I was really drawn in at first by the mystery - Iris telling the story of how half of her is gone. Her twin sister Piper was kidnapped right in front of her, and the investigation delayed due to disbelief of the police meant years later her mystery is still not solved. Told in dual timelines I remained hooked - it makes the story more enjoyable as the past and present converge with revelations of secrets and clues along the way. Some of the twists I did not see coming, some I kind of had a bit of an idea.

What confused me though was parts of the story that didn't seem relevant to the overall plot, and that at times it felt a little all over the place. I felt that there was so much information to try to process between the characters, plot lines, setting changes, and dual timelines, that it was hard to keep straight sometimes. The buildup to the end is always my favorite part of the book, and while the ultimate revelation was interesting, the journey there was downright chaotic.

Overall it was a good mystery that was engaging, in a bit of an atmospheric setting that really sets the tone for the thrill of the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tarryn Fisher means a twisted plot with complex characters. She keeps you on your toes till the last page with shocking revelations and turns in the story. Good Half Gone also has that intriguing quality.

Iris Walsh has only one aim in her life. To find out and punish the murderer of her twin sister Piper who was abducted in front of her eyes fifteen years ago. Her journey takes her to the final stop. A hospital for criminals with insanity in Shoal Island. This place is full of creepy vibes and she isn't sure how to navigate the murky waters. She will get the answers but not what she was expecting.

Any book with psychological and psychiatric issues can be a hit or miss for me. Being a Psychiatrist myself, I often find the descriptions not very true or believable. Good Half Gone did a decent job. It was obviously a rollercoaster. With chapters going back and forth in the timeline. Between the kidnapping and present day internship at Shoal Island. Iris has a lot of grit and tenacity and stubbornness in her. Her love for her twin sister is very strong and the guilt and grief have been driving her life. Even when her grandmother and her "son" need her. The twists were definitely jarring but after some time I started having an idea about the grand twist and it was true. I loved the eerie Island with it's tragic history, the mismatched collection of employees whose personality is no less interesting than the patients they are taking care of, the almost gothic vibes..

It just lost its way sometimes. It was engaging to read about her complex relationship with her twin sister for a while but then I just wanted to read more about her current mission. That fleeting romance part was completely unnecessary. I understand it was introduced to enhance the shock at the end but it didn't sit right to me. The biggest issue is I find the big plot twist a bit far fetched. I have visited prisons as Psychiatrist frequently and there are so many protocols and safeguards in place. It's almost impossible to stage a manipulative detailed planning like this book.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

The summary of this book drew me in as soon as it mentioned an isolated psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane! There are so many pieces and parts to unload and I'm just not skilled enough with words to give it justice. This book is sure to thrill you and keep you up at night. It might even make you feel as though you're being watched.

Regardless of how you feel currently, if you're a fan of thrillers, this is a thrilling book you don't want to miss.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
The last few books I have read by this author I have been pretty disappointed with, with that being said, I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately, it was pretty disappointing. I will say that I absolutely did love the premise and the setting for this book, and the beginning started off promising…but then it didn’t. It felt really unorganized, confusing, and rushed in parts. I guessed the only major twist, and the characters were lack luster and boring. There was not enough suspense and not enough twists, which I was really hoping for. Don’t even get me started on that ending though….it left me feeling totally underwhelmed and unsatisfied.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Thriller books that lack any thrills, suspense, or twists
✦Boring characters
✦An ending that leaves you feeling very unsatisfied
✦A great premise and plot with a spooky setting (an island and a psych. hospital=perfection)



𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️💫2./5

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book! Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher is a psychological thriller following Iris whose twin Piper went missing when they were teenagers. I thought the plot sounded incredibly interesting for this book and since I've enjoyed Tarryn Fisher books in the past I was excited to pick this one up, but unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I thought the pacing in this book was super weird and it felt like nothing happened until the last 25%. Also, I usually love plot twists even if they're out there, but this one was too out there for me. If you liked Ward D by Frieda McFadden I could see you liking this book.

Good Half Gone is the latest release by Tarryn Fisher. It is the story of Iris, whose twin sister Piper was kidnapped right in front of Iris when they were teenagers. Unfortunately the police don’t believe her at first and don’t take the case seriously. Time goes on and Iris continues to search for the truth about what happened to Piper. This search takes Iris to work an internship at a hospital for the criminally insane.

