Good Girl, Bad Girl

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book and I'm happy to say that it lived up to my expectations.
Psychologist Cyrus Haven is called upon to assess a young girl with a traumatic past that she either can't or won't talk about. At the same time he is helping the local police figure out who killed a promising young skater.
Without a doubt this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I sincerely hope that this is the start of a new series as there is so much more I want to know about Evie, Cyrus and Lenny.
Just a tip, don't start this book at night unless you have the next day off work as from the first chapter you won't be able to put it down until you finish it. I have just come to the end at 6.45 in the morning.

Posted on Goodreads and Amazon

What a great book it grips you from beginning to end I really cannot wait for another one of the best books I have read

Good Girl, Bad Girl is fantastic, it’s gritty, dark and had me on edge the entire time I was reading. Although it was quite a long book it ended far too soon. I need more! Cyrus and Evie are the best types of characters, very easy to fall in love with them despite their faults.

I really hope there will be a sequel since Good Girl, Bad Girl will be named as one of my books of the year. Honestly it’s impeccable, if you don’t pick this book up then you’re missing out!

In ‘Good Girl’ Bad Girl’, Michael Robotham gives us two stories connected by Cyrus Haven, a psychologist attached to Nottingham’s police squad. Whilst working on the murder of ice-skating prodigy, Jodie Sheehan, he is also caught up in the life of ‘Angel Face’ or Evie Cormac who has been passed from fostering pillar to post, having been rescued from a murdered child abductor several years earlier. A ward of court, Evie is desperate for a taste of freedom. When the court postpones her entrance into the adult world, Cyrus agrees to foster her and begins to learn first-hand just how complicated Evie is. Smart, funny, uncompromising, fearful, dangerous and devious, her behaviour reminds us just how damaged this girl is. But is either of the titular labels accurate?
As Cyrus looks into Jodie’s world, he begins to appreciate that this wonder girl is not the perfect teenager that the press and her parents would have us believe. Why did she die? Who knows her secrets? Over the course of the novel Cyrus gradually pieces together the jigsaw and the final picture is tragic.
Both girls, so very different in upbringing and expectations, are neither good nor bad. Through Cyrus’s considerations, Robotham shows us just how important adult role models are and just how stifling parental expectations can be. The narrative is interspersed with Evie’s ruminations on the people she meets and the life she lives (and, delightfully, the songs she knows!) but we hear almost nothing of her life as an abused child. This is not only credible in that, understandably, she could be blocking such memories but it also encourages the reader to imagine – and that is far more powerful in this case than words on a page.
The author is particularly adept at dialogue between Cyrus and his interviewees, and it is moving to see how his relationship with the damaged Evie slowly develops over the course of the novel. Robotham’s understanding of a world in which fear is foremost, anger is quick to show and trust is rare is very convincing. Fans of his Joe O’Loughlin series will enjoy getting to know Cyrus Haven, past student of O’Loughlin, and may well hope that ‘Good Girl, Bad Girl’ is the first in a series featuring this new psychologist who, despite his own daemons, is a decent, generous, and sensitive man.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sphere for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I’ve read all of Michael Robotham’s Joe McLoughlin thrillers so I was interested to see he’d written a new book about a forensic psychologist called Cyrus Haven.
Cyrus is a great character, damaged himself due to his own family background, Cyrus consults for the police and is called in to help when Jodie Sheehan, a teenager, is found murdered.
He is also asked to look into Evie, an extremely difficult teenager with huge problems who is being held in a secure children’s home and is petitioning to be released.
Cyrus and Evie seem to click, prompting Cyrus to try and find out more about her as she will not reveal her true name or background.
This is a compelling read which I was able to finish over the course of a couple of days.
I really liked Cyrus and Evie and I am hoping that the author has plans to write a follow up novel so that I can learn more about both of them. Evie is very resourceful and seems older than her years although at times my heart went out to her as it was revealed what she had suffered.
There were many twists and turns as the story progressed leading to a very exciting final few chapters.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read which has certainly left me wanting more!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Good Girl, Bad Girl is a twisty and gritty thriller that hopefully will not be a standalone. These are characters you'll want more of. Robotham is excellent at writing unputdownable novels. Readers will have a hard time walking away to do even the most basic of tasks such as using the restroom or eating. Highly recommended to readers looking for the next favorite thriller.

