At the heart of Good Bad Girl is an abduction; twenty years prior, a baby was stolen from a push chair in a supermarket. In the present day, we meet our four main characters; Edith, an elderly lady who has been sent to a care home against her will, and who now believes that deaths at that care home are in fact murders; Patience, an employee of the care home and seemingly the only person who will give Edith the time of day; Clio, Edith's daughter and a therapist who is barely holding things together herself; and Frankie, a prison librarian who means never to return to her job. What relationships do these women bear to one another? And what, if any, were their roles in the abduction twenty years prior?

This was a fun, middling-stakes mystery, with a lovable cast of characters and a gripping hook. Most impressive of all (imho) was the mystery itself, and its slow resolution. I was genuinely puzzled at points and couldn't wait to piece it all together. The fact that the characters themselves were each so independently compelling meant that there was never a dull moment, even when we weren't in mystery-solving mode directly. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a stellar job of bringing each of these characters to life.

In terms of criticism, something which I've noticed reading previous books by this author is the overuse of quips. This book was no exception. Passages like "she thought it would take 30 steps to get there but it only took 27...Sometimes the truth is closer than we think" and "Frankie was wrong to trust that woman...The benefit of the doubt is rarely of real benefit to anyone" (both paraphrased) felt somewhat distracting to me. They make the book seem faux-intellectual and try-hard in a way that it's otherwise not, which did affect my listening experience. This may be a personal taste thing; some readers might love this about Feeney's writing. For me though, I felt the book would have been better without.

Regardless, this book is definitely worth a read (and you should pick up the audiobook if you can). It's not as dark as the cover might have you believe -- I'd most recommend it if you're in the mood for a mystery but don't want something super dark and/or gory. It's released August 29th!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to this in advance.

What happens when bad things happen to good people? Sometimes, it drives good people to do bad things. This book has it all - it started with a baby abduction and ended in a murder and secrets being exposed. Delving into the complexities of family relationships and dynamics, and the lengths others will go to in order to protect the ones they love - this story and the character motives kept me engaged and guessing the entire time.

Alice Feeney hit another homerun with this book. The character and plot development were great and the narration was excellent. I enjoyed every second of this book and highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeney for the advanced listening copy of Good Bad Girl in exchange for my honest review.

I will start by saying Alice Feeney is one of my autobuy authors, so it pains me to say that this one really just didn't do it for me. I felt like it was missing the big "OMG" reveal moment that we typically get from Feeney's novels.

Thankfully the chapters were short and the story was interesting enough that I did feel compelled to keep reading, I just definitely wanted more by the time I was done.

I will say there was one reveal right at the end that I definitely didn't see coming, it just wasn't on par with what I've personally come to expect from Feeney.

Nevertheless, I'll be anxiously awaiting her next release!

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an audio copy of this book.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of in this book. At times I got very confused about who we were dealing with. Everyone has secrets. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and good people have to do bad things.

I wanted a bit more from the ending. It left a few things up in the air. But it was a fun ride as the mystery unfolded. A murder and an endless list of potential suspects.

I really enjoyed the voice of the narrator.

Solid mystery. I gasped once. Didn’t figure out the whole story until I finished it. Always enjoy Alice Feeney books. Look forward to the next one.

The narrator does a nice job and is easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/producer for the advance copy of the audiobook.

Holy Hell Batman, what was that?

I am THE biggest Alice Feeney, fan. I can recite lines from any one of her books and yet can never predict an ending.

Each and every time, Feeney leaves my jaw on the floor and heart in my throat.

I am not a huge fan of audiobooks but if I can’t get my hands on a physical or e-book, I’ll do what I have to do to get an early peek.

I have been pending for MONTHS and then finally gave in to requesting the audio.

I did not blink once

I hung on every word

Feeney is THE thriller queen and you can not convince me otherwise.

There are many many details that I had wished I could have slowed down and enjoyed and I’m eager to get a chance to read the book. In true Feeney, fashion the twist is earth shattering and will have your head spinning right off your shoulders. I might have actually said “what in the actual DUCk, was that?”

