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4.66 AVERAGE
4.66 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went in blind it was just too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Torture
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a book! This book had me hooked from the start and the only reason I put it down was to sleep!
The book follows a seemingly normal woman, Grace Murphy, who has a dark secret: while she works her day job, she has a man cable tied to a chair in her spare room…
We flip between present day Grace and Grace when she was younger and the horrific neglect her and her sister, Amber, were subject to for years. While these are hard scenes to read, Grace is such a strong child and only wants what is best for her younger sister and does everything she can to look after them both.
Throughout this book, we are fed tiny pieces of information, which just made me want to keep reading even more. And once I guessed what was happening, there was another twist and turn and my theory was turned upside down all over again. The ending leaves it open for a sequel, and I would love to hear more about what happens with Jerry and Grace next, but it is also perfectly finished if Michelle Dunne decides to leave it as it is.
This was so well written and had some surprising twists, I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that it actually encroached on my dreams one night! Thank you to Michelle Dunne and Bloodhound Books for letting me read this thrilling novel!
The book follows a seemingly normal woman, Grace Murphy, who has a dark secret: while she works her day job, she has a man cable tied to a chair in her spare room…
We flip between present day Grace and Grace when she was younger and the horrific neglect her and her sister, Amber, were subject to for years. While these are hard scenes to read, Grace is such a strong child and only wants what is best for her younger sister and does everything she can to look after them both.
Throughout this book, we are fed tiny pieces of information, which just made me want to keep reading even more. And once I guessed what was happening, there was another twist and turn and my theory was turned upside down all over again. The ending leaves it open for a sequel, and I would love to hear more about what happens with Jerry and Grace next, but it is also perfectly finished if Michelle Dunne decides to leave it as it is.
This was so well written and had some surprising twists, I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that it actually encroached on my dreams one night! Thank you to Michelle Dunne and Bloodhound Books for letting me read this thrilling novel!
dark
emotional
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I couldn't stop reading. The storytelling is compelling, the characters were very well introduced and I felt them close, and cared for them. It is a good thriller with unexpected twists, turns, and moments with graphic violence that are hard to stomach. I'm looking forward to reading new books by this author. Thank you Bloodhound Books for allowing me an ARC of this excellent book.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In a Nutshell: Relished a crime thriller after ages! The fun part is that we know the identity of the “criminal” right from the start, but the journey through the plot is still gripping and contains enough surprises. Very dark and disturbing – too many triggers, so make sure you are in a good headspace before you pick it up.
Plot Preview:
Twenty-seven-year-old Grace Murphy is a barista at a local café in Cork. Grace has only one concern in life now: to take care of her younger sister Amber and provide her with a clean house and hot meals, two things they never had as kids.
Everyone in the neighbourhood knows of their troubled childhood, including Det. Garda Jerry Hughes, who keeps an eye out for the sisters. What no one knows, however, is that Grace has a man cable-tied to a chair in her house, and he is not in good condition.
The story comes to us from the third person perspectives of Grace and several other characters from the present timeline and separate flashback chapters.
“Standing on her doorstep with her brown cardigan pulled tightly across her chest, Grace Murphy didn’t look like someone who had a man, sitting in his own filth, slowly dying in her spare room.”
When a book begins with this sentence, you know that there is no way it is going to be a relaxing read. (Unless you relax with gruesome stories – No issues if you do. I won’t yuck your yum!) The very first chapter gives us a creepy look at how macabre the man’s situation is, and how apathetic Grace is to his suffering. It is easy to slot Grace immediately as a devious woman with no conscience or moral compass. Then comes chapter two, and we see the same Grace going about her work as a barista, friendly and concerned towards her customers, and loving towards her younger sister. In other words, it is tough to figure out whether to root for Grace or for the unknown man fighting for his life.
That’s all I’ll tell you about the core plot and the main character as this story is best discovered by going in blind.
Here’s what else might help you take a call on this book:
➾ The goings get trickier and murkier with every subsequent chapter, but the pace doesn’t slack. I completed this read within a day – I don’t remember the last time I did that!
➾ That said, I had to take tiny breaks after every few chapters because this is NOT an easy read. Think of every horrifying trigger possible, and it is there in this book. While some of the worse ones are left off the page, what is written is also nightmare-inducing. All the triggers are spoilers, so I won’t be detailing them. Just know, you need to have a strong stomach (and preferably one that’s empty as well) for this novel.