Loved this book! Please let it not be a standalone! Great characters, a bit dubious practices from a psychologist (I am one so feel I can say that!) but in the interests of literacy licence it can be forgiven!

Michael Robotham is an author who always delivers a strong story with great character and pace, this is no exception. Cyrus Haven is an interesting new character with an unusual history and a dilapidated home. Evie is a girl whose strength comes from the horrors of her past. The working relationship between the two develops as they untangle a murder. There are many twists and turns and a very surprising ending. Thank you to Michael Robotham, Little Brown and NetGalley for providing this ARC and a lot of pleasure.

What a brilliant book. This book has a fantastic story line, excellent characters and is just wonderful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I enjoyed it immensely.

Well I just loved, loved, loved this book it was my first Michael Robotham and I was totally hooked from the first page till the last. The book is told from two different points of view one from Evie an abused, abducted teenager who was found in hidden a secret room and from Cyrus a forensic psychologist who helps the police and who becomes involved with Evie when asked to assess her.
Running along with this we also have a police investigation into the rape and murder of another girl that Cyrus is assisting the police with and these two storylines make this book a real page turner that I just found impossible to put down. It’s brilliantly written and the characters of Evie and Cyrus feel so damn “real” and I would love to hear more from them in the future.
Michael Robotham I take my hat off to you (if I had one !!) it’s a terrific read and one not to be missed and I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown book group UK, Sphere for giving me the chance to read the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

An unexpected story with riveting and intriguing characters. The writing is engaging and you cannot stop wondering what awaits on the next page. A well constructed and original thriller. Definitely recommend!

Sydney author Michael Robotham has long been one of the leading lights in modern Australian crime writing. Although due to the fact he sets his excellent books overseas - most in the UK where he worked as a journalist and biographer for many years - he's not really acknowledged as part of the growing antipodean crime wave like Jane Harper and her Outback tales, Paul Cleave and his Christchurch-set thrillers, Emma Viskic and her Caleb Zelic series set in Melbourne, or Vanda Symon's engaging Sam Shephard series in the South Island. is

The Gold Dagger Award-winning crime writer is a tremendous storyteller. In recent years Robotham has interspersed his series starring Parkinson’s-afflicted psychologist Joe O’Loughlin with an array of standalones . This latest novel GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL steps away from Joe but swims in similar psychological terrain.

Six years after a traumatised adolescent dubbed ‘Angel Face’ was belatedly discovered hiding out at a brutal crime scene, the renamed Evie Cormac wants to move out of state care. Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven is called in to assess the unusual young woman who seems to be able to act as a human lie detector. Meanwhile, Cyrus also consults with the police on the headline-grabbing murder of a teenage ice-skating star.

Intercutting between Evie and Cyrus’s perspectives (two fascinating characters who’ve found different ways to cope with each of their traumatic childhoods), GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL engages quickly and flows throughout It's a real page-turner, with the whodunnit of the murder bolstered by plenty of intrigue in relation to a variety of character secrets. Overall this is yet another example that Robotham is an accomplished storyteller who knows how to draw readers in, hold their attention, and deliver an absorbing psychological thriller.

I'm curious to see if we will see more of Cyrus or Evie in books to come. There's series potential there.

Cyrus Haven is a forensic psychologist who works alongside the police. He's been called in to observe a young girl called Evis Cormac. No one knows where she came from, what her name really is or even hoe old she is. She's thought to have been the girl who lived in a secret room where a man was to death. She has a talent, she knows when someone is lying. She's like a human lie detector. There is also the case of the shocking murder of a high school girl named Jackie. As Cyrus and the police investigate, many shocking truths come to light.

