This book is very hard to put down except when it gets too intense to keep reading. The pace is very fast and all of the characters are in life-or-death situations (even the "bad guys.) Interestingly enough, the characters -- except maybe Sam -- are well-defined, not stereotypes.
However, time seems to be contracted in the book; the victims are sometimes saved because the heroine gets there just at the right time, or the heroine is nearly killed because the bad guy gets there right at the same time. Hospital stays take much less time than realistically possible. The police respond a little too quickly. All in all this makes the book seem very cinematic. I can picture the car chases and escapes out of windows.
I could easily give this book to people who liked Gone Girl.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing this prepub ebook.

Let me start by saying this will be 100% spoiler free review, as all my reviews are, but definitely want to make that clear for this type of thriller. This is a very intricate story that Chavez has put together, and for this being a debut it kind of blew my mind.

This book centers around Cassie. She is a wife, mother of two and a veterinarian. This book opens when Cassie is driving home from work and passes a man and women fighting on the side of the road. Cassie calls 911, and while they tell her to stay in her car, she feels the need to help. The man throws the women down and gives Cassie a threat that inevitably changes the course of her life.

The next day her husband goes missing while taking his daughter out trick-or-treating. This begins a very twisty story, that changes directions multiple times. Once you think you have it, don’t worry you will be thrown on a completely route.

Chavez does such a wonderful job, with this story. She must have started with the intricacies of the planned mystery and worked in the rest of the story. Don’t worry character’s do not lack at all. I absolutely could not put this book down at all. I am kind of meh on thrillers but this one should go straight to the top of your lists if you enjoy this genre.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie Larkin is driving home from work and sees a woman being assaulted. She quickly dials 911 but also jumps out of her vehicle to try and deter the assailant. Turns out, it might have been a good day to leave work early, take a different route home, or, oh yes, stay in the car! She is trying to be a good samaritan, but it seems that no good deed goes unpunished, and Cassie will come to regret her decision. When the attacker takes off in Cassie's vehicle, he now knows not only who she is, but where she lives.
The next day, her husband Sam takes their daughter trick-or-treating, and never comes home. Relief at finding her daughter unharmed, soon turns into a nightmare, as the husband she thought she knew, has secrets she never imagined. As Cassie tries to find Sam, it appears the attack she witnessed wasn't random at all, but rather involved people who seem to know her well, and just might have taken Sam.
This one was one roller coaster of a story! At one point, close to the end, I found myself a little lost because so many characters were introduced. I took that as a sign to just slow down and pay close attention to the details, and with a little re-reading, everything came together and made sense. There are many twists and turns, and my guesses regarding the whodunit and why were completely wrong. No Bad Deed was a page flipper and I look forward to Heather Chavez's next book!

I received a DRC from William Morrow through NetGalley.
Reviews will be posted to GoodReads, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, & my blog.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have read a lot of thrillers and this one does not at all read like a first time author. Chavez has done a great job of weaving a multilayered story that keeps you at the edge of your seat and has unexpected surprises at every turn.

When you you think you know whats going on....everything changes and you see it a new light.

Highly recommended and I will definitely look forward to reading more Heather Chavez books in the future.

What.just.happened? THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE. True story, at one point I locked myself in my bedroom and told my husband and kids not to talk to me until I was done!
This is Heather Chavez’s debut novel and she knocked it out of the park! A couple of parts are a little bit far fetched but hang on and keep reading because this is a gripping, epic, edge of your seat suspenseful thriller and you don’t want to miss out!
The only part that slightly bothered me is that towards the end it gets a little confusing because there are a lot of characters in play but nothing to keep me from giving it 5 stars! Can’t wait to see what else Chavez has in store for us!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

No Bad Deed is a SHOCKING book filled with twists and turns that make your head spin! WOW! I wasn't expecting this book. I knew it would be a thriller, but I didn't realize how CONSUMING it would be. The best way I can describe it is an "epic novel of solid twists". I highly recommend it!

This was a fast pace and exciting debut thriller. It kept me guessing and there were a lot of good twists. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick and thrilling read. I look forward to reading more by Heather Chavez. I received a digital ARC from NetGalley.

No Bad Deed really reminded me of a Harlan Coven style book. It was a page turner and suspenseful, but not quite what I expected. I was expecting some more depth to it but it was pretty campy at certain points and extremely implausible and confusing at others. It's a good thriller but it's one that you'll read and enjoy, but forget.

