Thanks to NetGalley as well as Atria Books for this ARC ebook. Eddie Flynn, ex con man turned lawyer never takes on a client unless he truly believes they are innocent. Sofia and her sister Alexandra both dial 911 and accuse each other of the murder of their wealthy father. Eddie takes on Sofia as his client and is bound and determined to prove her innocence. I thought I had things figured out early on but this fast paced thriller had me going back and forth on who I thought was guilty. I thoroughly enjoyed this as I have with the several other books I've read by Steve Cavanagh.

Fifty Fifty is another blockbuster for Steve Cavanagh. A wealthy man is murdered. Two of his polar opposite daughters are on trial for his murder. Eddie defends one daughter with the aid of Harry and his lovable sidekick. Kate, who strikes out on her own, defends the other one. Throw in a crooked, racist judge and a couple of additional murders, and you have the perfect Eddie Flynn pageturner. Do not walk - RUN to your favorite book vendor and buy Fifty Fifty. You can thank me later.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I loved this book. I have read several books by Steve Cavanagh And this was my favorite.

Wow- where do I start. From the very first chapter I was hooked and invested. What a story line for a book.

There was one chapter that had me on pins and needles. ( Chapter 39) The way this chapter was written was insane!

I changed my mind on who-done-it after every chapter. The court room drama, friendships and respect of the characters for each other made this such a great book.

Highly recommend.

🤔 🤔🤔The only thing was :

I read Witness 8 and then Fifty Fifty ( some of the characters, including the dog came about in this book- but were already in Witness 8/ They were released out of order in the US I think)

A father and public figure dead. His two daughters arrested for the crime. Which one is guilty?

Though I’ve had the Eddie Flynn books on my radar for quite some time, this was my first time reading the author.

The synopsis was very interesting to me so I decided to give it a try (despite being the fifth title in an established series). I started this, to be pulled into the story right away and I liked the storyline (minus a couple of issues), and the characters as well.

I found *Fifty Fifty* well written, engaging, and a fun read. It also kept me guessing right up to the end. I enjoyed this and will definitely read more of the series.



Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC

This book I could not put down loved it from beginning to end. I would highly recommend!! This isn't like something ie read before.

Book Rating: ⭐️ 5/5

Wow…this was such a gripping thriller! From start to finish, I was completely hooked. It felt like watching a hit TV show, except I didn’t have to wait a week for the next episode!

The story plays with some familiar thriller tropes, a picture-perfect blonde daughter rising in her career and a dark-haired, troubled sister who seems self-destructive. While these clichés could have felt tired, Steve Cavanagh breathed new life into them, making the narrative feel fresh and engaging rather than predictable.

The heart of the story revolves around a murder trial, with each sister blaming the other for their father’s death. Attorney Eddie Flynn is tasked with defending Alexandra, the seemingly perfect daughter, but as the case unfolds, doubt creeps in, was she truly the right choice to defend?

This book was fast-paced, compelling, and full of twists that kept me guessing. It was my first read of this kind for the year, and it absolutely did not disappoint! If you love courtroom dramas with strong suspense and sharp storytelling, this is a must-read.

I devoured this psychological murder mystery and immediately felt the urge to reread it to catch all the subtle details I missed the first time. I found myself awake at 3 a.m., unable to sleep, completely consumed by the story and desperate to know what happened next.

The alternating perspectives were incredibly gripping, and I loved being inside the mind of the murderer without knowing their identity. A significant portion of the book takes place in a legal setting, which was a perfect fit for me, though I can see how the legal terminology and depth might be challenging for some readers to keep up with.

The prose and pacing were spot on, keeping me hooked and craving more while allowing me to keep up with the twists and turns.

I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series and look forward to more thrilling stories by Steve Cavanagh! Thank you to the publisher for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just when you think you've figured it out, Steve Cavanagh pulls the table cloth from under the glasses, and all your theory crumbles. If you love legal thrillers like me, this is a must read, basked in suspense, its packed with courtroom drama, and shocking twists.

When I received this book, I hadn't realized it was the 5th in a series. Thankfully, you do not need to read this series in order.

Fifty-Fifty is about the investigation and trial of 2 sisters who both claim the other killed their father. Both called 911 the night of the murder. Throughout the book, you get multiple POVs, including both lawyers, the investigators, and the real killer, simply labeled "SHE." We are left guessing through the whole story which sister actually committed the crime. After every "SHE" chapter, I kept flip-flopping my guess on how the book would end.

I will be adding the rest of the Eddie Flynn series to by TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy in exchange for my review.

Five stars!! Everyone loves a courtroom drama. Eddie Flynn is a smart, savvy lawyer. Frank, the former Mayor, is found murdered in his home. His two daughter, who were in the home at the time, discover the body and each call 911 accusing the other of the crime. One sister is a working professional, while the other has mental health issues and there are millions in inheritance on the line. Someone has to pay for the crime and the only possible suspects were the two sisters who were in the home at the time of the murder. Bet you won't guess who did it.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books & Steve Cavanagh for sending me this Arc!

I do have to say, this was a slow start for me. The book and background were written well, I think it was slow for me for the building for the story and the background itself.

