Della is a high school English teacher on the cusp of finishing another school year when a new student enters her class. New girl Zoey is a smart, charismatic girl that always seems one step ahead of everyone around her. When a popular student is attacked at a party, Zoey befriends the victim. Everyone believes her to be an angel...except Della. Della is reminded of her youth, a past filled with unspeakable crimes.

This is a quick, simple read - perfect for relaxation. There aren't complicated characters, storylines, or shifting points of view to contend with. The story is somewhat predictable, but the content is new - I read a significant amount of psychological thrillers, and I don't believe I've seen this particular angle before. I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone looking for a fast thriller.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in return for my honest review.

I requested this novel because the premise sounded so interesting and deliciously twisty (and perhaps a little twisted), and the first half definitely delivered - I could truly empathise with Della's frustration as she struggled to make others understand what she saw in her new student, Zoey, and the slow build of 'something isn't right with this girl' was truly creepy to read! However, I had to stop reading at 50% due to a certain plot development.

Without spoiling anything, when we meet our protagonist, she's very certain about a decision she and her husband have made in life. I myself made that choice a long time ago, and I'm always so refreshed when I find characters who think the same - and a little afraid that the author will have them change their mind or have that thing happen to them anyway. The latter happens here: the protagonist is, understandably, shocked and scared, but her husband (who had initially given the impression of being a good, caring spouse) is delighted and effectively says that he never really took her choice seriously.

I am so achingly tired of this trope in fiction. Just once, I would like to see a protagonist who starts their story having made such a choice be taken seriously, without their decision being invalidated as the novel progresses. I recognise that this is very much a 'me' problem - a reader not bothered by this plot element will likely be gripped by Della's story!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of Good Girl! It is 3.5 stars rounded to 4. It started a bit slow, but definitely picked up about 25% through and I found myself wanting to continue reading. I thought the characters were well-developed and the plot was well thought out.

My only problem with this book is that I am tired of the storyline where characters are too afraid to voice their opinions because they won't be believed. I just want to yell at them that if they just open up, the mystery would be solved!
I did feel this plot was more unique than most that I have read recently

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
Not my usual style of book but boy did I enjoy it!! My heart was racing throughout. And I was on the edge of my seat. I didn't relax until the end. And what an ending it was!!

I was thirteen years old the first time my brother tried to kill me. This is the first line of this book and that was it i was hooked. A psychological thriller and so much more. I devoured this book in one sitting. Got my heart racing, atmospheric, chilling and utterly gripping. This book is crying out to be made into a film. A new author for me and a debut novel, this author is bloody brilliant at what she does. Fantastic read, nail biting and one of the best books I have read this year. A MUST READ!!!!!
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.

Our history defines so much of who we are. When your brother is a convicted serial killer it isn’t any different or is it? Do you really see the evil in others or are you projecting it from your past? Great fast paced book. Fairly predictable, but that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Great book. This book hooked me from the beginning, a real page-turner. Plenty of suspense and plot, with a back story intermingled into the current day story to give perspective and background. A really good read

This was probably the best book I’ve read this year!
It focuses on Della and her relationship with her troubled brother in her past and a troubled student in her present.
It is well written, with in-depth characters and a fantastic plot. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends!

What a suspenseful, well written book! This was my first book by Miranda Smith and definitely won’t be my last. Usually I don’t like when things flip flop from past to present but the way this book was written was perfect!
Della is a teacher who has a tragic past. She grew up with a psychopath brother and nobody believed her until it was too late. When a new student, Zoey, arrives in her class she immediately recognizes the similarities between Zoey and her brother. Unfortunately, Zoey’s other teachers have no issues with her and don’t see what Della sees. Is Della imagining things because of her past or will she find the proof she needs to prevent somebody from getting hurt?

Really got into this book, it centres around Della, a school teacher who has got her life back on track after living with the stigma of what her evil brother did.

Della has relocated, reinvented herself and only her husband knows about her dark family secret.

Then Zoey turns up in her class and there is something about her the raises red flags for Della, things that remind her of her brother's behaviour, the thing is she has no proof all the other teachers think Zoey is a perfect student, it's only Della that picks up on her strange attitude.

Della knows that if she'd acted faster as a teenager her brother could've been stopped, can she stop history repeating itself?

Couldn't put this book down!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

This was such a great thriller and really delved into the idea of childhood trauma and nature vs. nurture. I'm a teacher and Miranda Smith captured the classroom drama and interaction as well as faculty room chatter perfectly!

Della is an incredibly likable character who has demons from her past which begin to affecter her teaching career. Told in alternating sections between her childhood/young adulthood, which are incredibly dark as we learn what her older brother is capable of, and present with her dedication to her students and concerns with starting a family.

Definitely not one I wanted to put down and I have continued to think about Della since finishing it. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, I genuinely enjoyed reading and will for more by Miranda Smith.

"It's impossible to not make assumptions about people…"

Enthralling! Captivating! One of the best page-turners I've read this year!

That is all I could think after finishing the last page of Miranda Smith's psychological thriller Good Girl. I was given an ARC by @netgalley and @bookouture (thanks so much) this month to review and I'm so happy I took a chance on this book. As is my customary response to receiving an ARC, I was not expecting such a thrilling story, but I was pleasantly surprised at the gripping psychology of this novel, it is a page-turner that I couldn't put down. Miranda Smith overlaps past with the present in a gripping tale of learning to trust your gut, even when no one else believes you.

