I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Legal drama with multiple POVs alongside multiple twists? YES. I am all for it. Really liked this book and would love to check out more books by this author. It looks like this title has been out for a few years, so wondering if he is gearing up for a re-release with a new cover since it looks different on NetGalley.

The beginning of this book had me hooked from the get go and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I enjoyed many of the characters in this book and found Eddie to be quite witty and smart! Also love that he is ethical and only defends those he feels confidently are innocent.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a complimentary early release copy of Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh.

We get quite a few different perspectives in Fifty Fifty mainly from the lawyers perspectives. My favorite parts of the story have to be the perspective of “She” I really enjoyed those parts. I liked the gory aspects and thrilling moments but most of the story is a bunch of lawyer mumbo-jumbo that I struggled to understand and honestly found to be a bit boring to read. I didn’t know this author nor did I realize this was part of a series called Eddie Flynn (a lawyer series).It looks like the series can all be read as stand alone books but you’d probably have a better understanding/feel of the characters if you’d read them in order. The book does give some background on Eddie so I wasn’t left completely in the dark about his character.

I thought there were going to be more scenes or perspectives between the two sisters, I would have liked to see how things had played out from their perspectives before and after the crime had happened. The sisters themselves are interesting characters, the story does really make you switch sides between the two making it a literal Fifty Fifty on who to believe. The way things played out were interesting but a bit confusing at times, the story has an equal mix of characters that I liked and despised. Some of the reveals played out nicely but after the end of the story I’m left just feeling okay about things.

I’m a huge Steve Cavanaugh fan; especially his Eddie Flynn series. A con man turned defense lawyer is a unique twist for main character in a legal thriller. i read and greatly enjoyed the UK edition of Fifty-Fifty when it was originally published. However I was thrilled to learn that Atria Books has brought the co-edition to the U.S. so I could add it to my bookshelves. I expect thousands of readers will find the entire book lives up to its tense first few chapters. I was asking “whodunit” after the first few pages.

Two 911 calls within seconds of each other screaming that the former mayor of NYC was brutally murdered in his own home. The suspects? His two daughters, less than a year apart in age, each claiming the other murdered their father. Both expressed their love for their father and hatred for each other. One is a murderous psychopath and the other a truly loving daughter. Which is which is the key to the highly charged murder trial and will leave the reader guessing to the very end.

Steve Cavanaugh cleverly builds the tension by labeling his chapters by major characters with the murderer called out as “She.” The chapters jump between the two defense lawyers, "She" and a few of the other characters. Poor Eddie also has to deal with a major personal loss that tugs at him before and throughout the exhausting trial. Eddie is defending one of the sisters, emotionally unstable Sofia, while the other sister, Alexandra, is represented by Kate Brooks, a young but very sharp lawyer handling her first big profile case. Add the racist jerk of a prosecutor and a dodgy judge and you can expect the courtroom scenes to provide some memorable moments.

I really enjoy the parts of the book where Eddie relies on his con man skills to obtain evidence, clues, and mentally mess with his opponents. He may go over the legal line at times but it’s always to benefit his client’s case. Steve Cavanagh is an engaging storyteller, knowing when to toss in a twist or two. I was constantly asking myself: Sofia or Alexander is “She?” I admit I gave up.

Cavanaugh knows how to offer his readers a legal thriller that asks the reader to come along for the ride of a lifetime. I could not put the book down until the murderer was revealed. I am absolutely delighted to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy one of Eddie’s greatest courtroom exploits in Fifty-Fifty.

I was able to finish Fifty Fifty this week on my lunch break at work and it was soo good!

Steve Cavanaugh is the man! I am a superfan now. If you enjoy mysteries, psychological thrillers, and/or courtroom suspense and haven't jumped on the bandwagon, now is the time. His book Kill For Me, Kill For You was amazing and has had such great success recently that the publishers are releasing some of his older work in paperback and with new covers. His newest book Witness 8 (LOVED) is the eighth book in his Eddie Flynn series, and has had great success as a standalone. I read Thirteen (book 4) from the series a few years ago and also LOVED it, so I was excited when I got approved on Netgalley to read Fifty Fifty (book five). Steve is a former lawyer so you get a good dose of legal education, and a look into how things go down in a courtroom and behind the scenes of a trial.

Super quick synopsis:
Sisters Sophia and Alexandra are both present when their dad, a former mayor of New York, is brutally murdered in his home. Each calls 911 on the other and blames them for the murder. Who did it?!

