Wow. What a powerful novel. I think it is a visionary piece of work and so spot on.

The first part of the story is all for the perspective of Cole, this recently separated guy who just moved to the countryside to rebuild himself. Starting to read the first couple of pages, he seems like a nice guy who has his heart broken and is trying the recover. Then I read “not that I blame her for that” and that was the first red flag. Se don’t we know these guys, they are literally everywhere. Thinking they are the good guys who understand women, support the “cause” but they are actually the most dangerous. It is so subtle how sexist and controlling they are, most people seem to miss it. Especially women who love a “bad boy”. Most of the bad boys are usually the weakest sexist ones.

Anyway, the story then turns into a art piece which I didn’t see coming and what a bonus. Working in the art, I just want to say: Amarinta, I really want to see this show now!

I really hope this story will help men and women understand the subtlety of power and misogyny so they are able to see it more clearly and call it out because the only way things will ever change is by making people accountable for their actions.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy of this exceptional book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The story follows Cole and Leonara, each with their own secrets and desires. The author skillfully weaves their narratives together, creating a web of suspense and intrigue. The pacing is well-maintained, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The story is mainly told from three perspectives. An ex-wife, an ex-husband and a potential new woman, it might sound a fairly typical setup, but trust me, you won't see where this is going. What I appreciated most about the book was the author's ability to delve deep into the psyche of the characters. Their internal struggles and conflicting emotions were portrayed with authenticity, making them relatable and human. Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was my first from this author and it was a surprise read.
It was a slow burn and it didn’t captivate me as much as I wanted.
The first half of the book got more my attention, as the second half wasn’t the same.
It was a little predictable, but I was still able to finish the book, hoping for some change, but it didn’t come for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Zando Projects for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Coming 01/09/2024.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Two women camping on their own are attacked in the middle of the night. Who could it have been in such a safe town? Everyone wants answers and is searching for the girls. Then weird things start to happen. Who do you trust when you don’t really know anyone. This book has so many twists and turns it had me guessing until the end. Amazing writing. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Don't start this book without clearing your schedule first! We're treated to insight onto how someone can convince themselves that they are "one of the good guys' while using women as a means to an end. This novel is for any of us that read advice columns and wonder, "I'd LOVE to hear the spouse's version of this". We get both sides to the story, and then the third: the inevitable storm kicked up on all corners of the internet.

This is a thought provoking examination of an evergreen issue through the lens of our current online culture. It will have fellow readers interrogating their own beliefs and how far we believe people should go for activism.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you Zando Books and Netgalley for my copy of ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS by Araminta Hall, out 1/9/24!

I love a book marketed as a feminist thriller and this was no exception. OOTGG follows Cole, newly separated from his wife. He considers himself “one of the good guys.” He leaves London for a fresh start out in the countryside as a wildlife ranger. He meets Leonora, a reclusive artist living in the cottage next door and is instantly charmed by her as he is navigating his mental health from the ghosts of his failed marriage.

As the two form a new connection, two women activists raising awareness about gendered violence go missing on a cliff nearby. Cole and Leonora find themselves in the middle of the police investigation and media firestorm. Do they know each other that well after all? This book works to answer the question, “If most men claim to be so good, why are most women still afraid to walk home alone at night?”

This book was a PAGE TURNER. Full of gendered cultural insights and sociopolitical themes, I couldn’t put this book down. I love the way Hall incorporated different media formats and perspectives to give us the full, messy story. This was so well written and well researched and I didn’t want the story to end. But when it did, I was amazed at how it all wrapped up. The writing is smart, the characters are fully fleshed out and the plot is unique and explosive. This book is both entertaining and deeply reflective and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller that gives that lil something extra.

ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS
Araminta Hall

Are you ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS? If not, I bet you know one.

Cole is ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. His nails are always trimmed and clean, he’d never order for you in a restaurant (unless asked to of course), he’s thoughtful, listens, and hangs on to your every word. He has recently moved from London to a little cottage along the coast where he is trying to recover from a deeply emotional breakup. There along the coastline, he meets Lenora, and the two form a relationship as alluring as the cliffs that surround them.

At the same time, two young women are doing a charity walk that has them traversing the very same coastline where Cole and Lenora live. What happens when their paths intersect will surprise you and is the plot for Araminta Hall’s, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS.

Hall livened up my December, put a smile on my face and singlehandedly reinvigorated my love of reading all within around 300 pages. It’s twisty and mind-bending and I couldn’t get enough.

ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS is one of the good ones. It is so cool to see someone living out their passion as Hall does here. The writing is smart, the characters are memorable and distinct, and it has great, spot-on commentary running throughout. There are parallel levels of entertainment in ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. It’s thrilling for the novice and reads like candy for the experienced.

ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS is one of the best books I’ve read from 2024 and we are just getting started.

Thanks to Netgalley, Zando, and Gillian Flynn Books for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure!


ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Araminta Hall writes clever, twisty domestic thrillers that have consistently worked for me. Her newest novel, “One of the Good Guys” is told from multiple perspectives. First, there is Cole, whose marriage fell apart after he and his wife failed to conceive. He moved to a seaside town to start over, but his ex is after his to sign papers to allow for the disposal of their embryos. He can’t understand what went wrong as he is considerate, doesn’t drink too much and truly cared about his ex.

He meets Lennie, a woman who lives alone in a cottage nearby and they start to develop a relationship. Then, two women camping nearby go missing. Is Cole really the nice guy he thinks he is?

This was fast pace and I enjoyed the multiple perspectives: Cole, Lennie, Mel (Cole’s ex), Lennie, who each has a unique voice. Some of it was a little out there, but the story was well done and leaves you wondering who is really in the right here. I appreciated the shade of gray in the story and overall ending.

One of the Good Guys - a thriller that was more of a tempest in a teapot. Seen mostly from Cole's POV, we are treated to a diatribe of his unpleasing pleasantness. Weird, right? On the surface, Cole may be many women's dream man, but is he really? He's pompous and completely self-unaware, but is he the dastardly character that some women in his life have painted him?

When two women go missing after a chance meeting with Cole, he is thrust into the spotlight - is he good or evil? When situations aren't what they seem - we have to ask who the real victim(s) are.

Sometimes this book was uncomfortable to read - Cole is self-important and gives gaslighting a new angle, but the story makes you think about current events and is there anyone who is right or wrong?

Continuing my way through some of the upcoming January release book proofs, my next read was “One Of The Good Guys” by Araminta Hall (Pan Macmillan) and is a title that seems to be everywhere at the moment.


Cole is the perfect husband who is romantic, supports his wife, Mel, and her career, is keen to be a hands-on dad and is not a big drinker. He’s just a good guy. So when Mel leaves him, he's devastated and escapes to the coast to start a new life. Here he meets reclusive artist Lennie, who has also recently upped sticks and moved to the remote location. As their relationship develops, two young women go missing whilst on a protest walk against gendered violence, a walk that passes by the remote area Cole and Lennie live. When a police investigation and media frenzy suddenly take hold it becomes clear they might not know each other as well as they thought…

When I said earlier that this book seems to be visible everywhere at the moment, there is a good reason for that, this book is astounding. I devoured this book in 24 hours as I literally didn’t want to put it down, the captivating concept enticing me to read more. The book is divided into three parts, all written from a different character perspective and each is so cleverly written, highlighting just how individual outlooks can convey a varying perception of personality traits, some seeing the obvious red flags whilst others remain oblivious.

There is some hard-hitting content in this book and I won’t lie, it really made me, as a woman in society, question whether advanced equality for both sexes has actually been achieved? In a world where a man doesn’t have to worry about walking home in the dark but yet a woman still does, this book proves that we still have a long way to go.

A captivating, thoughtful, intelligent, unique read which is both disturbing and intriguing all at the same time. Honestly this book deserves the praise it is getting and should be on all TBR lists for 2024.

Cole leaves London after his marriage falls apart and meets Leonora. When women start disappearing in their area, they find themselves in the middle of an investigation.

I liked the premise but I just struggled with Cole’s point of view. I understand her decision to do this especially based on the title but it really didn’t work for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a thought-provoking and timely book book that will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to discussing it with others once it is published. It will definitely inspire lively debate,

The story focuses on Cole, a man who moves to a quiet, isolated location to get over the erosion of his marriage. He feels hurt and underappreciated, confused by his ex's cruelty and insistence that he sign the divorce papers and another document (details revealed in the first half of the book). He meets Lennie, a woman living alone on the cliffside and they begin a relationship of sorts. A couple of young women, on a march to raise awareness for violence toward women, arrive in the area and go missing shortly thereafter. I don't want to give too much away so I will leave it at that.

I will be widely recommending this book.

The premise of this book was so intriguing, and it really lived up to that upon reading! It's so compellingly written, with such effective use of multiple povs. Hall manages to capture the many voices so believably, it feels like one of the most realistic things I've read in ages!

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
I was going to say this is a timely book, but the fact is that this is essentially a centuries old story and it’s never not timely - but that is also sort of the point of the story.
A masterful and very readable narrative which focuses on the fact that so many dangerous men truly and wholly believe themselves to be “the good guy”. I know some, I bet you know some too. They’re probably more dangerous than the ones who know they’re dangerous, and that’s what this book is about.
I enjoyed the way it was written, and I’m glad that - without spoilers - the one part I was unsure of as I felt that it was/would be used as a plot device to obscure the narrative from the reader but actually provide a form of absolution for the character wasn’t actually used in that way at all.

Suspenseful and rage inducing!

