I was thrilled to read an early copy of One of the Good Guys, the topic of toxic masculinity sadly seems more relevant than ever. It is sharp, very topical, and made me think about the world we live in in a new light.

The story is told from various perspectives that chop in and out of the storyline. Against a backdrop of a controversial national march to fight for women's rights and freedoms, we meet Cole.

He's a self-proclaimed good guy who wanted to live a quiet life with his wife Mel, and had hoped to have a child together with her. He is left-wing, feminist, understands some of the struggles that women face - he's a decent type. Following his marriage break-up Cole has moved to the countryside - we feel the turmoil that he is going through, the anguish as he relives moments that he and his wife had together as he tries to work out where things went wrong.

We then hear about what married life was like from Mel's perspective - and given the nature of the subject matter, you wont be surprised to hear that she has a very different take on what went on in their marriage. Suddenly all the nice touches that Cole has been talking about are seen in a very different light.

The story challenges you throughout, what you think is going to happen is swiftly turned on its head by an alternative view; and the ending takes you to another place entirely.

This is a fabulous book and one that fans of thrillers will enjoy. I will add that it is a feminist thriller and has been done so well that I am at a loss as to how to write this review.

Three voices tell the story, it starts with Cole and his outlook on life and how he has found himself living at a secluded spot on the south coast. His neighbour Leonora, is also alone and is an artist. As they become friends they discuss other lives, their pasts and the current topic in the news, although it is not mainstream news-worthy yet! Two women are walking the south coast to raise awareness of the violence women have to live with from men. It is when these two women go missing that the story becomes mainstream and is taken up by the national press. It is from this point that the story takes some amazing twists.

This is a book that will have you wondering just who you will side with if anyone! Yes, it does have feminist views, but also opens up to the wider spectrum that includes incel views, vitriolic comments, opinions and views that add to the debate.

The voices are those of Cole, Leonora and also Cole's wife. This is then added to later in the book with extracts from articles, newspaper reports, tweets, emails and blogs, all discussing and wondering what happened to the missing women. It is because of the location of their disappearance and its proximity to Cole and Leonora that they may know something.

This is such a tense story and when I started it I had my opinion of the characters as the author had cleverly led me to believe. I then had the story turned upside down and inside out as started to realise that I had only been given one side of the story.

This story then became one that was very different to the one I expected. It begs the question "Does the end justify the means?" and it left me questioning my own opinions.

This is a book that would be brilliant for a book club discussion especially if there was someone to ask the antagonistic style of questions in a friendly way of course!

This is a fabulous book, it is one that gradually builds up in pacing and tension. I will definitely be recommending this one as I absolutely adored it.

Woah... this was a bit of a wild ride. One which kept me on my toes guessing all the way through. Mostly!
We start with Cole whose marriage has failed and he is in need of a reboot. So he ups and leaves London for, well, basically the polar opposite. A seaside cottage on a remote coast. His ex, Melanie, is still hounding him for divorce paper signing and, well, other things that need wrapped up, but I will leave you to discover those as the author intends.
Meanwhile we also meet Leonora - Lennie - a reclusive artist who is currently renting an even more rustic shack even nearer to the sea. Our story really kicks off when the two meet and become friends. And then, more than friends. And we start to see a different side to Cole...
Things then escalate when two young female activists who are "walking the coast" to raise awareness for female safety pass through the area. I say pass through but then actually don't. They disappear, thrusting Cole and Lennie into the limelight and the core of the, very public, investigation...
And that's all I am saying as, well, there is so much more to everything going on that if I even hint at anything else it might spoil things. I am not a fan of triggers in a book but this book does deal with a whole host of topics that could possible be categorised as such so...
This is a very character driven book with all three main characters delivering great performances. We witness the breakdown of Cole and Melanie's marriage in flashback, entries timed perfectly with the action in the present. Lennie's part is not so clear initially but, just wait til that gets going!
Pacing is perfect and matches the narrative all the way through, ramping up as it heads to the final reveal, delivering shock after surprise on the final lap.
All in all, a cracking book which I thoroughly enjoyed, I have read a couple of her other books but I do have gaps to fill, which I intend to do as soon as my tbr allows.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this book; while it was thought provoking I wonder what the true intentions of this author were. I guess I have to think about this a bit more.

The novel follows a recent divorcee Cole who is by all societal definitions “one of the good guys” after he moves away to the countryside and strikes up a friendship with an artist Lennie B who is new to the town as well. The story is told primarily through alternating POVs interjected with other mixed media as we learn an unfortunately common truth about Cole and how “the good guys” are never quite what they seem.

