Wow, what a story. First of all, I love the character development and she made it very clear and easy to follow. I really like when the story takes off from the beginning. Very well written and the narration was smooth as well. I did enjoy the story and I can't wait to see what's next from her.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

We have the points of view of several females in Good Bad Girl. There's Patience who works in the care home and becomes friendly with Edith. Patience has very little since she ran away from home a year ago. She has been saving to go to art school. She also adopted Edith's dog and brings her to see her even though it is against the rules.

Edith was a store detective when she worked long years as a single mom. She was not the best parent, but she did have to work. She hates the care home and wants to go back to her home. Patience is one of the few who is actually nice to her.

Clio does not visit her mother as they do not get along. She did not want her mother to live with her and doesn't like her dog. She is struggling in her psychiatry practice and to pay for Edith's care. Her brother doesn't help. She is divorced.

Franky raised Patience until she ran away a year ago on her birthday when she wouldn't tell her who her father is. Franky was also adopted and had a harrowing childhood. She works as a librarian at a prison. She lives on a houseboat which came to her when her mother died.

These women all have a gray moral compass, not being completely honest or straightforward. They've all made some mistakes. I would never have guessed how twisty the situation would become. When the care home manager is murdered, they become suspects and things really go wild with old secrets threatened.

I enjoyed this story even though I found it hard at times to root for the women. I understood their issues and foibles. I did feel badly for some of their misconceptions and miscommunications that made their situations worse. The ending was superb.


Narration:
Stephanie Racine seems to narrate all the books I have read from this author. I think she does very well with the voices and the emotional tones. I don't have the knowledge to know if the dialects are accurate but they sounded good to me. Nearly all the points of view in the story are female, so that worked well. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.

Alice Feeney does not miss at all when it comes to writing books that are intriguing, mysterious and leave you with your mouth hanging open. The use of multiple points of view and past and present are really what make this book so interesting. This book did start off slower than her other books, and at times had me questioning what the whole point was, but this book ended up proving me wrong.

The structure of this story was really different as the story worked backwards. I felt a bit confused some of the time but by the end I was good. I really liked the characters despite their awkwardness. No one was who they seemed to be but the mystery of the stolen baby kept my attention. I enjoyed that I didn’t see the twists coming so the unveiling was so much better.

The narrator was fabulous and the pace was perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this audiobook copy. It was great!

Let me start this review by saying that I absolutely LOVED Rock Paper Scissors. It is my absolute favorite thriller to this day. I recommend it to everyone, so I was hoping this new book would give me all the same thrills I got from Rock Paper Scissors, especially since I DNF'ed Daisy Darker. Sadly, this one came nowhere near close.

I won't recap the book here, because you can get the synopsis from Goodreads, but I will tell you that I enjoyed that it was jam-packed with family drama. It kept the book interesting but what I didn't like was that I was able to see all the plot twists a mile away. I never fully guess who the culprit/culprits are in any type of thriller I read, so I was incredibly disappointed when I was able to figure them out. It made for an okay story, nothing that left me with my jaw open.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, narrated by Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine, who did a great job. Thanks to their storytelling, I finished the book.

I am not fully giving up on Alice Feeney yet, but this one wasn't quite for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Alice Feeney is back and better than ever with her newest novel Good Bad Girl. I have a been a big fan of the author ever since I read Sometimes I Lie. Her books never disappoint and that includes the latest one. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version and I loved it. The narration done by Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine was fantastic. A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio, the author and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook version of the novel.

If you are looking for the author’s usual fast-paced psychological thriller you won’t find that with this book. Good Bad Girl is a slow-building, immersive mystery. The storyline is told from multiple perspectives and multiple timelines. The book deals with the mother-daughter relationship, postpartum depression, and murder.

When the story opens 20 years ago on Mother’s Day a baby has been stolen from a stroller in a grocery store. Fast-forward to the present day two murders have happened that are associated with that actual kidnapping, which is bringing up serious painful memories, and have unintentionally linked four women together.

There is 80 year old Edith who desperately wants to escape from the nursing home that her estranged daughter Clio has thrown her in.

