Woah! What an incredible read! So many twists and turns, it left you guessing until the very end, and then another twist! Highly recommend!

4.6 ⭐️ Starting this review with a warning - this story is brutal. Very well written and gripping but it’s ‘Lucinda Berry’ traumatic - trigger warnings include rape, pedophilia, grooming, child abuse, heroine addiction and more

Although this book is full of darkness, the writing is light and flows seamlessly. It’s faced paced, and sucked me into the drama from the get go

I listened to the audiobook and encourage a listen. The narrator’s voice and accent is lush and warmed me to the characters even more

Grace, a super efficient barista, loves cooking for her sister and happens to be a killer. Tragically, due to her impoverished and abusive past, she’s an unusual character but ever so likable

Mostly told from Grace’s point of view, we also hear a lot from local Garda (Irish Police) Jerry who’s known Grace from childhood. As the story progresses, we learn about her tragic childhood and it’s truly heartbreaking and gripping

I loved spending time with all the characters and struggled to stop reading - it was that engrossing - if you can handle the TW’s I recommend this highly

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

There is a lot of abuse of various forms, including sexual abuse. So beware ahead of reading this.

This was not at all what I expected. I really don't want to go too into it and spoil anything. I was expecting it to be all murder-y and stuff. But instead it is actually extremely tragic.

Emer Heatley narrates the audiobook and I enjoyed it immensely.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for this arc. We have a past and present timeline and we are following Grace. Grace and her sister Amber has had a rough childhood and that reflects in Grace’s adulthood. Not used to UK or Irish narrators so it threw me off a little. Third person pov, as usual I think that most times stories would hit harder if they are in first person. Going between the past and present timelines are hard to follow for me. It’s probably cause of the narrator but this story has been hard hitting and right away I’ve been liking it. We also get the character Maggie’s pov. This is very character driven and I do like that we get to know about the hard stuff Amber is going through and how Grace is trying to protect her at all costs and wants to get revenge for her and she’s proud of that. Other than we getting to see how Amber and Grace were when they were in the past timeline and even now with Amber barely seeming to hold on to life day by day with her sickness because of drugs it kind of drags on for me at times and I just wish some stuff would just get to the point but it’s not a bad book by any means! I do like it and I do recommend. I just took a while to finish it because I couldn’t focus sometimes.

This books content was HEAVY. So heavy in fact I’m surprised I was able to even finish it. I’m assuming my ability to do so has to be chalked up to a strong storyline and good writing. Right off the bat readers are exposed to the graphic and tragic life of two sisters who have dealt with more than any person should. Despite the gorey details, readers find themselves cheering for the main characters. I listened to the audio version and the production did a great job.

This story was so crazy in the best way! This is what a real thriller feels like. I was absolutely blown away with everything that happens in this book. The narrator did an amazing job! She really helped put together the vibe of this book. It is very dark and deals with heavy topics so I understand why a lot of people may not want to pick this up. It had such big twist that I never would have thought of. I’m not even disappointed with the way things ended. I liked the added factor of multiple POVs. I just couldn’t stop listening to this story!

Thank you to the author, Dreamscapes Media, and NetGalley for this audiobook.

The Good Girl
Michelle Dunne
Grace’s mother prostituted her daughters for money. They lived off the food Grace stole. They lived in filth. Their mother would disappear for days and weeks. Grace did her best to protect Amber, however, the odds were stacked against them both.
Grace Murphy is a 27-year-old barista. She lives alone in her home, her sister Amber lives across the street in their childhood home. Few would suspect Grace of being a serial killer. She is friendly and caring when she serves her customers. She loves her sister Amber and is very protective of her. By all appearances Grace is a normal well-adjusted adult. She owns her own home, works and takes care of Amber. Amber turned to heroin after a terrible incident when she was a child.
Detective Gardia Jerry Hughes has known Grace since she was a young girl. He was protective of her, that continued into adulthood. However, Jerry was working on an important case. Men were disappearing. They only thing they had in common was their ginger-colored hair. Jerry recognized the resemblance to a ginger haired man from the Grace’s past.
Upstairs, Grace has a man cable tied to a chair, dying.
Readers know the identity of the serial killer from page one. Author Michelle Dunne allows the story to unfold. I wanted to dislike Grace instead my heart went out to her.
This book is written in third person and is sure to bring nightmares.

This one just wasnt for me it was so intense and the narration I couldn't get into it at all. It was a lot of abuse and I just found it hard to listen to.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, Michelle Dunne and Netgalley for the audioArc of The Good Girl.
Narrated by Emer Heatley

The Good Girl is a psychological mystery/thriller following a young women, Grace Murphy. She works as a Barista, looks after her sister. So why has she got a man, cable tied to a chair, slowly dying ?

