NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez is a suspense-filled thriller with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Is the suspension of disbelief required in parts? Yes, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing, for loaning me an eBook of NO BAD DEED in exchange for an honest review.

The Life & Times of a Book Addict Blog.
Posted on: April 28, 2020.

REVIEW:

Little did Cassie Larkin know that what started as a seemingly innocent action to help someone in need, would end up tilting her world upside down and put her family in possible jeopardy.

Cassie was an interesting character. I didn't always agree with some of the decisions that she made while attempting to find her husband; however, I did like her dedication to keeping her kids safe while finding out the truth about her husband. She was fearless and relentless in her actions.

I wished I could have gotten just a little bit of Cassie’s husband Sam’s POV, so I could learn more about his backstory. It’s not necessary, but it would have been a nice addition to the story.

No Bad Deed was a pull you in and have you on the edge-of-your-seat story that had me guessing from beginning to end. I loved that there was always something going on...nothing boring or slow with this story. There were several twists and turns that kept me on my toes and the final reveal at the end was one that I hadn't been expecting.


RATING: 3½ OUT OF 5.

No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez was a gripping, face-paced thriller that had my head reeling for days after I finished. I loved the concept of the story! Would you save someone’s life if your own was in danger? The premise itself felt unique and the twists that accompanied this story, while sometimes coming from out of nowhere, held my attention until the very last page. While some aspects of this one were a little unbelievable, I still thought it was one wild ride.

I loved this book! It started out a little shaky for me (didn't see the problems she said were in the marriage) and it was a little crazy, but it had me on the edge of my sheet. My heart rate was actually accelerated as I was reading towards the end!

There were so many twists and turns throughout the book. The author dropped hints throughout the novel, but it wasn't until the very end when things all fell into place.

Driving home from work as a vet one night, Cassie Larken sees what she thinks is a domestic dispute on the side of the road. While she goes to the victim, the attacker (who is later identified as Carver Sweet), takes Cassie's van along with her phone and personal belongings. Her fear of Carver coming for her family is the main premise of the book. However, so many other characters are involved and it's jaw dropping how it comes together.

I definitely recommend this book to readers who love psychological thrillers! Great book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for my honest review.

This was a fun and engaging ride of a book. While some of the plot twists came from seemingly nowhere I thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I think this is a read once and never revisit kind of book but it was enjoyable.

In No Bad Deed, by Heather Chavez Cassie Larkin, a veterinarian, is on a non-stop quest to find her husband, Sam. She thinks he got kidnapped, and can only hope he is still alive. And Cassie is convinced it’s all her fault. One night getting back from work, Cassie witnesses a man assaulting a woman, almost killing her. Cassie perhaps foolishly intervenes, and now this man, Carver Sweet, is out to ruin her. No Bad Deed is a great ride; it has a bit of everything, a sympathetic protagonist, a possibly cheating spouse, a homey family dynamic, and lots of shocks—even an adorable chocolate-eating dog ( and yes, Cassie saves him). The story is fast-paced and smooth. But the sudden intrusion of the backstory of the perpetrator was like a gothic interlude into a lean and meant race to the rescue. But all in all, this was impossible to put away.

Couldn’t get into this one! The whole missing family member trope is just too over done for me. Just not the thriller for me.

I was so excited to receive this book after all the fabulous reviews it was receiving. My goodreads friends were not wrong. What a thrilling and quick read. I’m getting a little too used to the books I am reading lately and it’s taking me longer and longer to get through them. I loved the feeling that I wanted to fly through this book to see what happened. Highly recommend! Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Heather Chavez for this ARC! No Bad Deed is the perfect example of a “wrong place, wrong time” scenario gone awry, as Cassie finds herself swept up in an attempted murder gone wrong on the side of the road. The premise and first half of the book was intense, but at about that point, the book stopped feeling believable and by the end I was cringing a bit. This is a book with tons of potential that basically got suffocated by too many characters and FAR too many plot threads. There were entire sections of the book that could’ve been omitted entirely without any consequence other than perhaps some much-needed clarity. When the story was focused on Cassie and questions about her potentially-cheating spouse, mysterious teenage son and her young daughter, I was invested. The minute everything got convoluted, all of that dramatic tension was abandoned in order to focus on the killer, but even that reveal didn’t feel fulfilling. I think this novel could’ve benefited from having some of these ‘red herring’ plot threads tossed and a stronger sense of focus on Cassie and the fears she had for her family. I’d definitely give the author another try, however, since I feel there was a lot of unrealized potential here.

