Cover Image: No Bad Deed

No Bad Deed

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Member Reviews

Kudos to Heather Chavez on a great debut novel! I was grabbed from the very start and found this book to be captivating and very thrilling. I had to put it down to attend to real life and all I could think about was when I was going to get to sit down and read again to finish!!

The only qualms I had was at right about the 75% point, the story turned very unbelievable to me with the main character tracking down a convicted pedophile, but even with that and the rest of the book being a stretch (although some parts can/have happened in real life), it was highly entertaining.

Looking for a good domestic-type thriller? This is it!

Thank you to Netgalley for approving this free arc for an honest review.

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3.5 stars.
While I wasn’t particularly mind-blown by No Bad Deed, it did end up being a fast paced, unputdownable thriller with a few twists that may appeal to some readers.

I struggled with the build-up as I didn’t find it compelling enough for me to connect with the story and characters. However, due to the intriguing beginning, I needed to know what was going on. “I may be surprised by how this story unfolds,” I thought. The ending, however, definitely had an element of surprise that I didn’t predict.

In a nutshell: great beginning, a puzzling build-up that requires suspension of disbelief and a slightly-satisfactory ending (although never thoroughly justified throughout the book).

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Cassie Larkin, a veterinarian, is married to Sam, a teacher. They have two children, teen son Leo and young daughter Audrey.
Driving home from work late one night she sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. She can't ignore it, she calls 911. When the man throws the woman down an embankment, Cassie gets out of the car to see if she can help the woman. He continues to beat her and when Cassie accidentally stumbles into him he tells her if she lets the woman die, she will live. She finally scares him off, but he steals her minivan. Now he knows all about her.
The next day is Halloween. Her husband Sam takes six year old Audrey trick or treating.
When Sam doesn't come home, she goes out looking for them and finds Audrey in the care of neighbors. But no Sam, he has disappeared.
Cassie is not sure what to make of this. Their marriage has been strained recently. Was Sam having an affair, or is there a more ominous reason for his vanishing?
This twisty, dark and suspenseful thriller was fantastic! It gripped me and I could not stop reading.
So excited to read more by this new author.
Thank you to HarperCollins William Morrow for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

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I had a hard time wanting to root for Cassie. We're told at the beginning that she's a confident and competent woman but all of her thoughts are scattered and irrational and a little bit dumb. She doesn't respond the way we would expect and we don't get a good explanation for it either - things just happen for the sake of the plot. I was so tired of Cassie by the time she even got home from the events that Jumpstart the plot that I was practically skimming to find out if anything worthwhile would happen. That's when I knew I had to put the book aside. The writing is fine - if lacking a bit in detail, generally (though an entire page is dedicated to one house's elaborate Halloween decorations - which would be fine if more things were described in detail, but because they aren't, it stood out quite a bit).

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What an absolutely stunning debut novel by Heather Chavez! This was a total page turner that sucked me in from the beginning. If you love thrillers you will love this book! I definitely recommend it.

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Super fast action, mysteries, unknowns and much more. I read that book in one day because I had to know what happened next. The beginning of the book is good but the end is even better.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review.

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Buckle your seatbelts folks, this is one wild ride! “No Bad Deed” is a twisty, suspenseful thriller and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.. Cassie tries to intervene in what appears to be a brutal assault, and that one decision upends her life in this absolutely thrilling debut novel. Great characters, a hero to root for, intricate plot that just keeps unwinding and throws the reader in so many directions you’ll be dizzy. Just a great overall read, 5 emphatic stars. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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After you read a certain number of books, you start to become immune to twists and curves. You have the big twist figured out from Chapter 4. . I swear, I never trust anyone in books anymore. It was so refreshing to read a book that kept me guessing! You must read this book! I cannot recommend it enough.

A big thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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No Bad Deed is a fast-paced thriller and a wild ride! A woman named Cassie is driving home one night and sees a man attacking a woman on the side of the road. Bravely (and recklessly) she gets out of the car and tries to stop the man. While she is able to stop his attack, he gets away and steals her car with her purse, ID and house keys inside. Now he knows who she is and where she lives. When Cassie's husband disappears the next day, her greatest fears become reality.

This book is super creepy and thrilling at the start. I was totally pulled into this story on the first page, and the action keeps coming throughout the whole book. It is not slow paced at all, and there are plenty of twists and turns. Unfortunately, this story ultimately did not work for me. Things get really wild about halfway through the book, and everything that happens becomes a bit unbelievable. I am okay with a wild ride, but this one was just too far out there for me. It went from being creepy and thrilling to almost laugh out loud unbelievable by the end. If you are good with a crazy, convoluted plot, you may still enjoy this book. But it didn't work for me.

One common plot device in modern thrillers is for the main character to distrust the police and set off on their own investigation, making themselves look more guilty in the process. This is not my favorite type of story, and this is exactly what happens in No Bad Deed. At about the 50% mark, I literally said out loud, "just go to the police and tell them everything, and all will be well." And that's probably true! But I suppose that would make for a boring story! So instead the character goes off on her own and keeps secrets from the police and all goes downhill. It's a fairly predictable story direction, and I find it frustrating.

So this one was a bit of a disappointment for my taste, though I think there are many people who would still find this to be a quick and entertaining read even if it's not completely believable or original.

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This book took hold of me from the beginning and did not let go until the very end. I read this in one day because I simply could not put it down. I really liked the main character and disliked almost everyone else because no one can be trusted. The atmosphere of the book was constantly eerie. You had no idea what was happening only that it was bad and getting worse with everything the main character uncovered. It really played out in my head like a movie. So many lies and betrayals.

I would highly recommend this book.