I had a hard time getting into the book but I am glad I persevered. I’m sure any woman who reads this story will be familiar with its DNA however a few aspects were too “exaggerated” which did let the book down for me. I did enjoy the social commentary but it wasn’t anything “new” that I haven’t seen before, hence my average rating.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing an eARC in exchange for a truthful review.

Wow this was an amazing book! It’s not often a book makes me sit down and really question my own thoughts. I would urge readers to go into this story knowing as little as possible (which makes it hard to write a concise review)
What I will say is that this book is incredibly well written and immersive. I think it will be a book that provokes a lot of discussion and will be very divisive.
Not everything is as it seems and there is no clear distinction between right and wrong. The social commentary is timely and thought provoking and mixed media is utilised in a powerful way. Each of the main characters believes they are behaving in a moral and reasonable way and it is left to the reader to ponder whether any of their actions are justifiable.
This is a complicated story which is tough to read at times, it is unapologetically realistic and controversial but at the same time is a well-paced thriller with unexpected twists and turns.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come and am excited to discuss with others after publication.

With thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book in return for an honest review

I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed this book. It is very clever and thought provoking but it’s all very uncomfortable. Without giving too much away, the first part is from Cole’s perspective. You already know from the blurb that this is an unreliable account. Then the perspective shifts but not in a simple way and not all of the women in the book are helpless victims. There is a lot of anger and some questionable actions. Violence against women is a massive problem and this book certainly starts a conversation about it but I’m not sure I’d recommend anyone read this for fun. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Meet Cole. Cole is one of the good guys, or at least that is his belief. Mel is his ex wife. A successful businesswoman she was married to him for years before leaving him due to stresses within their relationship. Cole has moved to the south coast in Sussex looking for a new life where he meets Lennie, a reclusive artist who has moved to the south coast as well looking for a peaceful place to prepare for her next show. Told in 1st person POV of the three main protagonists and media reports and in parts rather than chapters this is very well written and I enjoyed use of mixed media to set the scene.

Briefly, Cole and Lennie have become close and Cole believes they have a future together. But then on New Years Eve two girls, walking for charity, disappear near to where Cole and Lennie live and the proverbial hits the fan. Under pressure from the police and media it seems that maybe Cole and Lennie don’t know each other as well as they thought.

Cole was a rather insidious character, in fact he believes he is so good to women he is owed everything, anything and anyone he wants. I struggled to like any of the main characters. This is a story of revenge by women against men who are controlling or doing something without the woman’s permission. Some scenes of rape and mental and physically abusive behaviours were quite upsetting so be aware, but they were not gratuitous. An emotional, feminist and at times shocking read which is a dark contemporary look at relationships. Can two wrongs ever make a right? I don’t think so. Thought provoking.

When Cole moves to the South Coast after his marriage falls apart, he meets artis Lennie. They instantly click and begin spending more and more time together, sharing their histories and getting to know each other. We see a glimpse of Cole's wife from his perspective, but when the narrative switches to her perspective, the story is well and truly flipped!

There are a lot if important and current topics covered in this book, including domestic abuse in all forms, rape, misogyny and consent, making it a relevant and thought-provoking read.

The narrations for each of the three main POV's were very well done and really helped to give a very thorough and well-rounded story. Adding in the social media aspect also added to that well.

A lot of people, women in particular, will identify with the range of situations portrayed in this book and, while it is a piece of fiction, the realistic descriptions of these may be difficult for some to read.

One of the Good Guys took some time to completely pull me in, but once it did, I was completely hooked on this addictive, shocking (but sadly all too realistic) and well-crafted novel.

It’s a book of two parts, in my mind. In the first, we get to know Cole, a self-confessed ‘good guy’ still suffering from the abrupt end of his marriage. We hear his version of events as he vents to the reader about his ex-wife Mel’s unreasonable behaviour and how hard he tried to make things between them better, as well as his run-in with two activists who then go missing. In the second half, we switch to the perspectives of Mel and Lennie, a woman Cole meets living in a nearby cottage.

I don’t want to give much away about the plot, but this wasn’t really about the mystery of what had happened to the two missing women – it’s more of a character study into those men who think they aren’t the problem and the women who have had their lives changed as a result.

There are many themes addressed in this novel but some of the key topics are violence against women, society’s treatment of women who don’t conform, social media and its part in high-profile cases, and much more. It deals with these issues brilliantly through the characters’ narratives as well as social media posts, transcripts, and press releases – all of which together create a rich and varied story. I love novels that use a mix of media and this is a great example.

