I didn’t realize this was a re-pub when I requested it, but I’m so glad I did! The Eddie Flynn series is something of a treasure. The writing was great & all the characters were so well thought out! I devoured this, especially the “She” chapters! I love that Cavanagh gives us the perspective of the bad guy! Those chapters were so chilling and a lot of fun to read. I’m so glad we got a full circle moment for Kate at the end! I was rooting for her!!!
Overall this was great, I did suspect the “who did it” but when you only have two to choose from, it was a fifty fifty shot (see what I did there).

Fifty Fifty is a book that took me on a rollercoaster ride! It gave me horror and mystery vibes. The book started off very interesting, then took a slow turn, got even more interesting, then a slower turn, and then it had me hooked line and sinker about fifty percent in! The characters were very well developed and I could tell that there was a lot of research that had gone into writing this book. It felt like watching a real life trial, while reading this. The only downside to this story is that I knew who the murderer was throughout most of the book, which took away the mystery aspect of it. It was still an amazing read! This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more!

This book is about two sisters that claim the other one is guilty for the murder of their Father. Both Alexandra and Sofia call 911 around the same time, claiming the other is at fault. The sisters end up going to trial with a jury. However, only one of them is innocent. The content warnings include murder, self harm, violence, death, and grief. Be aware of any triggers and keep yourself well. My rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to author Steve Cavanagh, Atria Books publishing via NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is set to be published in the U.S. on June 3, 2025!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Fifty Fifty" by Steve Cavanagh is an absolute rollercoaster of a thriller! Just when you think you've figured out who the killer is, another twist throws everything into question. The tension is relentless, the courtroom drama is gripping, and the twists keep coming right up until the final pages. If you love a book that keeps you guessing, this one is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC copy. This is an honest review provided in exchange for a free ARC.

This was an amazing book! I loved the story and it keeps you guessing who did what and it worked until the very end!

4.5⭐️

Wow! I throughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. This was such an interesting story and i truly appreciated the character depth, writing style, and overall plot. I was stunned by the resolution and was kept guessing until the very end! I really enjoyed Kate and Bloch’s relationship in parallel to Eddie and Harry as well!

The changing POVs were so fun and added so much to the story. The anonymity of the sister POV is what truly keeps the suspense and uncertainty going throughout! I definitely enjoyed this story and hope to read more about Eddie Flynn in the future!

Fifty Fifty perfectly describes how I felt through pretty much the whole book. I won't lie, I was starting to get a little angry because I kept flip flopping who I thought did it. Just when I thought I was solid, something else would pop up and I'd change my mind. This book was filled with lots of drama and plenty of misdirection to keep things interesting! If you are easily frustrated, maybe avoid reading this one...otherwise, highly recommend!!! Lol!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Steve Cavanagh does it again! I love his Eddie Flynn series and so intricately different but in line the series is. They can be read as standalone or in order. It’s brilliant, just like the stories. You can’t help but wonder how many books can you write and still be different cases all together, but here we are and I love every single one of them. Witty, emotional, deceptive, clever, the book has it all. And you never see the ending coming or how Eddie is going to pull it all off and still come out on top. I highly recommend this book and all of his others to everyone.

I can not say enough good things about this book. I felt sad, happy, scared, and frustrated (in a good way) while I was reading this book. It has everything. Steve Cavanagh never ceases to amaze me with his storytelling. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another piece of evidence would be found or another twist would happen. Fifty fifty is an amazing read!

5 stars. It must be said that the Eddie Flynn books are my favorite thriller/mystery series, and Cavanagh is probably the only thriller/mystery author that I consistently read. If you haven't read the Eddie Flynn series, Eddie is a former conman turned lawyer, and he routinely uses his conman skills to help him win cases. I truly LIVE for his tricks (whether they are in the courtroom or beyond). Fifty Fifty might be my second favorite book (I'm not sure if anything will top Thirteen) in the Eddie Flynn series. As with every Eddie book, I had no idea how things were going to play out, but I so very much enjoyed the ride. This one kept me guessing until the very end--I truly never knew where I stood. In Fifty Fifty, there's one victim, and two suspects. The potential suspects are both sisters, and the victim? Their father. Both are on trial, and one of them is most certainly guilty. The question is, which one? There's a fifty/fifty chance the Eddie is defending the wrong sister! I will NEVER tire of reading books in the Eddie Flynn series, and I hope it's one that continues for years to come. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone, but there is some character overlap with previous books. So you could start here, though the entire series is great. I did purchase a copy when the book was first released, but thank you so much to Cavanagh, Atria, and netgalley for the complimentary copy of the re-released version! I love the new cover. And I love the series (and this book so much) so much so that I was absolutely willing to do a re-read only a few years after the original release.

As I find with all Steve Cavanaugh Eddie Flynn novels, Fifty Fifty is well-paced, twisty and an absolute blast to read! I'm a huge fan of legal thrillers and the Eddie Flynn series puts a create and unique spin on the genre.

When I requested this ARC, I didn't realize I had actually read it a few years ago. The title sounded familiar, but I assumed it was a new release. Totally my mistake and no fault of the publisher.

This is an excellent series and Witness 8 (the newest installment in this series) is scheduled to publish later this month. I've also read that one and it was EXCELLENT!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Steve Cavanaugh for an advance copy of Fifty Fifty in exchange for my honest review.

