Member Reviews

Iris's twin sister was kidnapped, and Iris knows this. But the cops think that Piper is a runaway and refuse to move forward with the case. Iris is bound and determine to find out the truth and to discover what really happened to Piper. Iris goes to a psychiatric hospital in search of clues. The hospital is hiding deep dark secrets, and some are more frightening than others. I love the exciting twists and turns. The writing is always excellent, and the plot is exciting. If you have read anything else from this author, you know that there is an extraordinary twist at the end. But if you are new to this author, prepare yourself for an exciting rollercoaster ride. In my honest opinion, this book is one of her best ever.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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I love a good thriller and Taryn Fisher NEVER disappoints! Bonus points for the ending surprising me!

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I liked the twists and turns of this slow burn thriller. It was a good pool day read and I’ll keep reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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This book was good from the very start! Love a good domestic thriller! You'll never guess the ending!!!

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Good Half Gone is about a twin sister who saw her other sister get kidnapped but nothing ends up ever coming up it. She decides to try to get a job at the psychiatric hospital where the person she believes has answers about her sister. Turns out there is a lot more going on then she thought.

Man I wanted to like this story but I just couldn't do it. I feel I didn't build much of a connection with these characters. I was reading to find out what happened that's it. I did end up making some guesses that ended up being correct. In the end the ending killed the story for me. I was not happy at all with that ending.

Overall this just ended up not being the book for me. I do have another Tarryn Fisher book that I'd like to try. So I'm hoping that ends up working out better than this one.

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Thank you Tarryn Fisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Piper and Iris are twin sisters, but that is about the only thing they have in common. Piper is outgoing where Iris is more introverted. The girls live with their grandmother. One night Piper convinces Iris to go with her to the mall to meet up with some boys. Iris watches Piper get abducted, but no one believes her including the police. Piper is considered a runaway and Iris is the only one looking for her.

Years later Iris ends up working at hospital for the criminally insane, but does she have an anterior motive for wanting to work there?

I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the book, but thought it was slow at some times. The ending really picked up the pace and had me shocked multiple times.

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I'm usually ok with a slow burn thriller but this started off so slow it was painful - more like the first 80% of the book. If it wasn't for the fact that this was an ARC that I felt compelled to give feedback on, I probably would have put this one on the DNF shelf. The story didn't pick up until we got close to the end and by that time, the twist was fairly predictable.
I appreciate the publisher sending an ARC of this novel and I wish I could have given better feedback but unfortunately this book just did not do it for me.

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I love how the book started out with grabbing your attention right away! The plot was very interesting and kept you wanting to read to see what happened next and how it would end. I did guess the twist at the end but I still enjoyed it.

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This was a story about twins raised by their grandmother. Piper who is outgoing and Iris who is more subdued. There is a party and Piper is taken away against her will. Iris is treated horribly by detectives. I found the book to be slow and a lot of not needed fluff. I did find the end to be good with the last twist.

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Tarryn knows how to keep you on your toes, and this book is no different. Her words are winners. If you're new to her books, I highly recommend

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Looking for a twisty read with some wild herrings thrown in? Tarryn Fisher is you girl for a book that has you guessing throughout.

Brief synopsis:: Iris Walsh saw her twin sister get kidnapped—so why does no one believe her?

My thoughts: Super locked in setting - Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane. It's creepy and gives off an ominous presence from the get go! The only way to reach it is by boat and the history of the place is even creepier - originally a prison then into a temporary home for unwed mothers, and lastly into the psychiatric institute. Pure shivers for me reading Good Half Gone.

Fisher's story is told via a dual timeline structure, where we switch between the present and flashbacks to the past. The flashback chapters relate both to the disappearance of her twin sister Piper and how this affected Iris both during the immediately after Piper went missing and the years after. The present chapters primarily focus on her search to uncover the truth.

I love reading Tarryn Fisher books because I have come to expect some sort of "what the heck" moment. Its not uncommon for her main character to be so unhinged that you want to say "thats not possible." Naturally, Good Half Gone fits right in with her past works. In Good Half Gone, you will discover secrets, betrayals, and chaos inside a mental asylum on a deserted island. It was enjoyable, but also crazy. Ultimately, Good Half Gone is a roller coaster ride with some unbelievable parts that in the end will take you by surprise.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequinn Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of a favorite author.

