I was so excited to receive an ARC of this after the description sounded enticing and it started off with a great premise. However the became so convoluted and unbelievable. There were also a few inconsistencies, someone knowing their hotel room number prior to check in? Just not believable. The main character remained way too calm in her pursuit of her missing husband. I hung in there, but was losing interest in the second half.

No Bad Deed
A Novel
by Heather Chavez
HarperCollins Publishers
William Morrow
General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins Publishers for the digital ARC of this book.
I usually really like Heather Chavez, but this time I found it a slow read and relatively easy to figure out.
If you are looking for a thriller this might be the one for you.

Driving home from her veterinary clinic, Cassie sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. She calls 911 but also gets out of her vehicle. Things go bad, and the man escapes with her vehicle and purse - he now has her name, address, and information about husband and kids. Then Cassies husband disappears.

No Bad Deed has a strong opening followed by a slow burn mystery. The plot is far more intricate than it initially appears. Cassie is different than what we often see in women characters, which is an interesting change. What I've said is rather vague, but I don't want to give anything that would be a spoiler. I'd recommend No Bad Deed for fans of suspense.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Cassie risks her life by saving another woman in danger. The man responsible says, “If you let her die, I’ll let you live.” Unable to abide by this statement, Cassie once again takes measures to save the other woman’s life. Thus begins this page-turning thriller that’s filled with enough plot twists to easily fill two books.

Cassie’s life is turned upside down after she pisses off the wrong ex-convict. But is that really all that’s going on? And where did her husband disappear to? Even more daunting is the question of whether she ever really knew her husband at all and what his role might be in all of this.

There’s a widely varied selection of characters in this book, and most of them have some roughness/darkness in their past. From Cassie’s teens as a rough houser to a drug dealer to a criminal with an intimidating name, these aren’t people you’d want to mess with. Yet someone certainly seems happy to take the risk. The questions of why - and who Cassie can trust - help flesh out this dizzying tale.

I was able to keep up with the seemingly endless twists and saw some of them coming. The last several chapters were also quite exciting, although it seemed like the timeline went on for way longer than it would have in the real world (to avoid spoilers, I won’t say more; once you read it, you’ll see exactly what I mean).

Overall, this was a very solid and entertaining debut thriller that’s certain to become a big hit. Some readers will inevitably be confused by the almost burdensome amount of twists and plot lines, but it does all gel together without requiring too massive of a suspension of disbelief.

I’m looking forward to reading future books from this author. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This book started out really strong. I was sucked in and wanted to know what happened to Cassie's husband, Sam. Secrets began to be uncovered as more unfortunate events start to unfold. Towards the middle I think the story got a little "gummy." Lots of new characters were introduced with lots of different backstories, stories, connections and it was confusing to weed out the details about what was important and not important to the story. Details about the rumors at school about Sam seems liked red herrings. Towards the end though, when Cassie was fighting to find her children the story started to pick up again and things got back on track. Pieces of the story started to fall into place and the faced paced action carried the book towards it's conclusion. I thought the book ended well and made the middle gummy section more worthwhile to weed through.

*Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley fo the early copy*

First off, I saw this book on Netgalley and wanted to read it so bad based off the synopsis.. Sadly I got denied *que sad Sarah McLachlan music* Then I get an email from a lovely saint who works for the publishers asking if I wanted to read and I screamed.. yes I screamed in my car while waiting to pick my five year old up. And let me tell you.. this book does not disappoint, especially for a debut!

Cassie is a normal working mom who stumbles upon an attack taking place on her drive home. She calls the cops and knows she shouldn’t leave her car, but she does. She feels this sense of wanting to help. After that night all these events start happening that make Cassie a target of something bigger. He husband Sam disappears and then her son Leo starts to look like a suspect, but really the biggest arrow is pointing at her. And it has something to do with her past, something she knows nothing about. How can she clear her name and figure out what’s going on in this cat and mouse story? Is she really that innocent or is she guilty?
This book was intense and addictive. I didn’t want to put it down.. but sadly I had to sleep since I have 2 littles and can’t do the late night reads like I use to. But I did wake up thinking about it and knew it was one of those books that gets under your skin until you have the answers. It’s definitely an all-nighter if you can. So many questions and so many what ifs. I though I knew 25% in but boy was I wrong. I love these kind of books that are twisty and unpredictable, because let’s be real, who likes books where you can predict what’s going to happen and then it just spoils the whole read? Me neither!! Such a great debut and raw with the emotions and suspicion and storyline! I can’t wait to read Heathers next book... boy a need a shot now!

