Good Bad Girl - Alice Feeney

Reading Challenge Category: Free ARC from NetGalley

Official Blurb:

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 Thoughts:

Alice Feeney's “Good Bad Girl" took me on a thrilling ride through a labyrinth of mystery and intrigue, leaving me utterly baffled and eagerly flipping pages to uncover the truth. From the very beginning, the narrative gripped me with its enigmatic atmosphere and refusal to reveal its cards too soon.
Throughout the tale, the author masterfully maintained an air of secrecy, skilfully weaving a web of uncertainty that kept me guessing at every turn. The anticipation was palpable as I struggled to piece together the puzzle, and I must admit, I was utterly clueless about where the story was headed. The unveiling of secrets towards the end was a whirlwind, leaving my mind spinning as the threads of the plot came together.
However, as much as I enjoyed the suspenseful journey, I found myself slightly underwhelmed by the ending. It had a certain quaintness to it that I found a tad predictable. I was yearning for a more gritty and impactful conclusion that would leave me truly stunned. While the ending was cleverly executed, it lacked the shocking punch I had hoped for.
One notable aspect that struck me was the noticeable absence of male characters in the story. With only one male presence portrayed as a villainous figure, the narrative felt somewhat unbalanced and detached from reality. Although the story centred around Mother's Day and its associated themes, the lack of significant male figures made the narrative world feel somewhat skewed and less relatable.
In conclusion, "Good Bad Girl" is an enthralling tale that keeps you hooked from start to finish, shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The suspenseful journey and intricate unravelling of secrets make for an engaging read. However, the slightly twee ending and the absence of substantial male characters did take away from the overall impact of the story. While it might not have delivered the shocking blow I anticipated, it remains a captivating exploration of secrets and deception.