I was fully onboard from the start. The premise is wild and the way he tells the stories from the different perspectives of people involved is so bingeable and intriguing. I was guessing who it was until the end and absolutely flew through this one. Go get it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was everything I've come to expect from Cavanaugh's legal thrillers! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time trying to figure out which sister did what! If you love juicy, twist courtroom thrillers, this one is for you!

(Eddie Flynn, #5) - 3.5

❊ Sibling Rivalry
❊ Murder Mystery
❊ Courtroom Thriller

This one had me invested from the start. Sofia says Alexandra did it. Alexandra says Sofia did it. Someone is lying. This is a sinister story of misdirection. I love a good courtroom thriller, and this book delivered just that.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is Book No. 5 of the Eddie Flynn series, and the first I read. I’m not sure about the other books in the series, but this can be read as a stand-alone.

The story hooks you at the beginning, with two calls to 911. First, Alexandra Avellino calls to say she has just found her father’s stabbed and mutilated body, her sister is the killer and she is still in the house with a knife. Then less than a minute later, Sofia Avellino calls to say she has just found her father’s stabbed and mutilated body, her sister is the killer and she is still in the house with a knife. The remainder of the book is told from three viewpoints: Eddie Flynn as Sofia’s lawyer, Kate Brooks as Alexandra’s lawyer, and someone named She as the killer.

The sisters are going to be tried jointly, and I was expecting a more substantive courtroom drama. The courtroom testimonies and scenes weren’t all that interesting or entertaining. Most of the focus is on the lawyers’ mix of emotions as they present their case, trying to connect with the jury, each realizing maybe they were wrong and their client is the killer, doubting their performance, thinking on their feet, etc. I would have liked to learn more of the process of a joint trial, like who goes first and how is that decided, how does jury selection work, etc.

The plot gets stretched a bit thin, and the ending is a bit predictable. As for Eddie Flynn, I liked him as a character but at the same time there was something off putting about him. He certainly doesn’t miss a chance to tell you he is superior, and his conceit and smugness becomes monotonous. Kate is portrayed as the bright young lawyer, but I found her a bit meek. She is the victim of sexual harassment, and I was looking for her to stand up for herself a bit more. I understand when it’s the partner of the law firm, but when it’s a peer, I wanted her to display her strength and initiative, to stand up for herself.

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special thanks to netgalley and atria books for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars. this was a pretty good read. my biggest issues were that it dragged at times/felt longer than necessary and that the whole legal process being the main focus of the story was a bit boring for me at times. everything tied together very meticulously and enjoyably in the end, but i think i would’ve enjoyed it more had the plot been more focused on the “thrill” of the story rather than the trial process.

would still recommend this for sure, especially to those who enjoy the more legal side of things.

I will read anything by Steve Cavanagh because WHEEWWWWW this was good! This book kept my attention the entire time. I needed to know which sister did it and I did guess it after the first twist was revealed but it was still such a great book in my opinion. Super fast pace and keeps you wanting to read more!

Two sisters have been through a life of misery. Both call 911 one evening and report their father dead, killed by the other sister. So, who did it?

Sofia has a history of mental health issues, while Alexandra seems perfectly well put together. Eddie is called in to interview for representation and automatically is suggested for Sofia. He obtains the case and starts his investigation. Shortly after, his investigator / love interest is murdered and he must continue on.

Will he find the real killer?

Steve does it again, not sure how. But I was hanging on to the edge of my seat.
I'm not a legal thriller type of reader but Steve Cavanagh is quickly becoming a binge-worthy author.
when both sisters accuse the other of killing their father, who do you believe?
The one who is put-together and has everything to gain (as said father is a millionaire) or the mentally unstable sister, who also has everything to gain.
Follow the mastermind as he weaves a story from both defenses point of view and the killer.
It will lead you one way, then another, then another, until you're not sure which way is up.

Another great read from Steve Cavanagh. It had me second guessing til the end on who really committed the murder. Highly recommend for a fun and fast paced read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Fifty Fifty is exactly what you'd expect- lawyer with morals defending one sister. Another lawyer with morals defending the other sister. Which sister is lying?
I think this would be a very interesting book if it were written from the perspective of both sisters. Instead, it became a little hokey and predictable. Of course, Eddie Flynn is perfect, and able to catch everything, including Kate's issues at work (eye roll). There wasn't anything gasp worthy, but I will say that it was fast paced and a little fun. Just know what you're getting into, and you won't be disappointed.