This a a debut thriller about a woman whose husband goes missing after she stops on the roadside to assist a stranger being attacked.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book:

- Fast pacing. I finished this in 24 hours
- it wasn’t a long book
- it surprised me a few times. I thought one thing was happening but it turned into something else.

There were a few things I didn’t like about the book.

- Way to many characters to keep track of. I was often confused it seemed there were so many.
- The ending wrapped up to pretty for me. It was hard for me to believe all the trauma that Cassie went through just resolved itself at the end.

All in all I liked the book. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

3.5 stars. Thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperCollins for the advanced reader’s copy of No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez in exchange for my honest review. Cassie is driving home and sees a woman near a deserted building being assaulted by a man. Cassie without hesitation stops her car and resolves to help this woman and intervene, saving her life but earning the malicious vengeance of the man. The man threatens Cassie and escapes the scene. The very next night, Cassie’s husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their young daughter. She thinks either he is having an affair or his disappearance is in some way connected to the incident from the prior night.

Let me just say I am barely even scratching the surface with my summary of the synopsis above. This story is very complicated and there is a lot going on - one can argue there is almost too much going on. There are loads of characters to keep up with and the second half of the book can get a bit convoluted if you don’t pay close attention to detail. I would say at times the book stopped captivating my attention because the story was way too complex and the characters fell sort of flat for me. I wasn’t invested in them, especially not in Cassie. Something about her just didn’t strike my interest.

There are a lot of moving pieces in the story. Some of the twists came out of left field and did not embed well in the storyline. Also, the ending was a bit too stretched out, and I found myself getting a bit exasperated with it. There were unanswered questions at the end, and they nagged me. The creepy factor also wasn’t there, even though the entire premise of the book and what was happening should have creeped me out and made me scared to look over my shoulder while reading.

I’m conflicted because if you are looking for a book that is difficult to put down, this was it. There was action from start to finish and it’s suspenseful in a way where you would never be able to guess the ending unless you are *really* dang good. However, I think the characters and overall storyline could have used a little more finesse.

This was a good and original story, and I very much enjoyed reading it. However, the writing was a little clunky and could use some editing - lots of run-on sentences, various names used for the same people (I think), some holes in the storytelling (like how did the grave get filled after Cassie was pushed into it), etc. Still a fun read, though - thanks for the opportunity!

4.5 thrilling stars/5!!

I am very impressed with No Bad Deed as being a debut suspense/thriller book. This was a fast-paced, heart pounding and an addictive reading experience for me. The story was so cleverly plotted that I could never figure out what was really going on and how the author will resolve the twisted line of events that she has weaved throughout the book. There was a lot of characters to follow and many events to keep track of, however in the end it was all worth it. I loved the ending, and yes, it was all a little far-fetched but this is what makes this book so gripping and exciting.

While reading this book I kept thinking about another book, or rather a series of books, the Stillhouse Lake series written by Rachel Caine. The main character, Cassie, reminded me so much of Gwen Proctor, and her relentless quest to keep her children safe and sound. Cassie is a strong and resourceful character that will stop at nothing to keep her kids safe and get her husband back home alive. She quickly became my personal, fictional hero, even though I found her a little reckless and naive at times.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a fast-paced, action packed thriller that will keep the reader guessing till the final pages.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this after the description sounded enticing and it started off with a great premise. However the became so convoluted and unbelievable. There were also a few inconsistencies, someone knowing their hotel room number prior to check in? Just not believable. The main character remained way too calm in her pursuit of her missing husband. I hung in there, but was losing interest in the second half.

No Bad Deed
A Novel
by Heather Chavez
HarperCollins Publishers
William Morrow
General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins Publishers for the digital ARC of this book.
I usually really like Heather Chavez, but this time I found it a slow read and relatively easy to figure out.
If you are looking for a thriller this might be the one for you.

Driving home from her veterinary clinic, Cassie sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. She calls 911 but also gets out of her vehicle. Things go bad, and the man escapes with her vehicle and purse - he now has her name, address, and information about husband and kids. Then Cassies husband disappears.

No Bad Deed has a strong opening followed by a slow burn mystery. The plot is far more intricate than it initially appears. Cassie is different than what we often see in women characters, which is an interesting change. What I've said is rather vague, but I don't want to give anything that would be a spoiler. I'd recommend No Bad Deed for fans of suspense.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Cassie risks her life by saving another woman in danger. The man responsible says, “If you let her die, I’ll let you live.” Unable to abide by this statement, Cassie once again takes measures to save the other woman’s life. Thus begins this page-turning thriller that’s filled with enough plot twists to easily fill two books.