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Thank you to Harper Collins for gifting an Ebook copy if this book for review.
This is an impressive debut thriller! The pacing was perfect for the number of twists and surprises that this book held. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something changes, then new clues emerge, you have a new suspect in mind, then sometimes realize you were right to begin with. If that seemed like a jumbled explanation, wait until you get on this roller coaster! I believe the author handled every additional detail, clue, and event, with precision.
This is a family drama-thriller-suspense. We quickly turn the pages to follow the trail as a woman races against time and an unknown, twisted opponent to save the lives of her family.
I literally could not turn the pages fast enough; I enjoyed this book from start to about 80%. To be honest, the ending felt a little less exciting. We go from running through the story and literally holding my breath while reading certain parts, to complete calm without much transition. That being said, I am still a big fan of this book! It’s been a while since I’ve had to remind myself to take breaths while reading. Thank you for that! I’m rating this book 4.5 stars!
Heather Chavez knows how to spin a mystery thriller! Highly recommend!

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No Bad Deed is an impressive debut novel that kept me engrossed with the story from page one. From the moment that our main character, Cassie, intervenes with a fight between two strangers on the side of the road, the plot was a non stop thriller full of unexpected twists and turns. The story managed to be unsettling and surprising while at the same time delivering a satisfying conclusion. The different threads of the plot and character backstories were all woven together masterfully and no loose ends were left dangling by the time I reached the last page. I will definitely be on the look out for more from this new author.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Cassie Larkin is married to a wonderful man named Sam and they have two great kids. She is also a veterinarian who owns her own practice and spends too many late nights at work. On one of those late evenings she comes across a man attacking a woman in the road. Despite his warnings that she would regret getting involved and she should walk away, Cassie calls the police and the man runs away stealing her car and purse with her personal information. Detective Rico interviews her at the scene and she identifies the attacker as a man he tells her is Carver Sweet and he is wanted for questioning in the deaths of two women.
The following day Cassie is again late getting hike and Sam and her daughter Audrey have gone trick or treating without her. She dozes off but us awakened later and realizes they should have been home. She goes looking for them only to find that Sam had left their daughter with two women and has disappeared.
She begins getting strange texts and learning that her husband was in trouble before she brought Carver Sweet into their lives.
The first 2/3 of this book were really well done except for my pet peeve, a woman who has no confidence in her own self worth. I really dislike when a character is portrayed as constantly worrying they are going to lose their man despite every indication otherwise. The last part of the book while entertaining stretches the readers credulity to its limits.

Slight spoiler- the police agreeing to allow a murder suspect drive her own car and meet them at the station while giving her father and child a ride or despite being shot engaging in a brutal fight as described.

If you overlook those minor details this is an engaging story and a good escape. This was released today so happy publishing day to an author that is new to me.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the free ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Wow. Just wow. It starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the last page. Not to be missed. Happy reading!

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“If my kids had been with me, it wouldn’t have happened. I would have stayed in the minivan, doors locked, windows rolled up. Just like the 911 operator instructed.” Instead Cassie confronts a knife-wielding assassin, who warns her, “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” When the man races up and steals her van with her purse and personal information, Cassie worries about his threat—not just to herself but also to her family. And so the propulsive new thriller, No Bad Deed, begins.

The wild whipsaw twists in No Bad Deed just keep coming fast and furiously. The police identify the man based on Cassie’s description. However, before they find him, Cassie’s husband, Sam, goes missing while trick or treating the next evening after leaving their six-year-old Audrey with an acquaintance. Is the assassin carrying out his threat? Or has Sam finally had enough of his and Cassie’s constant arguing? After all, his last words to Cassie were, “We need to talk.”

Prepare to stay up late or call in sick after you begin reading this so-compelling-you-literally-cannot-stop-reading-it psychological thriller! 5 seriously sleepy stars!

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

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On the way home late from work one night, Cassie helps save a woman's life. This deed comes back to haunt her over the course of the next week or so as her husband disappears and she is stalked. Most of this book was a really good thriller and I looked forward to seeing how it all came together at the end. Sadly, that is where it seemed to fall apart. And maybe it is a bad thing to have a book set some place that the reader is familiar with. I struggled with the time line of having Cassie driving around the wine country and San Fransisco trying to track people down and find her family. While I expect this was added to increase the suspense, it instead distracted me from the actual story line. By the end my head was spinning a bit, and not in a good way.

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Look at me, rating a thriller 4 stars. Wild. It's been a minute. 

No Bad Deed is fast-paced, deliciously wild, and has just the right amount of twists and turns. Like most thrillers, it will definitely require a certain degree of suspension of disbelief, but it never bends that to the point of breaking. And it's a debut novel? I'm officially impressed. 


The beginning of this novel throws is right into the action, with the protagonist, Cassie, interfering in an altercation between to strangers. I loved Cassie as a protagonist right away. She knows getting involved in a fight between a strange man and woman alone at night isn't the best idea, but can't bring herself to sit idly by while the police take who knows how long to get there. Cassie's a Gryffindor for sure. Her desire to do the right thing ends up putting her at risk in more ways than she could have imagined, and the twists and turns that follow are utterly unpredictable. 

No Bad Deed is a great choice for thriller fans who love unpredictable twists and an easy to root for protagonist. Great for fans of Mary Kubica, Christina McDonald, Sarah Pekkanen, and Greer Hendricks!

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Fast paced thriller that will keep you turning pages. Like-able characters, great plot and writing. Very much enjoyed it and can highly recommend, Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Going into this book I expected a lot, given all the really good reviews and buzz I heard for it. It was just okay for me. Certain parts were slow and I had trouble remembering which character was which. It was OK, but o don’t understand what all the hype was for. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

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What a fast paced story!! I love how you are pulled in to the book right away and it moves along at a great pace. Highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a great thriller.

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