Michael Robotham is consistently a 5 star read. His stories are immersive, tight and unputdownable. End of.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Disturbing beautifully written novel with a disturbed abused child at its core. Her only friend a psychologist with his own tragic history attempts to find the truth of her history. Violence is a constant background theme with seemingly unconnected murders all told at a searing pace. An astonishingly good read !

This is the second book to feature Psychologist Cyrus Haven and the unknown girl nicknamed Angel Face but now known as Evie Cormac.
Cyrus is visiting Cornwall where the ex community police officer Sacha Hopewell lives. She was the one who realised that Evie was hiding in the house where the tortured dead body of Terry Boland was found. Terry had been trying to keep Evie safe. Cyrus gets a telephone call from his friend Detective Inspector Lenny Parval, she wants him at the scene of a suspected suicide.
Back in Nottingham Cyrus visits the scene. The dead man is retired Detective Superintendent Hamish Whitmore. They discover that he has been murdered.
Evie is in a secure childrens home, her identity is secret, but Evie believes she is in danger.
A tense, exciting story. You feel anxious for both Cyrus and Evie. Both are damaged. Cyrus when a boy came home to find both his parents and his two young sisters murdered. His elder brother Elias had killed them. He is now in a secure prison.
Evie has been abused since she was a young girl. No one knows where she came from. She does not trust anyone. Now at eighteen she is a young woman. She has a gift, she can tell if a person is lying. People of influence want Evie dead, and they have killers capable of carrying this out.
A very good story. You feel for Cyrus and Evie as they try to get at the truth. I enjoy books by this Australian author. I've read quite a few of the Joe O'Loughlin books. Will there be another book featuring Cyrus Haven?
Highly recommended.

This was an excellent book I couldn't put down and kept me on the edge till the last page.
Great characters and story-line, fast paced and well written.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A corpse found brutally tortured. A starving feral child found in the same deserted house. A forensic psychologist, himself a victim of a horrific tragedy attempts to solve the mystery of a cold case murder by commencing his investigation with a search for the policewoman who found the child with no name. A decade has elapsed; evidence, witnesses, victims all lost or forgotten In the annals of time. Yet victims can never forget. Perpetrators live in the knowledge that exposure is ever present and victims must be silenced at any cost . Only by destroying all traces can the abuser and crimes remain hidden and respectability assured. So begins a slow and meticulous search. With no victim, no perpetrators, and very little information, our committed protagonist is intent on resolving the mystery, apprehending the abusers, and finally giving closure to victims and families. This is a well written, efficiently thought out, painstakingly outlined and relayed storytelling of the highest calibre. A five star read which tells the story of flawed hugely believable characters, a corrupt society hidden under the facade of respectably and a hugely enjoyable, believable conclusion. This author has previously slipped below my radar but no longer as now a serious contender for one of my favourite writers. Many thanks to publisher and NetGalley for this ARC of a thriller that stands out with the best of this genre.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.book for an honest review.
It was a brutal and sad story about Evie, who has lived a very hard life and things to not get better until she meets Cyrus.
Cyrus has also lived through a terrible time, and is a psychologist.
He tries to help Evie and to find out the truth what had happened to her as a. Child.
This is the second book by Michael Robotham with Evie and Cyrus as the characters, and you really need to read the first one as it gives details about the characters.
Look forward to reading another book about Evie and Cyrus.

After reading "Good Girl, Bad Girl" I was sure we'd be seeing more of Cyrus and Evie, and I was looking forward to unwrapping the mystery of who Evie is and how she came to be in the situation described in the first novel. After reading "When She Was Good" I'm looking forward to more stories about Evie because she deserves them on her own merits as a character.

Given the subject matter of the crimes described in this book--including family destruction and paedophile sex trafficking--this novel could have been a lurid mess. I'm glad to say that Robotham deftly manages to convey the seriousness and lasting impact of these crimes without dwelling on them in a crass way. I was also impressed that some of the people responsible for these crimes or who enabled them were portrayed as more than 2-dimensional monsters to safely be hated and reviled.

Conversely, the protagonists are flawed people who sometiems act badly or make relatable mistakes. There are no paragons of virtue here, jsut realistic people trying to do the best they can.

I'm not sure that Robotham has quite found a unique voice for Cyrus, yet. Most of his defining characteristics are external--like his tattoos--rather than represented through his dialogue or inner monologue. I also feel like he's portrayed quite differently in his own two novels than he was when he appeared in "The Secrets She Keeps"--perhaps that's due to Joe O'Laughlin being an unreliable narrator in that novel?

Evie is very much her own character, and I find her voice much more interesting than Cyrus's. In a future novel it would be interesting to see her take the role of primary character with Cyrus in a supporting role.

To wrap up, "When She Was Good" is an engaging page-turner with fascinating characters and an interesting story. If you've enjoyed Robotham's novels in the past you're sure to enjoy this too--but be aware that this novel goes to some pretty bleak places.

