This is the first book I have read by this author and I can safely say it won't be the last!
Perfectly paced with a storyline that has you on the edge of your seat, this is without a doubt one of the best thrillers I have read to date. An absolute must read!.

Intense, twisty and just the perfect bingeworthy thriller! If you’ve not read this one, you’ll want to add to your tbr immediately!

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review, and what a book it was. This is the best Eddie Flynn book to date, and one that will keep you guessing until the very end.

The story follows lawyer Eddie and his team, and lawyer Kate and her team on the murder trial of the centaury. Two sisters on trial for the murder of their father. Who will you believe? No-one can call this, it is fifty-fifty throughout the entire book and you will probably change your mind at least fifty times or more.

This was an incredible storyline and truly shows the brilliant mind of the author, put that together with an incredible set of characters and what do you find – one hell of an un-put-down-able read.

There were so many excellent characters in this book, the majority of which were likeable but each and every one of them was incredibly well written.

I am the biggest fan of Eddie Flynn, i love everything their is about him but my favourite character in this book had to be Kate, she is completely relatable and such a strong, independent yet sneaky character, i just absolutely loved her and judging by the ending of this book, i presume whilst also hoping with all my fingers crossed, that we havent seen the last of her.

This was a fantastic thriller, that kept me on my toes throughout.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

Steve Cavanagh never disappoints. All of his books are super intriguing, I race through them at the edge of my seat. I would recommend all his books including this one if you like thrillers.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

This is another addition to Steve Cavanagh's legal thriller series set in New York City, featuring Eddie Flynn, an ex-con man turned lawyer.

Eddie is awaiting the verdict on his latest court trial, a decision that he can't call as it is fifty-fifty as to which sister the jury finds guilty. Previously, estranged sisters Alexandra and Sofia Avellino, both phoned the emergency services in separate calls from the home of Frank, their murdered father, and the former New York City mayor. He had been stabbed, with each sister accusing the other of the crime. With Eddie representing Sofia, Kate Brooks represents Alexandra but which sister is telling the truth?

This explosive courtroom thriller is told principally by Eddie, "She" who is the killer, and by Kate. Fifty-Fifty is the first book in the series I've read and it's a corker. As I tried to decipher each snippet of information, I was playing jury, and the story really got under my skin. The plot is slick, the pacing is fast, and the flow is exciting, tense and extremely twisty. It’s well written by Steve Cavanagh and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time in anticipation of the next jaw-dropper. Sharp and packed with tension, don't miss Fifty-Fifty!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Orion Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Another great marvel from one of my favorite authors I also bought the book three times for others to read...

Steve Cavanagh has a way to keep you guessing till the very end and even then has a way to spin the ending in a direction you never knew. From the moment to the very end this book will keep you wanting to turn the next page a story that kept on giving I don't want to say too much more it's just one of those reviews you just have to trust me and read it for yourself would hate to leave any spoilers..... Can't wait for his next book they just keep getting better.

Fifty fifty by @sscav is the second story that I’ve read and I must admit that I was even more intrigued by it because I have a sister and there was a time when only me, my sister and my father lived together.
I absolutely love the book. From the first chapter to the last, the author has a gift in making up wonder what’s coming up next and even when you know it, it turns out it’s not that! All these twists and turns, all the lies and hidden truths, everything adds up to a great story that I highly recommend for the thriller lovers.

Absolutely brilliant! This is the second book I have read by Seve Cavanagh and they have both been so good, I have downloaded all his other books onto my Kindle.

You're never quite sure which way it's going to go - one sister is a murderer but which one? Really cleverly written, as I kept changing my mind about which sister it was.

Bravo!

I’m back from maternity leave to review the most recent book from one of my favourite writers. Fifty-Fifty was released in Ireland back in April 2020 but a few small things got in the way so I couldn’t write any reviews for a while.

If you haven’t read the Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanagh, as well as his stand-alone Twisted, I implore you to get them all asap. Fifty-Fifty, a recent Richard and Judy book club pick, is the fifth in the series and follows the best-selling Thirteen, the well-deserved winner of the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year in 2019. The series features Flynn, a surprisingly likeable and vulnerable ex-conman turned criminal defence attorney. In Fifty-Fifty, Eddie is representing Sophie Avellino, one of two sisters who are both accused of killing and mutilating their father, the former mayor of New York. Both sisters, who are very different, are testifying that the other is the murderer. The other sister, Alexandra, is being represented by Kate, a new character in the series, who is a lawyer in the mould of Eddie. The book switches between multiple perspectives including Eddie’s, Kate’s, and the guilty sister’s referred to only as “she”. The sections narrated by “she” are cleverly written to keep us guessing about the killer’s identity as we’re constantly given conflicting clues about her identity.

