Thanks to NetGalley and Zando Books for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. One of the Good Guys picks up with Cole, newly separated from his wife and now living in a reclusive country setting, befriending and becoming quickly charmed by his neighbor, Leonora. We spend some time learning about the events in his life leading up to this change and also simultaneously learn of a few members of a women’s activist organization raising awareness about violence against women, who are causing quite a storm within the community nearby. A disappearance, a shift in point of view, and lots of raised questions propel this thriller onward and forward!

I have some mixed feelings about this book but, on the overall I did enjoy it. I want to say that regardless of my feelings on the book structure or actual plot line, I did really appreciate the message that the author was trying to drive home about gendered violence against women. Throughout the entire book, the author shows how easy it is to rationalize unintentionally harmful actions (let alone those done intentionally) against women, especially if perpetrated by “good guys”, because these actions conform to societal norms and standards. I appreciated the take home from this book that emphasized how there is still so much work to do to address these issues and the deep-seated, life long effects that this type of violence can cause.

In terms of the book structure itself, it did take me a little bit to get into the story but, once I did, I finished straight through to the end in one sitting. Throughout the entire first section, the reader is left with an unsettled feeling, that there’s something key we are missing from the untrustworthy narrator. When the book shifted points of view, I appreciated filling in some of the missing details and I felt satisfied by the shift in storyline and reader sympathy. Over halfway through the book, going into the final section of the book, everything was poised for a literary bomb to drop and the thriller to have a satisfying twist but, ultimately I felt a bit let down. As I mentioned above, I appreciated the take home messages from this book and appreciated the way that the author concluded the story. But, ultimately it did feel like a bit of a let down.

Overall, I am glad I read this book and am interested to read other books from this publisher! I’d recommend this book to Gillian Flynn fans and fans of a slow-ish burn thriller!!


Round up to a solid 3.5 stars!

I found this book to be confusing and uncomfortable. Alternating narrators and points of view can be interesting, but the abrupt switch here did not work. It all felt too contrived, and ultimately there were no likable characters to care about. The conclusion was not satisfying. There were no good guys. Or gals.

One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall follows Cole, a man who thinks he’s one of the good guys. After splitting from his wife, he leaves London to start over in the country. He meets a woman named Lennie and the two become close. Of course we can trust him, can’t we?

But the two women disappear close to where Cole lives. He and his new friend find themselves involved. The story gets to the point where you cannot stop reading to see what is happening and who is it that you can trust?

The plot:

Newly separated from his wife and desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, Cole leaves London for a fresh start in the countryside. He accepts a job as a wildlife ranger and settles into his cozy seaside cottage, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship along with his mental health. Then he meets Leonora, the reclusive artist living next door, and is instantly charmed by her warm and gentle spirit.

But as the two forge a connection on the cliff’s edge they call home, two young women activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through. Cole and Leonora find themselves in the middle of a police investigation and the resulting media firestorm as the world learns of what happened, and as the tension escalates, they quickly realize that they don’t know each other that well after all.

Highly recommended and if you haven’t read the author’s other book, Our Kind of Cruelty- get it now! This is out now.

Sadly, this missed the mark for me - personally. I think this was a bit over the top, the character was horrendously unlikeable, even with the final “verdict” of perhaps an unreliable narrative.

I do think it was a quick read, and it was a thriller and a bit dark- which may resonate with some as it wasn’t a typical thriller I feel.

As always, nothing personal to the author.- maybe the writing was just that good to the point I couldn’t stand the main character? However, I just didn’t resonate or care much.

That being said- I won’t yuck ones yum, it just wasn’t my yum.


Thanh you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read in exchange for a review!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copy of One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall in exchange for an honest review.

This is one weird book. If I’m honest (a filler phrase that is exceedingly overused in this novel), it took me about 1/3 of the book to figure out what was going on and then I stuck with it to see how the author would tie up the threads.

