Unlikeable characters, and by the final chapter I just didn't care. Could've done without that final chapter even--it felt tacked on.

Atmospheric and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where lit fic and mysteries are popular.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Nicola Bennett has chosen to move back to her Appalachian hometown. This of course brings back memories and questions for her of a HS acquaintance who went missing 20 years ago named Lauren Ballard. Nicola is stunned how no one seems to wonder or care what happened to Lauren. She has time on her hands, so she starts to investigate. This was an enjoyable coming of age/slow burn novel. I wouldn't say it is a must read, but I think you will enjoy it if you do choose to read it.

When does a good person go bad? Is it something that’s pre-destined, or can circumstances draw someone to the unbelievable? That question hangs in the background in Polly Stewart’s debut novel “The Good Ones.”
It’s story of a Nicola, a woman returning to her hometown 20 years later to sell her deceased mother's house. Her teenage years were distorted by Lauren, the girl who married, had a child and then disappeared. Was she murdered by her husband Warren or a stranger?
Nicola wants answers. Through Stewart’s tight writing, readers learn that all is not as it seems — from any direction. The past and present are all open to interpretation. Both are interwoven as the author builds an intense story with unexpected twists and turns.
The result is a cold-case crime combined with coming-of-age perspectives.
I hope to see more from this author. She’s started on a good path that will widen with experience as a novelist.

I received this as an advanced reader copy through NetGalley. Fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins will appreciate Polly Stewart's character development, writing style, and solving the mystery of Lauren Ballard's disappearance. The Good Ones was a captivating read. 4/4 stars.

I've read different versions of this story - woman goes back to hometown where school friend died or disappeared - but each takes a different slant on it.

In her opening to The Good Ones, Polly Stewart shows Lauren Ballard 'scraping a key along the side of a new cherry-red Chevy Silverado' - not the typical victim in this mystery type.

Almost 20 years later, Nicola Bennett returns to Appalachian Tyndall County, still haunted by the mystery of what happened to Polly.

The story moves back and forth in time to show Nicola and Lauren together in the past, and what she finds out in the present.

This was a page turning thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Hmmm I'm torn here. On one hand I did enjoy the story but on the other hand I was led to believe this would be a thriller and in my opinion its a coming of age story with a dash of mystery at best. I did get sucked into the story and flashbacks and I did really enjoy the setting and the author's clear knowledge of the area. I just wish my expectations were set correctly from the beginning. Hopefully by me telling you all what to expect, you'll enjoy THE GOOD ONES for what it is.

Nicola Bennett returns to her childhood home in order to settle her deceased mother's affairs, a place she hasn't visited in nearly twenty years, not since the mysterious disappearance of her high school best friend. Upon her return to town, Nicola can't help but be pulled back into the old mystery—what happened to Lauren? Enjoyable read with plenty of twists and a surprise ending I never would have anticipated!

ARC was provided by Harper via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 6/6/23
Genre: contemporary fiction, suspense
Quick summary: Nicola and Lauren were best friends in their small Appalachian town, until Lauren disappeared. Years later, Nicola returns home and finds herself obsessed with finding out what happened to Lauren.

This book looks like a thriller at first glance, but it's more of a character-driven coming of age story. I enjoyed getting to know Nicola, but her stupid decisions were really frustrating! The book dragged a bit in the middle for me, as I was expecting more plot. It's hard to enjoy a character-driven novel when you don't really like or relate to any of the characters. I was surprised by the ending, and I read this one relatively quickly, but I was just expecting more from the synopsis and the gorgeous cover.

Thank you to Harper for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel did not feel like a thriller when I was reading it, rather it felt like a cold case crime novel with flashbacks that created an almost 'coming of age' vibe.

Long held secrets, regrets, poor choices, and reminiscences permeate the book. I enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present day narrative.

Nicola Bennett was a character that I never really felt a connection with. She was well drawn, yet there was just this undefinable lack of something about her that left me ambivalent about her fate. She came across as being very 'self involved' and seemed to be missing any altruistic traits. Nicola's missing friend, Lauren Ballard, was an entitled 'mean girl' who adeptly manipulated all who came into contact with her, hence it was only my own innate curiosity that spurred my reading to see what had become of her.

