After seeing some really great reviews I couldn’t wait to dive into this one! I’ve started to realize I much prefer a police procedural to a domestic “thriller” and this one delivered. I finished it in two days and loved the character development. I’m super excited that this is going to be a series because I’m dying to see where things go with Cyrus and Evie. The only thing that brought it down one star for me was the ending. It just seemed a little outlandish. Plus it will leave you hanging. I definitely will be recommending this book and can’t wait for the rest of the series!

This is the launch for a new series by one of my favorite authors. It's also a spinoff of sorts (or at least a tie-in, a la the book's next-to-last paragraph) of Michael Robotham's Joe O'Laughlin series.

Like Joe O'Laughlin (star of nine Robotham novels), Cyrus Haven is a forensic psychologist. He is on contract with the police in Nottingham, and is asked to consult on the murder of a young girl, Jodie Sheehan. A social worker colleague also asks him to assess Evie, a mysterious young woman seeking to be released from the care system.

There's a reason why so many authors attempt multiple story lines and alternating time lines to build a story: When they're done well, they can add layers of complexity and insight to a narrative. Robotham handles these shifts very skillfully. The stories and back stories of Cyrus, Jodie and Evie are woven, warp and woof, into a memorable pattern

As with all Robotham novels, there is the slow burn of mystery and the tension of suspense, but for most of the book they are background to the stellar character development. This is not so much for the thrill-seeking reader as for the one who wants to meet intriguing new characters in suspenseful settings -- ones whom you'll recall long after the book is finished.

On that note, recalling Jodie and Evie, one wonders: Which was the good girl and which the bad girl?

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance reader's copy.

As a fan of the Joe O'Laughlin series, my expectations for this book might have been a bit too high, because while the premise hooked me in, I found the pacing and writing good but not great. That being said, I was involved enough to be open for a sequel, and I would recommend this book to my thriller reading patrons as a nice solid choice.

📖 REVIEW 🔈

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥, 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 by Michael Robotham

Lots of 💕 to @scribnerbooks for my free copy! #partner

Do you like crime/procedural stories? Hard to solve murder mysteries? Deeply developed and likable characters? An ending that is both satisfying but somehow leaves you craving more? If you don’t answer yes to all of these questions, I’m not sure how we are friends (jk 🤣).. Seriously though, if you did answer yes then read this book NOW!

I really enjoyed the relationship and banter between Cyrus and Evie. The story is told in alternating points of view which really kept the story moving for me. Both characters are written so well and I was so intrigued by their pasts. This is the first book in an upcoming series and I’m honestly SO EXCITED to learn more about what really happened to Evie and whether her and Cyrus continue to develop their relationship.

For all of those who have read this one, I’m just going to go ahead and put it out there. I felt myself attracted to Cyrus. There’s something sexy about a guy who wants to help a tortured soul who has no one else to turn to and has nothing to gain from it. And...those tattoos? ::swoon:: Anyone agree? No, just me? Hahaha.

I was terribly disappointed to learn that Michael Robotham's beloved Joe O'Loughlin series had come to an end last summer. There was something so special, so engaging about that character and the various twists and turns his life took both personally and professionally. It was a series I couldn't imagine getting tired of reading, but of course, all good things must come to an end, and now, Mr. Robotham has turned his attention to Dr. Cyrus Haven, a criminal psychologist with a dark past, and Good Girl, Bad Girl introduces readers to this mercurial character and the young woman with the power to help him overcome the darkness he's carried with him for nearly twenty years.

Six years before the story opens, police find a young girl hiding in a secret room in a house with links to a terrible crime. No one knows the identity of the girl, and she refuses to tell them anything about herself, including her name. When continued questioning does not get results, the girl is sent to live in a secure children's home under the name Evie Cormac. Authorities hope intensive mental health treatment might help her feel confident enough to reveal her secrets.

When the novel begins, Dr. Cyrus Haven has been summoned to the home by a colleague. Evie is petitioning the court to allow her to live independently, but her treatment team is not in favor of this idea, and they're hoping Cyrus will be able to help keep her in the home where she can continue to be looked after. Since no one knows Evie's real age, her doctors have been working under the assumption that she is not a legal adult, but Evie is now claiming she is over the age of eighteen.

