3.5 rounded up
Oooof this was a hard one to get through. Yes, the topic is taboo and has a lot of sides to it but it was hard to know what was the main focus or topic because there were so many moving parts; infertility, violence against woman, missing women, rape, performance art, sexual kinks. It was really hard for me because of the structure/format as well. I felt like I was reading 3 different books without really splitting them up so the reader knew a new perceptive was coming/changing, and it was a little frustrating. It took me a lot to even get into it because I didn't feel like anything was really set up for the reader to understand.
Also the formatting on the kindle for this book is TERRIBLE. I really really hope the format is fixed before it gets released - no defined chapters, the authors name and title of the book with the page number in the middle of a sentence or paragraph, and weiRd thiNgs cApitalized liKe thIs.

OMG. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVES OF THE YEAR and it comes out in January of 2024. BUT LIKE WOWIE x 100,000. Zando Books has never lead me astray before and I’ve absolutely devoured every single one of the books they’ve sent me with flying colors and shouting praises. I am BEYOND thankful to the pub, Netgalley, and Araminta Hall for taking me on the ride of a lifetime with this one’s twists and turns and jaw drops that I’m still trying to pick up off the floor.

Cole is heartbroken after his wife left him in the middle of the night after their long battle with fertility and IVF treatments. Cast out to the countryside, he searches for a fresh start, that is until he meets Lennie, or as he prefers Leanora, and he’s immediately attracted to her like it’s fate or something destined that they meet.

They strike up a friendship that turns into a little more, and all the while readers start to see Cole crack more and more, especially when his Park Ranger job comes under fire as two social activists hike along the cliffs to speak out against domestic violence (Note: I was getting so many red flags right from the start.)

Cole is just a little more effed up than he wants people to realize, and when those two women go missing without trace, readers and townspeople begin to suspect Cole might be at large here.

But just you wait for the switch up, because we hear from Lennie and Mel, Cole’s estranged wife as well, and the things they have to say conflict entirely with the picture that Cole had been painting of her. He’s just a good guy and he would never harm anyone, and not all guys are the bad guys, right? (Spoken from the inner monologues of Cole himself…)

This gnarly, jaw-dropper of a horror/thriller involves mixed-media formatting and will leave you sitting in silence after the twist kicks in… I’m still in awe/shock.

Don’t wait. Pre-order One of the Good Guys today before it hits shelves on January 9, 2024.

Thanks for the review copy. This book is very thought provoking. It has an interesting premise. I felt it was lacking some nuance, though.

Our “good” guy is presumably Cole, 40ish, escaping a marriage to a presumably controlling and extroverted Mel that suddenly fell apart, to a semi-isolated wildlife ranger job on the English coast, perfect for a shy introvert. He’s content to live alone while freeing errant sheep from barbed wire and swim daily (while avoiding any terrifying mermaids). There’s only his neighbor artist Leonora/Lennie, also 40 and also escaping London, in an old coast guard cottage near the cliff’s edge. Their burgeoning friendship and unremarkable lifestyles are interrupted by a women’s fundraising march against domestic abuse on a path along the south coast, where Cole is charged with making sure the cliff side barriers are secure and marked with warning signs. The Women’s Walk people are spotted nearby, but suddenly they’ve gone missing and social media explodes, along with Cole’s and Leonora’s lives.

However, things are definitely not as straightforward as first presented, and the narrative quickly becomes uncomfortable. You are never certain who is the unreliable narrator. Araminta Hall admits this is a strange story (which drew Gillian Flynn to the project).

This is an extremely thought-provoking story that includes a cornucopia of various topics including manipulative social media, how failed IVF can destroy a relationship, gendered violence/misogyny, miscommunication between partners, generalized misconceptions about both men and women, provocative performance art and whole host of other uneasy topics that drift far from a simple “missing persons” mystery.

I had a hard time finishing this book. I wasn’t certain if there was a clear point to be made or just an inflammatory/polarizing narrative to ruminate on. For me, not having at least one character to connect with was depressing. I predicted the ending “twist” easily, but I came away at the end just feeling queasy. 3 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO No eye colors are mentioned at all.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Nothing beyond Cole remarking that Mel’s favorites are tulips, and Lennie’s hatred of the landscape surrounding the cottage.

