🌟 rating: 3-3.5
📚 genre: thriller
📄 pages: 312
✍🏼 same author as: AN HONEST LIE, THE WIVES
read if you like: Shutter Island vibes, mental hospital theme, past/present alternating storylines

the book starts in the past timeline with Iris at age 15 calling 911 saying her twin sister has been kidnapped. in the present, Iris accepted an internship at a hospital for the criminally insane, on a creepy private island that only accessible by ferry. how will the two storylines intersect?…

i’ve always been a fan of Tarryn Fisher — her creative dark side is irresistible, and her books always have a crazy twist 🌪️🤯 i’m pleased to report that she stays true to her signature style in GOOD HALF GONE!! 👏🏼 also i really liked the MC in this — Iris’ determination was inspiring & i loved her relationship with her Gran and son Cal.

however, it took some time for the story to build — the big revelations took were too long in coming… we definitely could’ve been sprinkled with a more information sooner rather than to wait until the last 10% of the book to deliver everything all at once. also, the twist felt a little *too* unbelievable & far fetched. i never would’ve guessed it in its entirety though— loved the shock value! 💥

imo, this wasn’t as good as THE WIVES (my fav by her!) or AN HONEST LIE, but still worth the read if you’re a fan of this author, and/or like a Shutter Island, isolated mental hospital vibe in a thriller 🏥🖤

I never want to leave reviews that are unfavorable and I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. I loved, LOVED Fisher’s book THE WIVES a few years ago. I continue to recommend it and that final line just shocked me. This author has been hit or miss for me and I think it’s been hard to live up to the expectation I have formed after THE WIVES. Her others have been solid 4 stars and one 3.5 star (not bad at all, in my opinion) but this one felt a little off. This didn’t feel like a Tarryn Fisher book, if that makes sense. The beginning was incredible – hooked immediately. Then it started to fizzle out as the book continued. Some parts felt disjointed and odd. There were details that seemed important but ended up not being revisited, not quite red herrings though. I had the twist figured out, but the suspense and thriller genres can be so similar that it’s bound to happen, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. I did like the ending despite feeling over the top. Overall, I think this is one that has readers divided and I highly recommend giving it a try if you like the author. I’ll for sure pick up her next book because I do love her writing!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
While I loved that the author used such a hot topic that needs a lot more exposure for people to realize that it's happening and possibly right in their "backyard," the book was a little too slow in the beginning with a lot of going back and forth in time. The flashbacks and what happened in the past was good to understand the story line and how the different characters relate.
When things finally started picking up and moving,.it became quick and fast and sadly way too unrealistic to still enjoy the story. I felt like it had such an, pull out of thin air, ending, that it was not captivating anymore. I rolled my eyes a few times and just wanted the book to end at that point.
Overall, the story was good up until the last quarter of the book. The characters were all unlikable in my opinion. 3 🌟

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Quite literally the best piece of work Tarryn Fisher has written ever. The plot. The characters. The twist. So so good

Good Half Gone begins with Iris and her twin sister Piper going to the mall to meet some boys. It turns out the boys/men had something else in mind and Piper is kidnapped from the movie theater. No one except her grandma believes Iris and the police insist that she ran away. The story is told in dual timelines with the kidnapping and Iris' search for Piper in the past and the present timeline 8 years later, when Iris takes a job interning at the isolated Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane. There is someone there that Iris wants to talk to. It isn't until late in the story that we find out why she is there and who she is looking for.

I really enjoy Tarryn Fisher's books and the twists that I know will be there. This one totally shocked me, I didn't see it coming at all. Iris is the main character, chasing after clues and information to find out what happened to her sister and make someone pay. She is loyal to her grandma and son, and of course her missing sister. She has put her life and self on hold while searching and I felt bad for her. The story is told entirely from her POV, which meant that we only meet Piper through her remembrances. The present storyline brings many new characters to the story. The patients and employees at the hospital are a varied bunch. Even those who work there are a bit odd, and suffer from burnout and other issues. When a story has two timelines, I usually enjoy one more than the other and I have to say I preferred the past, although it was a bit tamer than what was happening at Shoal Island Hospital. As the story progressed, there were times that I lost interest, which is unusual for Tarryn Fisher's books. The last bit when the twists and reveals started coming one after another, brought me back into the story and boy, I was not expecting where we went with this one, and it was definitely an ending where you had to suspend all belief.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