From the moment Cyrus first meets Evie, he knows there's something special about her. Her doctors have told him about a certain skill Evie possesses, the ability to intuitively know when someone is lying to her, and Cyrus is eager to see this in action for himself. But Evie is playing a game of her own, a game that could land them both in unspeakable danger if Cyrus isn't able to persuade her to trust him.

Meanwhile, a popular and gifted high school student is found murdered not far from her home. Jodie Sheehan has been training for years to become an Olympic ice skater, and authorities have lots of questions about her death. They enlist Cyrus' help to solve the case, and he's soon in the middle of a complicated investigation with ties to some of the most powerful people in the athletic industry.

Cyrus carries a lot of emotional baggage. He is the only member of his family to survive a brutal mass-murder, and he is obviously down by quite a bit of survivor’s guilt. He's very good at his job, but he has managed to close himself off from most personal connections. He's drawn to Evie in a way he can't explain, but he also knows it would be beyond foolish for him to let down his guard around her. The relationship these two damaged people form is one of the best things about the novel, but it definitely does not happen quickly. Both Cyrus and Evie have a hard time trusting others, so it takes a lot for them to connect with one another.

Mr. Robotham definitely knows how to create a suspenseful plot that goes in directions I never expected. I guessed a few small things about what really happened to Jodie, but Evie's storyline managed to surprise me again and again. There's a fair amount of violence here, both on and off the page, but it never feels excessive. Instead, the author tells readers just enough to really engage their imaginations.

My one quibble with the book has to do with the lack of supporting characters. Both Evie and Cyrus do their best to keep the world at a bit of a distance, and as a result, the novel feels a little sparse. I would have liked to see at least a couple more people who had more than a cursory role in the story, as it would have added some additional perspective. As it is, the only people we get to know are the two main characters, and there were a few times I got the feeling that both of them lived in a vacuum of sorts.

Even so, Good Girl, Bad Girl is a solid start to what promises to be an engrossing new series. There's so much more to learn about these people, and I'm confident in Mr. Robotham's ability to create another blockbuster of a series.

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I've never read a book by this author before and after Good Girl, Bad Girl I have to say I am a fan and will be looking for more of his books to read. I really enjoyed this book and the mysteries at play. I saw a few twists coming, but wasn't disappointed by the ending which definitely reads like there will be a sequel or series coming in the future. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book...

This was a great mystery/thriller. It started as two separate stories told by different perspectives and really came together great in the end. It started off fast paced and stayed pretty action packed all the way to the end. I thought the character development was great and loved the relationship between Cyrus and Evie/Angelface. The ending definitely leaves you with questions. Will be looking forward to the next one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Scribner, and Michael Robotham for the opportunity to read his latest thriller. While I'm heartbroken to have to wait for the next book to find out more of what happens, I'm so excited that this will be a series involving Cyrus Haven. Robotham has been a favorite author of mine forever and this book is the perfect example of why.

There are multiple storylines here but they all fold together in classic Robotham style. A young girl is found hidden in a house where someone was brutally murdered. She won't tell anyone about her past and no one can figure out who she is or any details about her identity. She is being held in a secure children's home for troubled youth. She also has a unique ability - she is able to tell when someone is lying. A psychologist, Cyrus Haven, is brought into the case when the girl, now called Evie, asks to be declared 18 and released. Meanwhile, an Olympic-hopeful teenage skater, Jodie, is found murdered. While someone eventually confesses, is that the end of the story? Cyrus, himself damaged from his childhood, works on both cases.

Wow - just a great read. It leaves questions at the end to leave you anxiously awaiting the next book! Highly recommended!

Good Girl, Bad Girl? Which one is Evie?

Evie is known in the press as Angel Face. As a young girl, she is found in a hidden room with a man long dead after being tortured. Evie claims to not remember anything from her former life—not even her name or age.

