The Good Girl

By: Michelle Dunne

Narrator: Emer Heatley

ISBN: 9781666664935

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Bloodhound Books

Publication Date: 06/18/2024

Format: Audiobook

My Rating: 5 Stars (ALC)

JUN 2024 MUST-READ BOOKS

Grace Murphy doesn’t seem like the type of woman who’d have a man cable-tied to a chair, slowly dying in her house. She keeps to herself and goes through life relatively unnoticed, working as a barista and caring for her sister, providing her with wholesome meals and a clean home—things they never had as children…

Det. Garda Jerry Hughes knows about Grace’s brutal and troubled childhood; his own life was profoundly affected by it.

Jerry still checks in on the sisters from time to time. But at the moment, he’s distracted by work. Men have been going missing in the city—and they seem to have nothing in common aside from a physical resemblance to someone from Grace Murphy’s past…

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My Review

Michelle Dunn's latest, THE GOOD GIRL, is a gripping, twisted, dark psychological whydunit crime thriller that poses the chilling question:

Would you know a serial killer if you met one?

What if she served you your coffee every day?

Whydunit vs. Whodunit...

THE GOOD GIRL is not a whodunit, as we know the serial killer's identity from the start. However, the whydunit makes the book intriguing, as the author unravels the two sisters' physical and mental past and the need for vengeance.

Would you be able to spot this serial killer?

About...

Set in Cork, Ireland, twenty-seven-year-old Grace Murphy is a barista at a local café in Cork. Grace is focused on her mission. She is to do her job, take care of her younger sister, Amber (drug addict), and provide for her with a clean house and hot meals, something they never had growing up.

She is also a serial killer.

The two sisters suffered a troubled and traumatic childhood with much abuse. Most people in the neighborhood know about their past and environment. The sisters live across the street from one another.

Grace does not seem like the person who would have a man cabled-tied to a chair and slowly dying being tortured in her house. She keeps to herself, her head down, is good at her job as a barista, and cares for her sister.

Detective Garda Jerry Hughes knows about Grace and Amber's brutal and troubled childhood; his own life was profoundly affected by it, and there is their neighbor, Maggie who looks in on them.

Jerry checks on the sisters occasionally, but recently, he has been too busy with work. Men have been going missing and seem to have no connections aside from a physical resemblance to someone from Grace's past.

The story is told from the third-person perspectives of Grace and other characters from present and past timelines. The author gives us glimpses of Grace's life and Amber's now and in the past. Due to their traumatic background, she has different personalities.

VICTIM: Vulnerable, prey, abused, and, as a child, no role models or help.

BARISTA: Friendly, helpful, and a great employee.

SISTER: Caring, kind, nurturing, protective, and loves her sister.

SERIAL KILLER: Taking control back. Vigilante. The abuser. Devious, manipulator, predator, villain, no moral compass, seeks vengeance and revenge.

Sometimes darkness is right in front of you.

Your feelings may change from about Grace from past to present and the traumas she has suffered with no where to turn. Is she the good girl that men called her when she was being molested and abused? Or is she the bad girl, the killer, who has suffered years of abuse and is ready for payback? Taking matters into her own hands—vigilante justice?

My thoughts...

THE GOOD GIRL is a dark, gritty, disturbing, and unsettling crime thriller, psychologically rich and almost like a character study. The writing is smart and savvy, and the suspense is intense and riveting.

Because we know the killer, the author focuses on the WHY and HOW, and there are still plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. At first, you think this girl is deranged and obsessed; however, after unraveling her past and her sister's, you may find yourself pulling for her.

Readers will enjoy Detective Jerry Hughes and the elderly neighbor, Maggie. The author cleverly allows readers to see the characters from multiple perspectives, creating tension and suspense and a jaw-dropping ending!

Absorbing, this is a dark, unsettling read, but also there is some dark humor. The abuse of the girls is so heartbreaking. Be aware of triggers for some; however, THE GOOD GIRL was a fascinating psychological thriller, and I was highly impressed. This a good example of how abuse is repeated throughout multi-generations and passed down, while often difficult to break the vicious cycle without a lot of therapy.

This is my first book by the author, and I look forward to her upcoming book, The Hotel Maid, published by Storm Publishing on August 23, 2024.

Audiobook..

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emer Heatley for a spine-chilling, emotional, and engaging performance.

Recs...

THE GOOD GIRL is for fans of authors Jennifer Hillier, Karin Slaughter, A.R. Torre, Mary Kubica, Jennifer McMahon, Christina McDonald, Paul Cleave, S.A. Dunphy, and Charlie Donlea.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the introduction to this author and title and the gifted ALC for review.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 5 Stars

Pub Date: June 18, 2024

June 2024 Must-Read Books

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About the Author

Michelle Dunne is a crime and thriller writer from Cork whose new psychological The Hotel Maid, will be released in August 24. This follows June Calloway, a maid who finds the body of a murdered woman in her hotel room, just as a child is reported missing on hotel grounds.

Her bestselling thriller The Good Girl published in March 24 with audiobook following in June. It begs the question: Would you know a serial killer if you met one? What if she served you your coffee every day?

Michelle also wrote While Nobody is Watching and The Invisible, a series of thrillers following former soldier and UN Peacekeeper Lindsey Ryan as she tries to adapt to her new life in the clutches of PTSD. The series is currently in development for television and is inspired by Michelle’s own experiences as an infantry soldier and United Nations Peacekeeper.

Michelle is organiser and programmer of the Spike Island Literary Festival – a crime-themed festival set in Ireland's very own Alcatraz!