The writing is sharp and satisfying, and Araminta Hall has created such convincing, interesting characters – not all likeable characters, mind, but I’ve never needed the characters of a book to be likeable to enjoy it! – that I finished One of the Good Guys and immediately sought out people to speak about it with, whether they’d read it or not. I really liked the fact that the plot was told quite objectively, giving insights into the views of those who don’t agree with what took place – and as the reader, it’s clear that no one in this novel is ‘good’ or ‘bad’; each person has their own faults and, even if we want to be on their side, didn’t necessarily behave perfectly.

One of the Good Guys would make a brilliant book club read and is thought-provoking and intriguing, especially as the story ramps up in the second half. Highly recommended!

3.5. This thought-provoking book told from 3 different points of view really makes you examine the relationship between gender and the politics around it.

However, it does much more than that. It also makes you consider lots of difficult question, here are just a few: Do someone’s intentions mitigate their actions? Or does someone doing something awful but believing that it’s consensual then make it okay? How do you decide what is good or bad when people’s world views can differ diametrically?

I was less convinced by the characters, unfortunately. I thought that they were all pretty awful and think that it would be really interesting if someone wrote a book about people who are less flawed but just see life in totally different ways.

So lots to think about on the plus side and would make a great book group book because of that.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, Pan Macmillan and the author for an arc of this book.

Cole flees to the coast and a new life without his wife (after she leaves). To say he’s floored is an understatement – he is the epitome of a good guy, which in turn makes him a good husband. Now living elsewhere with a new job, he meets Lennie, a reclusive artist. Slowly, they form a friendship, realising there’s more that unites them than divides them. Then two young women go missing while protesting against gendered violence and Lennie and Cole find themselves involved in the investigation. Maybe they do not know each other as well as they had hoped. Araminta slowly and carefully brings the reader into the story, which highlights that no one is perfect or fully ‘good’, touching on issues of security and control.

This superb psychological thriller centres on the dissolution of Mel and Cole's relationship and Cole's new connection with Lennie. The narrative expertly crafts a slow build-up of suspense, creating a spooky and creepy atmosphere that keeps readers guessing about the true nature of the characters—uncertain about who the real protagonists and antagonists are. The addictive quality of the story compels readers to keep turning the pages, leading to an outcome that is both unpredictable and profoundly impactful. The book's intricate plot and unexpected twists make for a riveting and thought-provoking read.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

One of the Good Guys is a compelling psychological thriller that explores themes of gender, power, and the perception of masculinity. The novel is centred around Cole, who following the breakdown of his marriage has moved to a remote seaside area, his ex-wife Mel and Leonora (Lennie), an artist who has also relocated to the coast for similar reasons as Cole.
The narrative is divided into three parts, providing different perspectives and throwing into question everything you originally believe about Cole.
A really thought-provoking and suspenseful read.

I found this an immersive and thrilling look into a relationship from two sides and very compelling. I raced through it to find the ending.

Well, this book certainly makes you think. It's one of those books that poses some very important questions and will encourage discussion amongst those who have read it. It is very current and very relevant, a very complex book that takes a look at the modern world, where women's safety is very firmly on the agenda, and the abuse and violence experienced by women is put very definitely under the spotlight. But it's also a book that is as clever as it is complex and I really rather liked it.

One of the Good Guys initially focuses on Cole, a man who is starting again after the breakdown of his marriage. When we meet him he is just starting his new life - new job, new house, new life, far from the world he has been used to. He seems to be a pretty good, genuine guy. One of the good ones, as they say, someone who seems to show real concern for the safety of other people, especially young women, who he knows are all too often the victim. He also seems genuinely gutted by the end of his marriage, still carrying a torch for his wife even though it is abundantly clear that it is over and his feelings are not reciprocated. But ... and this is where the author has played a very canny game ... at what point does concern for others become a little, well, creepy? That is what Araminta Hall forces us to question. Is Cole truly 'good' or are his intentions less than honourable?

Whilst the early part of the book focuses on Cole, we do also hear from his wife, Mel, and his new neighbour and friend, Lennie. Now in all of there accounts there are clues, little hints about what might really be going on, and if you pay attention you can establish the heart of this book really easily. Lennie is a character I didn't really get a handle on immediately. She is quite open and living a simple life, although there are some surprising revelations about her life to be uncovered later in the book. I'm not sure I really grew to like Lennie, in spite of her early happy go lucky appearances, and Cole's wife, Mel, came across as hard and unforgiving. But then my feelings towards all three of the main characters kept twisting and changing the more I read, each unique perspective manipulating the truth as I understood it, and that is why the book prompts so much discussion. There are the three sides of the story and then there is the truth.

