I have to be completely honest and say I didn't find this comfortable reading. I did read until the end, but found it very dark!

Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Cornerstone Press for the eARC for an honest review. I also found the audiobook on the Libby app (library app).

You can probably see from my rating that I didn't enjoy this book. We have Thomas, the MC and narrator who is telling us his story and trying to figure out where he went so wrong. This is supposed to be a dark and gripping novel of psychological suspense but it completely missed the mark for me. Most of this book is learning about Thomas' life and his 'girls' which included his wife, daughter, twin sisters and mother. I would really love to know how many times in this book 'my girls' is written because I bet it is too many times - also half the time it isn't clear which of his 'girls' he is talking about which is very frustrating. Of course this is from Thomas' POV so most of what we are learning isn't real or how it actually happened. Don't get me wrong, I love a good unreliable narrator, and have recently read very good ones. This was not it.

Nothing happened in this book. I wasn't gripped at all. Even the ending when we learn why Thomas is in prison did nothing for me - I didn't care about the characters. They were all barely formed with no personalities. Half the things that are actually happening in Thomas' life that he isn't telling the reader never come to light and are just briefly mentioned that cause the downfall of his perfect family life. This is very slow paced but everything that happens is brushed over so it just feels like words about this family rather than a book with plot and character and meaning behind it. I don't think the narration of the audiobook helped.

A lot of the time, Thomas would lose focus and go off on a tangent about anything else, like the opera or his past. These things would come out of no where and would really drag and added nothing to the book. I get the reasoning behind it and how it shows us the mind that we are getting an insight into but I didn't enjoy it. I could say that all the characters are quite odd but that could also just be how Thomas sees them. I know I wouldn't have been able to get through it if I didn't have the audiobook. It looks like this is the only book Ani Katz has written - the writing is of good quality but the plot and characters weren't developed enough for me to enjoy.

A Good Man by Ani Katz is a very dark novel which contains several trigger topics. This would definitely be a marmite book as it's extremely disturbing.

Such a weird read - from the beginning to the end.
At times the story was interesting, but very often the writer would go off on a tangent - especially when it came to opera songs.
The outcome of the story was odd as there were no motive for the main character, Thomas, to do what he did. The book ended with too many unanswered questions.

Sorry this wasn't for me. The story made me feel uncomfortable and I didn't finish it. I also found it difficult to read

I didn't enjoy this one, unfortunately. I had hoped I would like the darkness but I actually found it hard to follow.

A dark, atmospheric read that only becomes darker as you enter into the world of 'A Good Man.' Interesting characters with their own quirks compel you to want to know more about them, even if what you discover leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

A thriller that's different to many other books out there, this is well worth giving up an afternoon for.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This book made me feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t the love story I expected. But it has received many good reviews so I’m sure this wasn’t a bad thing. I certainly hope it will continue to receive more love and attention.

Enjoyed this book, I found the characters relatable. I haven’t read anything by this author before but I now intend to.

Many thanks to netgalley and Ari Katz for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Dark and thrilling - a real page turner! The characters we're always likeable and were rather quirky but it was well written

Enjoyable, fast-paced thriller about a man who only tries to do what's best for his family. Or does he?

This is a thriller which really ramps up the tension as it goes on. The characters are built and explored well, though they are not always necessarily relatable.

I nearly stopped reading right at the start, because of the operatic theme. Totally encourage you to read on though because it follows throughout the story and is relevant It’s a dark story, and a tragic tale of a narcissistic person with a troubled past. I really enjoyed this. 5/5.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I enjoyed it very much. It was very well written and the characters were well thought out.

A Good Man by Ani Katz is one of those books that you need to go into knowing as little as possible about All I will say is this book explores some intriguing, dark and difficult themes and really makes you think.

It is a really strong debut and is definitely a page turner; one of those books you can't start and hope to read over a few weeks. It really hooks you in. And when you're not reading it, you're still thinking about it!

Is this a love story? yes
Is this a thriller? yes
Is there tension and foreboding? Hell yeah!