Follow-up to Good Girl, Bad Girl. featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven. This time, he delves deeper to uncover troubled teen Evie Cormac's true identity. Found seven years ago, half starved and filthy in a secret room in the home of her dead captor. Evie's true identity remains a mystery. But what if he finds puts her in even more danger? A gripping and compelling well written character-driven page-turner.

I was really looking forward to this book as the first in the series was a great read and left loads of questions unanswered. To be honest, I didn't expect to get so many answers in this book - I thought it would be drawn out a bit longer. I find Cyrus an intriguing character and would be interested to see what he does next. Evie less so, although I have a very low tolerance for teenage stroppiness in books so that's more than likely just me. If there is another book in the series, I will definitely be reading it.

I love Michael Robotham books. And this follow-up to Good Girl, Bad Girl doesn't disappoint. We return to Cyrus, a psychologist, who is desperate to find out more about Evie Cormac, known as Angel Face after she was rescued from a house fire. He needs to find out her true identity if he is to save her life. As always. Robotham has plotted a great tale with twist and turns. A recommended author

I am a big fan of the first book in this series and couldn't wait to hunker down with the follow-up.
It's a dark and twisted ride of a book that plays out several months after the events of the first. Cyrus is back in his house and Evie has returned to Langford Hall. It is clear that Evie still represents a loose thread to some very dangerous people. As she starts to remember more about the events prior to her discovery and Cyrus continues to dig into her past, a fresh murder coupled with an unscrupulous care worker at Langford Hall pushes her to go on the run to escape the people who want her dead. It's chilling, thrilling and shines a powerful light on powerful people who consider themselves above the law.

There is less exploration of Evie's ability to discern the truth in this book; her dark past and traumatic childhood are given prominence here. Cyrus's character is also fleshed out, and permits an understanding of the dynamic between the two. Most of the questions raised in the first book are answered in an immensely satisfying way, and I wonder if there will be further books to follow.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Net Galley and Little Brown Group UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
A gripping fast paced psychological thriller.
The 2nd book featuring Cyrus Haven, Criminal Psychologist are Evie Cormac (Angel Face),the girl with the dark past full of secrets. The story is told in short chapters alternating between Cyrus and Evie.
Cyrus digs in to Evie’s past, the more he finds out, the more Evie’s life is put in danger, as the evil men who abused Evie in the past, put cigarette burns on her, are still abusing and killing other children. Cyrus is determined to halt them, regardless of whose toes he steps on.
My heart breaks for young Evie, she has no family, no one believes her when she says the bad men are still trying to find her, she trusts no one and will only talk to Cyrus. her only friend is murdered at Langford Hall, where young people should be safe and Evie knows she herself was the intended target.
The story is tense and very well written, there is Hope in the story as there are people who do care about Evie and want to help her.
I liked that Sasha remained in this book, the girl who found Evie and the growing relationship between Cyrus and Sasha
4.5 stars

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read all this authors books and he never ever fails to disappoint. This had a great storyline, lots of twists and good characters. I loved it.

When she was good is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Told on a two person perspective we’re investigating why Evie’s so important and what really happened with her and Terry Boland. I would have liked a bit more about her ability to spot a lie but then again, it may have become a totally different story had we.

Cyrus is a likeable character and I can see him translating well on screen should this be made into a series. When she was good is an intelligent, mysterious read and I highly recommend it.

When I first started this book, I didn't realise it was the second book in a series but it didn't really matter too much.

Cyrus, a forensic psychologist, is called to the murder of a retired Detective who was looking into old cases. On investigating it seems that the murdered Detective may have discovered some of Evies past that shes so desperately trying to forget.

Michael Robotham goes into quite a lot of detail in regards to the back story so I had an understanding of Evie's past life. The one thing that I think would be gained from reading the first book would be the depths of Evie and Cyrus' relationship, they seem very close and I would love to see that relationship develop.

This book is a face paced pyschological thriller with twists and turns and once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I do recommend you read the first book before this one, however, I enjoyed this book enormously without that back story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sphere and Little, Brown Books for the advanced copy.

I loved this book. From the first sentence I was hooked. Unlike other people I hadn't read the first book in the series "Good Girl, Bad Girl" but Robotham has written the book so well, that I didn't feel there was any part of the story missing.
Cyrus Haven is a forensic psychologist who is involved in a complex, potentially dangerous case. The plot is compelling and moves forward quickly with great twists and turns. A great read and I hope there will be another Cyrus Haven book.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this excellent book in exchange for a fair unbiased review.

You really should read Good Girl Bad Girl before this one. It introduces us to Cyrus and Evie and although I did enjoy that one, this one is even better. This book gives us much more information about the background to the two characters and it is absolutely brilliant. Very dark at times and very much character driven, my heart breaks for some of the people in this book. Extremely well written and quite terrifying at times, it goes to some dark places. I would certainly recommend the two books in this series if you enjoy a tense psychological thriller.