At 40% is where I got straight up hooked and finished the last 60% of the book in just a few days.

The story was captivating. I will say...I sided with the jury.

The twists that come in the last 25% of this book, I could not believe. Steve set this book up so good, I am now an Eddie Flynn fan!

Absolute page turner. I love all the books by Cavanagh, but this might be a new favorite. Well done.

This book had one hell of a opening! I ended up reading this in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. Steve Cavanagh is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors

Fifty Fifty is another great book from Steve Cavanagh, one of my favourite authors! This is a 5 Star read with twists and turns that I did not see coming. Thank you Netgalley for this amazing e-arc!

'999 / 911' - what's your emergency? Is the opening for this book.

Me…. ‘999 / 911' My heart can't take this adrenaline rush and nerve wreaking story. Ok, I'm hooked on Eddie Flynn, an addict for Steve Cavanagh’s writing, and I have adored this book 'Fifty Fifty'!!!. I'm having palpations.😀

Operator… ‘999 / 911' Your craving will be satisfed. There are more books in the series. No need for treatment this is a normal reaction.

Gritty, immersive, and oh so clever. A psychological roller coaster of a story with twists and turns that has you guessing to the end and constantly questioning and reassessing which sister killed their father and possibly their mother, an accident which is now in question. As new evidence is presented, more of the backstory is revealed, along with new murders in the present that heighten the tension in the story to the last word.

The Book starts with a destressed call

'911 what's your emergency?'

'My dad's dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She's still in the house. Please send help.'

'My dad's dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She's still in the house. Please send help.'

Two defence teams go head-to-head against each other and against the prosecution who don’t care whether both did it, or either one murdered Frank Avellino, because any of these scenarios give them the assured conviction of someone for the grotesque murder. Case closed for them.

The motive is clear Frank Avellino is a multi millionaire and was about to change his will to cut one out - but which one. Both girls were rejected by their father after the accidental death of his second wife (which is now in question!!!) and sent off to boarding school with little contact from him during holiday periods. His first wife, a cold and aloof woman, demanded excellence of her daughters, in the game of chess in particular. Far from being the loving mother her punishment was to bite her daughters for making the wrong chess moves. So, you can see why both or one suffers mentally from the relationship with both parents which leads to unimaginable hatred and psychological damage.

However, one is also evil (referred to a 'she' in the book), a daughter who murdered her mother, her stepmother and then her father. Which one, it’s a fifty fifty decision.

Review and Comments

This is probably my favourite Steve Cavanagh book to date. Maybe, then again, I also loved The Defense, The Plea and Thirteen.

I can’t say anything about the twists because it would be easy to spoil this for other readers who haven’t delighted in this book already. Good sister versus’s evil sister.

However, this was a cracking suspense thriller that kept me hooked, absorbed, and totally captivated and my favourite kind of thriller. I loved the intelligent way in which Flynn contests, and sometimes destroys the evidence and the so-called expert witnesses. I love his humour and witty retorts.

The characters are deliciously evil, well developed, cunning, and clever. The book alternates between the various characters narrating. Eddie (Defence), Kate(2nd Defence), Sofia (accused), Alexandra (accused) and ‘she’ the evil, disturbed and calculated woman who shows no remorse for the numerous murders she has and will commit during this exhilarating story. The stakes are high – it can only be one of two – its fifty fifty.

Storyline and Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Brilliantly devised and executed plot.

Main Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Eddie is my favourite book lawyer. Love the dark humour, understated intelligence and acute mind that spots everything.

Writing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ clever, easy to read, captivating, and suspenseful. A fantastic crime author.

Yes, I admit to loving this one. I can’t get enough of Eddie Flynn, and I can’t get enough of Steve Cavanagh’s psychological thrillers. Most are 5 star reads, and this one is no exception.

This was an amazing book! Such a page turner. It's a story of two sisters who blame the other for the murder of their father. You wont want to put the book down. The perfect mystery of who did it. This was my first book by Steve Cavanagh. Even though it is part of a series, it can definitely be read out of order. I would definitely recommend this book

wow omg i am slowly becoming a steve cavanagh fan. this story is a little bit more complex. so two sister, a 911 call made at the same time by both sister who telling the truth?eddie take on one of the sister sofia, this is a truly terrific thriller.

This was so good! My second book by this author and it’s just so enjoyable. As a lawyer myself, I really appreciate the accuracy of the legal concepts in this book. A page turner!!!

Ahhh this was so good!

We follow Eddie Flynn- an attorney representing one of the two sisters that are accusing each other of murdering their father.

This story keeps you guessing on whodunit.
This is part of a series, but I definitely believe it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley/Publisher for the ARC!

I was captivated from the first chapter and couldn't put this one down. We are given a scenario in which we have two sisters with similar motives, similar opportunities, but only one that did it. The parallels that Cavanagh created between the two truly kept me guessing until the very end. There were scenes that had me gripping my kindle with suspense wondering where he was going to take the story. I truly loved the side characters and the witty banter throughout. This story was phenomenal and I can't wait to read more of Eddie Flynn series!

POV: 1st, singular/3rd, multiple
Angst: high