Cole, recently separated from his wife, Mel, meets Lennie, an artist who lives on the remote coastal road where Cole has relocated following the separation; the two form a relationship. Then, two young women go missing on the same stretch of coastland while conducting a highly publicized trek to raise awareness about violence against women.

To quote the book jacket, this is an “urgent psychological thriller about gender, power, and how both are captured in our contemporary media environment.” The novel hits the reader over the head with this message until we feel like Cole struggling with one of his migraines.

Didn’t love this one. Two stars.

I eagerly read the beginning of the book, and felt that Cole seemed to be totally clueless about his role in the end of his own marriage. His attraction to the cottage and then Lennie was somewhat predictable. His fascination with the Walk for Women girls foreshadowed the rest of the story. Such a dichotomy of the difference between the male and female genders was the clear impetus in this read. In my mind the story changed from somewhat of a mystery to a diatribe of gender differences highlighted especially in the eyes of social media. It seemed to become somewhat chaotic at times and the story left the tracks a bit but then the train connected with the rails again and I enjoyed the ending. An interesting ride for sure.
Many thanks to Araminta Hall, Macmillan, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just published read.

Thank you Zando, Gillian Flynn Books for accepting my request to read One of the Good Guys on NetGalley.

Stars: 2.

The filthy language as well as the multiple derogatory uses of female genitalia by the female author is frustrating.

Now I would like to stop here. -- enough said. What I should have done was stop at the first F- and absolutely at the first C-. However, I didn't. I fought the inner gremlins -- how many can you turn back into NetGalley before they stop approving you and do my opinions matter gremlins.

For the record, if you are keeping score -- this is the last book I read with language that is unacceptable and inexcusable. While I enjoy Netgalley, I have loved and will never stop loving my public library. Reading is my favorite pasttime and calling it a hobby is an understatement.

Clearly, I won't recommend the book. Given the premise and subsequent story, the author's vulgarity lends itself to the problems ladies find themselves in. Not all women are ladies. Through the story, it is clear the author understands societal battles.

I had high hopes for this one and thought it sounded so interesting, but it left me feeling unsettled/uncomfortable. I found this story to be thought provoking and there is a lot to unpack here, but it took a very wrong turn for me somewhere. I understood the points the author was trying to make, but the actions of the characters were really off putting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of "One of the Good Guys' by Araminta Hall. I was attracted to the story and as I read it, a different story emerged. I always appreciate it when a book delievers more than I was expecting. Multiple narrators, and adding the 'wife" was a good pivot. I don't mind the violence, but sometimes the social commentary overroad the storyline. Twisty and turning and leaving the reader to question what the read are all pluses to me. Curious to see what this author writes next.

An excellent story line that challenges the reader to examine closely the story of what makes a "good guy" told from three highly different perspectives. Araminta Hall has done a great job of building the characters into realistic examples of today's acceptance of violence against women. After a recent divorce, Cole is reviewing the failure of his marriage. He doesn't understand how a "good guy" like him could be left with nothing. ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS is told from three POVs. Cole's, who may not see how his actions affect others. His ex-wife's, who has a different opinion of a "good guy". And Cole's current girlfriend, whose opinion leans closer to his ex-wife's than his. The book moves through several genre to arrive at a point where the readers are asked to judge Cole's actions through a clear eyed look at all sides. A great read skillfully written from the author's heart.

I'm very meh on this book. The first part, told by unreliable narrator Cole, was excellent. I couldn't stop reading, because I wanted to know what happened next. The second part, told by somewhat unreliable narrator Mel, was also excellent. But the third part lost me. The ending and the way everything tied together was very drawn-out and extremely preachy. Instead of a narrator, the author chose to tell the story via social media posts. Don't do this, please. It's annoying.
I don't know that I would recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando, Gillian Flynn Books for the ARC!

