Reviews - Fifty Fifty | The StoryGraph

1.59k reviews for:

Fifty Fifty

Steve Cavanagh

4.21 AVERAGE

staceynicoleb's review against another edition

3.5

tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

thesiberianamerican's review against another edition

3.75

dark sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you!

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I loved Kill for Me, Kill for You, but I really felt like I was slugging through the middle of this book. Once the trial started it did pick up the pace a bit, but the ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me (maybe because I never really wavered from who I thought killed Frank). Still an overall interesting read but didn't really feel like a thriller.

hobbyist_tm's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A few days after I read this book, I realized that the story was straightforward, and yet I still have not discovered who the real perpetrator was. There were moments when I had to stare at nothing just to ponder how horrible the acts were — especially that one situation there where Eddie Flynn was deeply devastated and heart broken. Nevertheless, our amazing defense lawyer was still able to push through and fought the case head-on. His trial techniques were still remarkable and his ideals were still in tact.
At the very end, justice has been served.

manda_lynne's review against another edition

2.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

booknallnight's review against another edition

5.0

fast-paced

Man I love this author. Everytime I grab an Eddie Flynn book I am sucked in and it's hard to come back to the real world. I keep running back to these pages because I just have to know what is happening next.

I must be getting better with deciphering this author's intent because two of the biggest twists I actually figured out ahead of when they were revealed. That in no way took away from the book as a whole because until the twists were revealed it could have gone either way.

Absolutely love this author's writing. If you enjoy police procedurals and legal thrillers, grab anything by this author. I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

marym2215's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

When the police respond to a grisly murder at the home of former New York City mayor Frank Avellino, they’re faced with a chilling dilemma—both of his daughters, Alexandra and Sofia, have called 911 within moments of each other, each insisting the other committed the brutal act. As the investigation unfolds, both women are arrested and placed on trial together in a rare dual-defendant case, despite each claiming to be innocent. Eddie Flynn, the sharp-tongued defense attorney with a knack for impossible cases, steps in to represent Sofia, while newcomer Kate Brooks fights on Alexandra’s behalf. With two sisters, two competing legal teams, and only one truth, the courtroom becomes a high-stakes battleground. Throughout the novel, shifting points of view, including the voice of the unnamed guilty sister, deepen the mystery and lead to a shocking finale.

As someone already hooked on the Eddie Flynn series, I went into this book expecting to enjoy it—and I wasn’t wrong. That said, I did find the early chapters a little drawn out. The setup, though essential, didn’t move as briskly as I’ve come to expect from Cavanagh. But once the story hit its stride, particularly in the latter half, it became a compulsive read. The interplay between Eddie and Kate added a fresh dynamic, and the inclusion of the mysterious “she” perspective was a brilliant way to keep the tension simmering. I especially appreciated how the legal strategy unfolded like a game of high-stakes chess (pun intended), with each side trying to outmaneuver the other and keep the prosecutor at bay while the truth remained elusive. By the time I reached the trial scenes—always my favorite part of these books—I was fully invested. The suspense was pitch-perfect, and the twists kept me guessing until the final chapters. Overall, the second half delivered everything I love about this series - smart twists, sharp dialogue, and a payoff that made the wait worthwhile.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Fifty Fifty in return for my honest review.