Gritty and dark with excellent characters, Many twists and turns leading to an exciting last few chapters . This one kept me reading into the wee small hours. A brilliant read. My thanks to Net Galley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good Girl, Bad Girl is an entertaining mystery with complex characters and a number of thrills to keep the pacing up. I saw pretty much everything coming, but I think that's just me right now. I'm about to take a break from this genre because it seems I've got to a point where nothing surprises me.

That aside, I especially enjoyed this book because it doesn't hang everything on the twists. It spends more time with the characters, especially Evie, making you care about them and their personal struggles. I would have liked to see slightly more character development for Cyrus and Lenny - the leading psychologist and detective solving the case. This would have taken it to the next level in a Tana French kinda way.

There are really two stories here. One is the story of Jodie Sheehan, a 15-year-old figure skater found dead and possibly raped. Though Lenny and Cyrus quickly home in on a likely suspect, it seems like something bigger could be at play. Alongside this is the story of Evie, and it is the mystery surrounding her - plus her contributions to the Jodie investigation - that really drives the story.

Evie is a mystery. She has no known birth certificate. No one knows her real name. She was found as a child, starved and sexually abused, several steps away from the body of a man who had been brutally tortured. Now a teenager, she seeks emancipation, but it's complicated without any record of her birth date or age. Oh, and she also has the uncanny ability to tell whether someone is lying.

Cyrus attempts to get Evie to open up about what happened to her but she meets him with questions of her own; questions that force him to examine himself and his own life. The relationship that develops between them is what makes the book so interesting. It's an unusual friendship, more than doctor and patient, not quite father and daughter.

I do have a genuine question, though, about the decision to allow Cyrus to foster Evie: is it considered ethical to allow a psychologist to foster one of their patients? Would a judge really grant this? I genuinely don't know the answer, but I am curious.

The way this book is left strongly hints at a sequel. I must admit I would think more highly of this book if it is the start of a series, just because there are some aspects that felt unfinished. Plus I really do want to see more of Lenny and Cyrus.

It doesn't happen often that I award 5 stars in a row but Good Girl Bad Girl was absolutely brilliant and definitely deserves all the stars!

This was only my second book by Michael Robotham but I can say that his writing style is right up my street. I find that even thrillers I really like often have dull moments/ chapters I want to skim through, but that was NOT the case here. Good Girl Bad Girl was a riveting and totally compulsive read from start to finish. The characters are interesting and unusual and yet believable and likeable. The plot is multilayered and cleverly intertwines two different stories making this book to stand out in the sea of thrillers and crime fiction in the market. This is a perfect summer must read thriller that I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have had the pleasure of reading Michael Robotham ‘s previous novels but this must be his best. Evie is a superb character and I can’t wait to hear more about her background.

A fantastic novel full of twists and turns which makes reading such a pleasure. I just didn’t want it to end. Thank you Mr. Robotham..

This is a really good read that is full of twists. I found Evie and Cyrus fascinating and hope that there will be more books about them.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A stand alone suspense novel from author Michael Robotham. I really enjoy reading the Joseph O’Loughlin series by this author as well as his stand alone books.

Evie Cormac was discovered six years ago uncared for 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.
Cyrus Haven is a Forensic psychologist, haunted by his own past and 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.
The novel is told from two different points of view. Evie an abused, abducted teenager and Cyrus a forensic psychologist who helps the police with cases. Cyrus develops a relationship with Evie when he is asked to assess her and tries to help her cope with the outside world.
Cyrus is helping the police with a rape and murder case and these two stories make entertaining reading.
The characters are so well written I started thinking half way through the book how I would like to read a series written with these two characters.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a story. It picks you up, makes you care about the character and sweeps you along until your heart aches for both of them. Great flow, you can clearly see Evie and Cyrus in your minds eye. I particularly enjoyed the relationship developing between them. I feel a new series coming on and I will look forward eagerly to the next instalment.
ARC copy.

4.5 stars

I loved this book and can’t wait to read more about Evie. This is the first book in a long time that had me completely engrossed due to the intriguing storyline and the developing interactions between the characters.

Thoroughly recommended.

A page turner you cannot put down.
It's well written, engrossing and entertaining.
The cast of characters is fleshed out, the plot is well developed and makes turn pages as fast as you can.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

4,5 Stars

Evie is the girl with no past. She was found 6 years ago in an abandoned house with a dead man in the basement. She claims she doesn’t know her name or her age and anything about her childhood. Everybody assumed she the dead man kidnapped her and held her for his own pleasure.