There is a lot going on in this book. DCI Leonora (Lenny) Pacer and Cyrus Haven are on both cases. Can Evie help them solve this mystery? Evie and Cyrus are marvellous characters, they were so realistic that is felt I knew them personally. The story unfolds in alternating chapters reflecting the viewpoints of Cyrus and Evie. The story is multilayered, full of twists and very suspenseful. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. My first read by Michael Robotham but it certainly won't be my last.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lottle Brown Book Group UK and the author Michael Robotham for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this book took me all round the houses and back on itself... Evie Cormac is a troubled young lady. Found in her early teens, half starved and filthy, in a secret room where a rather nasty crime had been committed, she has spent most of her days in a secure children's home after a number of failed foster attempts. She is approaching what they think is her 18th birthday and she has demanded the right to be released from this environment. Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven (great name) is brought in to assess her prior to the powers that be making a decision on her future. She has never told them who she is - Evie is a new name she was given - or explained her relationship to the man whose house she was found in. Or indeed what actually happened. She does have one special skill though, the ability to see through lies, to know when someone isn't telling the truth. This is both a blessing and a curse, albeit a very useful skill. She also has trust issues. Cyrus is also assisting the police in another murder investigation (busy man) and thing get a bit strange when his two cases start to intertwine forcing his hand to make difficult decisions, decisions that could have repercussions for all involved.
Wow! This was a very skillfully plotted and executed, character driven story. I was able very early on to fully immerse myself into the worlds of both Cyrus and Evie and connected with them straight away. The two of them develop a special "relationship" that spoilers prevent me from going into any more detail here but suffice to say that although chalk and cheese, they rub along very nicely indeed. Both have vastly differing but intriguing pasts which impact into their current lives. Other characters were just as well drawn and all played their parts well.
Pacing was excellent and went hand in hand with what was going on in the narrative. At times it was a tad slow but those parts added background and colour so were wholly acceptable and anyway, they gave me time to breathe and compose myself before the next wave of emotional action started up again.
The two (initially) separate storylines were also well weaved around and about each other and, as the layers of both were peeled back and the truth started to emerge, well, shocking to say the least. And the ending when it came was perfect. Well, in keeping with what had gone before!
All in all, a cracking read that hit the ground running, kept my attention throughout and left me satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks got to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC of this book

I've read a few of Michael's books but not all of them and this one didn't disappoint.

Psychologist Cyrus Haven is called upon to assess a girl with a traumatic past while also assisting the local police figure out who killed a young skater.

This is a great book and one of the better books I have read recently. I, like others, would hope this could be the start of a book series and I want to know more about the characters Evie, Cyrus and Lenny.

I would suggest you keep this book for when you have time to read it as I had trouble putting it down.

I really enjoyed reading this although at times it covers some uncomfortable issues. Evie Cormac is in a secure children’s home in Nottingham, her background and suffering are shocking but I think she is very smart, extremely clever, brave and some of her responses made me laugh especially when deflecting questions with film quotes or songs. I particularly likes the Austin Powers quotes. So funny. It’s clear that Evie hates herself she believes she’s ‘Used. Abused. Unloved. Unloveable.’ which is so sad. She has anger issues but I feel that is force of circumstances. Her psychologist is Cyrus Haven who also has a very sad background. He is immensely likeable and kind, thoughtful and perceptive too. Some of their encounters are like verbal tennis but Cyrus is prepared to give Evie the chance to find a life outside the home and little by little she reveals a few things about her past as does Cyrus. It’s almost like they are learning to heal each other, together.
Another strand to the book concerns the death of promising figure skater Jodie Sheehan which is being investigated principally by another really likeable character DCI Lenore (known as Lenny) Parvel. Jodie was not quite what she seemed as the investigation shows and her family are hiding more than one secret. Initially I was uncertain how the two cases would connect but they do with dramatic and very sad consequences and once again poor Evie finds herself at tremendous risk. I couldn’t help but think she is the most unlucky girl in the world.
I think the end is a bit overly dramatic but I guess if someone is desperate that leads to desperate actions and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Overall, an excellent and exciting read and I assume there is going to be another Evie/Cyrus book which I will look forward to and most certainly read.
On a personal note I was born and raised in Nottingham so I loved the guided tour around the city!

Excellent! Mr Robotham knows how to tell a great tale. I loved the Joe McKaughlan series and fervently hope that this is the first of a new series. Cyrus and Evie could be the making of a formidable crime couple: her ‘special gift’ ; his professional background and two backstories with plenty of scope...... I wait ;impatiently) for the next book.

