Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
I give this book 4 stars.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things.
Twenty years after a baby is stolen from her push-chair, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.

3 suspects,2 murders and 1 victim!
This book had me gripped,more of a mystery than a thriller l couldn't put it down.A plot that is absorbing with multiple narratives that develop and gradually unwind the story.The short chapters entice you to keep reading and discover who is telling the truth and what really happened. With thanks to Alice Feeney,Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for my chance to read and review this book.

I really do enjoy reading Alice Feeney’s books and Good Bad Girl was up there for me as one of her best. Told from three different perspectives it starts with a missing baby and then moves to the present and how that one tragic event has affected these women’s lives.
The book is masterfully done and crafted, slowly you find out how the characters are all connected, like the unravelling of a twisted up ball of wool, slowly teasing out the information until it all falls into place. She draws her characters in such a way that the good ones are good, sometimes in their own way but the bad ones are truly awful. My particular favourite was the young Detective and her link to the events.
This was a very enjoyable read, and a very clever mystery, wher you want to know not only whodunnit but what is their connection, racing to the reveal at the end that was really quite wonderful.
Thank you at PanMacmillan and Netgalley for letting me read this, I would heartily recommend this book to readers.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a pushchair a woman is murdered in a care home. A group of strong all with secrets to hide somehow hold the answers to everything but they first need to trust each other which is easier said than done.

I was so excited when I got approved for this book by @netgalley as this is an author that never disappoints. Full of twists as ever which made this the type of book I love to read.

Publication Date - 03/08/2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#GoodBadGirl
#AliceFeeney
#NetGalley

An engaging read from Alice Feeney as always. I loved trying to figure out the web of connections and those 'OMG' moments when we had some reveals. I really enjoyed the twists and hints at the twist throughout. A great quick thriller to read this summer.

I picked this up as I needed a quick hit of something fun!! And I was certainly entertained, there’s no denying that. It was a quick, easy read with short chapters which were from multiple POVS which I enjoy as I get to piece together everyone’s stories like a jigsaw puzzle. There was A LOT of eye rolling and I had to wheek my cynical pants off for this one (although they did get tangled round my ankles a few times) - especially regarding the police aspects and everytime the detective spoke!! But let’s try to remember that some classic thriller authors such as Agatha Christie took a little creative license here and there right? I think what actually drew me in was the really clever perspectives on mother/daughter relationships which can be complicated beasts - that showcased the authors writing skills more in my opinion.

If you are looking for a ‘popcorn thriller’, ‘palate cleanser’ or If you like your thrillers wild, wacky and twisty I think you will love this. Me? Too many twists added just for the sake of having a twist - I just wish thrillers would dial it back a little.

This is the first book I've read by Alice Feeney - no, I'm not late to the party, I just avoided her books because of all of the mixed reviews I've seen. Anyway, when I saw this pop up on Netgalley, I thought it was time to give her a go, on a book that hardly anyone would have an opinion on. So yeah, I guess I went in blind to a certain extent.

And I was pleasantly surprised. Good Bad Girl has everything I enjoy in a thriller, although I think this is more of a family drama, but still very enjoyable.

We follow a story, told in various points of view, and while I thought it became a little confusing in places, on the whole it flowed well. The characters were believable and well fleshed out, and the story was relatively easy to follow - red herrings a-plenty, and a plot that comes together very nicely at the end. Is it a little contrived? Perhaps. But I don't read these sorts of books for realism, so I can let that slide.

There are a fair few characters in this, and all of the narrators - fair game - are pretty unreliable for the most part. The book deals with familial ties, complications, relationships and appearances - and all that that entails, including the fall outs from arguments, parental responsibilities and the emotional damage that all of the above can leave behind in its wake.

There are themes in this book that could be quite distressing - abandonment, separation, kidnap, child loss, dismissal of the elderly - and though none are explored in full (it would require a much longer book to do this) - I don't think it's fair to say that any were particularly "glossed over" - as I've seen in some comments.

Good Bad Girl was a quick read for me: I'd say it falls above the Freida McFadden "popcorn" thriller in terms of enjoyment and "fix" and that's not a negative.

The characters were well fleshed out - likeable and not- for exactly the right reasons. The pace was quick enough for it to be a page-turner, and the plot intriguing enough to keep me wanting to reach the conclusion which was very satisfying and included a couple of twists I didn't see coming at all! My favourite character is most definitely Edith, yet my favourite parts were told from the POV of Patience. I appreciated the nods and acknowledgement of various mental health issues, and the reasons for them. I also understand why the author didn't delve too deeply into those, for the purposes of the story.

