Reviews tagging 'Death'

When She Was Good by Michael Robotham

9 reviews

stewartl8's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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blueskyvibes1point0's review

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

"When She Was Good" by Michael Robotham is a psychological thriller that follows forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven as he investigates a new case while also dealing with his own personal turmoil. The plot revolves around a disturbing crime that leads Cyrus to uncover shocking truths about his own past and puts him in close contact with Evie Cormac, a complex and intriguing character with a troubled history. As they navigate through the intricacies of the case, the story unfolds with twists and turns, keeping readers engaged and guessing until the very end.

Rating:
1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 4/5 - The plot was engaging, with plenty of twists and turns. However, it had the feel of a middle book in a series, not a complete story on its own. 

2. **Characterization:** 4/5 - The characters, particularly Evie and Cyrus, were well-developed. However, some of the side characters lacked detail.

3. **Writing Style:** 5/5 - Robotham's writing style is excellent. It strikes a balance between being descriptive and maintaining a good pace.

4. **Originality:** 5/5 - The story felt refreshingly original. It offered a unique narrative that kept me engaged throughout.

5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 3/5 - While the book evoked emotions and kept me on the edge of my seat, the ending left me feeling unsatisfied and frustrated. I hope the next installment in the series addresses this.

Overall score: 4.2/5

If you enjoyed "When She Was Good" by Michael Robotham, you might also like "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides. It's a gripping psychological thriller with a compelling plot and well-developed characters. The story revolves around a psychotherapist who becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery behind why a seemingly perfect patient shot her husband and then stopped speaking. Like Robotham's novel, "The Silent Patient" features unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.
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samantha7815's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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teeni1113's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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rosann_a's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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emmaclaire_z's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

5.0

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mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition

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3.25

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betttyy8's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is the second book in Robotham's Cyrus Haven series, which further unravels the mystery surrounding Evie Cormack's deeply traumatic past. 

As I said with the first book Good Girl, Bad Girl, these books are very standard crime thrillers. This is not to say that they are not inherently good, just that there is nothing hugely special about them. Like the first, this book is well written and very compelling. It is slightly predictable in places but I did not find it unsatisfying. 

I particularly liked that this book, compared to GGBG, focused almost solely on Evie's story. The crime/s that Cyrus investigates are tied to her past (this isn't a spoiler to say, it is clear from the get go) and this allows Robotham to focus on unravelling what happened to her which is what I was really hoping this would be going in. I enjoyed the way that he did this as most of the story came from Evie's own memory which I felt gave the nice touch that she was largely in control of her narrative. This is a little incongruous with the occasionally sloppy deployment of female trauma but it felt nice that he seemed to try. 

A warning: this book is very dark. It is much more heavy than the first one and has a number of upsetting and graphic scenes. I would not recommend to those sensitive to sexual violence and particularly child sex abuse. 

Overall, another perfectly gripping but also kind of perfectly fine crime thriller. May be good for moving you through a slump.  
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mrselizabethv's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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