Heather Chavez has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in No Bad Deed. Well worth the time of the read!

This book hooked me immediately! If you like mysteries you will love this one. This book is incredibly well written with great pacing so you won’t want to put it down. I love the slow setup as we get caught up in her story. I love that our protagonist Cassie has an everyman quality to her. Aside from being a veterinarian she is still a wife and a mother at heart. This is not a woman with special skills ready to fight back but a woman who wants her husband back and will do whatever is necessary. This book is full of all kinds of twists and turns and reveals but my favorite part about it is that they work. This is not one of those new genre of mysteries with reveals just to shock or confuse the readers. I’m usually really good at figuring out twists and seeing them coming but this one kept me on my toes. While it’s a great book and I loved reading it I do have some issues with it. The ending felt rushed and it never dealt with inconsistencies that should have been explained. I think a few changes would have made this book perfect so I do wish they hadn’t left those issues unaddressed. Seeing one of my favorite writers Lisa Gardner recommend this book was enough for me to want to read it. If you like her books this one is a lot lighter than her books can be. In many ways I think it’s more like Harlan Coben’s stand alone novels of missing people where you want to figure out what happened. If you are a fan of those novels you won’t want to miss this one. I immediately went to look up the author’s other novels after I finished this one and I was shocked to find out this was her first novel. This was a fantastic read. Period. But to find out it’s her first novel is very impressive. I can’t wait to see what she does next! I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. The pacing was excellent, keeping the tension high and questioning everything. There's plenty of action, plenty of gasp-worthy moments. It was a great read. I would have given it 5 stars until the very end when some of the final revelations were just too hard to swallow. I'm pretty good at 'suspending disbelief' but some of the facts just seemed thrown in there and confusing. Still - an excellent thriller.

No Bad Deed is a psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the end!

Cassie witnesses a brutal attack on the side of the road, a man beating a woman. Going against her better judgment, she intervenes and puts herself and her family at risk. The woman survives but Cassie’s life starts to unravel. Her husband disappears shortly after and Cassie frantically searches for him. How well does she know her husband? Lies, betrayals and secrets… who is telling the truth?

No Bad Deed is a cleverly crafted psychological thriller. It was easy to read and a tough one to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

thanks for the ARC. i knew from the start, the first page or so that i would like this book and i did, i cared about the main character and while there were moments that were convuluted, confusing or just too much. i wanted to know why and how it would end, it was exciting, it was complicated, it was about so many levels of secrets and connections and manipulation

This was a fast paced thriller, but one I found myself skimming through. It just didn't hold my attention as a thriller should. The characters fell flat for me and the only one I liked was the daughter. I found the plot a tad too far-fetched for me as too many things happened to the characters. I skimmed through the last half of the book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

If you are looking for a solid, fast-paced thriller, you might want to check this one out. It's one of those books that is fun to read because you aren't entirely sure what's going to happen next and so you just sit back and enjoy the show. My only real criticism is it gets a tad bit confusing near the end but overall this was a good read.

Driving home one night, veterinarian Cassie Larkin sees a woman and man fighting on the side of the road. She calls 911, but against better judgment, she gets out of the car hoping she can stop the violent man from attacking the woman. The man escapes before the police arrive and steals Cassie's car which of course has her purse with identifying information. Great, now he knows where she lives. The next day Cassie's husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their daughter. What is going on and is it connected to that man who was attacking the woman? Cassie is going to have to dig for the truth, but is she going to like what she finds out? Oh and because this is a thriller there is a high probability her life is in danger. Buckle up folks for this crazy ride!

This is an action packed novel and that is by far the strength as it was one thing after another to hold your interest. While I wouldn't say Cassie is my favorite lead character of all time, I at least felt invested enough in wanting to find out what was going to happen to her and her family.

One reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me is there were many characters in this book and eventually it became difficult to keep track of everyone. When you are near the end of a book and you are confused about who is who in regards to some of the characters, that's not a good thing. Also, at times while reading I did want to question whether or not something was entirely realistic. However, this book is meant to be more of a fun, popcorn eating type thriller so I figured it was best to just go with the flow and not analyze it to death.

