A propulsive and twisty page-turner with razor-sharp sociopolitical insight, One of the Good Guys asks: if most men claim to be good, why are most women still afraid to walk home alone at night?

This book was painful to read but in a good way. Every woman has a story of a man who seems to be good but is hiding a dangerous underside. This mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and nervous the whole time.

That was a very interesting tale. I have to say at the end, I can see the good and the bad to the plan the ladies hatched.

I got more and more angry as I read the first part of this book - even checking Goodreads to make sure the author was, in fact, a woman, because the perspectives just seemed so wrong. I was so relieved when I realized this was purposeful. However, while I obviously agree with most of the messages in the book, in the end it just seemed to be missing something that could have made it truly great. I was somewhat underwhelmed and not terribly surprised by any of the plot twists and turns. 3 stars.

Interesting concept, but I'm not sure if the characters were fleshed out enough. I did like the variety of writing devices used to tell the story - narrative, social media posts, newspaper articles, radio transcripts, etc. The commentary and artist's statement near the end of the book certainly give the reader a lot to think about and would make for a lively book club discussion.

This kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I highly recommend this to any thriller book clubs out there!

I love to get a bunch of books at once and then dive in having forgotten what most of them are about and why I wanted to read them, so it was funny to get about a third of the way into this book squinting at it thinking "am I about to be Gone Girled here?" and then realize this one's from Gillian Flynn's publishing imprint.

And the answer was a solid: kind of. You will indeed spend the first 1/3 of this book in the POV of one of the most annoying men you can imagine, only to switch out not just to a totally different character's POV, but to a whole range of them, along with a multitude of social media posts from randos. The substance of this book sometimes felt like reading a series of Reddit AITA posts where you and all the other commenters are united in being like "OP, what on god's green earth is wrong with you? YTA" with all the frustration that implies - but I also do be looking at AITA with some frequency, so if that's your kind of internet car crash to rubberneck, then this book should be right up your alley. It may leave you with that same thrumming sense of discontent with like, society, but it's an interesting story uniquely told, and I think it did what it came to do. Can't argue with that, you know?

My thanks to Zando/Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Nothing inspires female rage quite like a self-proclaimed good guy.

After his marriage ends in catastrophe, Cole fulfills his dream of living in the countryside. There, he meets an artist, Leonora, who seems to get him in a way his wife never did. When two women’s rights activists disappear near Cole and Leonora’s home, they end up as suspects. Cole and Leonora are hiding something, but are they dangerous?

This book falls more in the category of social commentary than a thriller. We follow Cole for the first part, and he is unnerving. His way of justifying all his actions is so creepy. The whole time, he said the right thing and did the right thing, but it was obvious something was off. It’s easy, as the reader, to fall into the trap of “I would see right through Cole,” but I kept asking myself would I really? Most women in my life have had a Cole, myself included. I can’t help but remember all the times I entertained or justified a man’s actions because he had some nice qualities. It was interesting to see how Cole perceives his behavior, if unsettling.

Leonora and Mel are more personable, in a way. We see both women come to terms with the different types of trauma and abuse they have suffered at the hands of men. They aren’t particularly moral people, though. If anything, I could see people arguing that their actions were worse than Cole’s, but is that true? Is that a sexist angle, or is feminism pushing “support women’s rights and wrongs” a little too far?

One of the Good Guys forces the reader to confront the reality of being a woman. Sure, we see the most disturbed and depraved on the news, but not often do we think about men who think being nice means they are owed something. Every character is flawed and dubious, forcing a certain degree of objectivity. While it lacked the twists necessary for a good thriller, it more than made up for it with the raw and honest way it confronted violence against women. It navigated cohesively through a plethora of topics, including pornography, IVF, degrees of abuse, and gaslighting. What actions does society view as redeemable for men versus women? “Not all men,” but is it enough of them to justify the fear and hostility women feel? While the social media/podcast bits slowed the momentum of the plot, it also brought to light the horrors of the internet, and what we can get away with saying behind a keyboard and private profile.

Please check trigger warnings before reading. Includes but not limited to SA, BDSM, miscarriage, emotional abuse, manipulation, and murder. While nothing is unnecessarily graphic, it still is prevalent throughout the whole story.

Thank you NetGalley and Zando Gillian Flynn Books for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

SYNOPSIS:
- Cole sees himself as one of the good guys. His wife, Mel, has ended things with him after seven years together & many IVF failures. He is starting a new chapter in a remote location.
- Cole befriends his new neighbor, Lennie, who is an artist.
- Two young women activists disappear near where Cole & Lennie live. What happened to them?

MY THOUGHTS
- Interesting plot about tough topics.
- The formatting is unique. I liked the format of first 2/3s, but not the last third. The first third is from Cole’s perspective, the second third is from Mel’s, and the final third is social media posts, articles, comments, and podcast transcriptions. The last bit was difficult to read & follow; it was choppy.
- Lots of social commentary in the book, particularly regarding consent, violence against women, abuse, manipulation. Readers should check out trigger warnings as well.
- I really enjoyed seeing the perspectives of Cole & Mel. Those parts were well-written, and it captures how different they interpreted things.
- The narrative was pretty heavy headed & there wasn’t anything subtle for the reader to form conclusions about within the story. Writing style was pedantic. The execution was lacking. The ending was meh.
- On paper, I thought I would love it, as I do love feminist discourse, but I came away from the book very underwhelmed.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️underwhelming. wasn’t a fan of the structure and execution in this one. great premise though.

Thanks to Gillian Flynn Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on January 9, 2024.

This was intense and thought-provoking. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I enjoyed it a lot. Great twist.