➾ There are several other impactful characters, with most of them being not good or bad but in the moral grey area. Jerry Hughes was the easiest to like, and he’ll be one of my favourite fictional police officers. Geriatric Maggie is another strong character.
➾ Some of the reveals were easy for me to guess, while some took me by surprise. But as the very first sentence tells you about Grace’s secret, this book isn’t a WHOdunnit but a HOWdunnit and a WHYdunnit. There are enough suspenseful scenes, but it isn’t a regular suspense thriller.
➾ Quite a few scenes left me teary-eyed. I don’t think I have ever felt weepy while reading a crime thriller – this is a first!
➾ The author’s being from Cork works as an advantage for depicting a truthful, albeit grim, portrayal of the location. The local positives as well as problems are covered well.
➾ The third person narration suits the plot excellently as we are spared from extensive inner monologues. Because we see the story from multiple perspectives, we also get to see the jigsaw pieces from various sides, though we may not recognise the whole picture immediately. Once things come together, it is like a mental explosion – boom!
➾ The ending!!! BOOM! In CAPS!
When I first transitioned to reading adult fiction many decades ago, my favourite thriller author was Sidney Sheldon. Very few authors come close to him in delivering an impactful journey through a book even once we have figured out the twists. All these years, I hadn’t read a single crime thriller that replicated the high generated by Sheldon’s novels. Until this one! Just like Sheldon’s works, the book is the perfect combo of thriller and drama.
As common in contemporary thrillers, there are a few convenient coincidences and also a couple of minor plot points I wanted more clarity on, but these are so trivial in comparison with the rest of the powerful story that I can easily ignore the niggles.
Strongly recommended to all those who have a strong stomach for disturbing thrillers. It is choc-a-bloc with triggers, but if you can handle these, what a wild ride!
4.5 stars, happily rounding up.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a complimentary copy of “The Good Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Plot Preview:
Twenty-seven-year-old Grace Murphy is a barista at a local café in Cork. Grace has only one concern in life now: to take care of her younger sister Amber and provide her with a clean house and hot meals, two things they never had as kids.
Everyone in the neighbourhood knows of their troubled childhood, including Det. Garda Jerry Hughes, who keeps an eye out for the sisters. What no one knows, however, is that Grace has a man cable-tied to a chair in her house, and he is not in good condition.
The story comes to us from the third person perspectives of Grace and several other characters from the present timeline and separate flashback chapters.
“Standing on her doorstep with her brown cardigan pulled tightly across her chest, Grace Murphy didn’t look like someone who had a man, sitting in his own filth, slowly dying in her spare room.”
When a book begins with this sentence, you know that there is no way it is going to be a relaxing read. (Unless you relax with gruesome stories – No issues if you do. I won’t yuck your yum!) The very first chapter gives us a creepy look at how macabre the man’s situation is, and how apathetic Grace is to his suffering. It is easy to slot Grace immediately as a devious woman with no conscience or moral compass. Then comes chapter two, and we see the same Grace going about her work as a barista, friendly and concerned towards her customers, and loving towards her younger sister. In other words, it is tough to figure out whether to root for Grace or for the unknown man fighting for his life.
That’s all I’ll tell you about the core plot and the main character as this story is best discovered by going in blind.
Here’s what else might help you take a call on this book:
➾ The goings get trickier and murkier with every subsequent chapter, but the pace doesn’t slack. I completed this read within a day – I don’t remember the last time I did that!
➾ That said, I had to take tiny breaks after every few chapters because this is NOT an easy read. Think of every horrifying trigger possible, and it is there in this book. While some of the worse ones are left off the page, what is written is also nightmare-inducing. All the triggers are spoilers, so I won’t be detailing them. Just know, you need to have a strong stomach (and preferably one that’s empty as well) for this novel.
➾ There are several other impactful characters, with most of them being not good or bad but in the moral grey area. Jerry Hughes was the easiest to like, and he’ll be one of my favourite fictional police officers. Geriatric Maggie is another strong character.
➾ Some of the reveals were easy for me to guess, while some took me by surprise. But as the very first sentence tells you about Grace’s secret, this book isn’t a WHOdunnit but a HOWdunnit and a WHYdunnit. There are enough suspenseful scenes, but it isn’t a regular suspense thriller.
➾ Quite a few scenes left me teary-eyed. I don’t think I have ever felt weepy while reading a crime thriller – this is a first!
➾ The author’s being from Cork works as an advantage for depicting a truthful, albeit grim, portrayal of the location. The local positives as well as problems are covered well.