Overall, I recommend this book if you are looking for a decent thriller that explores the subject of what a person might be willing to do in order to protect their family.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

It was immediately engaging from the first chapter! Cassie saves a woman from a violent attacker and suddenly her life starts falling apart. Coincidence or has she become a target. All the characters seem to be unreliable and I wasn’t sure who was legit and who could be trusted.
The book was fast paced and full of red herrings. It was suspenseful and had me completely engrossed. All my theories were blown and I was surprised at the final reveal. I love thrillers that can completely puzzle me! This was so good!! Highly recommend!
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this title from William Morrow and Netgalley. My thoughts are my own.

HOLY COW. My heart is still pounding so hard after finishing this I wonder if I need to wait to write my review. I might need to calm down a little bit. But no - I need to tell everyone right this instant how explosively amazing this book was. First of all, when Lisa Gardner says to read a book, I read that book. No questions asked. I would be very surprised if all your friends aren't talking about this one soon. Easily one of the best books I have read in a long time, this was one of those that has you sneaking off to read just one more chapter. Heck, just one more paragraph.

A little synopsis...on a dark night, Cassie is driving home and sees a man assaulting a woman. Despite her better judgment, she gets out of the car and intervenes, saving the woman's life but earning a threat from the man that her life is going to fall apart as a result. Shortly after, Cassie's husband Sam disappears, and she wonders if he's having an affair. The reality of the situation is so much deeper and more complex than that, as you'll learn as the story unwinds. There's SO much going on here, and it could have been messy and disjointed in a less skilled writer's hands. Chavez manages to tie every piece together in an engaging, engrossing way that makes it impossible to put down. I was not bored for a second, and this was not a predictable, boilerplate thriller. 5 stars!!!

Cassie Larkin witnesses an altercation between two people by the side of the road, and without thinking she rushes to intervene before the man can kill the woman. In so doing, she leaves her car unattended, and the incident ends with the man stealing her car with her purse and all kinds of personally identifying materials inside. The next thing she knows, Cassie's her family is threatened and her husband disappears. The twists and complications continue in this vein for the whole book, a well-paced thriller with new problems for the protagonist at every turn. The author is a journalist by training, and it shows in her ability to get to the point and keep the story moving along. This is a compelling first novel that I did not want to put down. I look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a digital advance review copy.

4 stars for No Bad Deed by debut author Heather Chavez... and WOW what a great debut it is! I still have whiplash from those last 50 pages!

One night while driving home, Cassie witnesses a woman being assaulted on the side of the road. She stops to call the cops and against their advice, she gets out of her car to try to physically step in. What's that saying? No good deed goes unpunished? No bad deed? When she confronts the man he offers a chilling piece of advice "let her die, and I'll let you live". From there the attacker steals her car, scaring Cassie even further because with her purse in side, he now has all access to all details of her life. Shortly after, her husband goes missing. He seemingly up and left Cassie for an "affair", except that, no matter what the authorities think, Cassie is convinced that something more sinister is going on and that her husband is in grave danger.

At each step of this book, I was left reeling with my own theories, continuously changing my view points on Cassie and what was truly going on. Without giving too much away, I really enjoyed how this book tied a lot of things together and had an intricately woven storyline with characters that also have intense intricacies themselves.

This heart stopping thriller grabbed me from the very first chapter and didn't let go. If you're looking for a book that's hard to put down, this is it!

I’m the annoying person who solves Criminal Minds episodes too early on in the episode and am frequently corrrecr. The novels I. Noose to read often fall into the “could be a Crimial minds episode”genre. What Heather Chavez has done with No Bad Deed was throw unforeseen plot twists and surprises that my self-appointed, mystery-solving self never saw coming. It’s absoluely bonkers in all the best ways and you’ll have to finish it —otherwise you won’t be able to get anything else done!

A literal “on the edge of your seat” read! This was a fast paced, white knuckled ride. I could not put this book down! It got a bit too convoluted at the end for me but I definitely never saw it coming! It was twisted and I enjoyed the roller coaster ride it put me through! I can’t wait to read more from this debut author. Thank you to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

No Bad Deed is an addictive, hard to put down thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Veterinarian Cassie Larkin is driving down the road when she sees a violent encounter between a man and a woman. She calls 911, but decides in a split-second to chase the male attacker away when he says "Let her die, and I'll let you live." Cassie goes to help the woman, while the man steals her car and with it is her name and address, so he can now find her. Will Cassie come to regret the decision to save a woman's life? The next day, her husband disappears while taking their daughter trick-or-treating. Is this related to what happened the night before? Or does Cassie's husband have unrelated secrets? Highly recommended to readers looking for a solid mystery with plenty of suspense and twists to keep them reading.