At the age of 15, Iris Walsh was the sole witness in her twin sister, Piper Walsh’s kidnapping. Police were slow to investigate and the case eventually went cold. However, Iris remained steadfast in her quest for answers and became consumed by it. Her search led her to an internship at Shoal Lake Hospital, a private facility for the criminally insane, which she believe held the key to solving Piper’s case, once and for all.

Good Half Gone completely blew me away! This book has enormous potential to be one of my top reads of 2024. It had all the elements that I needed in a five star thriller, and a few that I didn’t even know I needed. It was the kind of book that reminded me why thrillers are my go-to genre, and I know that I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. Shoal Lake Hospital provided the perfect backdrop for this book! It was secluded, chronically understaffed and filled with creepy patients/criminals. While I had many theories throughout my read, I never could have predicted that ending. I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this one on pub day!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A copy of this review will be posted to my Instagram account (whats.amy.reading) during the week of Feb 12, 2024.

This was a disappointing read. It was fairly predictable and really made no sense. The whole twist was unbelievable. To be honest, nothing about this book made a whole lot of sense. This book missed the mark. I would not recommend this book.

Iris Walsh will never forget the day her twin sister Piper was kidnapped right in front of her. Years later, she still relives the helplessness she felt when the police dismissed her pleas and were confident that Piper just ran off and would show up soon. Iris’ sole purpose now is to find out what happened to her sister.

I had very high hopes for this book because I love Tarryn Fisher and the books I have read of hers. But this book fell short of my expectations. Some situations were rushed and then others were drawn out. It was a slow read for me with most everything happening in the last 15% of the book. And then it was so rushed and quickly tied up. I feel like there could have been much more to the ending because this was the best part of the book.

Thank you to Goodreads and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in return for me honest review.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC (advanced reader copy) of Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher.
Let me first say that I LOVE Tarryn Fisher, and I was super excited to be able to get my hands on this one before it comes out.
But this was such a let down.
Disjointed writing, no connection to the characters, predictable bad guy.
And that ending … I felt like I was reading a soap opera.
Super disappointed.

Tarryn Fisher always comes through with the twists! This book focused on the main character Iris unraveling the truth about her sisters kidnapping. I enjoyed following along but some parts were a bit boring. There were so many characters I did get confused sometimes about who we were reading about but that may just be a me problem. I found the characters fairly predictable and although I liked the twist at the end, I thought it was a bit unbelievable. Overall a decent read.

I wanted to like this book but sadly it was not for me. I loved the premise of the story and the authors writing is good but it fell flat. The story jumped around a lot too from past to present, from scene to scene with little to no transition. The ending seemed far fetched. Overall a 2 star read for me.

This has been a better book of hers to read. However I still feel a lot of disconnect. I believe her style of writing is like this to make it feel dark and suspenseful but I feel like there is too much of it. I never feel close to the characters and if I start too, there is a curveball that sends us somewhere else or someone else. There were a lot of characters in this book to try and get to know and it felt rushed or pointless to spend time on some of them. The layout of the hospital was also complicated therefore I felt like I couldn’t picture where the characters were at. I think the plot was ok. I definitely liked it more than her other plots. One twin goes missing and the other one will do anything to find out what happened? I will always give that a read!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley and Tarryn Fisher for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this thriller! Fast-paced and no lagging plot pieces throughout the read. This story follows a before and after timeline for Iris Walsh, who is determined to find out what happened to her twin sister, Piper. Iris is a busy 24 year old taking care of her 8 year son and aging Gran. She lands an internship at a hospital for the criminally insane seeking answers about Piper’s kidnapping when they were 15. Iris’ character is relatable and you are rooting for her to find that closure the whole story. I loved the ending and couldn’t put it down in the last 20% of the book! Thank you so much Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this book before pub date and give my honest review!

Iris was only a teenager when her twin sister, Piper, was kidnapped. Now an adult, Iris has been hatching a plan for years to get close to the man she believes murdered her sister.

