Title: Good Bad Girl
Author: Alice Feeney
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Synopsis:
Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things.
Twenty years after a baby is stolen from her push-chair, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.
Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning up mess and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything.
Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door . . . and their intentions aren’t good.
With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.
My review:
Good Bad Girl is another intriguing release from Alice Feeney. Twenty years ago, a baby is stolen from a pushchair at the supermarket. Back in the present day, a woman is killed in a care home. It seems that the two crimes are in some way connected—but how?
Throughout the novel, we follow three women: Patience, a care home worker; Edith, stuck in a care home by her daughter but desperate to leave; and Clio, Edith’s daughter. We soon find out that each has their own secrets and motivations.
The chapters, each told by a different main character, alternate and offer us insight into their lives. The characters are not perfect—each has their own flaws—which made them feel even more realistic. Although at times I got a bit confused as to who was being spoken about or whose perspective we were reading at that moment, it all made sense by the end.
I always expect twists from Alice Feeney’s books, and Good Bad Girl is no exception. There are some truly satisfying surprises! I really enjoyed this fun, compelling read.
My rating: 4/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Macmillan, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.