Nothing is as it seems in this heavy-handed tale of relationships, women and men. Fans of feminist fiction will enjoy it.

started this feeling sorry for Cole but I guess that’s the idea until we see Melanie’s POV and the story takes off for me , I can see why they did what they set out to do. It’s cleverly written and complex that the reader needs to take time reading as I feel it would be easy to miss out on an important part of the plot.

One of the Good Guys is a compelling novel. Cole has recently uprooted his life to live in a vacant sea-side landscape when he meets Lenora, who has also recently rented a nearby cottage. As they are getting to know one another, two women who are participating in a charity walk to raise awareness of violence against women go missing. What follows next is an exploration of the depths of the way women feel, live with, and process fear on a daily basis and the fragility of men who don’t (or can’t) comprehend it. Or worse, they cause it in the first place.

This is not your typical mystery novel and, for me, that was a good thing. It made me think about the genre and the real-life implications of our fascination with violence against women stories. I suspect that many readers will find themselves uncomfortable after reading the book. Maybe, just maybe, that’s the point.

"One of the Good Guys" by Araminta Hall is a twisty psychological thriller that explores themes of gender, power, and media scrutiny. The story follows Cole, who, newly separated from his wife, seeks a fresh start in the countryside. He takes on a job as a wildlife ranger and finds solace in his seaside cottage. His peaceful retreat takes a turn when he meets Leonora, a reclusive artist living next door, and they form a connection.

However, their tranquil existence is disrupted when two young women activists, who were raising awareness about gendered violence, go missing while passing through the area. Cole and Leonora find themselves drawn into a police investigation and media frenzy. As the world learns about the disappearance, tension rises, and Cole and Leonora realize they may not know each other as well as they thought.

The novel is described as a propulsive page-turner with razor-sharp sociopolitical insight. It delves into the complexities of relationships, societal expectations, and the impact of media scrutiny. The central question posed by the book is intriguing: If most men claim to be good, why are most women still afraid to walk home?

Readers are likely to be engaged by the suspenseful plot, the exploration of contemporary social issues, and the psychological depth of the characters.

The book starts with Cole Simmonds moving from London to East Sussex to begin his life after a failed marriage to Mel Connelly. Soon after he meets Lennie B (Leonora Baxter. They become friends after a few days. Between 31 December and January 1, two women (Molly and Phoebe (23 years old) disappear from their tent near to where Cole and Lennie live in their cottages. The women are doing a Walk for Women, in aid of SafeSpace UK Charity, 365 mile coastal walk to highlight Domestic Violence Issues. The plot is told over different timelines, different characters and locations and the issues raised in the book are thought provoking, Cole comes across as"One of the Good Guys" but is he or isn't he? Only way to know is to read the book. The plot uses various platforms - social media, email, radio, newspaper, WhatsApp, TV. I was extremely surprised at the book was concluded.

This book was gripping. It held my attention. I liked the characters and setting. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Good story, didn't necessarily agree with the political aspect. Interesting how the differences between two people can escalate and cause severe consequences.

The first part of this story is told from “One of the Good Guys” Cole Simmonds point of view. After separating from his wife Mel, Cole changes jobs to become a wildlife ranger and moves from London to the somewhat isolated southern coast of England. There he meets Lennie who is living alone in the only other cottage in the remote area.
While out walking, Cole encounters Molly Patterson and Phoebe Canton. They are walking 365 miles to raise awareness about the treatment and exploitation of women. Cole speaks to them because he is concerned that they are dangerously close to the ocean’s edge. Cole’s encounter with Molly and Phoebe is not well received and ends with the women videoing the incident and posting it online. When the news breaks that the women have disappeared without a trace, Cole and neighbor Lennie become part of the police investigation. As the story unfolds we get to know the background of each of the central characters, Cole, Lennie and Mel and the role each plays in the story. It also highlights the role of social media and how the quick responses influence attitudes and perceptions towards any situation. It is a well written quick read but I didn’t like any of the characters. I wonder if that was the author’s intent to highlight the issue of gender inequality.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ChatGPT
I couldn't put this book down; it had me completely captivated, and I devoured it in just two days. Cole presents himself as 'one of the good guys,' but as the story unfolds, you begin to question if he truly is. Having gone through a tumultuous divorce and relocated to the coast for a fresh start, Cole's life takes a dark turn when two young girls mysteriously vanish, and he happens to be the last person to see them.

What makes this book especially intriguing is its unique narrative structure. The first half of the story is told from Cole's perspective, offering a glimpse into his thoughts and experiences. Then, we shift to his ex-wife Mel's viewpoint, and it's like peeling back layers of a complex relationship. The alternating perspectives leave you reevaluating everything you thought you knew about the characters and the events that transpired.

The character development in the book is exceptional. Each character is richly crafted, and their complexities add depth to the plot. As you delve deeper into their past and present, you'll find yourself engrossed in their struggles, secrets, and shifting perspectives.

What I particularly appreciated about the book is how it sparks essential feminist conversations. It encourages readers to form their own opinions on the characters' actions and motivations, highlighting the blurred lines between right and wrong. The story keeps you at the edge of your seat with its numerous twists and turns, ensuring a thrilling and thought-provoking reading experience.

In summary, this is a must-read that I wholeheartedly recommend. It's a gripping narrative that keeps you guessing, challenges your preconceived notions, and raises important questions about relationships and morality. I was thoroughly engaged throughout, and I'm certain you will be too.

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC to review!

3 stars!

I honestly thought I'd like more than I ended up liking but I'm glad to be introduced to Araminta Hall.

The book hits important issues and I liked how it split into different views. It was a nice touch to read in different perspectives.