An aging reporter recounting his frightening experience of almost being lynched in a small South Carolina town in 1964 precipitates frightened conversations and remembrances of the racism of the South during the period, as well as a murder.

In 2014, Clemmie and Muffin are two elderly friends. During a Sunday church service, Muffin drags Clemmie out to confess that she just saw a man she knew in her twenties, and who was one of the men who threatened the reporter all those years ago. Clemmie thinks Muffin is being overly dramatic, and dismisses Muffin's concerns. Clemmie has her reasons for not wanting to delve deeper into the past, as she has her own secrets, and consequently tends to keep herself at a little remove from even her friends in the community.

Author Caroline B. Cooney relates a number of realistic conversations amongst the elderly in the community, and we find out that not just one, but two men from the incident in 1964 live near Muffin (this did not feel super plausible). Neither man has any desire to open up about their time almost murdering a man.

Cooney's characters and their friendships felt real, as well as how the characters looked back on their actions, or inactions, when faced with injustice, and how their own unconscious white supremacist views played into them.

I was a little surprised at how the reasons behind the 2014 murder was banal, ordinary, and petty, making it actually in some ways much more realistic than if there had been nefarious ties back to the 1964 plot. I, however, did not feel satisfied with where Clemmie's storyline ended up, as it felt unresolved. Though I liked parts of the story, I was a little underwhelmed overall by this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a really quick and well done read! I enjoyed the characters and watching how these two timelines and plots connected.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

The premise of the story was what hooked me and surprisingly, it fell a bit short for me. I was expecting a bit more tension and suspense that would keep me on my toes but it never really came.

What I did enjoy was the fact that the story was told in the views of 2 elderly women. Their respective histories and those in their community that they both currently live among were interesting and kept me engaged.

There were stories told about so many different people that although they connected to one another, it felt as if there was disconnect. The connections didn't really feel as connections and some had me questioning why make this a connection at all?

Writing was great but execution was fair.

Thank you NetGalley and PoisonedPenPress for the gifted copy.

The book is a bit slow moving and I didn't really connect with Clemmie and Muffin. The different names for Clemmie was confusing for a part of the book. This was also the second book in a series and I think that if you read the first book to get backstory, it would be easier to get into this plot.

I did like that the story centered around women in their 70s. The dual timeline is told for present and 50 years prior and deals with issues like racism and civil rights of the 1960s. While I am interested in those subjects, the story wasn't as engaging as I wanted it to be. I was also a bit turned off by how much church and the bible was in the book. The ending was just so-so.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC.

This was a fun and unique read! It is about two ladies who now live in a retirement community and the death of one of them. I enjoyed this funny and heartwarming story.

This book was okay but not as good as I had hoped it would be. The synopsis sounded promising and I was excited to delve in. I had access to both the audio and the ebook and I alternated between the two. I enjoyed the audio narration but sadly the storyline did not hook me in all that much.

In this sequel to Caroline B Cooney’s Edgar-nominated Before She Was Helen, two elderly women discover that the past cannot stay buried forever, and that the ramifications of deeds both good and evil can cast an extremely long and sometimes even fatal shadow.

Clemmie might as well be the resident general caregiver of Sun City, her South Carolina retirement community. Innately practical and organized, her past has also made her something of a soft touch. Without many obligations besides teaching Latin at a nearby high school, she’s often free to drive her incapacitated neighbors to appointments and to volunteer – or to be volunteered – for Sun City’s assorted and frequent social events.

Mostly, she doesn’t mind helping out. When her neighbor Muffin Morgan asks to go to church with her one Sunday, Clemmie willingly obliges. Muffin hasn’t really settled on a church since coming to Sun City, and Clemmie is happy to help her find a spiritual home, perhaps in Clemmie’s own Trinity Hill.

So it’s a shock when, during the service, a terrified Muffin abruptly demands to leave. Muffin does her best to exit as furtively and swiftly as possible, and insists that a dismayed Clemmie do the same. When Muffin claims in the car later on that they had to go because she recognized a sinister figure from her past sitting in the congregation, Clemmie can’t decide whether to humor her or to tell her that she’s being silly. But as Muffin gradually reveals her story to her neighbor, Clemmie realizes that the practical schoolmarm in her really ought to have given way to the compassionate friend. After all, having the truth of her own past uncovered is one of Clemmie’s deepest fears:

QUOTE
What am I actually afraid of? Admitting that I stole Helen? Losing the respect of others? Being arrested and receiving a prison sentence? Or am I mostly afraid of being fingerprinted? Because that could lead to what else I did[.]

Muffin must feel this awful about <i>her</i> past coming back, thought Clemmie.