This story is told in Iris's POV, alternating the present day and the past, when her sister Piper disappeared. Initially, I was very intrigued and with every chapter felt there could have been a new theory to what had happened and where the story was going. There was definitely a good hook and momentum...for the first half or so of the book. Admittedly, my expectations were high but the more the storyline unfolded, it just seemed like it was all too extreme and there were a lot of unnecessary events occurring. I loved Iris and had a great deal of admiration for what she had been through and how she was proceeding in her life, but the overall story just was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I am normally a fan of Tarryn Fisher and her books, but this one fell flat. I thought there was a lot of potential for this plot, but the twists and turns did the opposite of what they were meant to do. I thought reading about a twin going missing and the search for her was going to take me on a suspenseful journey, but I had a hard time connecting with the events taking place after approximately 50% of the book.

I did not anticipate the ending, but I would have rather it ended in a predictable way than for what did happen. If I would have been presented this book without an author name, I never would have guessed who the author was.

It was an easy, quick read due to the writing style of the book - but overall, it isn't something I would recommend. I do look forward to reading more of her work though, because typically she is a queen of suspense!

Noooo the twist was so bad. I’m sorry, but I cannot suspend disbelief for that twist.

I’m letting this post to Goodreads so I won’t post spoilers but this was my first Tarryn Fisher and it will probably be my last. I think fans of Jeneva Rose would LOVE this book though.

3.5 rounded up to 4*

*blink blink... What was that?!?! Definitely fast paced and twisty . I couldn't put it down! BUT the ending seemed super far fetched and unbelievable to me which was a bit of a disappointment. That said, it was a good read and I enjoyed the dual timeline a lot!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC of this book!

This was an OK read, but I think it was a bit all over the place. I didn't quite follow the story, and by the end I just didn't care what happened.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Good Half Gone caught my eye with the knowledge that it was Tarryn Fisher's latest release. The blurb provided hints of an intriguing and suspenseful read. Armed with the above information, I quickly dove into the story. Fisher delivered a tale that moved at a steady pace, with some slow moments in between. A tale that, in the end, will shock you while requiring some amount of belief suspension with its unexpected turn of events.

Good Half Gone tells the story of twin sisters Iris and Piper. Piper was the popular one, while Iris lived in Piper's shadow. One day, while at the movie theatre, Iris witnessed her sister being kidnapped. She reported it to the police, but they treated the situation as low priority, classifying it as a runaway case. Eventually, the case went cold. Ten years later, Iris is on a mission to uncover the truth behind her sister's disappearance. A mission that took her to Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane. While there, Iris discovers that all is not as it appears.

Told in dual timelines, Good Half Gone started on a thrilling note. I enjoyed both timelines. The past timeline provides readers with knowledge of the events leading up to the kidnapping and the efforts made on Iris's part to get answers. The current timeline is where the suspense and thrills occurred, although, it didn't deliver the expected level of thrills or suspense. There were moments where I lost interest in the story.  However, the twists and unexpected revelations pulled me back in slowly but surely.

The events in the latter part of the story took me by surprise. I suspected a particular character of not being on the up and up.  Well, they proved me right, however, what I never saw coming was how deeply entrenched the individual was in Piper's disappearance.
While it wasn't as suspenseful and thrilling as expected, Good Half Gone was an interesting read.

Tara Sands narrated. This was my first experience with her work. I would definitely listen to her again. She did a great job of bringing out the character's emotions.

Good Half Gone was my first time reading one of Tarryn Fisher’s novels and man, was this a wild ride! I was pulled into the story immediately and binged the entire book in a couple of sittings because I needed answers. It’s a bit of a slow burn at times, but I was engrossed in the mystery and eager to watch all of the pieces finally slide into place.

Iris is a great character, very complex and authentic. I was intrigued by her internal monologue throughout the story, which reveals not only the guilt she feels for not being able to protect Piper, but also this niggling question about why she was left behind. Not that she wanted to be abducted obviously, but if they’re twins, why take Piper instead of her? Maybe it’s just me but I found that fascinating.

I enjoy a good twisty thriller and Good Half Gone delivered, keeping me guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more from this author!

This was a FAST paced read for me. I literally did not want to put it down. The synopsis will grab you so fast! This one had me questioning what I thought I knew and wondering about the decisions the MC was making. 

Irish Walsh a 15 year old at the mall sees her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped in the front of the movie theater. She tells the police everything, down to the detail of the white van, but no one believes her. 

