This was a twist popcorn thriller. I loved the setting of a school with rich families and the teachers that have to battle with them. If you need a palette cleanser I recommend this book.

Belmont Academy is a prestigious private school but not all the students, parents and staff are happy.
When there is a death at the school the authorities try to find out if this was an accident of something more sinister.
A well thought out story with some twists and turns.
I enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin- Michael Joseph for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think it's fair to say straight up, I clearly enjoy Samantha Downing's writing style. It just flows so easily into my mind and makes me smile. She manages a really very impressive blend of wholesome brightness and frankly disturbing psychopaths - it's the kind of blend that few people try and even fewer pull off, but it's superb here. If you enjoy the dark truths behind those slightly too good to be true veneers of normalcy, then this is the author for you. But enough about that for now, there's a story to be told!

For Your Own Good is set in the cutthroat world of a fancy private school in an affluent community. Which probably has you thinking of some teen drama over prom royalty, which it very much isn't. No, this is more about teacher politics. This is about lives falling apart based on petty grudges. It's a story of blame and resentment.

And that's where Downing's stories come alive - nothing is too fantastical. It's a story that feels more like it comes from a news report than from a movie. It's the kind of story that has people being interviewed and saying "But they seemed so normal.", or "Things like this just don't happen around here." It's the darkness hidden in plain sight and it makes for a great read. And that also allows characters that are instantly relatable. There's no need to introduce anyone, they all just fit in naturally. And their backstories simply surface as and when needed.

Downing writes with a unique style and well-deserved confidence. If you've not read anything from her before this is a great starting point. Just be careful, I find these books very addictive.

I did enjoy this book with its snowflake teenagers at a prestigious private school where helicopter parents seem to have their own landing space and constant access to teachers and management.
Teddy is one of the few teachers who is not also an alumnus of the school. His resentment lies deeply hidden.
There are as many twists to the story as there are turns in the corridors and some of them were not properly explained. Fallon is a nasty personn who did not deserve what Teddy put in to motion but the remaining years are confusing. Blame the parents.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Another great book from one of my favourite authors. Great storyline, great characters and had me hooked from the beginning.

I can hardly express how much I loved reading this book. At first with the opening chapter I wasn’t sure as it is set in the USA and the education system over there is vast.y different to the UK, so I am thrilled that I read on. There were some excellent additional,, but crucial characters like Fallon and Courtney. but stealing the show had to be Zach. Where we are party to the his thoughts on his overbearing parents and the teachers and finally how he works it all out is brilliant writing. I will definitely be looking for more from this talented author. How she worked out each scene is pure perfection.

Having read her previous two novels, I was delighted to receive the ARC of For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing in return for my honest review. It did not disappoint.

Teddy Crutcher has won the ‘Teacher of the Year’ award at Belmont Academy which is a private school for the children of wealthy parents. It has an excellent reputation and is run strictly and all those who attend are expected to move on to Ivy League Colleges.

Zach is one of his pupils who he believes he is trying to encourage to get better grades, even though he marks him down to a B+ for one of his essays. He sets him an additional task to improve his grade but only gives him an A-.

Teddy has no real friends and his life revolves around Belmont Academy, the pupils, and the other teachers, many of whom he despises and we get to hear this from his perspective.

This is cleverly planned with numerous twists and turns and an awful lot of unsavoury characters plotting against each other. Once again, the ending is sublime.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK, Michael Joseph, and Samantha Downing for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Another exceptional read. Highly recommended.

This was just as entertaining as My Lovely Wife . Lots of twists and fast paced .
Everybody loves Teacher of the Year Teddy , well mostly everyone . It seems that Teddy has a dark side and likes to control things in and out of his class room . Throw in a couple of disgruntled pupils , wealthy parents and a few suspicious deaths and you have a recipe for a great read . Highly recommended

Wow, what a book. I loved it!
It is unique, beautifully written and pacy. It’s a true page turner and I was quickly drawn into the plot.
This book is the perfect domestic thriller with lots of twists throughout.
It’s definitely worthy of a big fat 5 stars.

“For Your Own Good” is the title of this book but also a phrase commonly used by teachers and parents to make teenagers do things they are not happy about. This is the approach used by teachers and privileged wealthy parents in the private school, Belmont in New England. The most important thing in your growing up is your grades and that weapon can be used to control you. The problem for Belmont is that it becomes known as ‘Homicide High’ when parents and teachers are murdered. Who is the member of their community who has been given the soubriquet Mad Scientist? Prominent figures in the book are an English teacher, Teddy Crutcher and a pupil Zachary Ward who is heavily controlled by his wealthy parents. The story evolves enticingly and there are regular releases of pieces of information leading to a satisfying conclusion. It is very well written with an unusually conceived storyline to capture readers’ attention. I recommend it.

Teddy,the teacher of the year at this expensive school, believes he has a mission to prepare his wealthy students for the real world by pushing them hard in class. As the only teacher not from this or any fee paying school, he despises his colleagues. A dispute with a pupil, his parents and a fellow teacher about a deliberate low grade on an English paper sets him off on a trail of murder and misdirection. As he rises in stature at the school, two people he's hurt are convinced of his guilt.

I enjoyed this book, I was engaged all the way through but I was expecting some shocking twist, that just didn't happen? I mean, there was a couple of twists throughout but I just got to the end and was like...what?! I like Zack's character and Fallon was good too, but everyone else was not nice! I think I need to stoo reading SD's books as though they are all going to be like Beh8nd Her Eyes 🙈 Easy to read and full of storyline to keep you going though, I did enjoy it!