This book blew my mind away in this genre. The first chapter is set in the present and gets straight to the point. It's gritty, harrowing and sucks you in! The narrative is set mainly in the present from 2 main POV, Grace herself and Detective Garda, JerryHughes. Jerry has known Grace from being a child and always tried to look out for her, but does he know the truth about her? Can he stop her before it's too late? There is also chapters that flows back into Grace's and her Sister, Amber's life and what they had to endure. Both past and present are well laid out and clear in the timelines and meld into the present. All the characters were well defined, felt real for all their faults and flaws. Even though Grace did bad things, I found her character likeable as in I wished I could of given her the childhood she so deserved. I felt really sad for her and rather angry at her parents. I feel that because of Graces' own story and we all know that these things happen, made the storyline more believable.

The pacing of the book flowed very well. It was like being pulled and the momentum kept going, so I found this story a definite page turner ( or an addictive listen for the audio) Emer Heatley, who narrates this book is well suited with a lovely Irish accent seeing the book is set in Cork Ireland. Her voice, her emotions and expressions throughout the book was spot on and the audio version was such a pleasure to listen to

5 stars

"The Good Girl" was not a good choice for me.

WHY?

It's a book about abuse, abuse, and more abuse.

More specifically, it's about the vicious cycle of abuse and its frightening and heartwrenching ramifications.

(Between 30-40% of people who are abused as children go on to become abusers themselves)

TW: Deeply troubling graphic details of child abuse.

I selected this book because I was intrigued by the book's "Would You Know a Serial Killer if She Served You Coffee" premise.

Although the book was well written and I enjoyed the book's police procedural component, the graphic details of child abuse were too difficult to read; resulting in a DNF at 37%.

I listened to the audiobook read by Emer Heatley, who did an outstanding job with the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars!
Grace and Amber were raised in some of the worst living conditions imaginable. Grace, the big sister, made it her job to take care of and protect her younger sister. Whether it meant stealing food, taking the brunt of the abuse, or hurting the abuser. Now as adults, Grace makes it her mission to seek vengeance on the man that hurt her little sister. However, there maybe be more to it than that…

This audiobook…whew. It was difficult to listen to at times, but I just couldn’t stop. There is some rough material in it, but I don’t think it could have been done in any other way. It really was fantastic and is a must read for those who like psychological/domestic thrillers. The narrator was wonderful and engaging throughout.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

**Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Basics
Author: she/her (from Cork, Ireland)
Genre: thriller, mystery
Setting: Cork, Ireland
Themes: poverty, neglect, generational trauma, revenge
Mood: dark, secretive

Characters
Grace (MC): a woman who overcame her harsh past to work hard and support her little sister
Amber: Grace's little sister who is haunted by the past
Jerry: a police officer who has been a witness to the generational trauma inherited by Grace's family

Pros
+ A gripping mystery/thriller with so much heart and care for people who live in poverty and have to live on through trauma.
+ Unusual in that you know who the killer is from the start, then watch everything devolve into chaos.
+ The narrator is excellent.
+ The end is brilliant 👏

Neutral
/ There are quite a lot of severe episodes in here, so definitely check out triggers to see if it's appropriate for your reading tastes.

Cons
- none

TW: murder, torture, gore, parental neglect and abuse, pedo men, r*pe, unconsented/forced sex work, child abuse, poverty, drug abuse, mental health disorders

Comp Recs: The Mindf*ck series by S. T. Abby

A harrowing tale of generational trauma.
Our main character Grace is a hard worker who looks after her community and family and we slowly learn all she has had to go through in her life. I was gripped until the end even though it was often hard to read.
The narrator was absolutely fantastic and I would listen to anything she works on again.
I would suggest a trigger warning at the beginning

A thought-provoking read with all the fun of a thriller - highly recommend!

Premise: Grace Murphy is a pleasant, very ordinary, working class woman. She’s also a serial killer.

I picked this up looking for a fun, trashy popcorn thriller, but what I got was so much more in a really great way. It was a very empathetic portrayal of the criminally insane, as well as of police who want to do more than they ultimately can. We see how good law enforcement officers get hardened, which is a helpful side to see, and we also see how the people who make them that way are struggling themselves. It’s all gray, murky, and heartbreaking - but incredibly thought provoking.

If I’m expecting m&ms and get lettuce I’d be disappointed, but this was more like expecting m&ms and getting a Lindt truffle. Well done.

If we read to grow our empathy and learn about those unlike us, then this is absolutely a must read. I enthusiastically recommend this novel.

Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t read this it is too gruesome for me. The descriptions and described abuse are also too much for me. I can’t get past 10 percent. Sorry!