Interesting and fast paced. It’s a quick read and would recommend it; however with this author I keep feeling there are so many loose ends which are conveniently left hanging. Only reason it doesn’t get a 5 star.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh took me completely by surprise with how deeply invested I became in the story. It was the kind of thriller that I had no real expectations of going into it besides an intriguing sounding description and was completely blown away by in the end.

There are so many things about this book that I loved and could go on about to encourage readers to pick it up. It is both a murder investigation and a court trial, both filled with so much tension and uncertainty. It genuinely keeps you guessing who the murderer is and is filled with such high stakes that it honestly becomes impossible to stop reading because you just want answers and relief from the constant back and forth of which sister is the true culprit. What adds greater stakes to this is the fact that you get the point of view of both trial lawyers, so just when you think you want to see the namesake of the series come out the winner, you develop a sympathy for Kate, the lawyer of the other defendant, and also don’t want to see her be the one to defend the murderer.

I really like that it provided the point of views of both lawyers, and on top of that there was also the non-identifying point of view of the true murderer throughout the course of the novel that gave insight into what “she” was doing throughout the course of the trial to cover her tracks and frame her sister. Another aspect to this book that actually took me by surprise was just how deeply invested I became in the characters in such a short timeframe. This was my first Eddie Flynn series book, and despite the fact that it’s in the middle of said series of books, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything important to the character and previous stories told. From this I assume they each can serve as standalones, allowing readers to jump in at any point in the series as I did. The fact that I was able to care for the characters so much in such a short number of pages really shocked me, especially because side characters were included and I was genuinely concerned about a number of them because the killer proves herself to be quite deadly and unafraid of killing throughout the book.

The highlight of Fifty Fifty for me ended up being the trial itself. It has been a long time since I’ve found a thriller that actually focuses on the trial aspect of a case, and this was so well done in this book that I was completely invested in this book from the start of the trial. I loved a well written court case focused novel and this was everything I could have hoped for. My takeaway from this book quite frankly, was that I’m very much looking forward to reading more of the Eddie Flynn series, because I really hope I’ll come away with a similar experience to this one. I definitely recommend this book to fans of thrillers and/or court cases, because it did not disappoint and now I feel fully invested in diving deeper into this series of books.

I absolutely love Eddie Flynn—he’s such a sharp, compelling character, and I can’t wait to read more of his cases. Fifty Fifty had me completely hooked from the start. I was second-guessing myself the entire time trying to figure out who the killer was, and I never saw the final twist coming. It’s a clever, tightly plotted legal thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

Loved this book! See my detailed review below and at the link! Thanks for the ARC. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Review:

I cannot get enough of the recurring main character, Eddie Flynn, and Fifty Fifty is another standout entry in what has become one of my favorite legal thriller series. This installment is super suspenseful, keeping me guessing right up until the final pages—and packing an emotional gut punch that stayed with me after I closed the book.

In Fifty Fifty, Eddie is defending one of two sisters—twins—both accused of the brutal murder of their father. From the very start, the question lingers: Is Eddie representing the innocent sister, or has he been manipulated by a cold-blooded killer? That tension builds beautifully throughout the novel, with Cavanagh masterfully weaving in twists that never feel cheap, only earned.

New characters add fresh layers to the story, and several are easy to root for (and hard to forget). The courtroom scenes are as gripping as ever, and Cavanagh continues to strike that perfect balance of clever plotting and real emotional depth.

This is a worthwhile and thrilling addition to an already amazing series. Fans of smart legal thrillers, sharp dialogue, and characters who feel real will find so much to love here.

I received this as an Arc from NetGalley and I am so happy I did.

This book had me addicted since page one! Major twist and turns that some had my jaw dropping. It was fast paced and was easy to follow.

Two sisters both accusing the other of murder.
Both of the presumed guilty. Both hire lawyers that they hope are going to get them off.

It’s a matter of who did it. What is real and what isn’t. Who is corrupt and who isn’t.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves who did it and who likes twist and turns

Great suspense book! It got a little gory at times, but I was definitely guessing until the end! I do wish that I had known it was part of a series, but I think other than knowing some background, it wasn’t a huge deal to read it without other books first. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing a copy of Fifty Fifty by Steve Cananaugh. I liked Kate and more books about her would be amazing. I have read other Eddie books and this was the first one I really loved. HIs emotional side added a lot to the story. It was fun and easy to read. The ending wasn't a huge surprise, and the clues pointing to one sister were sometimes implausible. I loved the courtroom scenes, and the parts where the lawyers confer were compelling. If you want a book that will keep you glued to the pages, try this one! 4 stars.