➾ The third person narration suits the plot excellently as we are spared from extensive inner monologues. Because we see the story from multiple perspectives, we also get to see the jigsaw pieces from various sides, though we may not recognise the whole picture immediately. Once things come together, it is like a mental explosion – boom!
➾ The ending!!! BOOM! In CAPS!
When I first transitioned to reading adult fiction many decades ago, my favourite thriller author was Sidney Sheldon. Very few authors come close to him in delivering an impactful journey through a book even once we have figured out the twists. All these years, I hadn’t read a single crime thriller that replicated the high generated by Sheldon’s novels. Until this one! Just like Sheldon’s works, the book is the perfect combo of thriller and drama.
As common in contemporary thrillers, there are a few convenient coincidences and also a couple of minor plot points I wanted more clarity on, but these are so trivial in comparison with the rest of the powerful story that I can easily ignore the niggles.
Strongly recommended to all those who have a strong stomach for disturbing thrillers. It is choc-a-bloc with triggers, but if you can handle these, what a wild ride!
4.5 stars, happily rounding up.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a complimentary copy of “The Good Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To start with this book has strong triggers, so please check your TW before you read these include
🚨 Child @bu3e
🚨 Drug use
🚨 Mu7der
🚨 Mental Health
This book is heartbreaking and so graphic, but its also a book that is un put down able. I was hooked.
I will admit I had to put it down a few times because the triggers was a bit much, but im glad I carried on reading.
When things start clicking into place, they just click and everything makes complete sense. There's no solid ending so could there be a follow up? Or will it be left on the cliffhanger.
"Grace and Amber were two halves of one thing. They didn’t need anyone to tell them what they were or were not."
Amber's part in the story had me sobbing and left me completely heartbroken 💔
✨️ Written in 3rd Person
✨️ Several different Povs
✨️ Several different timelines to tie everything together.
✨️Physiological thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🚨 Child @bu3e
🚨 Drug use
🚨 Mu7der
🚨 Mental Health
This book is heartbreaking and so graphic, but its also a book that is un put down able. I was hooked.
I will admit I had to put it down a few times because the triggers was a bit much, but im glad I carried on reading.
When things start clicking into place, they just click and everything makes complete sense. There's no solid ending so could there be a follow up? Or will it be left on the cliffhanger.
"Grace and Amber were two halves of one thing. They didn’t need anyone to tell them what they were or were not."
Amber's part in the story had me sobbing and left me completely heartbroken 💔
✨️ Written in 3rd Person
✨️ Several different Povs
✨️ Several different timelines to tie everything together.
✨️Physiological thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Bloodhound for the ARC 😊
This was truly excellent. Having read one or two other reviews, I was initially put off by the suggested trigger warnings. Not much puts me off a book usually, but I did have some hesitation. I decided I'd give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. Yes, there are some incredibly dark themes, and Grace's life story is devastating. What she goes through as a child is not new to this genre, and putting the first chapter aside for a minute, she seems remarkably well adjusted. She's an easy character to like - even when you know what's going on in her spare room! The timing is impeccable. This is a must-read - right up until the last couple of lines!
This was truly excellent. Having read one or two other reviews, I was initially put off by the suggested trigger warnings. Not much puts me off a book usually, but I did have some hesitation. I decided I'd give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. Yes, there are some incredibly dark themes, and Grace's life story is devastating. What she goes through as a child is not new to this genre, and putting the first chapter aside for a minute, she seems remarkably well adjusted. She's an easy character to like - even when you know what's going on in her spare room! The timing is impeccable. This is a must-read - right up until the last couple of lines!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gore score 4/5 🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
After seeing a few early rave reviews for this dark gritty psychological thriller my FOMO kicked in big time, so I had to jump on the bandwagon. An Irish crime thriller author who is new to me. Oh how I would have loved the audiobook format as I am a sucker for Irish accents. My giddy aunt what have I just read! That was something else!
The story is told in two time frames, when Grace was young and the present, so we get to see the life that formed her. In the present men are going missing in Cork.
It grabbed my attention from the first page, and kept me firmly in its powerful grip.
It’s heartbreakingly raw in places, it’s going to contain triggers for some.
The characters are well crafted,
I just loved Jerry the policeman, he has a big heart. I felt so sorry for Grace.
I think it’s been left open for a sequel. Now as much as this one has blown my mind, I’m not sure if a sequel would just seem same old, I’d want an audiobook version to entice me go there.
If you’ve no triggers and like dark gritty psychological/ crime thrillers you need to go for this. It’s in my books of the year contenders.