The problem with this book....it was hard to put down and go do the things I was supposed to do! Its a thriller from the get-go.

I haven't read many thrillers, but something about this book peaked my interest. I just knew there was something amiss about the wife and her perception of events. I went into this book assuming I could guess what the real deal was and I can say that I was completely wrong. The author was able to keep me completely invested and engrossed in the story and characters. Unfortunately, because of the type of book this is I really can't say much. However, I will say that after I finished the book I was in shock at how I was able to be tricked and that I didn't pay attention to the details as closely as I thought I had. Also, I wanted to restart it immediately. I will reread this book in the future and I highly recommend it. It was an entertaining wild ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this e-Arc

When Cassie Larkin is driving by and sees an argument between a man and a woman on the side of the road she just wants to do the right thing, and that was her biggest mistake. What a freaken ride this was! Twisty, unpredictable and fast paced! I could not put it down!

This one is hard to review without giving away too much information. It's a slow burn, so fans of slowly drawn out mysteries , a la Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins, will enjoy this one. I liked Cassie as the main character; she is different from the normal female characters in thrillers. A very unpredictable, twisty ride, this one is not to be missed!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Not bad. Story kept my attention though the premise was a bit strange. I mean, this woman does make some really strange (and unbelievable choices).

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the gifted copy ❤️ NO BAD DEED just came out last month and I can see why it’s been so highly reviewed. I will definitely be reading more by this author 🙌🏼

rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

All is right in the world, until one day on the way home from work, Cassie sees a woman being attacked on the side of the road. Her instincts take over, and she rushes to save the woman. But the man tells her “Let her die, and I'll let you live” and Cassie’s live is forever changed.

She managed to save the woman, but the man escaped with her car, house keys, wallet and purse. He now knows where she and her family lives, and Cassie is beyond nervous. The next day her husband goes missing while trick-or-treating with their young daughter.

Determined to save her daughter, son, and find her husband, Cassie sets out in a dangerous journey. However, every step she takes, she learns something horrible. Is her husband really who she thinks he is? Will her past come back to haunt her after all this time?

This book had SO many twists and turns that I found myself re-reading a few pages to make sure I caught every single detail. If you’re looking for a thriller that isn’t too dark but has more of a kidnap/mystery and psychological vibe, NO BAD DEED should be your next book!

This could have been a five star book for me if it hadn’t been unbelievable in parts. The author did a great job of drawing you in to the twisted web she spun and you couldn’t help but feel for the main character as her life spun out of control...where was her husband and how much danger were she and her family in? The story was compelling with twists I never saw coming! Very enjoyable read. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy.

Cassie Larkin has a wonderful life. She is a Vet and has a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. One night on her way home from work she comes across a man assaulting a woman. She stops her car and calls the cops. In the meantime the man steals her car with all her keys and her purse. She saves the lady and heads home. If she only knew then what she knows now, she probably would have kept driving that night. What follows is an absolute nightmare for her and her family. Her husband vanishes and was harboring secrets, and nothing appears to be what it seems. The man she encountered that night of the assault now knows her name and where she lives. He is making her life a living nightmare. As the twists and turns keep coming this book kept me interested and I really enjoyed it. I did not see this ending coming, which makes this book even more enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

The premise of this book was great and it started out as a page-turner. The ending was a let down though because of pacing and plot.
Overall, this was a good read but could have been much better.
#Netgalley #NoBadDeed

Cassie Larkin is a veterinarian with two kids and a husband. On the way home after a long day at the office, she stumbles upon a man and a woman and the woman is being attacked and she makes the split decision to jump to the rescue, this one night will change her life forever.

I love a good mystery thriller with some good twists and turns, but this one felt just too unrealistic and way too many twists and turns and maneuvers. Up to a certain point I was on board with the story and how things were going down, but towards the end when the chips were starting to fall it got weird and convoluted.

I would read another by this author, but with caution. I liked the characters and most of the plot, it was just the final culprits and their relationships that just didn't jibe with me.



As always when I review mystery/thriller books, I try to be a little vague because I don't want to spoil any major plot points that could possibly ruin someone's reading experience of the book.

Occam's Razor states that the simplest solution is most likely the correct one. This book is the exact opposite of that. I understand that, in any good story, some amount of belief will have to be suspended, but I simply couldn't do that while reading this. It became so convoluted and unbelievable that I almost sprained my eyeballs from rolling them so hard and do often.

I appreciate the advanced copy I received. Unfortunately I would not recommend this to anyone, but judging by the amount of four and five star reviews, I appear to be in the minority on this.