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ARC Review
2.5 stars
I was disappointed with this one. I typically love Tarryn Fisher's books. They generally have weird vibes going on maybe one or two twists at the end, and I feel like this book attempted that but missed the mark. I wasn't surprised by the twist, and it reminded me a lot of a book by Freida McFadden that I thought was more entertaining. It's a bummer but hoping her future books are more like her old ones

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Not my favorite book of Fisher but this one has the usual suspense and plot twists. Taking a job at an institution for criminally insane to find out what happened to your sister was gusty and a little far fetched at times. I could see this becoming a tv movie.

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“Iris Walsh saw her twin sister get kidnapped—so why does no one believe her?”

Personal review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Woah. This book had mystery, intrigue, dark thrills, romanceish…and an insane asylum? Sign me up! Thank you @netgalley and @graydonhouse for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The twins aspect of this book intrigued me, but don’t get too attached because one gets nabbed in the first few chapters, I enjoyed the singular POV from Piper, and the nonlinear timeline that took us from present, to her childhood. The ending of this book was pulse pounding and not at all what I expected, the hospital on the island, insane asylum, seriously gave me the creepiest of vibes, in the best way, of course. I never would have guessed “whodunit” and the reasoning and it took me a bit to even understand it, but it seriously was such a good twist! Well done, Taryn Fisher!

Synopsis:

Iris narrowly escaped her twin sister’s fate as a teen: abducted in broad daylight and long gone before she could convince the cops there was anything to investigate. With Piper presumed a runaway and no evidence to go on but Iris’s scattered memories, the case quickly goes cold.

Ever since that terrible day, Iris’ search for Piper has bordered on obsession. Chasing leads across years and following clues that all seem to point to a single name, Iris does everything she can to get close to the only person who might know the answer to the question that still haunts her: where did Piper go? And if the police still won’t help, she’ll just have to find the answer herself--using her criminal psychology degree to intern at the isolated psychiatric hospital on Shoal Island, where secrets lurk in the shadows and are kept under lock and key. But Iris soon realizes that something even more sinister is simmering beneath the surface of the Shoal, and that the patients aren’t the only ones being observed…

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"Iris Walsh saw her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped—so why does no one believe her?"
Good Half Gone was a suspenseful page turner from beginning to end. This was well written and I can not wait to read more books by this author. The book follows Iris as she tries to find the answers herself to what happens to her sister Piper and how Iris ends up at a isolated psychiatric hospital on Shoal Island where the secret's hide in the shadows but they are also kept under lock and key. The book was one I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader but especially to readers who love a good thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this book in exchange of my honest review of Good Half Gone.

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Book Review: Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher

**Rating: ★★☆☆☆**

Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher tells the story of twins Iris and Piper, whose lives take a tragic turn when Piper is kidnapped during their teenage years. The novel follows Iris’s relentless quest to find her sister’s abductor, which leads her to a job at a high-security mental hospital for criminals. This promising premise, however, falls short in execution.

From the outset, the potential for an engaging, suspenseful thriller is evident. The concept of a sister’s undying determination and the setting of a mental hospital filled with criminals provide fertile ground for a gripping narrative. Unfortunately, Fisher’s storytelling fails to capitalize on this potential.

The first 75% of the book is bogged down by mindless details and side stories that do little to advance the plot. Instead of building suspense or deepening character development, these tangents feel like filler, making it a challenge to stay engaged. The narrative meanders through inconsequential events, diluting the impact of the main storyline.

One of the critical disappointments of Good Half Gone is its predictability. The twist, which is supposed to be the book’s climactic revelation, is telegraphed far too early. I found myself predicting it well in advance, which significantly diminished the suspense and thrill that a mystery of this nature should evoke.

Despite these shortcomings, Fisher's writing is not without merit. Her prose is clear, and she occasionally captures the emotional turmoil of her characters effectively. However, these moments are too few and far between to redeem the overall reading experience.

In conclusion, Good Half Gone had the potential to be a compelling psychological thriller but ultimately falls flat. The plodding pace, unnecessary details, and predictability make it a disappointing read. While the premise intrigued me, the execution left much to be desired, resulting in a forced effort to finish the book. For these reasons, I can only give it a two-star rating.

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I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book kept me on the edge of my seat! There were some really good twists and I shouldn’t have expected any less from this author! I always enjoy their books!

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Thank you Netgalley for the advance readers copy in exchange for my opinion/review.
Good Half Gone was a fantastic read that actually kept me up late. Exciting thriller with twists I didn't see coming. Protagonist Iris was an interesting character.

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The copy I was given was just horrible. So many errors and mistakes and the lines would just break off which really messed up the sentences.

Now to the actual book part, it was a DNF for me which was extremely disappointing because I love Tarryn Fisher. I’m not sure what was going on here but it was almost like it was written by someone else. So many inconsistencies.

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