I am yet to give any Feeney book less than 5 stars and I am not about to start now. Jury is still out but this might be my new favorite. I’ll let you know 😉

This wild little ride releases August 29, 2023 and I promise you don’t want to miss it. Pre-orders are still available!

Teaser :

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.

Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything.

Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good.

With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things.

⭐️Review ⭐️

Such a good suspense/thriller by Alice Feeney! You’ll be drawn In right away by the kidnapping story line and things just take off from there, building characters and back stories. Told from multiple view points, you’ll get lots of information, but not quite be able to place all the pieces together until the end. Or at least I didn’t. I suspected a few things, but the twists kept coming, up until the very end! Loved it! My only negative comment would be that some things were just a bit too much of a coincidence leaving it a little unbelievable, but that being said, in my opinion that’s why we read books, to stretch our imaginations

Writing style is descriptive and easy to read .. If you’re a fan of a good thriller I’d definitely recommend!

Alice Feeny is becoming one of my favorite thriller writers.

This one explores the complex relationship of mothers and daughters. What make you a mother? What makes you a good or bad mother? After reading it made me want to call my mom just to tell her I love her.

Alice Feenley is known for the twists in her books and this story continues that. There is mone then more mystery. What happened to the baby kidnapped 20 years ago? And present day is there something sinister going on at the nursing home that Edith feels a prisoner in who suspects her frind was murdered in.. What is the connection to the missing baby?

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

This was not my favorite by Feeney. It sort of felt like everything was spelled out at the start and nothing super exciting happened. Loads of other reviewers have really enjoyed this book, so if you're an existing Feeney fan, definitely still check it out!

Specific to the audio: EXCELLENT narration - both readers did a fantastic job.

The mystery of a missing child begins right away and drags on as you get to know multiple different characters and the issues they’re all dealing with indivially. I thought it would end up being pretty predictable, but was pleasantly surprised near the end! I didn’t grow to love any of the characters deeply, but I was impressed at the twists. Also, the theme of people being able to be both good and bad at the same time really did make me think about what being bad really is.

This book was such a great fast pace thriller!
It’s told from multiple POVs and had a great twist at the end!
“Sometimes bad things happen to good people. So good people have to do bad things.”

I love Alice Feeney but this wasn’t my favorite. The narrators were wonderful. But I felt super confused the first half of the book. I wasn’t sure what was going on. The twist at the end was great!! I just wish there was more build up to it but was hard to connect to the characters because it would switch back and forth between each character to quick so I found myself lost a lot of the time.

This was a fast, easy, high-interest listen/read that I tore through in less than 2 days.
Although the description says "3 suspects, 2 murders, 1 victim," the murders weren't really the focus in my opinion. This is less murder mystery/hardly a thriller and more commentary on generational trauma, the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, and the small interconnected world we live in. This is the story of 4 (actually 5) women from different generations - Edith, Clio, Frankie, and Patience. The story is told from all 4 perspectives. The 5th woman involved is DCI Chapman who is tasked with solving the murders. Although we don't get her perspective, her story is interwoven with these women as well. There are very few male characters. The only one of any note is Jude, and frankly, he's mostly terrible. Or at least self-centered. I loved to hate him. Good Bad Girl is a very female-centered book.
Pros - I love Alice Feeney's writing style and voice. She is a master at her craft. I will probably autobuy anything she writes. The narrators of this audio (Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine) were also really lovely. I enjoyed having them tell me the story in their British/Scottish accents. The main events of the book take place over a relatively short period of time with a few flashbacks thrown in. But the multiple POVs (4 different women and a mix of 1st and 3rd person) helped keep the pace flowing and not boring.
Cons - aka - why it didn't get 5 stars - The ending was almost too tidy? I "guessed" the main connections between the women (were we supposed to? I don't think it was that well hidden) pretty early on. Some of the information wasn't provided until the very, very end with very few hints throughout which I don't love in a mystery. There was a smallish "twist" at the end regarding one woman that was a bit of a surprise and also a bit of a stretch. Like I said, perhaps a bit too tidy.
Overall, it was a great read into the lives of these women. And although I wouldn't categorize it as a thriller and even consider mystery a stretch, it was a lovely read about the complicated relationships between women - especially mothers and daughters. I still recommend this if you are fans of Alice Feeney or even fans of more women's lit.

