This is an incredible atmospheric novel that follows Cyrus and Evie as they battle forces far beyond their expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, as it kept me on edge and captivated from the start to the final page. I definitely recommend!!

The second book to feature Cyrus Haven a criminal psychologist and a mystery girl named Evie Cormac. They have both suffered tragic pasts. I first met these two main characters in Good Girl Bad Girl which was also a powerful five star read.. This book is another heartbraking and gripping read. We are given glimpses of their tragedies. An evil peodaphile ring and a schizophrenic brother who murdered his parents. At times this was a difficult read. I was desperately hoping that there would be some solace for Evie. A gripping, fast paced thriller and I can't to read more about Cyrus and Evie.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the ARC.

I am a big fan of Michael Robotham and When She Was Good doesn’t disappoint. It was totally believable in today’s world of Jeffrey Epstein. I also found it unbearably sad but I do hope there is a sequel. Michael Robotham must claim his place as a writer that always delivers a great story.

This is a brilliant sequel in Michael Robotham's police criminal psychologist Cyrus Haven series, a man seriously traumatised by the murder and loss of his family, plagued with survivor's guilt, who continues to visit his brother,Elias, incarcerated at Rampton,a high security psychiatric hospital, housing many of the most dangerous patients in the country. Evie 'Angel Face' Cormac, discovered hidden in the home of the gruesomely murdered Terry Boland as a child, is now 17 years old, growing up in Langford Hall, a secure children's home, not the best of experiences for Evie. Her social worker, Adam Guthrie, is a poor professional with no empathetic skills, with a strong antipathy towards his client, and Evie unsurprising has a troubled time at the home. With a history of facing broken promises and being let down, trust is a huge issue for her, where the black lab, Poppy, and Cyrus, are responsible for her hold on sanity, against all the odds.

In a story that shifts back and forth in time, it becomes clear just how ugly and horror strewn Evie's history is, including human trafficking, the loss of family, physical and sexual abuse and exploitation at the hands of the human scum and pure evil that is her paedophile 'uncle' who owned her and kept her prisoner until Terry Boland rescued her, only for him to be tortured and killed for not giving her up. Evie, questionably blessed with the gift of knowing when anyone is lying, has never revealed the truth of her past, and for good reasons, but Cyrus is driven to find out, wanting to secure justice for Evie. He has no idea of what he is up against and the power of the guilty parties as he opens a can of worms. There is a double murder in Manchester, one of which is the killing, dressed as suicide, of the retired Detective Superintendent Hamish Whitmore, that threatens to wreak devastation and once again put Evie in grave danger.

Robotham's plotting and characterisation is stellar in this tense, immersive and riveting read, one of the highlights of which is the supporting cast, from DI Lenny Pavel to Cyrus's tattooist and best friend, Badger, whose skills include hacking as he provides invaluable help to Cyrus's investigation. This is an enthralling and exciting thriller that grabs your attention right from the get go and never once lets up until you reach the last pages. I cannot wait to see where the author takes the characters and the story next! Highly recommended to all crime and thriller fans. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When she was good is the second Cyrus Haven book and it is a definite must read. The novel follows Cyrus and Evie as Cyrus delves deeper into Evie's past - answering quite of few questions hinted at in the first novel, "Good Girl, Bad Girl". It was gripping and entertaining and definitely one of the best crime thrillers that I have read this year.

*Many thanks to Michael Robotham, Little, Brown Group UK and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Book 2 with a most unusual couple, Cyrus & Evie does not disappoint. The plot focuses on Evie's past, and although readers may have had some suspicions while reading Good Girl, Bad Girl, this time the truth is revealed. Mr Robotham masterfully continues engaging a reader in the story. The ideas behind it might seem improbable, however, sometimes the truth does surprise us. I like both characters and I think the relationship between them is just like it should be, not romantic or sentimental.
Highly recommended!