As an aside to the plot, I loved the relevance of art and literature that was illustrated in this book, and how it highlighted its importance to both the individual and society as a whole.

I did really enjoy this, and I'm sure that Alice Feeney fans, along with those who like authors such as Freida McFadden will also. I'll not be jumping on the Feeney bandwagon, but I'll definitely read more of her work, and I'm glad I waited for the right moment to check her out.

Good Bad Girl publishes on 31st August 2023. I won't be buying it, but I can wholly recommend it to anyone who likes family drama/thriller and even murder mystery.

Many thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CAWPILE RATING: 7.8/10

Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC of this book by Alice Feeney.
This is my first time reading from this author so it's hard for me to judge what I was expecting (if that makes sense).
I felt the book was more like domestic thriller / murder mystery, and I enjoyed the different POVs although sometimes struggled to remember who was who.

I'd like to have been a little more gripped and overall the storyline was a little too much of a coincidence to believe.

Overall well written and an author I'll try again.
If you like an average paced book then this is for you.

There is a lot going on in this one, several interwoven POVs that took a little while to get my head around. Everyone is hiding something and you don't quite know what is going to happen.
There's a few surprises and a few things that I saw coming. Overall an enjoyable read, although for me the ending lacked the intensity and excitement found in the rest of the book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is a book about daughters with some mysteries to unravel along the way. It was a good read with great characters.

After recently reading His & Her and loving it. I was so pleased to receive the ARC on NetGalley for Good Bad Girl.

I really haven’t anything good to say about this and to be honest don’t know where where to start😂. For me this really was a let down, I fell like the author is a little inconsistent with her books.

Firstly there was way too many POVs. Now I know I know, I like a few POVs YES but this was just excessive and unnecessary. I was so confused and the plot just took too long to develop. LITERALLY nothing happened and I mean nothing😩🫣.

The police procedural was not well researched, seemed unrealistic and frankly unprofessional. You’ve got a detective with pink hair, leaving a scene unattended- come on (1 example🤷🏽‍♀️).

The twists were predictable and not shocking at all. Frankly, I was bored whilst reading this and dreaded having to read this.

Lastly, the mention of post-partum depression and child loss was brushed over and poorly handled!
As someone who struggled at the beginning with my daughter, like most mothers do! I found this difficult to read and as a women author I feel like she could have handled these topics better!

Hmmm...
I've really enjoyed some of Feeney's books, so was thrilled to get an ARC of her latest, Good Bad Girl.
This was..okay.
I started out reading, and can honestly say between the different POvs and timelines, I had no idea what was going on for the first 25%.
I get that the not-knowing can make the reader turn those pages, but to me this wasn't in the good suspenseful kind of way.
The different POVs and the timelines just felt confusing.
By the time the reveals came in, I didn't feel that interested!

This was my first ever book by Alice Feeney and I can now see why she has been all over bookstagram and booktok! The woman is a suspense-thriller genius. The book held my attention right from the first page and engrossed me in the story completely. It was a fast and easy read full of mother-daughter drama, a crime or two, and suspense that links ALL the characters in the book.

The book it told from 4 different perspectives of the leading female characters. All of their stories converge at some point revealing a long lost mystery and a more recent murder. The story begins 20 years ago when a baby girl is stolen from her push-chair never to be found. Back to current times, a murder has taken place in an old care facility and a good bad girl plays a pivotal role in solving this mystery and the one that happened 20 years ago.

I'm pretty good at guessing twists and turns in thrillers. Even though, I guessed some parts of this, nothing and absolutely NOTHING prepared me for the final twist. I was completely taken aback at the final reveal. I highly recommend this book that will keep you hooked till the very end.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a.copy of “ Good Bad Girl “ for an honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed Alice Feeney’s previous books and her latest is another great read.
It took me a little while to get into, but once I got used to the different characters I was intrigued to how their lives would be Connected .
More of a domestic drama than a suspense novel, but the twists made for a very entertaining read .

I have been a big fan of Alice Feeney for a while and will read anything that she writes, but this missed the mark for me Im afraid. It didnt have that addictive writing style that Ive come to associate with her previous writing and although I read the whole story, it wasn't as memorable as other books that she's written. I liked some of the quirkier characters, but the coincidences and chance meetings or missed moments were just too unbelievable even for me. Im looking forward to whatever comes next though!

I always seem to enjoy Alice Feeney novels so I was looking forward to this one. ‘Good Bad Girl’ is a good read, maybe not up to the very high standard of her previous books but still worth reading. A well crafted novel with a compelling plot, interesting characters and clever twists, all the ingredients are there.