This shifting perspective works particularly well in the section called The Dark Red Night, where the narrative cuts between different characters to masterfully build tension and suspense. Needless, to say, the payoff is well worth the build up. The section demonstrates Cavanagh’s skill as a thriller writer and he has revealed that it has even upset readers. The section also demonstrates that we can’t trust anyone’s perspective. This is a book about duplicity, facades, and our need to uncover the truth as Eddie and Kate are trying to do. This is also evident in Kate’s experiences with her employers at the start of the book as she works to reveal the sexism at the heart of the company.

The book is gritty, very fast paced, and full of tension and it can easily be read as a standalone. It’s incredibly original and a clever version of the whodunnit and, like all of Cavanagh’s books, we know we’re going to get a thoroughly satisfying ending.

A perfect pacey crime thriller with a brilliant premise. Two sisters accused of the brutal murder of their father. Both blame the other, and evidence places them both at the scene.... lawyer Eddie Flynn takes on the défense of one twin, and new lawyer Kate takes on the other.

Read by both me and my teenage son... Great to have an author that has real widespread commercial appeal.

“Fifty Fifty” is another triumph from Steve Cavanagh. Gritty, pacy and utterly absorbing, this may just be Eddie Flynn’s greatest case to date!

When former NYC mayor Frank Avellino is brutally murdered, both of his daughters call 911. Accusing each other of the murder, both are taken into custody. Former conman turned lawyer, Eddie Flynn, agrees to take on Sofia Avellino’s defence case. She’s the more disturbed of Frank’s daughters and the more obvious suspect. Kate Brooks is an associate at one of the city’s biggest firms. Involved in Alexandra Avellino’s defence case, she will make some major decisions that will impact both her’s and her client’s lives. Who is defending the innocent sister and who is defending a cold-blooded killer? Or are both lawyers defending a guilty party? This case is anything but straightforward and Flynn and Brooks may just need to work together to find out which sister committed the patricide...

Steve Cavanagh keeps going from strength to strength and the Eddie Flynn series is one of my favourite crime fiction series. There’s a distinct easiness to Cavanagh’s writing, which makes his books a joy to read. I love going deep into the legal process and this is always accessible and incredibly interesting in this series. “Fifty Fifty” is no different and the complexities of the various legal conundrums in this book make it an incredibly gripping read. There is plenty of action during the initial investigation into the crime, but it is during the trial sequences that Cavanagh comes into his own. Drawing on his own experiences of the legal profession, he captures the tension, atmosphere and drama of the trial effortlessly. I really felt like I was in the courtroom with yen characters and I was sucked right into the crime and the both the prosecution and defence of both sisters. Cavanagh is also fantastic at creating a cast of characters that you either love or hate. As much as I was cheering on Flynn, Ford, Brooks and Bloch, I was equally seething at the arrogance and contemptibility of Dreyer, Judge Stone and Levy. It’s always great to read a novel that you can feel so passionately about the characters.

What I find most exhilarating about “Fifty Fifty” though, is Cavanagh’s ability to keep you guessing about each sister’s guilt. Their father’s murder is disturbingly dark and brutally vicious (as are the other murders that are peppered throughout the narrative), but despite this, I felt compassion and sympathy for both sisters, even though I knew one of them was evil personified. I genuinely didn’t know whether Sofia or Alexandra was guilty throughout the novel. As soon as I felt certain I knew which one had committed the crime, Cavanagh threw another piece of evidence or a curveball in the plot to make me doubt myself. Cavanagh’s style worked really well here and I enjoyed reading the chapters from the culprit’s perspective. These were really enlightening into the killer’s psyche and so well written, as there are no huge reveals as to which sister it is. The writing from different perspectives also lends itself really well to creating a razor sharp atmosphere and edge of your seat tension. This is perfectly executed in the sequence where the killer strikes somebody in one of the legal teams - the chapters fly between the killer’s perspective and the potential victims and it is a genuinely breathtaking, taut and memorable part of the novel. In fact, it’s one of the most well written sequences in a thriller that I’ve ever read and the memory of the anxiety induced heart palpitations I felt during it will stay with me forever!

“Fifty Fifty” is an exceptionally excellent read that I highly recommend. Do not miss it!