Cyrus is a police psychologist. He is also the survivor of the brutal murder of his family by his older brother. He volunteers to help Evie get out of her group home. In the meantime, Cyrus is working the case of a young ice skater, assaulted and killed on a dark public path on Guy Fawkes Night.

A slow simmer of a novel, Good Girl, Bad Girl has a multitude of plot threads. All are expertly wound up by the conclusion. Both Cyrus and Evie are unusual characters that you want the best for but fear the worst. The thrilling ending is the best of 2019 so far. 4 stars!

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thrillers have been a hit an miss a lot lately for me but this is my second book I've read by Robotham and I really have become a fan of his!

I had a hard time getting into the book initially and finally felt that it picked up for me. I felt that there was a bit of loose ends at the end that were quite tied up for me. I was torn because I really enjoy Robotham's writing style.. and have become a fan!

I just felt like there was something missing for me on this one and was hoping for a bit more from Robotham!

Overall, decent mystery but was lacking a bit for me.

3 stars

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 7/23/19
Published to GR: 7/23/19

Oh my, Michael has done it AGAIN!!!! I want so badly to "spill" on this little masterpiece of a spellbinding plot---but I won't! Just PROMISE ME that you will STOP whatever you are doing and pick this book up!!!! You will NOT be sorry!! Kuddos to Michael Robotham and a huge thanks to Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book for my honest review.

A couple of years ago I read my first Robotham novel, The Secrets She Keeps and was totally blown away! It ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year and is still one I recommend all of the time so to say I was looking forward to this one is an understatement! This was well worth the wait though, what an incredibly talented writer MR is.

I love when a book has several plot threads running along simultaneously and this had that and more. Told through two points of view, Cyrus a psychologist and Evie, a young woman with a tragic and secretive past I was SO invested in these two characters. Their relationship and dynamic was endlessly fascinating and the characterization was amazing, and then they both have similar, dark pasts that made them not only mysterious but also highly complex. Besides their personal secrets Cyrus is consulting on a case involving the murder of a young woman so there was always something exciting going on!

Normally I’m not a fan of loose ends but when I saw this was the start of a new series I calmed down a bit. While the central mystery was resolved and some small things were revealed about Evie’s history, there is SO much left to unpack still and I cannot wait to see exactly what that means. If you like strong characterization, amazing writing and a mystery that is actually surprising read this book!

Good Girl, Bad Girl in three words: Multilayered, Unexpected and Absorbing.

Robotham's latest is like a fine cup of coffee.....
excellent to the very last drop! 5★'s
Now available!

Cyrus

'“Which one is she?” I ask, leaning closer to the observation window.
“Blond. Baggy sweater. Sitting on her own.”
“And you’re not going to tell me why I’m here?”
“I don’t want to influence your decision.”
“What am I deciding?”
“Just watch her.”
I look again at the group of teenagers, girls and boys. Most are wearing jeans and long tops with the sleeves pulled down to hide whatever self-inflicted damage has been done. Some are cutters, some are burners or scratchers or bulimics or anorexics or obsessive compulsives or pyromaniacs or sociopaths or narcissists or suffering from ADHD. Some abuse food or drugs, others swallow foreign objects or run into walls on purpose or take outrageous risks.
Evie Cormac has her knees drawn up, almost as though she doesn’t trust the floor. Sullen mouthed and pretty, she could be eighteen or she could be fourteen. Not quite a woman or a girl about to bid good-bye to childhood, yet there is something ageless and changeless about her, as if she has seen the worst and survived it. With brown eyes framed by thickened eyelashes and bleached hair cut in a ragged bob, she’s holding the sleeves of her sweater in her bunched fists, stretching the neckline, revealing a pattern of red blotches below her jawline that could be hickeys or finger marks.
Adam Guthrie is standing alongside me, regarding Evie like she is the latest arrival at Twycross Zoo.
“Why is she here?” I ask.
“Currently, her primary offense is for aggravated assault. She broke someone’s jaw with a half brick.”
“Currently?”
“She’s had a few.”
“How many?”
“Too few to mention.”'