I should have been nicer to her.

But that was always the case, wasn’t it? You should have been nicer.
END QUOTE

Even as Clemmie is resolved to be kinder to her fear-stricken friend, Muffin is trying to deal with her own reckoning. Her one great act of courage as a young woman was to stop a hideous crime from occurring before she fled not only the state but the country. Now, faces from her past have reemerged, not only in church and Sun City but in the national media as well. What will Muffin do once the spotlight finds her, and shines a light on the good deed that changed her life forever?

Some people might welcome a chance to trumpet their bravery, but Muffin is still fearful of any possible repercussions. Besides, she has the sinking sensation that what she did, while deeply commendable, just wasn’t enough given where she lived and what she lived through:

QUOTE
Over the decades to come, Muffin read armloads of historical novels and mysteries set in Europe during World War II. She would think how despicable those Germans were who cooperated in the atrocities of the Nazis. Now she thought, <i>I cooperated in the atrocities of segregation.</i>

In her living room, in front of her TV, Muffin straightened up. I didn’t <i>do</i> anything, she reminded herself.

But that was the point. She didn’t do anything.
END QUOTE

As the man Muffin saved continues his public search for her, other figures from her past come looking for answers, not all of which she can or wants to give. Meanwhile, at least one killer waits in the background for the perfect moment to strike, in horrific repayment for a good deed gone terribly awry.

Ms Cooney’s lean, thoughtful book about aging and regret grapples expertly with the violence of the past and how it carries over to the present day. While Clemmie’s past is specific to her as a woman, Muffin’s is very much entangled in one of the greater sins of American history: segregation and the violence visited upon Black people and, to a lesser extent, their allies. Neither Clemmie nor Muffin are perfectly good, which lends them greater weight as believable, relatable protagonists. Each tries and fails and tries again, in a continuing effort which speaks to their characters, even if the outcomes are sometimes less than optimal. The novel’s ending points the way to a hard-earned grace, not only for the people in this book, but for the very future of the United States of America.

Unfortunately this story was not for me. I don't typically read any historical fiction, so I struggled to be engaged in the story. It took me a little but to figure out the changing names and timelines. I felt that this was a well written story. At about 80% through the story, it took off and I found myself wanting to know what happens - which lead to a quick read of the remainder of the story. However this felt like too long to beome engaged. While this didn't work for me I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a historial element in their fiction.

In this second enjoyable book about Clemmie, she gets pulled into her neighbor's secret past just as Clemmie learns her own hidden history may have been jeopardized. Clemmie's inability to say no to any of the needy residents of Sun City Retirement Community prevents her from relaxing and enjoying her own retirement but she likes to be needed, although she does not expect to be put in danger.

Cooney continues to show that her expertise with the suspense genre works just as well with adult mysteries as her bestselling YA. I can't wait for more on Clemmie!

Caroline B. Cooney returns following Before She Was Helen with a gripping suspense mystery spin-off, THE WRONG GOOD DEED —when the past and present collide for two women in their seventies with dark secrets pasts.

There are good deeds.
There are bad deeds.
There is also THE WRONG GOOD DEED.

When a good deed turns deadly.

Set in South Carolina in the retirement village of Sun City, two wild and crazy friends in their seventies, Muffin Morgan and Clemmie Murray (Helen Stephens), are at church.

Muffin sees some man from her past. She is afraid and does not want this man to spot her. She quickly lets Clemmie know they need to make a quick exit.

They do so, and on the way home, there is an accident involving two girls. Clemmie wants to stop and help, but Muffin (hiding on the floor of the backseat, says no).

However, Clemmie stops. A strange man comes by, and then the police. She thinks nothing of it, but this will haunt her later.

Flashbacks of 1964. Muffin, a young woman in her early twenties (then named Christaphine Nearing), married to Tommy Nearing in Ferris, SC.

This was during the Jim Crow era, and the husband's family did not like blacks. The father kills a black man and instructs the others to take care of the body.

There was also a northern city reporter at the time, MacBurton Ward, who was white. The orders were for them to take care of him.

Christaphine intercedes and saves him from a lynching. She knows she cannot return and leaves, pregnant, escapes to her aunt's home, and changes her name to Muffin.

With her old life behind, she divorces and remarries. Years later, the reporter is searching for the woman who saved him. She wants to remain hidden.

A parallel storyline is Clemmie's story. You must read the previous book to learn more about Clemmie/Helen's past. Both women must face their past, which has come to the surface.

The story becomes multi-layered and complex, with other resident involvement from Sun City. Also note that Clemmie and Muffin dress alike often, which may be deadly.

