Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham is the first book in a now four book series featuring police psychologist Cyrus Haven. A young girl is discovered hiding in a secret room at the scene of a horrible crime, living with the rotting body of her dead captor, who was tortured to death. She's not listed in any missing persons files, can't or won't tell anyone her name, and her DNA can't be matched to an identity. She could be 12, she could be 15 - nobody knows. Now, some 6 years later, still unidentified, the courts have given her the name Evie Cormac and she's living in a secure children's home. She's fighting in court to be released, claiming she's 18, which is where Cyrus Haven comes in. He's brought in to talk to Evie, to determine if she should be released or, if like the staff at the children's home insist, she's too much a danger to herself and others.

Running parallel to this thread is a case Cyrus is working on with the police. Jodie Sheehan, a pretty, popular local girl, a Olympic figure skating hopeful, is found murdered on a foot path near her home.

The author has certainly laid interesting groundwork with this book and it's easy to see how these characters have sustained momentum into a 4 book (to date) series. Besides her mysterious and tragic past, Evie is a bit of a human lie detector - knowing instinctively when someone is lying or telling the truth. Cyrus has his own tragic past, his older brother murdered their parents and younger sister while Cyrus was at football (soccer) practice and is now locked up in a psychiatric facility. If anyone is equipped to help Evie, it's Cyrus - but she's a girl with a lot of secrets.

I realize this makes me a terrible person, but Evie did have a tendency to get on my nerves at times. However things smooth out by the end and the author does a good job of throwing in some twists and turns. It's a book that's a bit lurid in parts (description of torture, drug use, sexual assault....) but the author doesn't wallow in the gory details (he doesn't have to - just mentioning brief descriptions is more than enough). Yet this ended up being a curious read for me. I should have liked it more than I did and as I sit here typing this up I'm trying to decide if I'm intrigued enough to continue on with the series. Because while the Jodie Sheehan matter is put to bed, Evie's past most certainly is not and is fodder for later installments. Perhaps once I'm through some of my backlog...

Final Grade = B-

Michael Robotham is one of my new favorite authors. I loved the dynamic between Cyrus and Evie. I can't wait to read more about these characters!

Whew this was a heavy book. Trigger warning abound for sexual assault, incest, infertility, mental health, murder, basically anything along those lines is in this book. It's rough. But I think Michael Robot-ham (Yes he will forever be Robot-ham and not Ro-botham! Way better) did a good job in portraying the icks in this book. I really really enjoyed Evie and Cyrus and the slow trust that formed between two very broken people into an older brother/younger sister relationship. Evie's brokenness made me tear up a few times. Poppy! I hope she's in more books! I will definitely be reading the next book as Evie is still a big question mark.

What we have here is your quintessential page turner. Two girls, one good and one bad. Hmmmmm. That can't be right. Nothing is that simple. I was intrigued with the idea that some facts have a shelf life. If the author is testing the waters to determine whether there is any interest in reading more of the fascinating psychologist Cyrus Haven and the enigmatic Evie Cormac, you can bet the queue is forming quickly. Great read!

There are two major characters in this British novel written by an Aussie: Cyrus Haven who is a forensic psychologist and Evie Cormac, a most troubled older teenager living in a high-security children’s home. The POV alternates between these two highly likeable people. We also have DCI Lenny Parvel, another character I really attached myself to. Cyrus is assisting Lenny on a case involving the murder of a 15-year-old girl. He has also been asked to consult on Evie’s case. Evie was found in deplorable conditions after going through hell and back a few years ago, and she’s still not wanting to talk about it or much of anything else. In fact, her true identity remains a mystery.

I found these characters intriguing and wanted to know much more about them. Since this book is the first of a series, I expect they will be slowly fleshed out as the series progresses. The storyline, while not always the most suspenseful until the super suspenseful end, is nevertheless compelling and held my interest throughout. I did find myself more interested in Evie’s story than the murder case despite the fact that I failed to guess the identity of the killer.

The writing is gritty and flows exceptionally well. The atmospheric imagery is excellent. Though the ending leaves us with some unanswered questions, I actually found it satisfying for now. Fortunately, Mr. Robotham makes it clear we have not seen the last of Evie and Cyrus, and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.

I highly recommend Good Girl, Bad Girl to all readers of crime fiction and intrigue, especially to those with an interest in psychological trauma.

I really liked this author and this book did not disappoint, it was an appropriately paced, page turner that will have me hooked throughout the story.

Late to the game, I now see why this Robotham offering has earned so much praise. The writing rocks. The two exquisitely damaged main characters gain the reader’s compassion early on and propel the story straight through to its exciting and hopeful closure. I’m so glad there’s already a sequel!

I really enjoyed this book and can’t believe I didn’t read this story sooner. Psychologist Cyrus Haven, a man dealing with his own horrendous past, is working on two separate cases that are both equally mysterious and gripping. I really liked Cyrus and Evie and I look forward to reading more books about them.

I had a hard time getting into this book initially and felt that it picked up over halfway through. I know this is the first in the series but I probably won't read the rest so the loose ends at the end will have to stay loose.