This book started off really strong for me. It was entertaining, and I had a hard time putting it down. I really enjoyed the initial alternating timelines. I liked Iris's character and her story of trying to find out what happened to her sister. The conclusion and twist were quite far-fetched in my opinion, and though I usually require the twist to have plausibility in order to truly appreciate it, I must have been in the right mood for this one because I did really like it. I also appreciated how the end gave a good wrap-up of any loose ends I'd been wondering about throughout the book. Overall, an entertaining read. If you've enjoyed this author's previous books you will likely enjoy this one.

3.5/5⭐

Thank You NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a complimentary copy of this novel!

Iris and Piper Walsh are twin sisters. While they are at the movies one afternoon with a few other so call “friends”, Piper ends up getting kidnapped. But when Iris and her grandmother (their mother lost custody due to drug use) go to the police, they don’t believe Iris. They say she left of her own free will. But they were not there to see what happened. Now, years later, the case has gone cold. So Iris, living with her grandmother and son, Cal, has tried to make a life, but she has never forgotten. All the years since that fateful day, Iris has tried to get proof…proof of Piper’s kidnapping and if she may still be alive somewhere.

She won’t stop at anything until she finds the truth of what happened to her sister! Iris gets an intern job at the very isolated Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane where she works alongside a well-known psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Grayson. But the real reason Iris is there is to find her sister’s kidnapper and possibly murderer. All is not as it seems at the Shoal Island Hospital. Will Iris be able to find her sister’s kidnapper and find out the truth of what happened to her? How safe is Iris in that hospital and who is keeping a close watch on her?

I really enjoyed reading this novel, just like her other previous ones! It alternates between the past (when the girls were 15 years old, and the kidnapping took place) and present (Iris’ current search for the truth). There were quite a few twists in this novel I didn’t see coming! AVAILABLE March 19, 2024

Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher beckoned me with promises of intrigue—a twin sister torn from her sibling's grasp, the eerie backdrop of a desolate mental hospital. Eagerly, I delved into its pages, ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and revelations. And yet, as I journeyed through its twists and turns, I found myself grappling with a tangle of conflicting emotions, ultimately emerging from the experience with a sense of both admiration and disappointment.

From the outset, Fisher masterfully plunges the reader into the chaos of Iris Walsh's world, where the specter of her twin sister's abduction looms large. The rawness of Iris's grief is palpable, her determination to unearth the truth a beacon in the darkness. I found myself rooting for her, holding my breath with each revelation, desperate to uncover the secrets hidden within the shadows.

As Iris immerses herself in the labyrinthine corridors of the state hospital, her quest for answers becomes my own. I hang onto every clue, every whispered rumor, my pulse quickening with each step closer to the truth. Fisher's prose is hypnotic, drawing me deeper into the mystery even as I struggle to untangle its threads.

And yet, for all its promise, Good Half Gone ultimately falls short of its potential. The narrative loses its way amidst a maze of unnecessary detours, the momentum grinding to a halt just when it should be hurtling towards its climax. I find myself bogged down by superfluous subplots, longing for the clarity and focus that initially drew me in.

The ending, when it finally arrives, is a bitter pill to swallow. What should have been a moment of catharsis feels rushed and unsatisfying. I'm left with a sense of disillusionment, mourning the untapped potential of a story that seemed poised to soar.

And yet, even in my disappointment, there are moments of brilliance that I cannot ignore. Fisher's exploration of grief and obsession is hauntingly beautiful, her characters flawed and human in ways that resonate long after the final page is turned. Despite its flaws, Good Half Gone remains a testament to the power of storytelling, a reminder that even amidst darkness, there is beauty to be found.

While Good Half Gone may not have lived up to my expectations, it has left an indelible mark, a reminder of the complexities of the human experience. And for that, I am grateful, even as I mourn the story that could have been.

Iris witnessed the kidnapping of her twin sister Piper. The police felt that Piper just ran away with some guys and did not take Iris’s story seriously. The guys Iris saw taking her sister away denied any involvement so the case went cold. Iris was sure of what she saw and decided to investigate herself. After a number of years, her investigation leads her to a hospital for the criminally insane on Shoal Island. Iris lands a job there and that is where the story really takes off. This story was exciting and thrilling laced with the grief that was always with Iris for her twin.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How far would you go when you're the only witness to your sibling being abducted? Good Half Gone opens with 15 year old Iris calling 911 after watching her twin sister, Piper, being shoved into the back of an unknown vehicle by two men she doesn't know. The story is written in two different timelines as we follow Iris through the years trying to piece together what happened to her sister.