Clio is trying to keep her life intact and find the funds to continue paying for her mother’s care.

18 year Patience works at the nursing home cleaning up all the worst messes that nobody else wants to do. She forms a bond with Edith, but is lying about everything.

Then there’s Frankie a prison librarian who is convinced that Clio knows where her runaway daughter is and shows up on her doorstep with not so good intentions.

Can any of these women be trusted? Each of them are harboring secrets. But if they want to know the truth, then they will have to solve the mystery of the two murders first. And then these women just might find out what happened to the baby that was kidnapped so long ago, to the mother who lost her and the connection that ties them together.

Good Bad Girl is a compelling, well plotted, engaging novel that slowly reveals its mystery and will keep you guessing throughout the story.

From the very first page, this gripping thriller had me hooked and kept me on the edge of my seat until the final, shocking twist. The author's skillful storytelling weaves a complex web of suspense, drawing readers into a world of uncertainty and intrigue. The character development is top-notch, with protagonists that feel real and relatable, and antagonists who send shivers down your spine. The pacing is masterful, seamlessly blending heart-pounding action with moments of quiet tension, making it nearly impossible to put down. The plot unfolds like a series of perfectly executed dominoes, each revelation more jaw-dropping than the last. Every chapter leaves you hungry for more, as you attempt to unravel the puzzle before the characters do. This is a thriller that doesn't just rely on shock value; it delves into the psychological depths of its characters, exploring their fears, desires, and secrets. The writing is sharp and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the story's setting and atmosphere. Without a doubt, this is a must-read for fans of the genre, an experience that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. Prepare for sleepless nights and a lingering sense of unease – this is the mark of a truly exceptional thriller.

I keep hoping one of Feeney's books will be as good as SOMETIMES I LIE but this latest was a another dud for me.

I didn't like anything about it. I found it highly confusing and that ruined it completely for me.

I love this author and I’ve been looking forward to this book for months. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were great. The book has tons of twists and going back and forth building the storyline. The characters were interesting and it was all around a solid read. Highly recommend!

I loved the order of the story. You first read about a baby that is stolen from a carriage in a grocery store. Then it brings you twenty years later, following three women, Clio, Frankie, and Patience. There are clues sprinkled throughout the story. The story ends and then Feeney brings you back to the beginning, even before the baby was stolen from the carriage. Many of the characters fell flat. They didn’t have as much depth to them as I would have liked. It wasn’t until the end when I finally figured out the twist. The narrator did a fantastic job in this audiobook. This wasn’t my favorite Feeney, (Rock Paper Scissors is my favorite so far.)

Edith has been placed into a nursing home but she has no intention of staying there. She becomes very close to one of the cleaning ladies, Patience. Edith and Patience concoct a plan. But, then the care home’s administrator ends up dead in the elevator. Now all of a sudden everyone is a suspect.

Ok, I am in the minority again…but I found this book BRILLIANT! I know a lot of other reviews did not find this to be as thrilling as Daisy Darker . But this book is a completely different style. The way Alice Feeney meandered through the story (and yes it is a bit slow!) to come to this ending….geez! I knew it was going to come together, just didn’t expect it to be this way!

Alice tied all these characters together in a neat little bow, including the detective with the pink stipe in her hair. And no…I did not see that one coming!

Every single one of these characters are dysfunctional at best. Talk about terrible mother-daughter relationships. But, I can’t help but see the intelligence it took to come up with this plot.

The narrators, Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine are fantastic. I love when there is a great tag team!

Need a good mystery which will have you wondering how it is all going to tie together…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Alice Feeney is an auto buy author for me and once again, she delivers with Good Bad Girl. This is a bit more of a slow burn, character driven novel that delves into the sometimes complicated relationship between a mother and a daughter.

We all know this author is the “Queen of the Twists” so don’t let your guard down. Alice Feeney, you are brilliant and I am anxiously awaiting what you come with next.

Thank you Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies. The narration for this book is the chef’s kiss.

Thank you #partner @macmillan.audio for the #gifted ALC

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹
𝗕𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘆
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟴/𝟮𝟵/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


📖 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: In the newest jaw-dropper from The Queen of Twists, readers will discover how four women's lives are inextricably linked in the most unexpected ways.