Someone winds up dead in a hit-and-run accident, which may have been intentional. Clemmie starts sleuthing and is determined to track down the murderer.

Several good deeds saved lives but put them in danger—a fitting thought-provoking title. #CoverCrush

A riveting, thought-provoking Southern mystery exploring our dark history— featuring two senior women with dark pasts and a cast of well-developed characters—blended with wit and humor for a satisfying read.

I had not read Before She Was Helen, so I quickly purchased the audiobook before writing my review. It helps to know the background of Helen/Clemmie.

Although Clemmie is the main character in THE WRONG GOOD DEED, this is Muffin's story. Both timelines were equally as compelling.

I adore books centered around active women of this age (since I am in the same age range) and love hearing the crazy wild stories of seniors set in their independent living facilities. Watch out; you never know when someone may cross your path from your past living in the same place. There is always plenty of drama and juicy secrets.

Both were courageous, strong women who tried desperately to hide from their past. I enjoyed the author's writing and look forward to reading more— for fans of Colleen Oakley's The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise and authors Diane Chamberlain and Elizabeth Berg.

Thanks to #PoisionedPenPress for an e-ARC via #NetGalley for review purposes. I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Mary Boyer for an engaging listening experience.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
May 2023 Must-Read Books

The premise of this book is really good and that was the reason why i picked up this book, but somehow i couldn't connect to the story. I felt like i'm missing something when i read this book. *sigh*. It's surely much better if you read the previous book first, then you read this book after. So you might more understand it.


Thank you for Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

A very engaging story of two friends in their seventies who must come to terms with very disturbing, even dangerous events from their respective pasts. This is something of a sequel, or a companion, to Caroline Cooney's prior novel, "When She Was Helen." I loved Helen in that book and loved seeing her back for more adventures.

When I saw Caroline B. Cooney had a new book coming out, I jumped. I have read all of her young adult books and have always been completely sucked in by them. The Wrong Good Deed is no different. The two stories taking place 50 years apart and hearing about it from 70-year-olds lent a gravity to the story. These were no innocent old ladies. The mystery and character development were strong and I really enjoyed this.

This book was an interesting story! I enjoyed hearing it from the view point of an elderly MC thinking about the past, and what adventures she had. This book touched on some very serious topics like racism in civil rights times and that was extremely hard to read, but true to that time period.

Can there really be such a thing as a Wrong Good Deed?

Muffin Morgan and Helen Stephens are two friends in their 70's living in a retirement community. Both women are keeping deep dark secrets from their pasts, only it looks like Muffin's are about to catch up with her. 50 years earlier, Muffin had stopped a crime from happening. But realized that now she could never go back home again.

50 years later, Muffin sees someone from her past. In despair, worried for her life, even after all this time, Muffin opens up to Helen about her past.

The story she tells is a chilling tale of a small town in 1964 in the deep south fighting against integration. The story that comes out about this particular time in this small town, was not by far unusual at the time, which makes it all the more heart wrenching and cruel.

The Wrong Good Deed has themes of friendship, aging, declining health, addiction, racism, regret, and reparation. The story goes between the past and present as Muffin tells her story and it intertwines with other characters in unexpected ways.

Historical fiction and thrillers/mysteries are my favorite genres to read. I enjoyed that I got a bit of both of these in this story. The story was a quick, fast-paced read. However, the ending was very unexpected and it didn't seem to fit the story. It brought in elements to the story that hadn't been explored very much throughout the story and took away from one aspect of the story that was it's forefront. One thing I really did appreciate about it was how it tied in the title of the book. I love when the title is part of the book and all of a sudden makes sense.

I could not get into this book and ended up DNF’ing it at 27%. It starts out slow and I couldn’t connect with the characters.

It is also the second in a series and I haven’t read the first one. So maybe reading in order may help with some backstory, although it seems like this one could be a standalone.

Unfortunately, I found absolutely everything about this book to be a mess. The plot, the writing, the plot twist, the theme, the characters, just everything about it was messy.

First off, the book centers around two friends named Muffin and Clementine. They are written like they are in their 20's or 30's, and I was shocked and confused when I first found out they were in their 70's. You continuously forget about their ages until it is mentioned again. It gets more confusing because both are going by fake names. Muffin changed her name when she was remarried to escape her "horrific" past. Clementine apparently changed her name to Helen and stole the identity of a deceased classmate from grade school. The problem is that the narrator refers to her as Clemmie, but all the characters refer to her as Helen, so it is super confusing. It would have been better to just refer to her as Helen with the explanation that she changed her name.