I normally start my review for a series book recommending that you start from book one and read in order. Sometimes that doesn't wholly matter as the main story is self-contained in each book and you only really miss out on a bit of background and character development. But... in the case of this series I would really recommend you read Good Girl, Bad Girl before this one as there is important background that you can't really play catch-up effectively with in this book. It does refer back but in my opinion only for a bit of a memory jogger rather than full recap.
So... in this book we learn more about Evie. A lot more. And a lot of what we find out is very shocking and not for the faint hearted. Cyrus is determined to figure out her past but, in doing so, inadvertently puts her in very grave danger and her safe haven is shattered... meanwhile Evie's own memories are staring to come back and she struggles to deal with them. And, to be honest, more than that I can't really say for fear of spoilers. But I will stress again that some of the stuff in this book is shocking and all thing nasty. But, I hasten to add, all delivered in as safe a way as possible without any glorification.
This book was everything I wanted (needed) and more. It hit the ground running, grabbed my attention right from the off and held me captive throughout my time of reading it. After reading GGBG I was hankering for the truth of what really happened to Evie and the questions I had in my head were ably answered in this installment. Characterisation was excellent, MCs Cyrus and Evie continue to develop nicely and we are also re-introduced to a minor character from book one who is playing a bit more of a part herein. Pacing was also good and followed the narrative all the way through, ramping up to the rather shocking, but satisfying, end. And, joy of joys, no superfluous waffle or padding to distract.
All in all, a cracking follow-up to GGBG which concluded many threads but still left the door open for further adventures. Really looking forward to seeing what's next. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Brilliant crime thriller! This is definitely a dark and gritty novel with a cracking ending. This is one of those books that as you get deeper into it the more involved and invested you become with the main characters. I felt like I was actually living the story about half way through. I could feel myself getting angrier and angrier with some of the characters! Evie and Cyrus are great perfectly flawed characters. I will definitely be looking out for them again in the future.

Evie is living in a secure unit. She has had a difficult life after having been found about six years ago hiding in a secret room in a house where a man was found murdered. No one knows her real identify or what happened to her during this time.
But forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven believes the truth will set Evie free. He ignores Evie’s warnings to leave things alone following the death of a retired police man. As he starts to dig into her past he could inadvertently be leading her past straight to her and putting her in more danger.

Thank You to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this ARC!!

I haven't read the first Cyrus Haven book and I totally regret it. No no... it does not affect this book in any way but just because this book is so good and Cyrus is absolutely amazing.

Six years ago, Evie Cormac, aka Angel Face, was found hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a brutal murder. But nobody has ever discovered her real name or where she came from, because everybody who tries ends up dead.

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven believes the truth will set Evie free. Ignoring her warnings, he begins to dig into her past, only to disturb a hornet's nest of corrupt and powerful people, who have been waiting to find Evie and kill her.

This book deals with a very sensitive and important topic of child abuse and child sex trafficking. I love the way the author has dealt with the topic- delicate but not over sensationalizing it. The chemistry between the main characters Cyrus and Evie is so delightful to read that it makes you fall in love and care for both of them. I liked Evie's unique talent, as a human lie detector, but also glad as this helps to keep her safe.

This book was fast paced and it keeps you hooked on right till the end. I loved the ending because it was so unexpected and satisfying. I am eagerly looking forward to more books!

Overall reading this book was an absolute delight!! Highly Recommended.

When She Was Good is the second book in an exciting new series by Michael Robotham featuring a forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven. The first book Good Girl, Bad Girl introduces the reader to Cyrus and Evie and in order to fully appreciate the complexities and understand the characters I believe these books should be read in order.

Following swiftly on from Good Girl, Bad Girl, Cyrus has been asked to look into the apparent suicide of a retired policeman and discovers a link to Evie Cormac. Determined to find out the truth about “Angel Face” he begins to investigate the past which puts him and his loved ones in serious danger.

