Our first ever Steve Cavanagh novel. Two sisters, one murderer but which one is it?
Fifty Fifty – the blurb
Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other.
Who do YOU believe?
‘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.’
One of them is a liar and a killer.
But which one?
Just another American twister
Fifty Fifty is my first time reading Cavanagh, despite it being the fifth book in the Eddie Flynn series. I was initially surprised Flynn was American given my knowledge of Cavanagh. I love the Two Crime Writers Podcast so regularly listen to his Northern Irish tones. Cavanagh was also a solicitor in Northern Ireland and I just presumed his books would be set there as well. Or at least in the UK. I think this set me off on the wrong foot and I felt like I was reading just another American lawyer shock twist book that, quite frankly, I’ve read too many of.
She may be the face I can’t forget
The premise is two sisters in a house with their father when he is murdered. Both claim the other sister did it and both are put on trial. The true killer is of course not revealed, though insights into her disturbed mind are given in chapters entitled ‘She’. Cavanagh cleverly writes it so it could theoretically be either sister, though it does mean a slight repetition in text from time to time to continue with the ruse. It’s not overdone however and it does work.
Courtroom knit picking
As ‘shock jock’ as the premise was, as the book developed the premise rapidly became the book’s shining light. Following the two legal teams as they worked the case, choosing to tackle different witnesses and evidence was fascinating. The book came to life in this part and I LOVED the courtroom knit picking.
The inevitable twists were present complete with cinematic finale for those who like to speed to the end but I beg you, don’t. Really take the time to savour the middle of the book. It’s fab.
Worth the wait
Being my first Cavanagh I’m not sure which characters were in the previous books and to what extent. For me there needs to be a lot of back story with Harper to justify Flynn’s elongated response (trying not to give too much away but perhaps “A flick of the switch” too many?) I like Harry, and Bloch and newcomer Kate. There are definite future novels to come from this team. I already have Thirteen on my TBR shelf (well why read them in order when you’ve just read the latest one). At the time of writing Fifty Fifty will be published in September 2020. It’s well worth the wait.
If you are needing something to tide you over until then, try the latest one from Steph Broadribb – Deep Dark Night