I appreciated the nuanced feminist elements, exploring the impact of rape culture. The POV switches and mixed media added fun and depth, drawing me in. However, the lack of truly shocking twists disappointed me. The heavy-handed message got old as the novel wore on. Despite these drawbacks, it was a good read overall.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 3.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Thiller📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A quick and interesting read, I just didnt love how it all came together

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Thought provoking reads
Unique formats
Exploration of sensitive topics
Suspenseful and dark thrillers
Lots of twists
Love to hate characters

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
A quick read

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I found it a little over the top and not in the good way
There were almost too many excerpts

Is there anything worse than a self-declared good guy?
Sadly, the plot feels borderline dystopian while also feeling totally believable. The first third of the book is told from "good guy", and unreliable narrator, Cole's perspective, which is equal parts nauseating and enraging. What follows is an exploration of seething female rage as the story shifts to being told by Cole's ex-wife and new neighbour. Overall a clever and thought-provoking thriller.

A bold, brilliant, thought-provoking feminist thriller that everyone (especially men) needs to read. It's at once a riveting thriller and a piece of literature with an important message but it never feels preachy.

The book is about Cole, who thinks he is "one of the good guys." But is no spoiler to say that any astute reader will notice right away that Cole is a less than reliable narrator. Red flags EVERYWHERE, even as he says all the right things --- his actions do NOT match. We hear about his marriage first from his point of view and then from his wife's. And then, from his most recent girlfriend.

I don't want to give too much away but it's important that you know that at its core this book is an examination of violence against women. Why does it happen? What are the men who do it thinking (or not thinking?) These are obviously age old and difficult questions but they are approached here in an innovative and thoughtful way, coming to a conclusion that will leave you both shocked and enlightened. This book says a lot with what it doesn't say and what it lets you observe in Cole's actions.... in what other people say about Cole. And it questions why we as a society always believe men more than women, particularly when it comes to rape. In so doing, it cleverly sets up a narrative in the book where it gives you the opportunity whether to believe Cole ... or NUMEROUS women who have interacted with Cole.

And now a somewhat spoilery response to some other reviews I have seen about the ending -- so stop reading now if you don't like spoilers. . . . .


I've seen people (including some feminists) saying they didn't like the ending because it turned out that Cole is "innocent" because he not kill the two missing women.

To this I say.... think about this a little further. Think about what we know about Cole from the more reliable narrator of the book. Think about the incident in the park.... the incident with Laura, his previous girlfriend. And what we heard from his own mother! Is Cole REALLY "innocent?" Or did he maybe just not rape these two *particular* women?

With that, I leave you to hopefully go and read this compelling and awesome book (or read it again if you've already read it once). To Araminta Hall, thank you for this great piece of art, and I wish I could see the installation you dreamed up in the story, too.

A twisted look at owning one’s action through the gender difference lens. I found the book annoying at many points. Is being a woman in society easy? Nope. Does someone else bad choices/deeds justify my ability to make good choices? Nope. This one almost angered me by the lack of accountability by every character. If this is where we are or where we are heading I’m opting out. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was very much a book of two halves for me. The first section, told in the first person by Cole as he mulled over his failed marriage to Mel, was engaging. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that you realize pretty quickly that he's an unreliable narrator. There is a later section from Mel's point of view, which again was a thought-provoking read,. However the second half of the book, which deals more with the disappearance and presumed deaths of two women walking to protest against male violence, was entirely lacking in forward momentum. It went round and round in circles with tabloid newspaper articles, blog and podcast transcripts, and endless social media posts. I found these muddied the water even more than the actual revealed actions of the characters. This would be interesting as a starting point for a discussion on male violence, but as a novel it ultimately failed.

Cole is recently divorced and we hear his story first in this book. We then hear from his ex-wife Mel who gives a different point of view of their marriage and why they broke up. There are always two sides to a break up. Cole leaves London and moves to a seaside cottage and meets Leonora at a pub. They become friends and lovers. At this point in the book is when it became interesting waiting to see what happens given Cole is the "good guy" and there are women fighting for other women to not feel in fear of men. And who is Leonora? When I finished, I know what the author was thinking but I was left wondering who really was the "good guy" - the obvious one or.....well you have to read the book.