If you enjoyed the first book, then I am absolutely convinced you will love book two which digs deeper into both Cyrus and Evie’s past, shedding light on some particularly dark moments and giving the reader a greater understanding of the two main characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the dynamics between Cyrus and Evie is heart warming. I eagerly await book 3 in the series now.

I do need to warn potential readers that this book covers child abuse, trafficking and grooming and whilst the subjects are not glorified or gratuitous in the book, some readers may find them upsetting.

When she was good was gripping and I did not want to put it down. This book takes you at pace through a thrilling story and leaves you with a satisfying finish but wanting more from the characters you have invested in. It’s a great read thoroughly recommend.

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven undertakes work for the Greater Manchester Police Force, but his investigation into the case concerning the kidnapping of the young girl, Evie Cormac, is a personal matter. With the perpetrator prosecuted, imprisoned, and now deceased, the case is officially closed. However, Cyrus suspects there is more to be uncovered. Besides, he identifies with Evie since they share similar backstories.

The victim, Evie Cormac, is struggling to recover from her kidnapping ordeal, and being an orphan, she is a ward of court living in a local authority home under an assumed name. Now an emotionally disturbed teenager, Evie mistrusts institutional authority and people in general, and looks destined to mature into a deeply traumatized adult.

This is the setting for a plot which gradually unfolds to reveal a network of child abuse, high profile blackmail, and a criminal network that wields influence at the highest levels.

The narrative alternates between the first person narrators of Cyrus and Evie, and is fast paced and direct. The author's writing style is eminently readable and avoids lengthy, extraneous character and scenery descriptions. The plot deals with a disturbing topic without sensationalism or detailing intimate details of child sexual abuse. This serves to make the crime even more hideously horrific. It is believable, if unsettling in places.

This book is the second in the author's Cyrus Haven series, but it stands on its own and can be read without reference to the previous novel.

The latest book by Australian writer Michael Robotham is a fast paced thriller which I read in a few hours. I met Michael at a book reading in Perth, Australia a few years ago and he was lovely and have read some of his other novels before. I was expecting this to feature his regular psychologist, O'Loughlin but it has a new protagonist.

The novel takes the perspective of two main characters. There is a young girl , Evie, also known as Angel Face, the name the tabloids coined for her when she was discovered hiding in a wall space after a horrific murder. Evie has faced horrific sexual abuse and torment. There is also a forensic psychologist, Cyrus, who has been helping her come to terms with her horrific past. He identifies with Evie, because he too has suffered some trauma in his early life.

The story is basically about the search for what has happened to Evie, about her origins and who was responsible for her abduction and subsequent ill treatment, but is also tied in with a sub plot about a convicted child abuser, a missing child that the abuser indicated was not one of his victims and a wider conspiracy involving important and powerful people. There were some sub plots that were not fleshed out; a minor romance and an incident involving his brother, incarcerated in a mental institution and suffering from a poisoning, were dropped in but not adequately finished off. The ending, with a satisfying revenge conclusion, was a little unexpected but gave the book a rounding off.

Aside from a few editing errors and a strange use of an Americanism, using gas instead of petrol, which is odd because Michael is Australian and would therefore have used petrol and also the book is set in the UK, it was well written and fast paced.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advance copy. I have read other novels by this author but no the first in this series so I am reviewing this as a standalone novel.
The plot is very dark and concerns a young Albanian girl who has been trafficked to the UK and used as a sex slave. She has been befriended by a young psychologist who is determined to find out about her past and bring to justice the powerful men who were abusing her. People who will stop at nothing to keep her quiet. At times this was uncomfortable but compulsive reading. The novel is very topical and raises concerns that this could be still happening today in our society. A very well written book which I am happy to recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

Michael Robotham is a new author to me and I thought the premise of this book looked good, and is my favourite genre. I really enjoyed this book, it is the second in a series and can be read on it’s own. I thought it began fairly slowly, and it soon picked up pace. The book is told by the two main characters Evie and Cyrus and moves from past to present times easily. Both main characters are likeable and their background histories and what they had gone through is sensitively written by the author and this really engaged me and had my attention from start to finish. The subject matter is current and a little hard to read at times because of that. I was really rooting for Evie and had much empathy for her. Overall a great read, and I would recommend this book.