Great Thrillers have many things one can be murder so here's a great thriller that has murder and an old favourite poison. It also has a private school and rich kids

Teddy has to be one of the worse teachers ever yet is the holder of teacher of the year, Zach is a bright kid and intelligent but has made it onto Teddy's list of hated pupils. He's popular with everyone except Teddy who loaths him. His parents are highly charged keen for Zacks education and drive him hard, so when he gets his first b+ they decide to act all his other work have been A's. Teddy sets him a task to help him improve his grade but doesn't want to. This all leads to unexpected events and well as with Thrillers one thing leads to another and murder commences. Teddy has a few secrets and several enemies he's is good at that making enemies, but he has a friend Frank a fellow teacher but you can hear or rather read about that in the book. That's the thing about Teddy he hard to like and his targets become loveable if not already but that's partly why he hates them do you see a theme?

So that's how the plot starts now you want to know what makes me give this 5 stars 🌟! Well I loved this from the start to the end and didn't want to put it down I found it addictive and totally engrossing great characters the good the bad and the cringeworthy. All these and great writing made this a wonderful ride, well read I guess that you won't want to end but are desperate for the result one of those things that you long to find out what's happening but the book not to stop specially if you have time on your hands. Guess that's the thing about great books and writers. I really enjoyed even loved this book and hope you do as well.

Having read this author's first novel My Lovely Wife, I was eager to read this. I dived in last night I've now reached the 1/3rd point, which is where I know whether or not I can continue with a book. I can't. I cannot believe this is from the same author who brought us My Lovely Wife, which I enjoyed so much.


The action takes place at an exclusive private school for rich brats and disgruntled teachers. The focus is on Teddy Crutcher, a man who has just been awarded Teacher of the Year, but is as obnoxious and pompous as they come. He apparently likes his students and wants the best for them all, but this is not true as there are at least three that he despises. Good-looking Zach, spawn of pushy parents, is one of them, but Zach likes to Popular and Successful so engages in a great deal of sucking up to everyone. Teddy has a little extra curricular activities of his own which involve coffee pods and noxious plants....

Everything in this thin plot is explained with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer:

“....Like the way he gives all his teachers a Christmas gift. Teddy hasn't received one yet, because this is his first semester with Zach, but one will be coming his way in December...” and on it goes for a further paragraph describing the gift given the previous Christmas, and why it was memorable.

“...Mark has just come out of the bathroom. He's wearing no shirt with his pajama bottoms. They're pulled down low because of his tummy”.

“...She walks down the stairs, taking her time so as not to twist her ankle in those high heels”

“...Sonia takes one more look around before turning to the door. She opens it and finds a woman standing there with her arms full. The woman looks startled at first and then says “Sonia! Congratulations!”.....”

Almost every page is crammed with these banal and irrelevant explanations. Add to this the occasional example of poor grammar and clunky writing ; maybe it will morph into a nail-biting thriller, with deliciously devilish characters, but I'm not prepared to wade through any more of this nonsense. What little dialogue there is is mundane, trite, banal – nothing witty, sarcastic or sparkling.

This is so immature, so over-explained and so silly I have now given up, still shaking my head at the notion that these two books were written by the same person.

This is s romp through the mind of a sociopath. Thrilling, chilling, dark humour flashing through occasionally and absorbing. Suspend your disbelief and read about Teddy, the Teacher of the Year, and his take on life, work, school, colleagues, students and their parents. Told from a number of perspectives this book is fast paced has twists and turns that keep you reading!

Samantha Downing is becoming one of my top thriller authors, and this book may be her best yet, which I promise is saying a ton! Do well written, unique, fast paced, and absolutely unputdownable! Character development is flawless, drawing you into a twisted web, which you see the author unravel with lots of small and large shocks! Pact full of twisty turns, chilling Chills, thrilling thrills, tension, and gasp worthy shocks! A thriller lovers dream! I highly, highly, highly recommend this roller coaster thrill ride!


Will buzz around platforms and use my low Amazon reviewer number!

Phenomenal!! Samantha Downing has done it again. I’m going to say it For Your Own Good is even better than her previous books! Thats a bold statement but you’ll be agreeing with me soon.

I read late into the night and started again early next morning. I couldn’t do anything else without finishing this story, it’s fantastically well written with exceptional characters and settings are so realistic, I felt like I could reach out and touch them.I don’t know if I despised or pitied Teddy but he had one twisted mind! I’m not going to give any plot away just know this is a a MUST READ and guaranteed to make my top ten of 2021 list!

5/5

#ForYourOwnGood #NetGalley
Another blockbuster novel from the author of My Lovely Wife.
Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the prestigious Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest.He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.Teddy really can’t be bothered with a few mysterious deaths on campus that’re looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is pushing these kids to their full academic potential.
All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way. If not, well, they’ll get what they deserve.It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.
I liked Teddy. Although every character in this book has its own significance in the story. But Teddy is an excellent character.
Narration of the story is flowing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Samantha Downing knows how to write a good and interesting book. She has shown us this with My Lovely Wife. For Your Own Good is a story about characters who are all not very nice or pleasant.

The main character is Teddy, a teacher who feels it is his duty to take down his entitled and self absorbed students.
The story overall is very well written and interesting, I could not put the book down until I finished it.