This was a bit of a slow burner for me but once it got going I really enjoyed it.
Cyrus is a psychologist and is asked to help with a girl who no-one has been able to reach in a children’s home.
No-one knows her age as she was found hidden in a house six years ago along with the body of a tortured dead man.
Cyrus wants to help her and tries his best.
Alongside this story is a murder of a fifteen year old girl. Cyrus is asked to help with the investigation and comes across a family with lots of secrets.
The detectives and Cyrus need to work through all the lies to find the killer and it’s not made easy for them.
I’m hoping there will be another book about Cyrus and Evie as I’d like to know what happens next.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Compulsive reading, this is an addictive suspenseful psychological thriller like no other.

The plot is unpredictable with lots of twists and turns along with solid engaging characters.
There is also a sense of dread as the story deals with the deep and dark corners of the human psych.

I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone!

I was utterly gripped by this fast-paced, emotionally satisfying thriller. There are various threads that were skillfully woven into the plot and kept me burning the midnight oil turning the pages. Firstly there is the mysterious Evie who is seeking emancipation from the care system, but with a past as traumatic and unknown as hers she needs a psychological assessment. This is where Cyrus comes in. Having experienced a traumatic childhood himself, he seems to forge a connection with Evie where others have failed. This relationship really intrigued me as it allowed glimpses into each of their past, and opened up the characters in a way that really piqued my interest. The plot thickens further as Cyrus is called upon in his role with the police, to investigate the murder of a local 15-year-old.

I really hope that this is the start of a new series. I'm left wanting to know exactly what secrets Evie is keeping, who she fears is looking for her and what exactly her ability to tell if someone is lying means. Cyrus is as much of an enigma and I am keen to learn more about him.

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

When Evie Cormack was found almost starved hidden behind a secret wall and her so called father killed in the next room, it was clear that this must have a severe impact on the girl’s mind. But who is she? Nobody seems to miss her. Cyrus Haven, forensic psychologist with the Nottingham police, is highly interested in the case of “Angel Face” even though the now young woman refuses all cooperation with carers and doctors who already established that she possesses a unique gift: she can tell if somebody lies. Yet, Cyrus does not have the time to totally focus on her since the body of Jodie Sheehan, figure-skating prodigy, has been found close to her cousin’s home. The deeper the police investigate, the stranger and puzzling the facts that they dig out about the girl become: wasn’t Evie the golden girl with the promising career that everybody believed?

Michael Robotham’s latest thriller does not come with unnerving suspense, it stands out because of two other aspects: first of all, it really goes into the psyche of the protagonists and second, the complex story offers many leads and red herrings that keep you alert and reading on. The characters are much more intricate than you would expect for a mystery novel and thus add a lot of thrill to the plot.

Cyrus Haven, the psychologist, is himself an interesting character since his own family was murdered by his elder brother when he was just a child. The knowledge that not returning home on due time saved him sticks with him and finding his parents’ and sisters’ bodies surely had an impact on him. His subject of study is also designed very interestingly, she does not just react to her experiences of being abused and hidden, quite on the contrary, she is highly intelligent and capable of controlling her moods when interacting with psychologists. She can anticipate what is expected from her and thus play with those who want to gain insight in her brain what she refuses. On the other hand, there are some triggers that make her explode and react uncontrollably. Robotham gives them both a voice and with the first person narration grants a glimpse in their mind.

The murder case comes with many surprises, too. The more you learn about the victim, the more interesting the dead girl gets. She obviously had a certain image that was portrayed to her family and the world, but there are also secrets she kept and only shared with selected persons. Whenever the police are convinced to have established the course of the evening of her assassination, some aspects simply do not fit in the picture and keep them investigating further.

“Good Girl, Bad Girl” really is a psychological thriller that deserves this label. Cyrus and Evie are certainly an odd couple of which I would love to read more.

