Title: GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL
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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