Suz's Reviews > The Good Girl

This was a great audio choice. A propulsive read, I had my airpods in at any chance I could get. The narration was quite good, I quite liked the accent of the detective, who was tasked in finding a girl, kidnapped from a bar one night.

Tables are turned throughout, and of course Stockholm syndrome was thrown about by the specialists after the event. Mia disappears without a trace, the daughter of a prominent Judge who was know prior to his court appointment as supporting the industry behind asbestos and mesothelioma; the man had not an ounce of goodness in his body. He did not love his daughter, was an awful man and ruled his family with an iron fist. It was incredibly sad watching his wife be unable to stand up for herself, who realised her failings all too late while waiting for her daughter to come home.

Mia was bright and creative, a gifted art teacher who was treated with distain by a father who wanted his children to be modelled in the same fashion as he, a lawyer, only to sustain an image from the outside looking in.

The detective was a great character, working doggedly to see what had become of Mia, his work seemed legitimate and real. He cared about Mia’s mother, knowing the lack of compassion by a father and husband. During his investigation, a scene involving a woman with Parkinson’s disease was heartbreaking, an unexpected part of this missing person investigation, yet unlikely arrangement of him having her taken into care at a nursing home.

Unlikely relationships are formed, over a slow burn period, with excellent twists throughout. This was an extremely easy read which I loved, and again, late to the party which I don’t mind at all!

Detective Gabe Hoffman stole my heart here, as did, in an unexpected way, the captor which creates all kinds of mixed up feelings in this reader. All these characters had a story to tell. I’d like to have seen more of Gabe, he was appealing and clever. My heart broke in places and was hopeful in others. I'm glad sometimes to leave the hyped up books till I find time to read them, even years later. What a debut this book is.

I listened to this via the Libby platform and my local library.

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