Fantastic 2nd book in the series following Cyrus & Evie.
A dark storyline had me captivated from the outset & I devoured the book in 2 days. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about both Cyrus & Evie and hope their story continues.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Which for me is strange as I have only just found out that this is book 2 of a series. I can normally determine this from the beginning but I didnt in this case. And i have to say that knowing it at the end just proves that being the second book and not reading the first doesn't make a difference.

The writing style is fantastic and keeps you hooked quite easily the whole way through. I really enjoyed the dual narrative by Cyrus and Evie. I loved seeing their relationship build due to both of their traumatic pasts.

I will certainly be looking out for book number 3 by this author to see what happens next.

I am totally and completely blown away at just how much I loved this book and I so didn’t want it to end !
This is the second instalment of the Cyrus Haven series and having loved book one I was thrilled to receive the ARC of this one and my goodness it’s just as good if not even better than the first although how that can be well I don’t know because I completely fell in love with book one !!
When I finished book one I so wanted to know more about the lives of both Evie Cormac and Cyrus Haven and I wasn’t to be disappointed as the wonderful Michael Robotham didn’t keep us waiting too long in giving us our wish. This was a read that has so much while it is a wonderful thriller it also is so much more than that and the feelings it brought out while I was reading were many because these characters are so real that you can really find yourself caring for both Cyrus and Evie and grow to love them also and this for me has made both this book and the first book totally outstanding.
Brilliantly crafted, excellent throughout this will definitely be a best selling series and once again I thank Michael Robotham for making me laugh, cry and to be desperate for book 3 in what is one of my favourite reads of the year so far it was just bloody outstanding and I can’t fault anything about it so please let us see more of Cyrus and Evie I miss them already.
100% recommended and please don’t miss this series I can promise you you will love it !!
My thanks to NetGalley and Little,Brown Book Group, Sphere for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Although this book is very dark and disturbing , it is also absolutely brilliant! First book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Love the relationship between Cyrus and Evie. An overall great book!

In the second of this dynamite series, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven learns more about Evie Cormac's dark and shocking past. Her story reveals a dangerous and powerful network who will stop at nothing to silence ‘Angel Face’. Evie should be safe as she’s back at Langford Hall, a secure unit but her enemies prove to have a very long reach. The story is told in alternating storylines by Cyrus and Evie.

First of all, I love the character development of Cyrus and Evie. Cyrus really cares about Evie and wants to protect her as best he can. He understands her as he too has a shocking past that’s has led him to suffer, although in a different way to Evie but he means he empathises. He is probably the only person Evie really trusts. Evie is brave, quick thinking and incredibly resourceful which she has learned the hard way. Animals love her and they are very good judges of a persons character. The other characters are good too especially Detective Lenny Pavel and Badger. Although there is a great deal to praise in the book one of the standout features is the realistic portrayal of the characters.

In this book we learn more about Evie’s past as she recalls her suffering and the darkest of dark black stories emerges and you learn her tragic and heartbreaking history. Her enemies are dangerous and depraved human low life who seem to have eyes everywhere. Interspersed with all the darkness are some touching moments when you realise that she does have protectors and people who really care about her. The novel is very well written and is every bit as good as the amazing Good girl, Bad girl of last year. At times it’s scary and tense, there are moments when my jaw hits the deck with a resounding thunk and at others it’s deeply sad. The plot is excellent with good pacing and builds well on the first book although this can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Overall, this is very clever storytelling as the truth emerges slowly but surely and keeps your attention in a vice like grip. As a reader I feel invested in these characters and will happily read a third instalment as I want to see what happens next. More please Mr Robotham, thank you!!!

With big thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little, Brown Group for the ARC