I've been wanting to try Michael Robotham's work for a while now... I just couldn't resist requesting a copy of When She Was Good so I would have the perfect excuse to finally do so and pick up both Cyrus Haven books. I'm definitely glad I did now, as both books turned out to be more than solid reads. A little warning though: this is one of those series where you have to read the books in order, because you won't understand the complicated relationship between the main characters otherwise. Trust me, it won't be much fun reading the sequel without the knowledge of the events and character background in Good Girl Bad Girl! That said, if you enjoy a darker crime thriller with a psychology angle and don't mind twists getting a tad over the top, both books are recommendable.

So... When She Was Good. The first book kind of left me wanting to know how things would continue with Cyrus and Evie, and this sequel will without doubt explore more of Evie's past. In When She Was Good there is no obviously separate case to investigate for Cyrus, but instead he will focus on discovering more about Evie's past as things are spinning out of control. A metaphorical tripwire is somehow activated, creating a domino effect and a big pile of danger and plot twists are being thrown at the main characters as they fight to stay alive and unravel the truth. I have to be honest here and say I felt that the plot and plot twists ended up crossing the boundary of credibility for me and some of the twists were just too over the top to be believable. Sure, if you like plenty of action and a whole lot of dark twists and shocking details you will be in for a treat, but I don't think this sequel was as good as my first meeting with Cyrus and Evie.

As for the writing... It took me a little while to fully commit to this story, mostly because the pace in the beginning is quite slow. Having just read the first book did make it easier to connect to the main characters, but somehow I felt that some of the spark of the first book was missing? The pace did improve as the story continued and the plot twists created a darker and even more dangerous environment... And there will be a lot of disturbing details revealed about Evie's past before you reach that final page. But like I said before: I wasn't too sure about the credibility of it all, and I wasn't a big fan of the ending either as it left too many questions unanswered. And not only that, a certain detail of the ending felt too much like taking the easy way out... But that might just have been me.

In short, while I did prefer Good Girl Bad Girl personally, When She Was Good is still a solid read if you can look past the credibility of certain aspects of the plot and don't mind a slower start. It was without doubt intriguing to learn more about Evie's past!

A great read with relatable characters.
I hadn't read the first book in the series but that was not a problem at all, it covered everything you needed to know. in fact I didn't realise there was an earlier book for quite a while.
Evie was a real feisty character and I liked her. She had every right to take no nonsense after her dark past which sometimes was difficult to hear about. The relationship between the main characters was well portrayed and the reader could emphasise with them both.
The book moved at fast pace that kept you thoroughly engaged, the plot was not predictable and all loose ends were tied up at the end.

So it’s been three weeks since I finished this book and I’m still suffering from a raging book hangover - the two books I’ve read since just haven’t hit the spot like this did. So if you’ve got this on a to be read pile, choose your reading order carefully because it’s going to take a corker to be beat this!!

This book summed up in two words - bloody brilliant.

Now although it could be read as a stand alone, it would be worth your while reading the previous book Good Girl, Bad Girl, so you’ve already met Evie and Cyrus and know how their paths crossed from the beginning.

Cyrus Haven is a forensic psychologist who also has had an awful childhood. He met Evie in the previous book and so started their relationship. Evie got under his skin and he can’t let her go - he wants to protect her, no matter what. However, he wants to know more, in fact it seems he NEEDS to know all there is about Evie Cormac’s past. Even though she is adamant that he needs to not know. Because she knows that what has happened to her, people will kill to keep those secrets safe. But Cyrus has also got under Evie’s skin and she’ll do what is needed to protect him too. And thus ensues the nail biting journey we find ourselves on.

While others have described Evie as a damaged soul she is so much more than that. She is feisty, engaging, clever (not smart!) and wily. I guess if you’ve had to endure what Evie has in her life, then you either get tough or forever be a victim. The whole time you’re rooting for this gutsy girl to get the ending she so deserves. This book goes back in time, flashback style to give us the glimpses into just what happened to “Angel Face” and it makes for uncomfortable reading. While the author doesn’t go into explicit detail, it is obvious what is happening.

The chapters alternate between Evie and Cyrus and the cat and mouse games being played as Cyrus digs deeper into the depraved world that Evie has had no choice to be part of. And this really keeps the suspense going.

This is a full on, never letting up, keep the pages turning roller coaster of a read with Cyrus and Evie being such thorough characters they feel real. And the need they both have to save/rescue each other from their pasts is all the more believable because as a reader you want to do that too. Or it may just be that I’m a sucker for a happy ending which given the nature of the circumstances they’ve both had to endure may not always be “the” happy ending.

So that’s how I know a book is a good’un - if the characters come to life. And they sure did, along with some other interesting characters we meet along the way too - Sacha, Badger and Tilda and the canal boat man all so well described that even though their column inches were few, still made an impact.

I absolutely love Robotham’s writing style and devoured this book, although I did not want it to end because quite frankly I’m not ready to say goodbye to Evie or Cyrus yet so please please please write another book!!

Thank you Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC.