! This is my third one by him and he has not let me down yet! I love the cast of characters in his stories and I have been flying through them all!

I will never forget about this book as every time I drive by a pharmacy I will forever picture a killer swinging an axe. I don’t think I’ve ever felt an actual sense of fear reading a killing in this nature than I did when I read this part of the book.

All that to say this book was GREAT!!! I just love this authors writing. He constantly has you guessing who the killer really is all the way up to very end of this book.

Special thanks to this author and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.

4 stars

Oooh what an intense little family homicide. This had me gripped the entire time. Cavanagh is one of my favorites in the genre and I will always recommend him. This one is definitely a top contender amongst his books.