***********
You have my attention Mr. Robotham!

Two cases. Two girls. One is dead, the other is so damaged she lives in a high security children's home.
Forensic psychologist, Cyrus Haven, is called in to help them both but Cyrus soon finds himself tangled up in a world of secrets that consume the lives of both girls. Is he in too deep.......?

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham is a brilliant, twisty thriller that I didn't want to put down!!
Engaging and irresistible, all I wanted to do was read this book!

As one of my favorite author's, I've come to expect nothing but the finest novels from the master of mystery thrillers. Once again, Michael Robotham hits all the top marks again and doesn't disappoint!

With thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and [author:Michael Robotham|266945] for this advanced digital copy to read and honestly review.

Author Michael Robotham has written a twisty mystery with two protagonists whose backstories rival one another in darkness. Cyrus Haven, our hero, appears to be the man at the helm of a series the author has in mind, a psychologist whose past won’t disappear quietly. He attempts to assist Evie, a teen survivor of unknown origin, and oddly enough together they unravel a murder. Their partnership has just a little bit of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO vibe about it. The tale itself is juicy and enveloping. I didn’t want to stop reading and plenty of sections were intriguing enough that I paused to consider them further. So, not your standard read-as-fast-as-you-can mystery. This book was worth savoring while reading; the author had thoughts to share and they were worth reflecting a bit. Plus, great ending, what more could I ask for? This is a great book and I can’t wait to read the next one. I received my copy from the publisher though NetGalley. Many thanks, I loved it!

3 stars. Overall this one just wasn’t for me.

Super condensed summary: A girl is murdered, and Cyrus a psychologist is involved in finding her murderer. Meanwhile, Cyrus is involved in determining whether or not Evie is capable of being released from a secure unit. Evie is a famous case in which she was found emaciated and hidden with no record of her birth or identity.

For me, there was way too much detail and tedium. The desired storyline was great, but I couldn’t quite figure out why the two stories were intertwined. I am curious to know more about Evie and her full story, but would have enjoyed the story much more if it was solely about Evie.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

AMAZING. It's hard to find a good thriller these days, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The POV os the psychologist always makes a book stand out when comparing thrillers. I loved both storylines and both Evie & Cyrus' characters. I couldn't get through this one fast enough. Will definitely be recommending. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be reading more! I loved the characters in this one and think it will become a series. The relationship between them is good and there were a few things left out that makes me want more! It had alternating POVs which I enjoy. The plot was engaging and I read the book in just a few days. I would highly recommend this one.

Cyrus is a psychologist who is asked to examine Evie a ward of the state. She was discovered locked in a closet as a young child. No one knows who she is or where she came from. Her discovery, was based on traumatic events and she won’t discuss them with anyone. Evie has a rare gift. She can always tell someone is lying.
Cyrus is working a case with the police. He’s investigating a murder of a 15 year old figure skating champion Jodie. What happened to Jodie the night she was killed? Cyrus begins Interviewing family and friends of the dead girl and discovers she was not the good girl everyone thought she was.
The author does a wonderful job of weaving the 2 stories of 2 different girls together. He touches on family secrets and the fact that you should never take things at face value. I would definitely recommend this to a friend. It’s a fast paced journey that leaves you wanting more in the end.

Excellent psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! Well-developed characters and plot. Highly recommend!

Michael Robotham’s Good Girl, Bad Girl weaves the story of two young women into one brilliant tapestry of secret histories, murders, family dramas, and the human desires and weaknesses underlying them all. Psychologist Cyrus Haben is asked to examine Evie, a ward of the state, whose mysterious and baffling background underscore her liminal position in life. Added to this is a sensational murder of a teenage skating champion, whose murder leaves questions left to be answered.

Robotham meets the rare challenge of a mystery/thriller novel providing more than just the superficial whodunit questions. Character development is well done, the pacing is brisk but doesn’t leave plot holes, and the writing remains engaging throughout the story. The reader is left hoping that this is the start of a series and not a standalone book, as both Cyrus and Evie are deftly crafted with care and layers.