Thank you to Zando Projects/Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Cole can't understand why his perfect marriage has broken down. After all, he supported his wife's marketing business, taking on the "lesser role" as a house husband and catering to her every whim. Everyone says how wonderful he is and that Mel is so lucky to have him. But others don't see the pressure Cole puts on Mel all in a quest to have his child through IVF procedures which leave Mel exhausted, in pain, confused and angry. She really doesn't want a child as she is focused on building her business to the next level with bigger celebrity names as her clients. When Cole's pressure becomes too much for Mel to handle, she files for divorce. As Cole begins a new life on a wild coastline as a wildlife ranger two young women who are on a campaign to raise awareness about women's right to feel safe go missing. Is Cole involved? A reclusive artist neighbor pulls Cole into the mystery surrounding the women's disappearance and ultimately directs the police investigation towards Cole. Does he deserve to be investigated? The evidence seems to point in his direction even as he pleads his innocence and the media circus shifts into high gear. The ending will surprise readers as it is the women in this story who are controlling the narrative instead of Cole. I did not expect it to end the way it did. A true surprise!

In One of the Good Guys I found it to be a very upsetting story. I was going to stop reading the book about 1/3 of the way because I just didn’t find it to be an enjoyable read but I kept going. Not sure I should have. Personally, I don’t think anyone in the book is a “good guy.” I didn’t find any of the characters to be likable or believable. The first part of the story is told in Cole’s voice, the next part of the story in Mel’s voice and the rest is texts and journalists. I found the texts and journalists part very confusing to read. Not a book I would recommend.

This story really struck a nerve with me for multiple reasons. First, I’m a woman. Second, I’ve been the survivor of coercive rape. Third, I was engaged to my attacker and was (and sometimes still am not) believed for what occurred. Why? Because he was “one of the good guys.” My own mother thought he was a nice guy and couldn’t possibly have done the things that I said he did. There are still things he did that I’ve never told a soul. We need to stop treating women as second class citizens. It’s always been this way and the violence just keeps happening. This book highlights that and even though they were hated and reviled for what they did, they were just trying to get the dialogue going. Kudos to this author, I felt all of the things while reading this incredible and inventive book! Let’s keep having this conversation!

Relationships between men and women are explored through the story of the failure of Cole’s marriage and the disappearance of two young activist women near his rural home. Cole thinks he’s one of the good guys, but that might not be true. Social media and public opinion seems to have all the answers without any regard for what is really true.

I didn’t find any genuine good guys of either sex here.

Thanks to NetGalley the publisher for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t decide how to rate this one. On one hand, it was an edge of my seat type read because I couldn’t believe the things I was reading. On the other hand, it made me supremely uncomfortable at times and is potentially triggering.

Read it for yourselves - it’s definitely unique in its telling and plot but the subject matter is in our headlines daily which makes it all too real.

I decided to request One of the Good Guys on Netgalley because of the simple fact that it's being published by Gillian Flynn’s imprint.

One of the Good Guys follows Cole as she moves to the countryside for a fresh start after separating from his wife. Readers follow along as he adjusts to his new life and meets an artist living next door all while getting tidbits of his previous life.

Cole gives Joe Goldberg (from You by Caroline Kepnes) vibes. From the beginning of the novel, Cole comes off as genuine and caring. He’s one of the good guys, you know? However, as the novel progresses there’s a sense of wrongness with his inner monologue. Cole makes unsettling comments that are quickly glossed over that become more and more frequent until readers realize that he’s not being entirely truthful and forthcoming.

Just as I was starting to get bored of Cole and his narrative, Hall switched to Cole’s ex-wife’s perspective. Mel’s chapters give readers a snapshot of their married life as the years progressed. Most of these moments centered around the couple trying to get pregnant through IVF. Mel’s chapters become difficult to read as her despair, frustration, and seeming lack of agency grows until it’s all consuming.

Hall then presents readers the rest of the story through various different mediums: news articles, podcasts, Twitter threads, Reddit threads, etc. Each offering a different perspective on the story as it unfolds in real time. The opinions expressed in this section of the novel can be difficult to read at times. It’s supposed to be uncomfortable as Hall makes it obvious that the central theme of the novel is violence against women and the narrative around violence against women. The purpose of the novel is not the mystery, but its social commentary regarding how society views and treats women. The ending is a predictable rollercoaster that still triggered me.

Overall, One of the Good Guys is a thought provoking novel about violence against women and the discussion around the topic. Hall uses the mystery as a catalyst for the discussion and the use of the various mediums drives the point home.

Well to start it was good but also very into gender normative stereotypes. As a 35 year old woman I don’t know if I was fully into the always being scared as a woman plot but it was entertaining in a lot of parts. I will say I really enjoyed the book I just wish it was more about the thrilling plot over the gender stuff.