Iris is a no nonsense character. She's got a smart mouth, she loves deeply, and she's obsessed with uncovering the truth about Piper. In fact, she's so obsessed that she's basically lived the last decade of her life planning her end game.

Iris believes she knows what happened to her sister and she doesn't think Piper is still alive. She's convinced herself that the person responsible for ending her sister's life is in a hospital for the mentally ill. So what is Iris going to do? Simple-she's going to put her long thought out plan into action.

I was hooked with this book. I wanted to know, no, needed to know, what happened to Piper. I was rooting for Iris and curious how everything was going to come together. The ending starts approaching and BAM plot twist. The story starting moving at such a fast pace, with all sorts of wild things going on, that I couldn't stop reading. Other reviews have not liked the ending but I didn't care how ridiculous it was, I was shocked, and already deep in the story that it didn't change how I felt about the book overall.

This book is good for anyone who likes suspense. It can be a little dark and does mention the death of a child. It has a twist I'm sure most people wouldn't be able to figure out completely, at least not right away. I am thinking a part two and part three to this story could be a really great concept. I would love to read from Piper's point of view and the lead detective. Maybe we'll get lucky enough that Tarryn Fisher will do just that.

I thought Tarryn Fisher couldn't surprise me anymore with her twisted suspenseful dark mysteries but she did. This book is sad, crazy, sit on the edge of your seat and don't blink kind of book. And if you stop to blink another clue or surprise will knock you on your ass. All I will tell you about this is Piper and Iris are twin girls with a drug addict for a mom. They are both taken in by one badass grandmother who cares for them with everything she has. One night at the movies Piper is kidnapped and Iris goes on a mission to find her sister...this is their story.

a little slow in the beginning but the last 20% of the book really took off. plot twists a bit predictable but that happens

3.75 stars.
I loved the idea of this storyline. Twins, one is missing! What would one twin do to find the other.
Definitely a slow burn.Some added plots that seemed unnecessary, but overall a good story!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In good half gone, Iris witnesses her twin sister Piper being taken from a mall. We then follow her years later as she is still trying to get answers about what happened to her sister. I was rooting for Iris throughout this story to get revenge on those involved on her sister’s disappearance. It was interesting to see where the case led her, an island that houses the criminally insane.

I would have liked to get a little more insight into the relationship between the sisters, I think it would have made the book even that more impactful. I also think the people Iris worked with could have used a bit more character building/background. The ending did not disappoint, even though it was slightly predictable, but not in the way you would expect!

Overall, this was an easy book to fly through because I needed to know what happened to her sister, if she was still alive, and who was responsible for her kidnapping.

Since I accidentally wrote a review on here for another book, I will send a new review to Goodreads when I have finished it.

Okay, I’m sorry; what?! This book was it for me. Idk, the writing style really vibed well for me. I will say the grit comes after 80%. That being said I really enjoyed the story before that. I never really knew for sure what was going to be the twist because it definitely left room for doubt in my thinking.

Iris is on the hunt for what happened to her twin, Piper. She’s got a kid to look after and a grandma that needs help, is she doing what’s best?

Get ready for another Taryn Fisher page turner!


Iris Walsh watches her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped outside of the movie theater at 15 years old. The police detectives didn't believe that her sister was kidnapped, ignored evidence and didn't put as much effort as they should have into her case. They were convinced she was just another teenage runaway. Now, as an adult, raising her 8-year-old son, Cal, Iris is still trying to figure out exactly what happened to her sister. She graduates and starts an internship at Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane with the intention of finding and talking to the man she believes is responsible for her sister's death. The one person who can easily get her into contact with this man is Dr. Leo Grayson. She and Dr. Grayson get to know each other easily and quickly with plenty of flirting and meeting up for dates. Iris finds herself opening up more to him and talking about her life and Piper. While she thinks Dr. Grayson is her main source of help at the hospital, she doesn't realize how many secrets are being held within the walls of the Hospital on the Island (HOTI).

I have loved every book I've read by Taryn Fisher. She is such a talented writer, and this book will not disappoint!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for the opportunity to read this ARC!