This is the first Tarryn Fisher book I’ve read and it definitely had an ending I did not see coming! I thought, however, that some of the ending was rushed and I would have liked more time for some deeper explanation and understanding of character actions and backgrounds. This was a fast read and I think fans of B.A. Paris or Liv Constantine would enjoy it.

While I found the character development strong and the overall concept of this suspense to be solid, it was VERY slow moving. I found myself speed reading through 3/4 just to get to the action and twists toward the end.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so intense, every seconds of reading it was entertaining and heart- fluttering.

Thank you to Netgalley, Taryn Fisher and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC and Libro.fm for the ALC!

Iris saw her twin sister Piper get kidnapped in broad daylight - but why will no one believe her? Due to lack of evidence, the case quickly went cold. Now an adult, Iris sets out to do what the police couldn't: find proof of what really happened to her sister. She manages to get a position interning at Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane, hoping to get some answers. After all, secrets are tightly tucked away in that asylum…

This book gave me “Shutter Island” vibes, which was pretty cool. And it had such a strong start, but ultimately, I felt the pacing slowed a bit in the middle. In the last 25% of the story though, things picked back up and overall, I was satisfied with how the story wrapped up. Iris was a force to be reckoned with; her determination and dedication to finding her sister was inspiring. If you enjoy strong female lead characters and character-driven stories with psychological twists, check this one out :)

“Good Half Gone” is out now! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I just finished this book today! I want to start with I loved the steady pacing of the book. In summary, the book is about a girl who is trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her missing twin sister. She ends up taking a job at an island that holds a psychiatric facility where she thinks one of the men behind what happened with her sister is at. The mystery behind her vanished sister was great and kept me hooked from the beginning. I was really enjoying the alternating timelines between past and present. I thought it was super interesting having the mystery of the sister going on, while also being in the present time and her getting a job at island psychiatric facility to try find out more info about her sisters disappearance was super intriguing. One thing I had an issue with was her taking a pill from a brand new coworker basically as soon as she stepped off the boat. Would someone actually do that? Trust a stranger to take a drug on your first day at a new job? That was just weird for me. I actually really loved the little romance between her, and her boss going on. Also, the twist at the end was pretty unexpected to me. The ending did feel a little rushed.. but overall I really liked this book.

This was my third Tarryn Fisher novel and I had high hopes after liking The Wrong Family and really enjoying The Wives. Thankfully, I was not disappointed and this is my favorite of hers so far.

This was such an excellent thriller. I love a dual timeline and this one was packed full of twists both past and present. The last twist, and ultimately the last 20% of the book overall had me repeatedly asking “WHAT..?!” The little breadcrumbs of truth that have been sprinkled throughout the book all culminate a shocking end I thought perhaps could be the case, but wasn’t sure how since it was so WILD.

This was a fast, riveting, “I need to know” read. The combination of the suspenseful mystery and the creepy, unsettling setting of the mental hospital made it so hard to put down. I actually found the ending to be very good and wasn’t disappointed at all, I only wish that there was a bit more closure since everything is pretty abrupt.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 3/19/24

I have never read a book by this author before so I was very intrigued when I saw this! The synopsis drew me in - it (synopsis) is short, but straight to the point, and still interesting.

Anyways, on to the actual story... I felt like this one started off strong, and then I was a bit disappointed by the lack of suspense/twists and turns. We dive right into the chaos of Iris' life and learn so much about what is going on. Then we begin the journey to uncovering the truth and it all seems so exciting, There are clues to follow, rumors to dive into, and so much excitement. Then the ending falls short and I am left with an unsatisfactory feeling.

Overall it was a good story, but the ending just did not match what I was expecting it to from the beginning chaos and excitement.