The Blue Ridge Mountain setting was portrayed with the author's expert knowledge of the area. The writing was polished and the pace steady, yet I trudged to the end...

I'm curious about the choice of title. Who were the 'good ones'? I'm stymied.

Uncomfortable and complicated friendships are the driving force behind this novel. To that end, the author succeeded brilliantly. That being said, I did struggle to maintain my engagement with the book, and confess it wasn't quite my 'cup of tea'.

I enjoyed this one. Nicola returns to her hometown, consumed with thoughts of her missing friend and what could have happened.
Determined to unravel the mystery, Nicola stays in her hometown and digs in. Well written.

I am so thankful to Harper Books, Polly Stewart, and NetGalley for getting advanced digital and physical copies of his book before publication day. What a seriously twisted and demented tale needing to be told. I am literally living for this book.

This was a well written book with lots of intrigue and great characters. I loved it, until the very end, when it abruptly switched points of view to a character I wasn’t invested in at all. I wanted to hear more about how Nicola was going to deal with all that had occurred, and suddenly we’re in the mind of arguably the least interesting character in the book. I wish the author had stuck with Nicola.

3.5 The Good Ones is Polly Stewart's new novel.
Lauren Ballard was the 'it' girl, the queen bee who ruled her kingdom. She married the rich boy, the football captain, had a beautiful baby. A perfect life...until the day she went missing. Nicola Bennett was a friend to Lauren. Or was she - in Lauren's eyes? Twenty years on, Nicola is still pondering that question.

We see everything through Nicola's point of view, and come to know her better through her memories. Or we would, if she would admit her part in things. This is where Stewart hooks the reader. Nicola alludes to events in the past, only fully unwrapping them on her timeline.

Nicola is a complicated character. I was on board with her in the first bit of the book - and felt sorry for her. But as the book progressed, I began to truly dislike her. She's self-serving and is a self described 'wrecking ball.' Lauren is no different for me. She's the quintessential mean girl. Actually she's beyond mean and has both feet firmly planted in cruel. I had a hard time with supporting player's lives being used as fodder for her entertainment. Stewart has done a good job of writing this aspect of the plot. But I questioned if someone would truly put up with her games.

The book is told in a back and forth, then and now narrative. The question of what happened to Lauren did intrigue me and kept me turning pages until the last chapters. The answers are there, but I will leave you to discover them.

In addition to the mystery, The Good Ones is an exploration of friendship and relationships that's somewhat uncomfortable to read.

Lauren was queen bee in her small town. Nicole was always surprised that she married, stayed in town and didn’t venture into the world. Then a few years later, she disappeared.

If you like small town mysteries with some unlikeable characters as teens and adults, you may like this one. To me it was pretty slow for most of the book. I wanted to know what happened to Lauren so I kept with it. I wish I could have just read the first part and then the reveal at the end. To me, everything in the middle was fluff. There weren’t really any clues or hints. It just was revealed and that was that.

“Maybe, I thought, something terrible had to happen for your life to matter to anyone but you.”

The Good Ones comes out 6/6.

I definitely had high hopes for this one since the summary sounded so good and I love a small town theme. It had me intrigued from the start and the entire time I kept guessing on what happened to Lauren. I quickly found myself bored though for over half of the story. It also would jump time a lot throughout the story and I kept getting confused at times. Some of the twists were good and others were predictable. I also was not a fan of the main character Nicola, she was very unlikeable at times and did stupid things that annoyed me.

Overall, this was a quick read, small town thriller that just sadly fell flat for me.

The Good Ones is a beautifully written mystery/thriller novel. I enjoyed the themes of ethical consumption of media, as well as the examination of the "perfect victim" and missing white woman syndrome. WIth that said, though, I had some trouble connecting with the characters, and found the plot to lag at times.

I loved how the book used the plot to take a hard look at our culture's obsession with true crime, and investigated the narrative of the "missing white woman" syndrome throughout. The characters were beautifully written, and the book delivered a stunning snapshot of flawed female characters that stuck with me as a tore through this novel. Hard to believe this is a debut. I will definitely read Polly Stewart's next book! Thank you Net Galley for the early copy.

3 stars
It was a nice average and entertaining thriller. Nothing too stand out but definitely worth a read if you enjoy the genre.