Fast forward a decade later, now Iris an  adult is obsessed with finding out what happened to Piper. Knowing there must be answers here, she takes an internship at an isolated hospital for the criminally insane. Whether it's justice or revenge, Iris doesn't plan on anything or anyone stopping her. 

This one will have you in a rollercoaster of emotions, with a shocking (almost unbelievable) twist.

Another great book by Tarryn when you think you know something she throws in a twist if you love psychology thrillers you will love this

This will hook you fast and leave you needing to know what’s going to happen! The main setting is a facility for the criminally insane located on an island. Iris is navigating life years after her twin sister went missing and is assumed dead. She takes on an internship at the facility where she believes the man responsible is located because she needs answers.

The first 70%ish percent of the book is on the slower side. This part of the story is told using dual timeline. In one perspective we go back to when Iris and Piper were 15 and learn what happened leading up to Piper’s disappearance. Then we have present day where we see how and what Iris is doing now. I found myself devouring this book despite the slower pacing because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen. But then it happened…

The last 30% will require complete suspension of disbelief, which is not my jam unfortunately. I felt like there were so many ways this story could have gone that would have been more realistic and more satisfying. We were given such a full look at the past for the first 70% of the book and then that perspective just drops off. We do get a conclusion and closure in the story of Piper, but it could have been more fully fleshed out.

Overall I did enjoy this book. It was a bingeable story that hooked me in fast. If you are a fan of conclusions that require suspension of disbelief, you are in for a ride with this one!

Twins Iris and Piper are at the movies meeting a group of boys. When Iris returns from the bathroom, Piper is missing she reports to police, but they don’t believe her and label her a runaway. Years later Iris is still determined to find Piper and/or what happened that day. She believes her answers are at Shoal Island Hospital and so she applies for an internship. I enjoyed reading the first half with the dual timelines, not so much the latter half. Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publication and NetGalley.

Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher is a thriller novel. The story in Good Half Gone is one that is told by alternating between a past and present timeline but only has one point of view from it’s main character.

As teenagers Iris and her twin sister Piper had gone out to meet some boys/men that Piper had wanted to see. Things do not go well that day when Iris witnesses her sister being taken by the men but when going for help no one believes a kidnapping took place with the police chalking it up to Piper running away.

Now almost a decade later Iris is grown and raising a child of her own with a help from her grandmother, the only other person who believed Piper was taken that day. Iris has spent years studying to be able to take an internship at Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane where she believes she’ll finally find the answers to what happened to Piper.

Good Half Gone is actually the second novel I’ve read by Tarryn Fisher and one that I took a leap of faith before reading since I enjoyed the first. You see, I’m not a huge fan of remote creepy hospital/asylum type settings but I was really curious so I took the chance. Thankfully what I found in this one was the same compelling suspenseful story that drew me in and kept the pages turning that I remembered with the first book. I will say though that if you are opposed to kind of over the top endings where one may have to suspend belief this may not be for you but I ended up enjoying this one more than I was worried I would.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publications/Graydon House, NetGalley, and Tarryn Fisher for the opportunity to review this book for an honest opinion. The heroine Iris as spent the past several years looking for her twin sister who was kidnapped. She finally thinks that the man responsible, a former youth pastor, is on an island mental institution, is within her grasp and so she has gotten assigned an internship to work there for her degree. With luck and perserverence she will find a chance to get the answers to what happened to her sister.
However, how much do you really ever know the people you are in close contact with on an isolated island? Do you ever really trust them? Or rather Should you trust them? Iris is faced with these questions and more the longer she stays on the island. Sometimes knowing the truth is a dangerous thing.
I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more by this author.

Good Half Gone is a harrowing story about Iris, a twin, who has survivors guilt (in a way) and spends her life searching of the answers of what happened the night her sister Piper was taken. This novel takes the reader on a journey that is highly unexpected that it was almost unbelievable, that tweaks the mind in such a way that you can't be sure where or when you lost it.
The writing was superb. World and character building was on point and immersive. I devoured this book and wonderfully felt devoured by it. The author took liberates but it was not in a condescending or lazy way, you just realize you are being taken on a ride that maybe you did or didn't ask for, depending on you mood.😉
I would recommend to anyone looking for a good mind tweaking. 3.75-4 🤩😵‍💫✨💥

I feel like I didn’t just read this book, I lived it along with Iris. Shock, happiness, confusion, elation, hope, despair, understanding; I felt everything. Honestly, right now, I just want to go read it again!