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2.5 Stars

This book was certainly not terrible, but the fact that I didn’t realize it was going to become a series . . . .

Which meant there was a G.I.A.N.T. cliffy-ending that leaves you with absolutely zero answers about Evie . . . .

And then has Evie and Cyrus partnering up for future crime solving escapades despite her being completely unqualified and more than completely coo coo ca choo. . . .

Means it’s lucky I didn’t start subtracting Stars. Not to mention I didn’t really give a shit about the poor little figure skater who got whacked because I’m a freaking monster : (

Most of my friends really dug this one, though, so definitely keep it on your TBR if it's there and just chalk another fail up to the wrongread category for me.

I am a longtime fan of Michael Robotham's Joe O'Loughlin series. So when I got the opportunity to set into the world of Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac, I thought, why not?

As with all new series, it took a bit of time to become invested. But once I was hooked, I WAS HOOKED. As a child, Evie was found in a hidden room, sharing a house with a dead body. Who killed the guy? Why was she hiding? Why was she there? Who is she? As the story unfolds, you learn more and more about Evie and the psychologist who is convinced he can break the spell and finally put Evie at ease in her life. And the more you learn, the more you realize there is to know. I love this and can't wait to read When She Was Good.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What a ride! I loved Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham, and it was actually my first book by this author, but won’t be my last! I need to read everything by this author now.

This book had enjoyable characters,and was such a page turner that I absolutely couldn’t put down. Just when I started to think I had it all figured out, I was thrown again.

I highly recommend this one!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the free copy. All opinions are my own

I truly enjoyed this book. It is different from the usual mystery books I read. I was definitely cheering for Evie. I rate this book a 4.1

Thanks to Scribner and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC that I somehow overlooked and didn’t pick up for a year! It was only when I noticed the next book in the series that this one caught my attention. I really liked this mystery and the main characters of Evie and Cyrus. I didn’t see the resolution of the crime until it was revealed and I always appreciate that. And I’m looking forward to the next in the series to uncover more secrets that weren’t resolved in this one.

Cyrus Haven, a forensic psychologist, has been called in on two different cases. The first case is a tough one. A teenage girl has been a ward of the government for six years. The media called her "Angel Face" after she was discovered hiding in an abandoned building where a man was brutally murdered. The police believed that he had kidnapped her and was hiding her. And maybe she was the one who killed him. She is a bit of a difficult soul and has caused problems for the adults in her life. Cyrus is intrigued by the young woman and offers to foster her until the courts deem her an adult.

The second case is one that has shocked the sleepy community. A teenager, Jodie Sheehan, was found brutally murdered. The fact that she was a champion ice-skater makes it all that more shocking. She was a good girl. As Cyrus works with the police to find her killer, Cyrus starts to realize that there is more to Jodie than anybody knows.

Good Girl, Bad Girl is the story of two girls and one forensic psychologist. As the reader, you think you know who is the "good girl" and who is the "bad girl" of this book, but I think you would be wrong. I really liked Cyrus as the main character. He just wants to help. Help those who struggle, help to solve crimes against the innocent - help. He is intelligent and insightful. He has a way to connect with Evie that nobody else can understand. Evie is an interesting character. There is a lot there that requires patience. From both the reader and Cyrus. I have a feeling that if anybody can get Evie to open up, it will be Cyrus. But you aren't going to learn her whole story in this book. There will be another book coming. I will say that there were some aspects to Jodie's story that I did not expect. She definitely was not the good girl that everybody thought she was. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.

Bottom Line - I was surprised at how much I liked Cyrus Haven and Good Girl, Bad Girl. Well written characters and an interesting plot make for a really good book.

Details:

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham
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Pages: 368
Publisher: Scribner
Publication Date: 7/22/2019
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for opportunity to read an early copy and review. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect with this storyline or characters.

I don't know about you guys but right now all I'm interested in reading is books that just catch my attention and take me away. I don't know if I'm considered an 'essential' worker since most of my work days are a crazy train. BUT I do know my days off consist of getting on my husband's last nerve and this....


So he is very thankful when I find a book I like. He just became one of your biggest fans Michael Robotham.

This book involves two young girls. One is a figure skater who is just perfect.


She ends up dead. Not a spoiler since that's right at the front of the book.

Then you have another young girl. She was found in a room that she had been trapped in for years. She had scavenged for food and fed two dogs that were her only company. Because dude...she also was trapped with a dead guy.
She now has some issues and acts out.
I liked this one best.
Bad girls for the win!


Then stuff starts happening and you realize that NO body in this book is squeaky clean.


I enjoyed the heck outta it.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I was snagged and held in tight from the first page....and I can't wait for another installment of the Evie Cormac saga.

I read this in one sitting...unable to put it down. Michael Robotham's ability to paint a word-picture, so vivid that I can taste the tastes, smell the smells, feel the pain, never ceases to amaze and engage me; and this ride was no different!

I love the thriller genre and Michael Robotham is the new king!

I enjoyed this so much. Cyrus was a great character. And the mystery was intense. I loved the POV switchs. I really liked that it hinted at their pasts but didn't try to fit all of it in one book. I was very excited to read the second book.