Michael Robotham’s When She Was Good is a Terrifying and Brilliant Page-Turner

Michael Robotham’s When She Was Good is a Terrifying and Brilliant Page-Turner

He thinks the truth will set her free. She knows it will kill them. 

Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac return in this mesmerising new thriller from internationally bestselling Australian author Michael Robotham, a writer Stephen King calls “an absolute master… with heart and soul.”

She has secrets.
Six years ago, Evie Cormac was found hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a brutal murder. But nobody has ever discovered her real name or where she came from, because everybody who tries ends up dead.

He needs answers.
Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven believes the truth will set Evie free. Ignoring her warnings, he begins to dig into her past, only to disturb a hornet’s nest of corrupt and powerful people, who have been waiting to find Evie – the final witness they have been searching for. Unbeknownst to him, Cyrus is leading them straight to Evie. The truth will not set her free. It will get them killed.

Who is Evie, the girl with no past, running from? Her ability to tell when someone is lying helped Cyrus crack an impenetrable case in Good Girl, Bad Girl. Now, the closer Cyrus gets to uncovering answers about Evie’s dark history, the more he exposes Evie to danger, giving her no choice but to run. Ultimately, both will have to decide if some secrets are better left buried and some monsters should never be named…

This is the second explosive novel featuring gifted criminal psychologist Cyrus Haven following the Edgar-award nominated Good Girl, Bad Girl, which I reviewed here. It was an action-packed start to this new series, and I’m thrilled #2 is now out. If you haven’t read Good Girl, Bad Girl, don’t be put off – When She Was Good works very well as a standalone thriller. However, the experience is even better knowing the background of book #1, so my advice is, if you’re new to the series, make this a double-whammy and start with Good Girl, Bad Girl first. You’ll be thrilled to finish that knowing that the sequel, When She Was Good, is sitting there waiting to be read.

This opens a few months after book #1 finished. In it, the extremely compelling characters of Cyrus and Evie are further developed, along with their complex relationship. There are also some great secondary characters here. Michael has taken the masterful plotting and pace from book #1 and upped it, with horrifying details into Evie’s past, and a thrilling ride through past and present, and alternating points of view – both Evie and Cyrus’ – to a terrifying and brilliant end.

There’s a reason why Michael Robotham is so popular – he really does sit atop a strong genre, always leading the way for new authors. When She Was Good is a heart-stopping psychological thriller. I hope book three in the series is on the way.

Reviews

Take a Sneak Peek at Michael Robotham's Highly Anticipated New Thriller, When She Was Good

Review | Extract

27 July 2020

Take a Sneak Peek at Michael Robotham's Highly Anticipated New Thriller, When She Was Good

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      Publisher details

      When She Was Good
      Author
      Michael Robotham
      Publisher
      Hachette
      Genres
      Crime Fiction, Fiction, Thriller
      Released
      28 July, 2020
      ISBN
      9780733644849

      Synopsis

      A heart-stopping psychological thriller from the Number One bestselling author of The Secrets She Keeps and The Other WifeHe thinks the truth will set her free. She knows it will kill them.She has secrets.Six years ago, Evie Cormac was found hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a brutal murder. But nobody has ever discovered her real name or where she came from, because everybody who tries ends up dead.He needs answers.Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven believes the truth will set Evie free. Ignoring her warnings, he begins to dig into her past, only to disturb a hornet's nest of corrupt and powerful people, who have been waiting to find Evie - the final witness they have been searching for. Unbeknownst to him, Cyrus is leading them straight to Evie. The truth will not set her free. It will get them killed.From Australia's foremost crime writer, Michael Robotham, this is the second explosive novel featuring gifted criminal psychologist Cyrus Haven following the Edgar-award nominated Good Girl, Bad Girl.
      Michael Robotham
      About the author

      Michael Robotham

      Before becoming a novelist, Michael Robotham was an investigative journalist working across America, Australia and Britain, and with clinical and forensic psychologists as they helped police investigate complex, psychologically driven crimes. Michael's 2004 debut thriller, The Suspect, sold more than 1 million copies around the world. It is the first of nine novels featuring beloved Joe O'Loughlin. Good Girl, Bad Girl and When She Was Good are the first two books in a new series featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven. Michael is the only Australian to win the UK's prestigious Gold Dagger Award twice - for Good Girl, Bad Girl and Life or Death. Good Girl, Bad Girl was also shortlisted for the 2020 Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2020, The Secrets She Keeps was adapted for television. He lives in Sydney.

      Books by Michael Robotham

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