This book is described as a psychological thriller which isn't how I would describe it. Although the story line was interesting enough, it didn't feel like a thriller at all and definitely felt like the author had a certainly "slant" to this story.

My thanks to Net Galley, Gillian Flynn Books, and Xander Audio for an advanced copy of this e-book and audiobook.

3.5* One Of The Good Guys begins by following Cole, a forty something man who recently moved to a quiet countryside town following the dissolution of his marriage. Grieving the loss of his relationship and his old life, he befriends the only other person in the area, a woman who lives in a cozy cottage near his. But things take a turn for the terrifying when two young female activists go missing while passing through the town. The two are quickly thrust into a missing persons case, but as things unfold you start to realize that nothing is quite as it seems on the surface.

Overall, I had a good time with this one! I devoured the audiobook in just over 24 hours, which is always a great sign. But in the end, I landed pretty in the middle of the road.

A few things I liked:
-Based on the blurb, I knew this book would be feminist to some extent, but for a commercial thriller I was pleasantly surprised by how nuanced it is! I love how every woman in the story plays such a crucial role and showcases a different angle of how rape culture and male violence is continually perpetuated as the norm. The smaller scenes with Laura and Cole’s mother ended up being a few of the most interesting parts to think about and untangle, in my opinion.
-The pov switches and mixed media elements are really fun! And they help break up the story. I always love the device of seeing the same event perceived completely different through the eyes of multiple characters. Around the first pov switch is when I really started to feel invested.

A few things I wasn’t so fond of:
-Thrillers with no *truly* shocking twists always leave me a little disappointed. I want to leave a thriller gooped and gagged and gasping at what I didn’t see coming. Why do most thrillers these days have just like, meandering turns in the plot rather than true, completely out of left field twists? Once you know what’s up, you know what’s up. If you know what I mean.
-The message that you’re supposed to take away from the story is VERY heavy handed and basically spoon fed to you. Sometimes that just comes with the territory of writing for the masses but at the same time I wish authors trusted readers enough to grasp the message without literally spelling it out. Idk.
-On that same note, the story is VERY repetitive in the second half. The mixed media elements are fun, but at some point they just start recapping everything we already know, and I just found it unnecessary.

*mild spoilers*

-And yet, for how repetitive the story is toward the end, all the best nuance is jam packed into the last 5% or so. Specifically, I’m thinking about a certain take on male violence + pornography- the book repeatedly takes a big swing by getting behind the stance of ALL PORN BAD, END ALL PORNOGRAPHY but doesn’t really explore how that’s…kind of damaging and also not true? until the final pages. And I’m glad a true feminist take ended up getting put in at all, but it’s something that made me feel icky as I was reading, so seeing it addressed a bit sooner would’ve been nice for my peace of mind lol.

So I don’t know! If you’re looking for something in between a popcorn thriller and a literary meditation on rape culture and male violence, this is the book for you! It’s super readable and easy to fall right into, but there’s still some depth there and very important topics that will force you to consider where you stand. I liked it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher (Zando <3) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! I also purchased this book on audio in addition to reading it digitally. One Of The Good Guys is out now!

Book: One Of The Good Guys
Author: Arminta Hall
Publisher: Zando, Gillian Flynn Books
Pub Date: January 9, 2024

Ummm wowser. This is quite the page turner. This is a book that made me want to take a sick day to stay home and read. I’m mad at myself for waiting so long to read this. I’m not sure I’ve read a story that the characters have been so well developed. I love the way the author told the story and portrayed the characters. It’s told in dual POV’s so you get to hear both sides of the story. I was creeped out by Cole from the very beginning. You might not be? Should you be? His story evokes a lot of emotions mostly the throat punch kind. It’s definitely a thought provoking read and would be perfect for book club discussion. Make this a must read for 2024!

Thank you Zando, Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is January 9, 2024.