The name Alice Feeney should be at the top of every domestic suspense fan’s “must buy” list. With five books released, Feeney has proven that she is both skilled at devising complex plots and has a knack for developing characters readers truly care about. That Alice Feeney can do that while also employing some of the most unpredictable twists in a sub-genre that thrives on them is just testament to her talent. Her latest novel—Good Bad Girl—will only further solidify her status among existing fans, while also expanding her outreach to new, future devotees.
At its core, Good Bad Girl is a novel about the complex dynamics at play between mothers and daughters. Because no two parental relationships are identical, Feeney populates the book with a multitude of examples to resonate with readers. By setting the action on Mother’s Day, the themes throughout the work seem to take on higher, almost spiritual significance, such that most readers will not just read Good Bad Girl but will inhale it, almost using it for sustenance during the time it takes to consume it.
Alice Feeney knows how to keep readers glued to the page—ending virtually every chapter with a clever twist or major revelation that guarantees the reader will turn that page to find out what happens next. The beauty of Good Bad Girl is that while there are many unexpected twists and developments, the book would soar even without them. Meaning, that if you are a reader who lives and breathes domestic suspense, and you perhaps figure out a few of the twists in advance, it absolutely will not ruin your reading experience—and some might argue it enhances it. (That said, it’s unlikely any reader will see every development Alice Feeney has packed into this perfectly constructed novel, no matter how familiar they are with the tropes of the genre.)
How Alice Feeney manages this comes down to character, character, character, and character. Yes, Good Bad Girl features four of the most realistic and relatable point of view characters you can imagine. Edith resides in an extended care home despite her desire to escape back to her beloved home. Her daughter Clio is a therapist with a traumatic past, making it impossible for her to heal the rift that exists with her mother. Meanwhile, Patience is the low-wage nursing care assistant who bonds with Edith despite lying about everything. And then there is Frankie, a prison librarian who lives on a houseboat while searching for her runaway daughter.
The interactions between these four women will forever alter their lives. It all began years ago when a baby was stolen from its stroller and vanished. And when a more recent death at the care home facility garners the attention of DCI Charlotte Chapman, everyone’s secret(s) are about to be exposed.
Dive into Alice Feeney’s Good Bad Girl and you won’t come up for air until you have turned the final page. The construction of this plot is like a Gordian knot, seemingly impossible to completely untangle and yet this author is so fully in control of her narrative that readers will be left shaking their heads in amazement…once they wipe away the tears streaming down their face.
BUY LINKS: Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
Disclaimer: A print galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