Synopsis:
Iris narrowly escaped her pretty, popular twin sister’s fate as a teen: kidnapped, trafficked and long gone before the cops agreed to investigate. With no evidence to go on but a few scattered memories, the case quickly goes cold.
Now an adult, Iris wants one thing—proof. And if the police still won’t help, she’ll just have to find it her own way; by interning at the isolated Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane, where secrets lurk in the shadows and are kept under lock and key. But Iris soon realizes that something even more sinister is simmering beneath the surface of the Shoal, and that the patients aren’t the only ones being observed…

I thought the book started off well. It grabbed me from page one. Then it just came to a slow crawl. I felt the characters lacked depth and could have been developed so much better. The muster of who did it was lost within the middle. Towards the end, maybe around 80-85% it picked back up. This is my first book by Fisher but she comes highly recommended, so I will be reading her other titles for sure! It’s so hard for me to give a review less than a 4. However, I feel I need to be honest. It’s not a horrible book at all, but just didn’t do it all the way for me.

Good Half Gone started off great, grabbed my attention from the first page and felt really promising. However, the middle was slow and seemed almost like it was a completely different story. At around 80%, it finally started to pick back up again but the ending quickly took a nosedive. The mystery of “who done it” was predictable for the most part but the closer it came to the end the more far-fetched and implausible it became.
The character development lacked depth making it difficult to make connections with even the MC. The plot had multiple gaps, lacked transitions, which made it very choppy and disconnected. Plus, the timelines and ages didn’t add up which made it even more confusing.
I didn’t hate this book but I definitely didn’t love it either. It felt like it was missing key information which left me with a lot of questions even after finishing. I have really enjoyed other books by this author, but unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. It's a shame because it had a lot of potential but unfortunately missed the mark.
Thank you NetGalley, Graydon House and Harlequin Press Publishing for granting me early access to Good Half Gone in exchange for an honest review.

Tarryn Fisher always delivers a well-written masterpiece… this is one of my fastest, extra riveting, and exciting reads that I’ve read so far this year! It had intrigue and kept me guessing the entire time. It is told in both past and present. Overall, Good Half Gone is easily Fisher’s strongest mystery/thriller novel yet. With twists and turns, beautiful writing, and compelling characters. Definitely recommend to those who love a good thriller!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HTP + Graydon House for providing me with this digital reviewer copy. 🤍

GOOD HALF GONE by Tarryn Fisher and narrated by Tara Sands is a pretty intense mystery!

Iris watches her twin sister abducted right in front of her, yet no one believes her. Years later Iris is convinced she knows who is behind it and finds her way into Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane. Diving into the deep end may expose more than she can handle alone.

I want to say more about this story, but it is difficult without spoilers! I liked Iris. I liked that it isn't entirely clear what happened, and I liked how it is revealed through the story. I did see the twist coming, but not until right before, so it makes me wonder if I was right on time. Pairing the book with the narration gave extra tension! This was definitely an atmospheric novel.

I enjoyed this psychological suspense and was lucky to have multiple ways to consume it. I love having both options, so a huge Thank You to @netgalley @htpbooks @graydonhousebooks & @librofm for @harlequin_audio for these advance copies! This book comes out on March 18th.

Holy Sh**! What a twisted book. This one had me wanting to scream “No Way!” and got my heart pumping! A slow burn thriller that really amped up the last 3/4 quarters of the book.
I recommend this one to my thriller loving fans. Then dm when you finish, I need to talk about this one! 😳🫣😵

I was excited for this since I have enjoyed a lot of Fisher’s previous books. The storyline was interesting and the twist not super easy to guess, but it feels like all the action happened in the last quarter of the book. There was just too much lead up and it took effort to keep reading. Overall I did enjoy it, but I wish the ending didn’t feel so packed.

Twisted thriller with a dual time build. It was hard to get into - but once there it was a bumpy ride! The plot was believable the ending out there a bit but with al the craziness in the world it could happen!

I definitely will continue to look for this author's work!

this book gave me all the thriller feels; it was dark, scary, triggering, and sad. I went into this book blind and I am so glad that I did! I love it when I find a book with a different storyline that isn't always the same old marital affair/who's lying. I loved the aspect of it taking place in a psychiatric hospital with the criminally insane! And who doesn't love a nonlinear timeline!
I definitely didn't see the ending coming and would love it even more if this came out as a movie!

👎: it was a bit slow through the middle and some parts towards the end that were a bit unbelievable, but it's what made the story! I wish there was more to the ending when everything was revealed, I thought it was wrapped up quickly, but there were no loose ends, and everything was answered.