Cassie’s life is turned upside down after she pisses off the wrong ex-convict. But is that really all that’s going on? And where did her husband disappear to? Even more daunting is the question of whether she ever really knew her husband at all and what his role might be in all of this.

There’s a widely varied selection of characters in this book, and most of them have some roughness/darkness in their past. From Cassie’s teens as a rough houser to a drug dealer to a criminal with an intimidating name, these aren’t people you’d want to mess with. Yet someone certainly seems happy to take the risk. The questions of why - and who Cassie can trust - help flesh out this dizzying tale.

I was able to keep up with the seemingly endless twists and saw some of them coming. The last several chapters were also quite exciting, although it seemed like the timeline went on for way longer than it would have in the real world (to avoid spoilers, I won’t say more; once you read it, you’ll see exactly what I mean).

Overall, this was a very solid and entertaining debut thriller that’s certain to become a big hit. Some readers will inevitably be confused by the almost burdensome amount of twists and plot lines, but it does all gel together without requiring too massive of a suspension of disbelief.

I’m looking forward to reading future books from this author. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This book started out really strong. I was sucked in and wanted to know what happened to Cassie's husband, Sam. Secrets began to be uncovered as more unfortunate events start to unfold. Towards the middle I think the story got a little "gummy." Lots of new characters were introduced with lots of different backstories, stories, connections and it was confusing to weed out the details about what was important and not important to the story. Details about the rumors at school about Sam seems liked red herrings. Towards the end though, when Cassie was fighting to find her children the story started to pick up again and things got back on track. Pieces of the story started to fall into place and the faced paced action carried the book towards it's conclusion. I thought the book ended well and made the middle gummy section more worthwhile to weed through.

*Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley fo the early copy*

First off, I saw this book on Netgalley and wanted to read it so bad based off the synopsis.. Sadly I got denied *que sad Sarah McLachlan music* Then I get an email from a lovely saint who works for the publishers asking if I wanted to read and I screamed.. yes I screamed in my car while waiting to pick my five year old up. And let me tell you.. this book does not disappoint, especially for a debut!

Cassie is a normal working mom who stumbles upon an attack taking place on her drive home. She calls the cops and knows she shouldn’t leave her car, but she does. She feels this sense of wanting to help. After that night all these events start happening that make Cassie a target of something bigger. He husband Sam disappears and then her son Leo starts to look like a suspect, but really the biggest arrow is pointing at her. And it has something to do with her past, something she knows nothing about. How can she clear her name and figure out what’s going on in this cat and mouse story? Is she really that innocent or is she guilty?
This book was intense and addictive. I didn’t want to put it down.. but sadly I had to sleep since I have 2 littles and can’t do the late night reads like I use to. But I did wake up thinking about it and knew it was one of those books that gets under your skin until you have the answers. It’s definitely an all-nighter if you can. So many questions and so many what ifs. I though I knew 25% in but boy was I wrong. I love these kind of books that are twisty and unpredictable, because let’s be real, who likes books where you can predict what’s going to happen and then it just spoils the whole read? Me neither!! Such a great debut and raw with the emotions and suspicion and storyline! I can’t wait to read Heathers next book... boy a need a shot now!

Heather Chavez has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in No Bad Deed. Well worth the time of the read!

This book hooked me immediately! If you like mysteries you will love this one. This book is incredibly well written with great pacing so you won’t want to put it down. I love the slow setup as we get caught up in her story. I love that our protagonist Cassie has an everyman quality to her. Aside from being a veterinarian she is still a wife and a mother at heart. This is not a woman with special skills ready to fight back but a woman who wants her husband back and will do whatever is necessary. This book is full of all kinds of twists and turns and reveals but my favorite part about it is that they work. This is not one of those new genre of mysteries with reveals just to shock or confuse the readers. I’m usually really good at figuring out twists and seeing them coming but this one kept me on my toes. While it’s a great book and I loved reading it I do have some issues with it. The ending felt rushed and it never dealt with inconsistencies that should have been explained. I think a few changes would have made this book perfect so I do wish they hadn’t left those issues unaddressed. Seeing one of my favorite writers Lisa Gardner recommend this book was enough for me to want to read it. If you like her books this one is a lot lighter than her books can be. In many ways I think it’s more like Harlan Coben’s stand alone novels of missing people where you want to figure out what happened. If you are a fan of those novels you won’t want to miss this one. I immediately went to look up the author’s other novels after I finished this one and I was shocked to find out this was her first novel. This was a fantastic read. Period. But to find out it’s her first novel is very impressive. I can’t wait to see what she does next! I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.