What started as a quiet and slowly intensifying story of a manipulative and controlling husband and his wife who is progressively losing her confidence, turned into a political lecture. The stage was already set to be a strong statement on how women are belittled and undervalued and if the story progressed as its trajectory was headed, would have been both an excellent thriller and a statement in support of women's rights and the problems related to those rights in the current world. Instead, it fell flat at the point where the climax of the novel should have been and I found the ending most unsatisfying in terms of the plot. The writing is excellent and for that it merits 3 stars, in my opinion.

My copy of this ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of One of the Good Guys.

I was eager to read this because the premise is intriguing. I liked what the author did for the first half of the novel, give us Cole's perspective and let us see how nuts he really is.

Cole has recently separated from his wife and has left London to start over as a wildlife ranger.

When he meets Lennie, an artist living nearby, he strikes up a friendship and the two of them bond over their sad pasts.

Then, two young female activists disappear and Lennie and Cole find themselves in the middle of the investigation.

Is Cole really one of the good guys?

To put it mildly, Cole has serious issues but the reader doesn't know this until the narrative progresses and we see red flags waving in the air as more of Cole's disturbing personality is revealed.

In the second half of the novel, the POV shifts to Cole's estranged wife, Mel, and we see who and what Cole really is. Not one of the good guys.

The last quarter of the novel is comprised of texts, tweets, and excerpts from interviews.

I'm not a fan of this style despite its increasing popularity in novels lately.

I like the premise and it had potential to be dark and thrilling, but the narrative was bogged down with political commentary about feminism, #MeToo, the woes of women in a patriarchal society (we can't have it all and we can't win no matter what we do).

Then, as we reached the end, the narrative took too many turns that tested my ability to suspend disbelief.

I sympathized with Mel, but I didn't like her or Lennie. I understand their motivation behind their plan for Cole and the female activists but it sounded far-fetched.

I don't mind novels that revolve around social and political issues but this was too much gender politics.

I read to be entertained and forget about the problems of the world, not to be reminded of them.

I read this as a tongue-in-cheek thriller poking fun at men who think they’re fully aware of male toxicity, and avoid it at all costs, but in reality, they’re the most toxic of all.
This describes the main character, Cole. He’s just moved to the seaside in order to rethink his life. He’s thrilled to meet another newcomer, Leonora, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that she’s attractive. They hit it off and are soon visiting each other every day. And she’s so darn cute. Cole does everything in his power to gain her love and respect, because they need to start making babies now. Because she’s good stock for a mother. But then a series of events puts Cole under suspicion. From the police, the townsfolk, and the pretty new neighbor. This is where the fun begins.
With a series of who’s manipulating who, this is a quick and entertaining read that made me chuckle. The ending was a bit off, and suddenly got complicated, but I love the writing style and plan to read more from Ms. Hall.
Thanks so much to Zando, Gillian Flynn Books, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 9, 2024.

"Good guy" Cole Simmonds has moved to a remote cottage on the English coast after a separation from his wife Melanie, who remains in London running her PR company. The first half of the book is told from Cole's perspective. I was definitely struggling to paint an image of who this man was when hearing events through his voice. He seemed somewhat detached from reality, but also overly emotional at times. What is his deal? It was hard to connect with him as a character, which I think it somewhat by design. The ambiguity about his personality and character can lead to many interpretations.

The second part of the book is told through multiple viewpoints. There are WhatsApp chats between friends, news stories and transcripts of broadcasts, the voice of Lennie, the artist who is living in a neighboring cottage to Cole, the voice of Cole's wife Melanie and flashbacks in their relationship. You can see what is coming (or at least what you think is coming!) but nothing is as it seems!

For me this book felt like less of a psychological thriller, and more of a astute social commentary (but not in a bad way!). Yes, there's the plot line about two missing girls in the area where Cole and Lennie live, but that is more a mechanism to display the ambiguity about Cole as a man and his personality. Who is a "good guy" and how is that defined? There's definitely some TW in this book for rape, abuse, infertility.

All in, I found the book to be really thought-provoking. Less of a thriller than I was thinking it would be, but a book that shows that reality can often be in the mind of the one doing the interpretation of that reality.

One of the Good Guys is a cool concept; an unreliable male protagonist tells his side of the story. It is interspersed by equally unreliable women narrators and many social media ponderings of the events in the book. The public’s blog postings, news articles, and What’s apps, while a novelty in a plot, became a nuisance and an unwanted interruption to the story. Too many povs to successfully work. I do applaud the author’s creativity; however, I feel like it was too much and impeded my enjoyment of the book.