Good Girl, Bad Girl is a misnomer as a title but a truly engrossing read. Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. We have been Joe O'Loughlin fans (a Michael Robotham character) but both hope and look forward to further books based around both of the main characters Evie Cormac a girl with little known about her past who was found as a child in a house with a dead body, and Cyrus Haven a psychiatrist who is working for the police on the murder of young skating protege Jodie Sheehan as well as being asked to assess Evie.
CMichael Robotham has woven the story brilliantly looking at what is going on through both Evie and Cyrus's eyes as Evie gets involved in the case Cyrus is investigating. Two wonderful characters about whom we learn a little and there is room to learn a lot more in future novels and a great plot. A highly recommended book.

This is the first time I read a book by the author and I really enjoyed it. Cyrus a phsycologist gets asked to assess Evie a girl with a dark, hidden past and so the story starts. The book was very interesting in the fact that it actually had what I would consider two main stories and no sub-story, strangely enough it worked really well.

I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and how they interacted with each other. Evie in particular seemed very interesting.

My only issue with the book is that I think it should come with a warning about sexual child abuse. I normally would avoid books with such subject matter but on this occasion it was only lightly touched upon. The book ended in a way that makes me hope that this will be a series as I loved the two main characters so much. However if it delves deeper into sexual child abuse and becomes more descriptive I would not be able to stomache them.

So I’ve never read a book by Michael Robotham before but when I read the description of Good Girl, Bad Girl it really appealed to me and I’m so glad it did. I will definitely be looking to read more of Robotham’s work because this book seriously impressed me. I was immediately hooked by the characters. Evie is so incredibly fascinating to read about and she also has this unpredictability which left me on the edge of my seat throughout. Cyrus is the point of focus in the story and he is just as interesting as Evie. He has a complicated and tragic history that we are given hints about as the plot progresses and his relationship with Evie is one of the most compelling aspects of Good Girl, Bad Girl. It is not a relationship which has obvious parameters and I loved watching them try to figure out how to trust and be around one another after their lives draw them together.

This book is not your typical police procedural or thriller. It looks more at the psychological aspect of crime and at the way society treats people who are different like Evie. The story has two strands to it – one follows Evie and her struggle to achieve some level of normalcy after a mysterious and horrifying childhood. The flip side to Evie is Jodie, a talented and seemingly perfect figure skater who has been found dead near her home. Cyrus is involved in the investigation into her death and because of her link to Cyrus, Evie becomes entangled in it too. I genuinely had no idea how this story was going to unfurl, which is something I love in a book like this. I was racing to get to the end which was helped by the fact that Good Girl, Bad Girl has a fantastic pace to it, not once did I feel a lull in how compelling it was and there was an intensity running through the prose that felt relentless. I don’t want to give too much away concerning the plot because I think it’s unpredictable nature is one of the best parts of the book but I can honestly say this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. I am very much hoping Robotham is intending to continue with these characters in the form of a series because I feel like there is so much more to unpack here but for now I highly recommend Good Girl, Bad Girl if you are looking for a clever, dark and infinitely compelling read.

This story surprised me a lot. It was so well written that I was hooked from the first chapter. I really didn't know where the story was going to go. It went back and forth from one story of a girl who had a bad childhood to the current story of a murdered girl but it wasn't confusing at all and eventually the two stories came together. The twists and turns were actually quite surprising and definitely didn't know what would end up happening. A good, easy read.

Good Girl, Bad Girl is the first instalment in a brand new series featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven, and boy is this up there with some of the most thoroughly compelling and compulsively readable thrillers of the year so far. For all intents and purposes, this appears to be a series to watch and one that may rapidly become unmissable. Robotham crafts an almost perfect crime tale with the requisite twists and surprises as well as suspense and mystery aplenty. However, unlike many books in the crime genre, the author doesn't put all of his eggs in one basket by assuming the twists will fool everyone and backs these up with a tonne of substance.

Moving at a good clip and with impressively complex characterisation, something that is usually sacrificed in a fast-paced novel, we are treated to a story full of excitement and drama. I have read each and every work of crime Robotham has produced and can honestly say that this is up there with his most accomplished and thrilling. It is clear he is an incredible storyteller; he never fails to get your attention from the very beginning and holds it right through to the explosively satisfying conclusion. With all of the aforementioned in mind, I unreservedly recommend this highly entertaining and absorbing thriller to all crime connoisseurs. Many thanks to Sphere for an ARC.