Title: Good Girl, Bad Girl

Author: Michael Robotham

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Publisher: Little Brown Book Group UK

Publication Date: 23rd July 2019

Cover:

Summary:

The girl with no past.

Six years ago, Evie Cormac was discovered, filthy and half-starved, hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a shocking crime. Now approaching adulthood, Evie is damaged, self-destructive and has never revealed her true identity.

The boy who survived.

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven, a man haunted by his own past, is investigating the death of champion figure-skater Jodie Sheehan. When Cyrus is called upon to assess Evie, she threatens to disrupt the case and destroy his ordered life. Because Evie has a unique and dangerous gift – she knows when someone is lying. And nobody is telling the truth.

Review:

So I’ve never read a book by Michael Robotham before but when I read the description of Good Girl, Bad Girl it really appealed to me and I’m so glad it did. I will definitely be looking to read more of Robotham’s work because this book seriously impressed me. I was immediately hooked by the characters. Evie is so incredibly fascinating to read about and she also has this unpredictability which left me on the edge of my seat throughout. Cyrus is the point of focus in the story and he is just as interesting as Evie. He has a complicated and tragic history that we are given hints about as the plot progresses and his relationship with Evie is one of the most compelling aspects of Good Girl, Bad Girl. It is not a relationship which has obvious parameters and I loved watching them try to figure out how to trust and be around one another after their lives draw them together.

This book is not your typical police procedural or thriller. It looks more at the psychological aspect of crime and at the way society treats people who are different like Evie. The story has two strands to it – one follows Evie and her struggle to achieve some level of normalcy after a mysterious and horrifying childhood. The flip side to Evie is Jodie, a talented and seemingly perfect figure skater who has been found dead near her home. Cyrus is involved in the investigation into her death and because of her link to Cyrus, Evie becomes entangled in it too. I genuinely had no idea how this story was going to unfurl, which is something I love in a book like this. I was racing to get to the end which was helped by the fact that Good Girl, Bad Girl has a fantastic pace to it, not once did I feel a lull in how compelling it was and there was an intensity running through the prose that felt relentless. I don’t want to give too much away concerning the plot because I think it’s unpredictable nature is one of the best parts of the book but I can honestly say this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. I am very much hoping Robotham is intending to continue with these characters in the form of a series because I feel like there is so much more to unpack here but for now I highly recommend Good Girl, Bad Girl if you are looking for a clever, dark and infinitely compelling read.

I received this e-arc through Netgalley. My review is my own honest opinion. 

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham

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