"Do bad people know that's what they are? Maybe all villains are the heroes of their own stories."

💭 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: The thing I love most about Alice Feeney's books is that she makes you work for them; like a scattering of puzzle pieces that readers must fit together as we read.

Good Bad Girl is no exception. There's no sleeping on this one -- the reader must be sharp and focused on the myriad breadcrumbs laid out along the way.

To be honest, these sorts of books are hit or miss for me. I have read some that are too much work, and I just didn't care enough about the characters or story to play along. But Feeney's extraordinary character and plot development made me eager to see how it all unraveled, and the reward was well worth it. 🙌🏼 🤯

I actually started this one on audio in July and set it aside. The timing felt off, and I wanted to try again with the print and audio combined. So I tried again over the weekend and it was just brilliant. I'm so glad I waited, as the immersive format of book + audio was the perfect combination! The audiobook narrators, Stephanie Racine and Katherine Press, are outstanding and perfectly cast for this book.

Good Bad Girl is an intelligent, twisty, well-plotted mystery/thriller that I recommend wholeheartedly.

📌 Out tomorrow!

Alice Feeney is one of my favorite authors in this genre. I loved Rock Paper Scissors, Sometimes I Lie and His and Hers. I’m always eager to be immersed in her stories and left shocked at the surprises she throws your way, though I found Daisy Darker a tad disappointing on account of its predictability and lack of originality. I really wanted to love her latest offering but sadly, Good Bad Girl failed to deliver on the thrills.

The narrative begins with a baby being stolen from a stroller in the supermarket on Mother's Day. Twenty years later, on Mother’s Day, we meet eighty-year-old Edith, a resident of an assisted living facility who resents having been placed there by her daughter Clio. Edith’s relationship with her daughter is strained on account of reasons that are gradually revealed. Edith is befriended by young Patience who works at the care home and is fond of Edith, often going out of her way to help her. We also meet Frankie, who works as a librarian at a prison, who is frantically searching for her teenage daughter who ran away from home after an emotional confrontation. The narrative follows these characters, weaving past and present timelines together as we discover how these characters’ stories are connected, as they get entangled in a web of secrets, lies and murder.

Plenty of dysfunctional family drama, complicated mother-daughter relationships and the mystery of a missing baby at the core of the story would have made for a riveting read had there been a few less predictable “twists” and of course, a very convenient surprise toward the end of the story. While the characters were well thought out and the author discusses several sensitive issues such as post-partum depression, the pacing is on the slower side and the story feels relatively more character-driven than plot-heavy (Which is fine but, in a thriller, I would expect a stronger plot!). There were moments I found a few developments in the story rather amusing more than surprising ( I did laugh out loud a couple of times, so there’s that). The mystery surrounding the elder care facility could have been developed more which would have added to the suspenseful vibe, but that element of the story was relegated to the background and there is more telling than showing how it was resolved.

I can’t categorize this as a psychological thriller in the true sense of the term and had I not been looking for a more intricately plotted and twisty read, I would have enjoyed this more. I should mention that this novel is emotionally heavier than Feeney’s other novels. Overall, while I did not dislike this novel, it certainly wasn't what I had expected. However, I’m clearly an outlier here and would ask you to read the other reviews before deciding on reading this one.

I listened to audiobook (9 hours 21 minutes) narrated by Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine who have done an overall decent job of voicing the characters and breathing life into the story.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story begins with an infant abducted from a stroller, leaving a mother devastated. Several years later 80 year old Edith has been tricked into living in a nursing home by her daughter, Clio. The mother and daughter are not currently on speaking terms. Edith has befriended her young caregiver Patience. Patience is good to Edith and cares for her but is hiding secrets. Clio, Edith and Patience are connected to a murder and have no reason to trust each other. There are many secrets that connect them but unraveling those secrets leads to shocking revelations.