I’m exhausted in all the best ways after reading this. Seriously. I couldn’t put it down. This is the first book I’ve read by Araminta Hall and I can’t wait to devour everything she’s written up until now. What a voice!

The pace was on the faster side and Hall’s voice gripped me from the first page. I haven’t felt this addicted to a story in a long time. This is very much voice-driven—a he said, she said, story (which I love)—and each POV gets a chance to air frustrations. However, when a behavioral pattern emerges in one of them (Cole), it’s safe to say that actions speak louder than words. Hall did an amazing job setting up the scene of a heartbroken man who feels wronged by the world and the women in it, especially during an era of feminist uprising. Cole had so many irritating personality traits but the one I hated the most was his victim mentality, including breaking down crying when things didn’t go his way. The way he described Mel made her sound like a cold individual but I held out, expecting that she had her reasons. And I was right. At first, Lennie appeared as an unknowing potential victim, and I enjoyed reading about her background as an artist, and the trauma from her past that motivated her.

The structure of the story worked to set up suspense, painting Cole as an unreliable narrator. Once Mel’s POV was revealed it completely shifted the story, and I quickly sided with her after the shocking reveals regarding her struggles with fertility and Cole’s need for control, not caring how she felt or even listening. The characters were well-fleshed out, making it a very intriguing read. I enjoyed the evidence updates through social media commentary. It added a more interesting structure and quickened the pace, making it an easy read. The only criticism I have is that the resolution felt a little drawn out. But other than that, I highly recommend this book!

4.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
For readers who enjoy voice-driven stories with unreliable narrators, and twisty plots.

This was painful to read because the author writes about the misogyny and gaslighting by men so well! Every character is unlikable and makes dumb decisions, so that was also hard to read, but geez, this author gets it

Powerful, if a little predictable.

If you're a fan of gender politics, domestic drama, and conspiracy ish stuff this is the book for you! Honestly, I want to read this with a feminist bookclub because I bet the discussion would be lively!

My thanks to Gillian Flynn Books/Zando for the ARC of "One Of The Good Guys" in exchange for an honest review.
I feel the same way as many of my fellow reviewers do after reading this book. Conflicted, perplexed, not quite sure of how to fashion a reasonable view.
This much I can say with no hesitation. For generating lively and possibly heated discussion among readers, there may be no better Book Club selection than "One Of The Good Guys".
While it's structured as a thriller (and does a more than effective job of it), the book has a lot more on its mind than just making you go "oh wow!" at its twists. This book ignites a fully armed guided missile aimed at a patriarchal culture that keeps women living in fear of violence.
We see the agenda through the points-of-view of its three major characters. Cole considers himself as an enlightened, liberal "good guy" in his experiences with women. Emotionally bruised from a bitter divorce from his wife Mel, he's taken a park ranger job amid a coastal landscape with a forbidding dangerous cliff. He kindles a potential relationship with Leonora, an artist who's taken residence in a cottage by that cliff. But in doing his job to keep people from tumbling off the cliff's edge, he ends up with an angry, unfortunate encounter with two young women. And they happen to be well known activist-vloggers taking a marathon hike to highlight violence against women.....and their recorded incident with Cole goes viral.
When Mel and Leonora take over with their own separate narratives, we then get an entirely different portrait of Cole than the one he described for himself. And it's unsettling and at times, downright disturbing, much of it coming from Cole's insistence that Mel endure the grueling IVF procedures to help them conceive a child. He may think of himself as 'one of the good guys' but his overall entitled clueless behavior speaks otherwise.
Then it's no wonder that when those two woman activists go missing after their encounter with Cole, he becomes a prime suspect.......and sets off a social media firestorm of podcasts and twitter comments.
But here's where book throws a live grenade into the proceedings with its whopper of a twist. Depending on your point of view, a reader can either feel a long overdue satisfaction or drop their jaws appalled at a twist that so pollutes the book's central issue, it leaves an ugly stain over the entire storyline. Or as one of the social media characters perfectly puts it, "I wouldn't want to have tea with any of them...." I'm not afraid to admit I lean a little toward the latter reaction, but I'd love to be a fly on the wall for those Book Club discussions ...(especially any attended by both men and women...)
One thing undeniable though.....however it strikes you, "One Of the Good Guys" is a compelling read from start to finish......and with its subject matter in constant current events, it's probably one of best conversation starters of the year....making it not to be missed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
Oh my!! This book was amazing!! The different perspectives from male and female really had me thinking how situations can be so difference from various views. There’s so much to this story!! It still may be a thriller/mystery, but I was so surprised at how thought-provoking it was! I highly recommend!!

This was a very interesting and timely novel. With each of the main characters, there are times when you can understand and relate to them, and then other times when they seem like the “bad guy.” It’s a little frustrating, but I imagine that’s the point. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the Good Guys was an adventure within itself.

Hating men has become so easy though I am one.

Articulately plotted, empathetic, and dazzling.