Wednesday 3 July 2019

Book Review: GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL by Michael Robotham

Author: Michael Robotham
Publisher: Scribner
Read: June 2019
Expected publication: 23 July 2019
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2


Book Description:


A girl is discovered hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a terrible crime. Half-starved and filthy, she won’t tell anyone her name, or her age, or where she came from. Maybe she is twelve, maybe fifteen. She doesn’t appear in any missing persons file, and her DNA can’t be matched to an identity. Six years later, still unidentified, she is living in a secure children’s home with a new name, Evie Cormac. When she initiates a court case demanding the right to be released as an adult, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven must determine if Evie is ready to go free. But she is unlike anyone he’s ever met—fascinating and dangerous in equal measure. Evie knows when someone is lying, and no one around her is telling the truth.



Meanwhile, Cyrus is called in to investigate the shocking murder of a high school figure-skating champion, Jodie Sheehan, who dies on a lonely footpath close to her home. Pretty and popular, Jodie is portrayed by everyone as the ultimate girl-next-door, but as Cyrus peels back the layers, a secret life emerges—one that Evie Cormac, the girl with no past, knows something about. A man haunted by his own tragic history, Cyrus is caught between the two cases—one girl who needs saving and another who needs justice. What price will he pay for the truth? Fiendishly clever, swiftly paced, and emotionally explosive, Good Girl, Bad Girl is the perfect thrilling summer read from internationally bestselling author Michael Robotham. 

My musings:


To be honest, I never had any doubts whatsoever that this book would be great. I haven’t yet read a Robotham novel that wasn’t! And did it live up to my expectations, you ask? Yes, yes, YES!

If you have ever read any books by this author, you will know how utterly unputdownable they are. The characters practically leap from the pages, taking you by the hand and pulling you into their world, until it is difficult to remember that this is just fiction. GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL introduces two new characters that soon wormed their way into my heart the way Joseph O’Loughlin (one of my favourite fictional sleuths ever) had. On one hand there is Evie Cormac, a damaged girl without a past who is living in a high security facility for children. Six years ago, she was found living in the house of her suspected abductor, alongside his rotting corpse, sneaking out at night to steal food in order to survive. Dubbed “Angel Face” by the media, her true identity has never been uncovered.

Now that Evie is nearing her 18th birthday, she wants to be set free to start a new life, but will she be able to survive out there on her own? Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven is sent to evaluate Evie and give his recommendations. He has his work cut out for him, as Evie has resisted all efforts by psychologists to help her uncover her true identity so far, and has absconded from numerous foster homes. Will he succeed where others have failed?

Cyrus’ and Evie’s story runs alongside a murder case Cyrus is helping police with, the murder of a teenage figure skater, which in itself makes compelling reading (though not as much as Evie’s story). As both stories intertwine, Robotham shows what he does best – ensnare readers into his web of suspense, mystery and characters you will want to see more of. My wish may be fulfilled, because on the author’s website the book is introduced as “a new series”. Woohoo! My heart bled as I read the last book featuring Joseph O’Loughlin last year, and I just know that I will be just as eager to see Evie and Cyrus back in action after the all-nighter I pulled with this one. I could not tear myself away! The one thing that some readers may struggle with is that not all threads will be resolved in this one – in particular, I wanted to learn a lot more about Evie’s background, but will have to comfort myself that future books in the series will bring me the answers I crave.


Would it be exaggerating to say that GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL could be one of Robotham’s best books to date? Because the one thing I haven’t mentioned yet is that Evie has a special gift – she has the uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying. Which would make her a great asset and a great adversary to some. With an ending that leaves the door open for these two characters to return (yes!) I am envisaging that Evie’s story will eventually be told in full, and I want to be there when all the puzzle pieces slot into place.


Summary:


All in all, GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL is an utterly compulsive, unputdownable thriller from a master of the genre who knows just what readers want to see: compelling, interesting and fleshed out characters, a clever plot and lots of tension. I am so happy to hear that this is the start of a new series and can’t wait for the next installment.



Thank you to Edelweiss and Scribner for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

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