This book is like a car crash waiting to happen but in a good way. We are lulled into how Thomas met his wife in a bar in Brooklyn and when we flick to present day, we just know this isn't going to be as rosy as we thought.

This book sends you on a rollercoaster of emotions and then back again - Loved that.
I am afraid to give spoilers as you need to read this with a blank mind and no preconceptions. I am saying no more!

It's not an easy read. It is uncomfortable and at times you have your mouth open as you read whilst you inwardly cringe, but it worth it, I promise.

I would recommend, definitely.

I struggled with this one, couldn't get into it as I was getting bored so forced my way through. Disappointed that it didn't excite me.

Thomas portrays himself as a good man but as the novel progresses we see that he becomes increasingly dangerous and disillusioned in that what he is doing is right and he's just a good man with difficult situations to handle. Alarm bells start ringing about his past until this becomes a full blown horror with all kinds of hideous elements to face.

A very descriptive but highly paced read this will have you stunned, gripped, horrified and repelled for either good reasons or bad!

Thanks to netgalley for the pre release

A fusion of psychological suspense and family drama written in a claustrophobic literary style. Everything is seen through Thomas's point of view, as he weighs up his life, is he a good man. He spends time convincing himself, and therefore the reader, that he is. He loves his family, protects them and provides for them. Isn't that is what a good man is?

Thomas is an unreliable protagonist, Can you trust what he says? The suspense grows as the recollections progress. There is an underlying current of menace, amidst the ordinary life events. The ending answers the question in a most disturbing way.

This is unusual literature, less of a story, more a collection of feelings. Thomas has a patriarchal view of life, and maybe this explains why he does what he does?

Interesting but unsettling.

I received a copy of this book from Random House UK, Cornerstone - William Heinemann via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A Good Man by Ani Katz is one of those books which you need to go into knowing as little as possible, therefore it is nigh on impossible to review. It was also nothing like I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be a crime thriller, but actually it was a literary novel which explores a myriad of pressing and important themes.

First things first, A Good Man is one of the strongest debuts I have ever read. I started reading it in my lunch break and before I knew it I was 50 pages in and I had to reluctantly put my Kindle away and get back to doing the things I am actually paid to do. I spent the afternoon thinking about it and couldn’t wait to get home to dive back into it.

Our narrator is Thomas Martin, a successful advertising executive who works in one of the most prominent agencies in New York. He is married and has a daughter. They live in a beautiful house in Long Island and his mother and twin sisters live nearby. We know at the beginning of the book that something monumental has happened, but we don’t know what.

Thomas is a provider. Responsible for his mother and sisters who are still financially dependent upon him he keeps a number of plates spinning. His twin sisters, although they are in their early twenties, are infantalised and he rallies against this, encouraging them to get jobs and become independent. He works hard ensuring that ‘his girls’ as he calls his wife and daughter and his family are safe, secure and protected. He’s a good man. Isn’t he?

Ani Katz uses one of my favourite narrative structures to portray the story of Thomas. We flashback to when he met his wife, Miriam in a bar in Brooklyn. She was brought up in Paris and is visiting New York when their paths cross. We watch as they talk, fall in lust, then in love and then we pinwheel to the present day and we meet them as a married couple with a young daughter. Life is good. Isn’t it?

There is an overarching sense of doom and darkness to the prose and it is compelling to read. Descriptions of opera is used to punctuate the narrative, it builds tension and signposts the denouement. It was like a car crash, I just couldn’t look away and I read the last third or so from behind my hands. It’s really hard to discuss this without spoilers, but Ani Katz explores some really important issues in A Good Man and it begs to be discussed in a book club.

Be warned, this is not a cheery book; it is uncomfortable, tense and disorientating and I absolutely loved it. It is engaging, a brilliant exploration of toxic masculinity and modern life and I found it unsettling but can’t stop thinking about it and don’t think you’ll be able to either. An assured debut, I am excited to read more from Ani Katz – this was brilliant.

I felt such a relationship with this novel - it is gripping, and dark, and often twisty. But at it's heart, it is a story of redemption and the importance of being able to tell your own story.

Outstanding.