This was another story by Alice Feeney that was full of twists, unreliable narrators, secrets and interesting characters.
Many times I thought I knew what was happening and I was wrong. I should know better by now after reading several of her other books but I still think I have things figured out. WRONG!! This is a fast paced story that unravels slowly with a satisfying twist. Feeney is a must read for lovers of psychological thrillers. Well written and well executed.
The audiobook was narrated really well!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review

#NetGalley #AliceFeeney #GoodBadGirl.

Sensational! Alice Feeney raises the domestic thriller bar. 🥇💓

Good Bad Girl is one captivating read that'll make your head spin in a good way. As most reviewers have said, you have to hang in there and let it play out while enjoying Feeney's fine storytelling. It's rather complex and multilayer. The pace was great with a jaw-dropping reveal!😲

Mother's Day twenty years apart. Told from the past and present of mothers, daughters, and a missing 6-month-old baby. Generational secrets and lies that linked the characters in this twisty tale. I'm not going to say much, better for readers to really enjoy this one.

I love Feeney's work each one more than the last. Good Bad Girl surely didn't disappoint and I can't wait to see what she'll come up with next.

LOVED the audio version with two narrators Katharine Press and Stephanie Racine. They both are terrific and add so much enjoyment to the story. 4.5⭐

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ALC.

* 4.5 stars *
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney is about a stolen baby and a murder separated by 20 years but linked. Edith an eighty year old, her caretaker Patience who is hiding things from her, and Edith's daughter Clio who doesn't want to speak to her mother, and Patience's mother, Frankie, who just wants her daughter. They all cross paths in the most unexpected way.
This thriller took me for a ride. I loved the characters! Each had their own complex story and things going on in their life yet are so connected to each other as well. I can't say too much in this area without spoilers unfortunately but the concept of a "good bad girl" and the morally grey areas in everyone's life was a great concept that the author executed very well. The way you could see each character through all of the other perspectives gave the true dynamics of the situation. You could truly put yourself in each of their shoes and that was one of my favorite parts of this novel.
There were tons of twists in this novel. This is both a positive and a negative with this particular novel. Most of the time twists are my favorite part of thrillers but this one had too many. That is what knocked this book down from a 5 star read to a 4.5 star. The character chapters almost always ended in a character giving a vague statement of "I know know what to do now" meant to be a cliffhanger. By the end it started getting annoying.
Overall, that was the only downside to this novel. The plot, characters and connections were all great and I would definitely recommend this book to all of my thriller loving friends!

This was such an amazing audiobook and is such a captivating story! I always love Alice Feeney’s books and GOOD BAD GIRL had me hooked right from the start. I loved the mystery and I also loved the beautiful look at the complicated nature of families. Such a good book!

I know Alice Feeney is a very popular author, unfortunately, I just don’t think she’s right for me. This is the second book I read by her, and I am very disappointed. I found this book to be incredibly slow paced, which washed my interest. By the time we got to the twists I didn’t really care anymore. I found the characters to be unlikable and boring, just couldn’t connect with them to help me get engaged in the story. I listen to this on audio and thought the narrator did a fabulous job. She gave each character a distinct voice, which made it easy to learn who each character is.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advance, copy of this audiobook.

Right, wrong. Good, bad. These words encapsulate the theme of the book. What makes someone one or the other? What do we mean when we call someone either good or bad? It especially applies when we think of what makes someone a good mother. And the inevitable question, can good people do bad things? I
The story rockets back and forth between 4 female characters. (In a weird aside, almost all the characters in this story are female). Patience is an 18 year old worker at a care home. Edith is a resident there with whom Patience has bonded. Clio is Edith’s daughter who placed her there against her will. And finally, Frankie has just retired as a librarian at a prison.
“This is a crime with three suspects, two murders and one victim.” Feeney is a master at word play. She will choose just the right phrase to keep the reader in suspense. Every time I thought I had figured out everyone’s relationship, Feeney would add another piece to the puzzle, just enough to keep me guessing. There were some twists I never did see coming.
I love that this was as much a character study as a thriller. It’s not a fast paced story, it gives you time to ponder exactly what is going on.
A pet peeve - the title. The main characters are all women. One is even 80 years old. What’s with the Girl in the title?
I listened to this and it worked well as an audio experience, although you do need to pay attention to the chapter headings. Both of the narrators did good jobs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.