A father is murdered by his daughter-but there are two of them and each blames the other. Who to believe when there is evidence and motive got both. The reader is treated to insight from one of the sisters, revealing a psychopathic mind but we still don't know which one. Can Eddie Flynn work out who to believe as he is hired to represent one? This unputdownable tale is comoelling and clever, keeping you guessing till the very last page

Another fantastic instalment in the Eddie Flynn series, cementing Eddie's place as one of my all-time favourite characters. A twisty and fiendishly-difficult whodunit that kept me engaged from the very first page.

Superbly written, I absolutely love these books, before reading I was sure this couldn't match the brilliant 'Thirteen' ... I was wrong - it can and does.

So glad this author now writes full time as the world needs more Eddie Flynn,and quickly please!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the opportunity to read and review this clever, clever book - an unreserved 5 stars!

Absolutely outstanding. Once again, Steve Cavanagh writes another phenomenal book. I was hooked within the first few pages. I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a heart racing page-turner!

I Love court room dramas, & fast paced novels. I have read Cavanaghs previous books & really enjoyed them. This book was so exciting & gripping. The writer has serious talent & each book is better than the one before.

Fifty Fifty is the latest book in the Eddie Flynn series. A very clever, fast paced twisty courtroom drama which had me hooked from beginning to end. A fantastic book and a must read. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love legal courtroom thrillers. And as I loved all the Steve Cavanagh books I’ve read before, I had no doubts that I would love this one. It even got bumped up ahead of the books I had planned out to read for my #10BooksofSummer. It was well worth it though.

There was no fifty fifty chance of me loving this book, it was 100 % book love and consequently book hangover!

Two sisters, Sophia and Alexandra are both in the house where their father was murdered. Both sisters call 911 within minutes of each other. Both sisters blame the other for killing their father. But which one did the crime?

Eddie Flynn is a defence lawyer that has led a colourful life before he became a lawyer but has some morals and rules for his clients. He wants to defend the innocent! But how do you know who is innocent.

I love most books that have a heavy base in the court room. I like to see how lawyers play their game and how their use of words, phrases and specific questioning can influence the jury to go their way.

We also get introduced to a new character Kate who is defending Alexandra. I have a feeling we will see lots more of Kate in the following Eddie Flynn books.

This book kept me guessing right the way through. Was it Sophia or was it Alexandra. Did Eddie choose the innocent sister or was he duped??? A book that keeps you guessing and changing your mind the more clues you hear is a clever book in my mind.

As I read and condensed the evidence each lawyer played out in court, from their questions to the expert witnesses, I wondered which way I would have gone if I were sat on the jury.

Steve Cavanagh is definetly one of my favourite authors and I will recommend his books to all who like crime thrillers, legal thrillers and courtroom thrillers. Eddie Flynn is a character that has many layers and the more I read about him, the more I like him.

Well written with a plot that flows easily enough to keep you reading past your bedtime. It includes twists and red herrings and a bit of evil senseless criminality. Great characters with depth and grit. Just a really really good read that deserves all the 5 star reviews it already has. Mine is about to be added to that pile of rave reviews.

I’m already looking forward to the next book this talented imaginative author writes.

What an absolutely brilliant book!

This was the first Eddie Flynn book I've read and I want to go back and read them all! (For anyone wondering, this can absolutely be read as a stand alone book.)

What starts out as an horrific enough crime, quickly becomes evident that is it not the first and certainly not the last at the hands of a sadistic, evil, clever and manipulative killer. I was intrigued as to how the author would give us the account of the sisters but without giving away who the murderer was. This was brilliantly and expertly done with the account of 'SHE'. I changed my mind time and time again but in the end just decided to play it out without guessing and enjoy the book. The reveals are brilliantly done; in particular, there was one specific chapter which stood out for me and showed the authors sheer brilliance as we didn't know who the next victim would be.

Steve Cavanagh is clearly an exceptional writer. The plot is brilliant and had me gripped right from the very beginning. Cavanagh's ability to change the reader's mind with every passing chapter had me hooked. Cavanagh wants you to change your mind and he'll tell you exactly when you're going to change your mind! The writing is just so clever. The characters are all brilliant and their interactions are well developed and enjoyable. The developing relationships are really good which leads to further character development for each major player in this book.

The court scenes were written brilliantly. It was easy to see yourself right there with the defence teams and the pivotal moments of the trial where bombshell evidence was revealed. There was a few moments where my jaw dropped, I just hadn't seen certain things coming and it really made me appreciate what a really great book this is.

Fifty-fifty is just a fantastic book that I enjoyed immensely! In case there was any doubt, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Steve Cavanagh and Orion Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.