Pardon the pun, but I’m truly fifty-fifty on this book. From start to finish, Steve Cavanagh masterfully keeps readers on their toes, dropping twists and turns that make you second-guess everything. I usually pride myself on figuring out the culprit early, but this one kept me guessing—right up until the reveal. That said, I was a bit disappointed by the outcome. While the journey was engaging, the final twist felt too obvious, and I found myself wishing for one last shocking reveal to truly blow me away. Still, the suspense and courtroom drama made for an entertaining read.

Note: I received an advanced copy of Fifty Fifty in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely addictive. This is one of page turning thrillers that you can't get enough of and hate when it ends. Just when you think you have it figured it out, your slammed with a twist. Hold on tight for this wild ride.

Chilling intense and mysterious and I loved it. I will read more of steve's future works. I loved this

📖 ARC Review Release Tour 📖

Book Title : Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

PUB Release Date: June 2nd 2025

My Rating : 4 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am not a fan of legal thrillers , however I was introduced to this author last year and his series with Eddie Flynn an Excon now lawyer and there is something about the rawness and his dark edge that hooks you in to his stories .

Fifty Fifty is book 5 of the Eddie Flynn series , and which I did not know when I requested this ARC , but can TOTALLY be read as a standalone!!

This is a classic Who Done It story !

A He said She said …but in this case She said , She said … 👀

The story starts off strong with a 911 call 📞 that someone has been murdered…then another calls in for the same location to report a murder .

Two sisters go head to head .

Can cool cat steady Eddie read between the lines and be able to tell if he’s being conned and figure out if she’s telling him the truth or will be persuaded into believing someone else’s truth ?

If you’re a fan of legal thrillers then definitely add this one to your TBR , this is a fast paced read that had me jumping all over the place 😳 and stole a few hours of my sleeping time from me !

PS when are we getting the TV adaptation of this series ????!! 📺
Thank you NetGalley , Atria Books and Steve Cavanagh for this gripping page turner !

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh is the kind of thriller that keeps you flipping pages like your life depends on it! Two sisters call 911, both claiming the other just murdered their father. One of them is lying. From there, it’s an intense courtroom battle with two defense lawyers trying to figure out which sister is a psychopath. Every chapter throws in a new twist, and just when you think you’ve figured it out the author flips the script again. I loved the multiple POVs between the lawyers and the sisters, and the jaw dropping reveals!

4+⭐️
The new cover/paperback releases June 3rd.

Excellent “whodunit” — quite the reading roller coaster. I highly recommend for those that love the courtroom drama and mystery. It’s smart, fast paced and twisty plot. I was IN it from start to finish.

Pretty sure I changed my mind 10x on who did it. This is part of a series but I read it as a standalone. This made for a nice genre switch-up.

P.S. if you’re a physical book lover. You’ll want the new paperback coming out in June.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Fifty Fifty.

I read the 8th book in the series and didn't realize this was #5 since there's no mention of it in the description.

I feel the publisher should be transparent that this was a previously published book because I thought it was a new novel from the author.

I liked the premise and the author's writing and once again he delivers a suspenseful legal thriller with plenty of courtroom drama.

In the fifth book, two women are accused of murdering their father, the former mayor of New York City.

Eddie, since he's so street smart with great instincts, believes he's representing the innocent daughter. But who is playing whom?

You can't help but like Eddie; he fights for the underdog because he used to be one..

It's in the the way he's dressed, the way he talks, his former life of crime as a con man and hustler, the 'people' he knows and will assist him in his legal pursuits.

But at the same time his skills and instincts are almost hard to suspend disbelief in.

The narrative is full of twists, turns, murders and hard to suspend disbelief for yet you're curious to see how the author will pull it off.

I enjoyed the courtroom drama, though it was a bit full of legalese and exposition, but the author clearly knows how to plot and structure a legal thriller.

I just wish the blurb had been honest about this book not being a new release.

I made it about a quarter of the way through this courtroom thriller before deciding to put it down. While I can see the appeal for fans of the genre, it simply wasn't for me.

Courtroom thrillers aren’t my typical read, and unfortunately it didn’t take long for me to realize I wasn’t caring about the story. The most jarring aspect was the constant misogyny faced by Kate, one of the key perspectives. While it’s clear the book doesn’t condone this, Kate’s chapters in the first quarter felt entirely defined by her struggle against it. To me, it became exhausting and, frankly, depressing to read. The persistent focus on the male-dominated environment and the objectification she endured left me drained, and I didn’t feel any real sense of relief.

Another issue I had was the author’s heavy use of misdirections. Mainly with the incomplete perspective of the “She” character, it quickly became obvious who the author was trying to misdirect us to. Once I figured out where it was headed, I lost all motivation to continue. Maybe the payoff was worth it for someone who enjoys the build up and twists, but I didn’t want to read about the hot-shot lawyer finding the next “fake” lead again.

In the end, this book wasn’t the right fit for me. While I can see its potential for readers who enjoy courtroom thrillers, it didn’t do enough to keep me hooked. I’m sure others will get more out of it, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

This was really good. I just wish it was disclosed on NetGalley that this is the fifth book in the series and that it’s pre-released. This is the first time I’ve encountered a book like this on here? Regardless though, it was a really good read.

Super disappointed to see that this is not only a previously published book, but also that it is number 5 in a series. Neither of those pieces of information is provided in the NetGalley description. This is partially my fault for not researching more thoroughly on GoodReads before requesting, but if this was included in the NetGalley description I would have never requested. I think other reviewers should be aware.