Tied in amongst their stories we have what is to become the catalyst in a rude awakening for Cole in his new life - the 'Walk for Women' by two young women, Molly and Pheobe, who are journaling their trek along the south coast in aid of a charity for abused women. It is their disappearance that really puts Cole's action and personal life in the spotlight. He was the last person to see the women that night and whilst we get one perspective on their encounter, the way it plays out on their online journal seems entirely different. Now these are women with a real downer on men's attitudes, maybe prone to exaggeration, maybe not, but certainly seeing nearly every encounter as an attack. As the author explores the abuse they receive online, the support and the detractors, it is easy to see why they are on the offensive. There are the typical Incel style comments, the supportive ones too, but all lend themselves to a real feeling of uncertainty about what might have happened to them. There are revelations about Cole's past and his personal, how should I put this? Habits? It sets the cat amongst the pigeons and shines a very different light on his behaviour to date.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I am still not entirely sure where I sit in terms of judging the actions of the characters. And that, worryingly, might just be the point. This is a book about abuse - both physical and mental - and the way in which women have to constantly be on guard when it comes to male attitudes towards them. Just because someone appears caring, doesn't mean that they aren't actually being controlling. Not all violence is physical - the slow breakdown of the mind can be as damaging as broken arm. After all, bones heal and a physical injury is far easier to diagnose. But, just because Cole was a little, different - the reasons for which is explored within the book - does it make him a bad person? They jury was certainly out within the book as to whether the ends justify the means and whether some women maybe go a step too far in their quest to bring down 'bad' men. Perhaps we are in a time where militant action is the only way to make people take note, or does it simply dilute and invalidate the message when the speakers actions are less than honourable?

Araminta Hall has done a brilliant job in highlighting the very issue of gaslighting. It is an act of control, in the perpetrator manipulating the way in which the receiver thinks and feels about what is being said and done. That's kind of how I felt when I finished reading this book. That the author had forced my thoughts in one direction, making me believe what she wanted me to by giving us only Cole's perspective on events, before slowly clearing my vision by introducing Mel and Lennie's stories. There is a very authentic narrative on the position of social media in modern 'justice', how vile a space it can be, and the speed at which the online community can condemn of vilify someone on basis of very few facts. No-one in this book comes out smelling of roses, perhaps not even me as the reader. I do find it sad that in this day and age this kind of debate still needs to be had, but it's also absolutely imperative that it is. Definitely recommended.

Cole is allegedly 'one of the good guys' - he just can't understand why his wife would say otherwise. To hear him speak, he's an understanding man, someone who supports women, who cooks, who's happy to take on childcaring duties -just what any woman would want. It's pretty clear early on in this book though that Cole isn't quite as lovely as he seems to think ... and as the story unfolds his very dark side is fully revealed. It's the means by which it's revealed which is the clever twist in this book, one that I didn't expect when reading the book's cover. I didn't like any of the characters in the book but otherwise this was an excellent book, a clever, if disturbing, story.

Well well well... I didn't see that coming! It started off in a similar way to Good Material and I was bracing myself for another whiney break up book, which it sure wasn't! I loved the pacing, and the structure with the change of protagonists (this is exactly what Good Material was needing by the way) - it was very clever. All of the feminism / violence against women / social ideas were presented very well, with many talking points (this would be a perfect book club book!). I did guess the twist at some point, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment and the pacing of the book. Overall I was very impressed, and I'll be sure to recommend this one.

Brilliantly unsettling! It is difficult to review without giving away elements of the story. The book deals with violence against women and I think this is the book that does it most comprehensively of those I have read.

It is complex and doesn’t shy away from that. It addresses all angles and viewpoints and is uncomfortable as you see how easy it is to swayed and confused by some arguments. It makes you think carefully about your values and how easily these can start to be manipulated.

I like the fact it is not an easy read. You are left with some uncomfortable feelings which replicates the reality that things are never starkly black and white, there are elements of grey in everything, and these can be exploited by those who want to.

Deeply unsettling and thought provoking. It really gives a picture of how hard it is to combat violence against women.

Unfortunately this book wasn't my cup of tea. I felt the pacing was off and the story wasn't able to hook me like others do. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this though!

I've not read a book like this before, told in the first half from Cole's perspective, it expires relationships from a male view. Something not always reflected in books I read. The story itself is dark and challenges the reader, but I found it hard going from the mid point.