Dr. Cyrus Haven is the boy who survived the murder of his own family. Now he is a psychologist and working with the police. He is asked to speak to Evie. Evie claims she is 18 years now and an adult. She wants to be released from the children’s home. At the same time he becomes involved with the case of a murdered young girl.

This is a character driven book. The story is complex and intriguing. There are in fact several stories. Cyrus has his own disturbing past and of course Evie, who is an enigma. She has the unbelievable ability to see when somebody is lying. This is not a magical thing. She is just naturally able to see the small facial expressions that happen involuntarily when you are telling a lie. I wish I would have that gift. Because of her long captivity she is not very social and experienced with handling people. She is a fascinating character but also a bit annoying. Cyrus is also a very intriguing character. There is not so much action actually but a lot of interaction between the characters. I came across Robotham just recently. I never read one of his series. This is my second book of him but I see his name already rising on my list of favorite authors. Boy, this man can write. He has a way of catching your interesting in his stories. This story is complex and especially the murder case is a tangled web. But he leads you easily through it with his calm voice and his ability to write good dialogs. I enjoyed this book very much.

I really enjoyed this book what a great read. Very well written and great pace.

The first in a series introducing Forensic Psychologist Cyrus Haven. The book is looking at two crimes really. As Cyrus is asked to come to a mental health facility to view a patient named Evie Cormac who had been held captive and abused by her capture she has been in the institute for 6 years and wants to leave but has no money, job and will not tell anyone her real name or anything else about herself. She is unique and has a gift that means she knows when someone is lying. Cyrus wants to protect her. But is she protecting him in a way as well.

The other crime is the murder of Jodie Sheehan who is poised to be a champion ice skater until her body is found not far from where she lives. Not only was Jodie hit on the back of the head and thrown off a bridge into a river and left for dead, she had managed to drag herself out of the water onto the bank to only be in trouble again. Her body is hidden underneath twigs and branches. But on investigating her she is not the good girl who everyone thinks she was. Two different girls both abused in different ways one girl survives the other dies.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. It was really well plotted out I can’t wait for more with Cyrus and hopefully Evie. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out if 5 stars.

Thank you to #netgalley and #sphere for letting me read an ARC of this book all opinions are my own and unbiased.

*As requested review won't be published until week beginning 14th July. Will publish on Goodreads and Smashbomb.com*

Oh I need this to be a series or at lease a trilogy; I need more Evie Cormac!!! The characters in this book are great, if you missed my subtle hint I love Evie. As a young girl Evie is found alone and in a terrible condition, with nothing known of her past. She is kept in care where her path eventually crosses our other main protagonist the psychologist Cyrus Haven. Cyrus also has a dark past and the mystery surrounding their histories is really gripping.

Evie has a Girl with the Dragon Tattoo feel to her, and like Lisbeth in the Stieg Larsson books, Evie has a special talent in this case the ability to know when people are lying. A thoroughly broken but endearing character, I really wanted to see Evie succeed despite herself, and she loves dogs which is always going to get me on side.

The main story itself wasn’t nearly as interesting as the characters. The death of school girl and star figure skater Jodie is a fairly straightforward mystery without much in the way of surprises. However taking the journey with Evie and Cyrus is well worth picking this book up for.


My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A teenage girl, Evie, who has never revealed her true identity after being found apparently kidnapped is living in an orphanage. She comes in contact with Cyrus a psychologist when she tries to get released from the home. Cyrus is investigating the murder of a young local figure skater.

I think this is my 4th read from Michael Robotham. I have to say obviously he is a really through and talented writer. I have enjoyed all of his books. This one like the others was a little long for me and also took a little longer than I like to get into but once I got into it, I was totally into it. It ended up being a solid mystery. Cyrus and Evie were interesting characters and it seems like we will see them again and I look forward to learning more about Evie’s past.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Read this over the course of two days and all I can say is I hope it turns into a series!

Rating:
4.5 stars

Trigger:
Child abuse
Self harm
Suicide-attempt
Rape
Murder

Short review:
I was so happy I got arc by netgalley for early read and review. I read Robotham's The Secrets She Keeps last year and instantly realised, I'm going to like everything he is going write and this book proves it. There is certain amount of detachment that he keeps from his characters which makes you feel involved but doesn't let you feel too much at the same time. The witty dry humor wants you to keep reading, guessing all the times.