The novel revolves around two interconnected mysteries that span two decades. The first mystery involves the abduction of a baby from a stroller, this unsolved crime continues to haunt the characters involved. The second mystery is in a care home, where a woman is brutally murdered. Combined these two crimes create a web of suspense and intrigue that pulled me in and kept me on the edge of my seat.

The novel contains three flawed, complex women who form the heart of the book. An eighty year old woman named Edith who is a resident in a care home, Patience, a caretaker with secrets and Edith’s estranged daughter Clio. Three women who are relatable form the soul of the book as we learn about their relationships and emotions.

The story is well written and each character is complex with secrets that helps build the suspense and intrigue throughout. Alice Feeney tackles some difficult subjects such as trauma and emotional complexities with sensitivity. I have to be honest in that I do prefer some of the authors previous novels but this book is still a very good read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

multiple timelines and multiple points of view aren’t always a good thing, they can cause confusion and spoil the flow of the story. I must admit I did get confused!! Although I did get to grips with Good Bad Girl in the end and I appreciated the well placed twists I can’t say I loved this book but it made for a quick, entertaining read

GOOD BAD GIRL

Clear your diary as this novel is unputdownable.

Good Bad Girl is a suspenseful, murder mystery novel, with a seemingly slow start that totally works !!

With multiple narrators and a dual timeline making it impossible to see the twists until you’re already in them.

Such a beautiful and interesting novel, the non linear structure and ambiguous title really helping with this, and keeping you turning the pages.

Thank you #NetGalley the author Alice Fenny and the publishers #PanMacmillan for my free eArc copy of #GoodBadGirl in exchange for my honest review.

The lives of four women become intertwined when a care home manager is murdered and one of the residents goes missing. Could the events be linked to the disappearance of a baby twenty years previously?

Right from the opening chapter, Good Bad Girl from Alice Feeney has you gripped. Set twenty years ago we witness a woman who seems to be suffering from post-natal depression struggling with her young baby. On a trip to the supermarket, the baby is snatched.

We then jump to the present day and meet four very different women. Frankie is probably the most intriguing of the bunch. She works as a librarian in a women's prison but, we immediately learn that she is walking out on her job without telling anyone. Frankie has a task to carry out. However, the actual task isn't made clear.

Patience is a young woman, barely eighteen, who is working in an old people's home. She has dreams of going to art college but is doing the job to make ends meet. Patience has struck up a friendship with one of the residents, Edith, and smuggles treats into the home for her, along with her dog which isn't allowed into the home.

Edith is my favourite character. Eighty years old, she was forced to leave her home and move into the care home by her daughter, Clio. Edith wants nothing more than to go back to her own home, but her daughter is adamant that she can't live on her own. Edith is feisty, refusing to accept that although her mind may still be extremely agile, her body isn't.

Clio is the least likeable of the four main characters. Early on, I took a dislike to her because of the way she treats her mother. Clio doesn't seem to have any time or love for her mother, simply seeing her as a financial burden.

Over a period of a few days, the lives of the four women are thrown into turmoil. The manager of Edith's care home is murdered. Any one of them had a motive for the murder and the opportunity. As the police track down each of them, we discover more about their past lives. Their stories become entwined, spiraling like water down a plug-hole.

As little snippets of information about each person is revealed, you begin to assemble the pieces of the story, only to discover your assumptions are wrong. Alice Feeney has taken the art of misdirection to another level, leaving you with lots of "OMG" moments. The bittersweet conclusion draws all the threads together, making you re-evaluate your initial opinions of some of the characters.

You know when you’re reading an Alice book to expect plenty of twists… but I defy you to keep up with the turns that her latest plot takes. Two decades after a baby is stolen from a supermarket, a woman is murdered in a care home – but how are they linked? Meanwhile, an octogenarian is planning to break free, a young women has found a bond with another (but whom is lying to whom?) while a middle aged woman won’t speak to her nearest and dearest. With three suspects, two murders and one victim, the main characters have to solve the multiple conundrums coming their way, and in doing so, may be able to resolve a case from 20 years before. We are being deliberately elusive to avoid spoiling readers’ enjoyment – because this has bestseller written all over it.

3.5 stars


For such a small cast of main characters, these ladies sure know how to weave in and out of each others lives.
Some in a predictable way , others in pleasant surprises.
I believed in each of the characters, they seemed like the sort of person you might know... the one that had a difficult relationship with their families.
The ones just going about their every day life. Fairly normal to be honest.
I was kept guessing on some things all the way to the end.
Some good plot twists, and a satisfactory outcome... I enjoyed this.