Received an advanced copy for review from NetGalley. The four main female characters are likeable, even if I don't care for the hopping back and forth in time, and their supporting cast is affable. The time-hopping helps you to see the principal conundrum from each person's vantage point. How one makes peace with doing bad things to achieve a good outcome is the major premise of this book. Sometimes, the best way through is not the legal, or 'nice', way to get it done but it does mean that Cleo, Franke and Nellie/Patience (all of Edith's 'Ladybugs') make it to the end of the book minus their matriarch but with a better understanding of how they came to exist in their present. Revisiting the ladies in a decade to see how much more they've either bonded or crumbled would be great.
#GoodBadGirl #NetGalley #AliceFeeney #love #loss #familytrauma #healingjourney #dysfunctionalfamilies #thefamilythatpreystogether

This was very good! Great on audio! Clever, fast paced, well plotted. Love a good twist at the end. Character development on point. Recommended! Thank you for letting me listen to ARC!

Every story has two sides, and sometimes, they are both right.

Alice Feeney is one of my most favorite authors of all time and this book proves why. While it starts off slow as each character is introduced, the pacing picks up halfway through and then doesn't let go. Each one of the characters touched my heart at some point of time in the story, especially Frankie.

I would call it more of a domestic drama than a psychological thriller though. Five stars all the same!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook arc. Both narrators do an awesome job of keeping you captivated!

This book was soooo artfully written! Each chapter was like peeling back another layer of an onion. Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth. At 80 years old, Edith has been tricked into moving into a care home by her daughter Clio. Their relationships is completed and contention from the start. Patience works at the care home Edith is staying at and a deeper relationship begins to form. The problem is, that everything about Patience is a lie, including her name.

This one is a twisty, back and forth slow burn. At times I had to really reel back and think deeply about what was going on with the four main characters in this novel that explores the often difficult reality of motherhood and the concepts of good and bad. Overall, I enjoyed Good Bad Girl because it kept me guessing until the very end. Thank you, NetGalley for the Arc!

I really enjoy this author, I loved Rock Paper Scissors and Sometimes I Lie. This one was just not for me. There are a lot of characters that took a long time to connect together for me and I had trouble connecting with them. I wanted to follow along and see it to the end, but I had a lot of moments where I was really confused, which made the ending feel just ok.

Intricately woven and utterly engrossing, this novel takes readers on a journey that spans two decades, connecting a stolen baby's disappearance to a recent murder in a care home. The enigmatic Edith, determined to escape her involuntary nursing home stay, becomes an unexpected ally to Patience, who harbors secrets of her own. The narrator's adeptness at transforming her voice for each character immerses the listener into the heart of the story, creating a multi-dimensional experience that brings the characters to life.

What sets this audiobook apart is its artful approach to storytelling, shifting seamlessly between characters' perspectives with every chapter. This narrative technique not only offers a fresh vantage point but also amplifies the suspense as hidden truths come to light. The complex dynamic between Edith, Patience, and Clio, whose strained relationship adds another layer of intrigue, forms the backbone of the plot.

Amidst the backdrop of mistrust and uncertainty, the three women are compelled to collaborate in solving a dual mystery involving murder and a long-unsolved abduction. As they navigate a maze of motives and deception, the listener is gripped by a relentless desire to uncover the connections between these seemingly unrelated events.

With its masterful blend of suspense, intricate character development, and a narrative structure that keeps you guessing, this audiobook is an absolute must-listen. It's a journey that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the unearthing of long-buried truths, leaving an indelible mark on anyone seeking an immersive and enthralling audio experience.