Evie can tell when someone is lying but instead of gift, she considers that as a curse. I can't say I don't agree with her on that. The tragic past, the things she endured as a child, it was overwhelming, confusing and horrifying. But after a while my attention shifted from Evie to
Jodie...A golden child, figure-skating prodigy, raped and killed and hence murder investigation. At times, it gets overwhelming what with Evie's child abuse and Jodie's murder investigation and I feared I might stop reading at any moment but then I realised, I was already in too deep. Thankfully, the writing is none too graphic and suspence all too unexpected, it was unputdownable story.

There are few racist comments mentioned somewhere along the story line. If you are easily offended, please don't pick this up. I wasn't too bothered but I guess a little hence the mention in this section.

There is possibility of another book, another Cyrus-Evie adventures...I wouldn't pass that opportunity to read another one if it ever happens.

I was pleasantly surprised by the twists. I was not expecting them and I liked how the link is made between the two frames of the story. This is why the end of this tome let me know it would be followed by other books. Although there is a resolution, I feel that there are still matters to be developed. As a one-shot, this open end is perfect but knowing that this novel is the beginning of a series, it really made the deal. I love this book!

I had a great time with the Michael Robotham's style that I rediscovered. Punchy and incisive, it never gives way to boredom and it's great!

Firstly I’d like to thank #Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

I have to admit that I was completely absorbed by this book. A vast majority of the characters were extremely likeable, especially Cyrus and Evie. It was fast paced with plenty of twist and turns.

The only reason it didn’t get a 5 star rating from me was because there was a particular part in the book that was much to coincidental for my liking.

However, the mystery of ‘Angel Face’ has me completely hooked. Therefore, I’m desperately hoping for a sequel!

Another outstanding story by this author. Michael Robothom weaves Such an intricate and suspenseful tale. Amazingly written with twists and wit a plenty x

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK - Sphere, for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this book; it has interesting and believable characters and sometimes witty dialogue, at the same time it is a dark psychological thriller which draws you in and keeps you guessing through a myriad of twists.

The narrative is told in the first person between Forensic Psychologist Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac.
Evie is housed in secure accommodation following a string of failed foster placements since she was discovered, 6 years ago, in a hidden room, near to where the tortured and decomposing body of a male is found in the house. In media reports she was called 'Angel Face' - they couldn't report her true identity because she has never revealed it, nor her true age. However, she now wants to assert she has reached the age of 18 and is petitioning the Court for release. Cyrus has been asked to assess her.

Cyrus additionally works as a consultant to the Nottinghamshire Police and becomes part of the team investigating the rape and murder of a local championship ice skater, Jodie Sheehan.

Jodie is seen as extremely dedicated and hard-working and her murder rocks the community and family. But there are secrets to be revealed.
Evie is seen as damaged, dangerous and non-compliant - but she has a gift for knowing where someone is lying, and naturally this makes her an exceptional poker player..

Cyrus has to immerse himself in the lives of these 2 girls and gradually the two stories merge, with lots of surprises along the way.

I loved the two main characters and would really like to see this continue into a series because you are left with lots of unanswered questions which hopefully will be answered along the way.

This standalone thriller by Michael Robotham features some new characters who have not been in previous books. Cyrus Haven is a psychologist who works for the police as well as having his own practice. Evie is a teenager who has had a very tough and traumatic life. They meet because a fellow psychologist has asked if Cyrus will assess and help Evie. At the same time Cyrus is asked to help the police with a missing girl case. The girl is found dead early on in the book. The story follows the two threads. Sometimes this is from Cyrus's viewpoint and sometimes Evie, as Angel Face, is the narrator.

Evie is a "lie detector" or "truth wizard". She can almost always tell if someone is lying to her. This is something that has cropped up in previous books by this author so is obviously something he is interested in. Cyrus himself had a very traumatic childhood and so feels he can relate to Evie. However Evie may not see things the same way. The thread concerning the girl who died is a fairly straightforward investigation - though with a number of twists and turns as well.

One of the obvious questions is just how will these two threads intersect. This is one of my main issues with this book. I found that the meeting of the threads felt very engineered. I thought Evie was a very good character indeed. I would happily read another book that featured her. However my views on Cyrus are far more ambivalent. I didn't dislike him however I'm not sure he fully convinced me.

Allowing for those reservations I found this a compelling and easy read. Michael Robotham writes extremely well. Even a less good book from him is far more readable than some of books I see these days. Ultimately I enjoyed reading this a lot - my reservations about it are small. I certainly hope to read more of Robotham's work in the future.