Della's past is creeping into her present and it is making her question everything. Just a small-town teacher working her way toward tenure, she isn't expecting the late in the year arrival of a new student, especially a student that will do everything she can to dredge up Della's guilt-filled past she's fought so hard to put behind her. Della grew up with a troubled brother, and she spots the same distinctive habits in Zoey. As the story unfolds, Zoey's guilt becomes clearer and the details can't be ignored, yet, no one seems to believe Della's accusations.

I went back and forth with this story. As more of her past is revealed coinciding with surprising changes in her present, you start to really wonder if Della is projecting and everyone is right in saying she is reaching for something that is not there, or at least that no one else sees. It seems like a classic tale of a past coming back to haunt the victim, but it is so much more than that. When Zoey starts to really show her true colors I was sucked into the story, even more, blocking out everything around me, completely entranced by this story. Her slow admission and behavior were almost like a cry for help. Zoey knew what she had done, but her hint dropping, specifically to Della, a person that would understand exactly what she was capable of, I started to almost feel sorry for Zoey. It was a constant push and pull with the characters. Sometimes I was skeptical, other times I was rooting for them.

The simplicity of the character arcs and plotline keeps the book moving, allowing the reader to focus completely on the story as it unfolds. The past memories lined up perfectly with the events of the present to easily understand Della's train of thought and actions. There is a lack of heavy twists and turns common in most psychological thrillers, and it definitely is not your typical who-done-it novel, but the obviousness of the plot helps the reader to pay attention to some of the smaller details that Della sees. Even though we actually know very little about Zoey and her background, it adds to the tension of the story, making the reader really focus more on if she was capable of what Della was accusing her of. Zoey fulfills the role of antagonist 100%. From her immediate challenge of authority when she enters Della's classroom, I couldn't help but have doubts about her right from the beginning and I bounced back and forth between a strong hatred for who she really was and sympathizing with the character she played. It was obvious to the reader that Della knew and recognized all the signs of a budding psychopathic killer, but no one else knew about Della's past, so they couldn't quite grasp her fears the same way. It left me wanting to yell at the books several times to "just freakin' listen to her, she knows what she is talking about!"

Overall, I loved this book. The end was very final, no question is left unanswered. In both the story of the past and the one of the future, the antagonist gets what's coming to them. Della said it best near the end when she thinks, "I do what everyone has told me to do all along. I do nothing."

If you are looking for the next big thriller, or just want to be absorbed in a book for a while, this is the one for you! It will suck you in and keep you there from start to finish. It's going to be a great summer read!

This book revolves around a woman, Della, whose brother is a convicted serial killer. One day, Della gets a new student in her class that reminds her of her brother in a very unnerving way. Although she is sure the new student is disturbed, no one else notices a thing.
This novel is told entirely from Della’s point of view, but the chapters switch between past and present. I liked the story and the characters. It was hard for me to rate, just because I kept expecting a twist and I had 4 or 5 options that I thought of! But there was not a big surprise, so I was disappointed. Still an enjoyable read, but I didn’t love it.

Wow , what a great book . Kept you guessing with the before and present stories going on . Loved this book ,totally believable characters . I would love another book with the same character in it , maybe a series going forward. Highly recommend

My first book by the author and a very interesting story overall.
The beginning of the book made me think that this story is not going exactly where I was expecting but shortly I get to understand the mystery.
The chapters are told from then, the years of her childhood teenage and now, her life as a wife and a teacher.
Going back to her childhood life, when she supposed to have a normal relationship with her family and brother, Della is revealing some horrifying moments and events that her brother made her live. All these memories are coming back when a new girl is attending her class but something is not quite adding to her stories.
It was an interesting read with compelling characters and some unexpected twists.

This book is amazing. The characters are so twisted that it gives you the chills !

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!!

Della has a good life, something which has struggled and worked hard for after putting away all the evil from her past behind her. She is a loving wife and a dedicated English teacher.

But when she welcomes the new student, Zoey to her class, she knows that something's not right. She sees through Zoey's pretence and tries to warn others that Zoey is not as charming as she looks but rather is pure evil. When none of them believe her, Della decides to take matters in her own hand and find evidence to prove her claims.

This is one of the books which keeps you on the edge and you keep waiting to know what happens at the end. An exciting read.

This was as good as her first book!
Most of the time we read books about murder from the antagonist’s POV. In this novel, we read it from a family member’s perspective. .

I love how the story was told between Della’s past and present which have a few similarities that’ll make her lose it (or almost?) It was fast-paced and I love how the story progresses, I usually get annoyed by the main character but this one is quite pleasant and engaging that makes the reading more enjoyable.

Thank you @netgalley and @mirandasmithwriter for providing me an ARC of this book. Looking forward to more books from this author. She’s really good! 🙃👍🏻👊🏻

This is one of those painless little popcorn reads.

While there’s not a ton of character complexity – everyone does exactly what you expect when you expect it and how you expect it - it still manages to be a suspenseful book. You have enough danger, characters you actually like, and a nicely creepy backstory adding to an atmosphere that has you biting your nails as you hope certain characters will be okay.

Super-fast read, a plot that keeps moving, and pure entertainment.

Will I remember it tomorrow…likely not. But I still enjoyed it yesterday!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Amazing read. I haven’t been able to put this one down and have read from start to finish in just one sitting.
This is engaging, has kept me guessing and been completely unpredictable.

This was a really good read for me , really easy to get into and I was hooked form the start . Della is a teacher with a troubled past , her brother a serial killer who had tried more than once to hurt her . When a young girl transfers half way through the school year and joins Della's class , she senses the same darkness in Zoe that was present in her brother , although no one else takes her seriously she is convinced she is right . What ensues is a bit of cat and mouse between them both . A great read and I will look forward to more from this author . Thank you