Cole leaves London eager for a fresh start in a remote, seaside cottage, far away from his workaholic wife, Mel, and their hectic city lifestyle. He wants to live simply - growing his own vegetables, trapping his own game - and finding peace as he recovers from the pain of his marriage ending. He meets a charming artist in a nearby cottage and they begin to grow closer. Meanwhile, two young women on a long-distance charity walk to raise awareness about violence against women pass through the area and mysteriously disappear.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I won’t say much because I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone and the way the story unfolds is WILD, but I will say it was warped and weird and feminist AF and would be such a great book to discuss with a group because there are a lot of Things to Have Opinions About in it. I haven’t read Hall’s earlier books, but have gleefully added them to my TBR and will be first in line to read whatever she writes next.

I really liked the premise of this book. Men all
Claim to be good but why are there so many scared Ladies out there? Coke has recently separated from his wider and have moved to a remote seaside town and is working as a ranger. He meets Lenora. We explore Cole and his wife Mel and their story and also Lennie who all have their own stories and secrets. And then there are the hikers who go missing and there is a whole lot of drama and juiciness. I liked the story and how it jumped back and forth in time.

From Gillian Flynn's imprint and enticingly billed as a “a propulsive and twisty page-turner with razor-sharp sociopolitical insight”, this novel disappointingly fell rather flat for me as I didn't find it to be particularly gripping and the insight was a little heavy-handed.

Cole thinks he’s one of the good guys. He is a (metaphorical) card carrying feminist and is comfortable showing his sensitivies and vulnerabilities. Sadly, his marriage failed and he’s now making a fresh start on a remote part of England’s south coast with a park ranger job that comes with a cottage. He tentatively makes friends with another newcomer, artist Lennie. Then, two young women who are walking the coast path to raise money and awareness for women who are victims of violence disappear and Cole may have been the last person to see them.

The first third is narrated by Cole and despite his belief that he’s one of the good guys, he comes off as queasily creepy and it’s pretty unpleasant spending time with him. Even though nothing he says would raise a red flag, the author pretty skillfully manages to make him come across as being more than just slightly off.

The remainder of the book turns the tables on Cole by looking at him through others’ perceptions: it looks at the past through his wife Mel’s eyes and the future through Lennie’s artist’s statement and a mishmash of media, both traditional and social. With the exception of Mel, nobody comes off as particularly sympathetic (including Cole's mother of course), which is probably intentional, as part of the point the author wants to make is about how society perceives and portrays women.

The novel takes on the difference between how men, even ones who think they are “good guys”, and women see the world. It’s not that the author hasn’t got a fair point, it’s just the dice are so loaded against men by having Cole as their representative when there is clearly something askew with him and by the largely one-note male responses to the social media posts. The only positive male portrayal is the art critic’s response to Lennie’s installation.

This is an oddly structured novel. The mystery itself is less than exciting and takes rather a backseat, not helped by the irritating and convenient trope of Cole’s migraines causing him to black out. So all I was left with was mostly unlikable characters and rather didactic themes. Ho hum.

Thanks to Zando and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Freshly separated from his wife Mel, Cole takes refuge in a sea side cabin away from bustling London. With his new life as a ranger, Cole has a chance to reflect on the aftermath of a failed union. The longing for a child was at the core of their demise. A close neighbor Lenorna, a reclusive artist, befriends Cole and sparks new life into this shattered man. As Cole settles into his new reality, a pair of young girls are hiking along the coast to raise awareness about violence against women. The girls go missing and suddenly the investigation turns into a nightmare that draws in Cole, Lenora and Mel.

One of the Good Guys was a very compelling read. The characters are all flawed with histories rich with childhood trama. Cole is portrayed as a kind and meek man. Lenora is an artist and single mom. Mel is a workaholic that never wanted children but did her best to please her husband. The characters are slowly pealed like an onion and we start to see their true colors. The plot centers around the two missing girls and the social media court of opinion.

The story starts off in Coles perspective as we learn about the backstory of his marriage. Mel’s and Lenora’s story interweaves the second part of the book and then we wind back to Cole. The plots twists into a different which was unexpected but on some level seamed like a reach. The interspersing of social media posts really highlighted the human nature of judgement. This also broke up the narrative in a nice way.

Overall this book was very entertaining and the characters all unreliable and unlikable. If you want a good winter read- This is your book.