It starts out with the women abruptly leaving church because Muffin thinks she sees someone from her past and is frightened. On their way home, they pass two teenage girls whose truck is stuck in a ditch, and they call the police to help them. Muffin is upset the whole time because she thinks she is being followed.

Muffin's past is essentially that her in-laws from her first marriage were racists. She found out her husband and his friends were either planning to lynch or threaten to lynch a reporter to scare him. She drives to the scene like a bat out of hell, scoops the reporter up in her car as the men were surrounding them, wearing their white cloaks and hoods, and drives off. You never find out if a horrifiic crime was actually going to occur or not. And that is it - that is her past. Fifty years later, the reporter goes on TV, trying to track her down and she is scared shitless people are going to find out who she is, and none of it fully clicked or registered with me.

When one of the women is killed in a hit and run accident, the police suspect it was intentional. The "plot twist" of who committed the hit and run is so wild and out of left field, that it would have ruined the book all on its own, regardless of the other issues. It just takes away from the entire story and is explained in a single chapter, while introducing characters we have never heard of, in order to explain it.

Speaking of characters, there are far too many and you can't keep track of them. Most of them have completely insignificant roles, which begs the question of why they are even mentioned. Some of them have fairly lengthy roles and make multiple appearances, but literally add nothing at all to the story.

Overall, I felt that this book completely missed the mark. I had so many issues trying to read it, and then the ending just pushed me over the edge.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me a free eARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wrong Good Deed by Caroline B. Cooney is a study in paranoia as well as the racism of the early 60’s and how life and one’s viewpoint have changed since the. The protagonist is Helen, well, Clemmie. She stole Helen identity years ago to cover a mistake she had made. Now she is living in Sun City, a senior development in South Carolina. She and her friend Muffin are sitting in church when all of a sudden Muffin says they have to leave. She is in a panic. She has seen someone she used to know. She is frightened so Clemmie takes a back way home. Muffin lies in the back seat, hiding. Clemmie sees a truck miss the turn and go into the ditch so she stops. She call 911 just as man stops. Is this the man Muffins is frightened of? He walks her back to her car and warns her about these girls. They are both high on drugs, and people on drugs are dangerous. Then, as the squad car arrives they all leave. There are a number of things at play in this novel. Muffin has a past, one she ran from successfully, until now. Then several days later she is dead, run over while she ran in the early morning. Is it connected?

This is a touching novel. We like to pretend these horrible murders, and more, never took place in the South, but they did. Everyone involved handled it differently. It was comforting to know that some of the witnesses recognized the horror and ran. Muffin was not alone. Clemmie and Muffin were good characters, old ladies settling into retirement. They had activities, not all the same, and like and dislikes. Muffin had never shared her secret until now. Clemmie almost wished she hadn’t. Then, there was Chip, a neighbor, whose wife was in a memory care unit in a nearby home and needed a ride every day to go feed her lunch; there was Virgie, her friend who was just beginning her journey into dementia; there was Virgie’s husband, who shared Muffin’s secret but did something about it. It was all so heart-breaking.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Wrong Good Deed by Poisoned Pen Press, though Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley#PoisonedPenPress #CarolineBCooney #TheWrongGoodDeed

The Wrong Good Deed gives readers a fun visit with Clemmie/Helen who we first met in Before She Was Helen. Clemmie has brought her friend Muffin with her to church, but then Muffin spots someone among the congregation and panics. As they rush away, Muffin hides out of sight. She’s not quite sure why Muffin is so afraid, and perhaps to show her skepticism, she stops and helps some teens who were in an accident, calling the police to get a tow truck, etc. A stranger stops and Clemmie wonders if he is the one who set Muffin off. It’s all very suspenseful and cinematic.

Then Clemmie drives away and later, Muffin explains her panic, telling a story of a crime that happened half a century ago. Clemmie does not think that event alone would set off such panic, but then Muffin is run down, murdered. Clemmie gets to work, discovering even more secrets from the past and even more suspects.



After a suspenseful, fast-paced beginning, The Wrong Good Deed peters out. I can admire Cooney’s desire to add historical and emotional heft to her series, to tackle serious subjects, but it resulted in an unsatisfying mystery. Much of the story was in the past and many of the conversations were not with Clemmie. It spread out a bit too far and promised so much more than it delivered. Even though there was a bit of excitement and personal jeopardy at the end, the resolution of the murder mystery was such a bust. I want my mysteries solved, not revealed.

I received an e-galley of The Wrong Good Deed from the publisher through NetGalley

The Wrong Good Deed at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
Caroline B. Cooney author site

Really fun and well-told. I like Cooney's writing style a lot. I'd happily recommend this to others.