Audiobook Review: Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

Good Bad Girl
Author:
Alice Feeney

Narrators:
Katherine Press
Stephanie Racine
Published: August 29, 2023
Audiobook: 9 hours 21 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: August 25-30, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars

Book Description:

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, 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 messes 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.

Jessica’s Review:

Good Bad Girl had promise for me, but it is less of a thriller and more of a slow burn domestic drama dealing with complicated mother/ daughter relationships. We have two crimes that occur twenty years apart that are somehow connected: a kidnapped baby and a murder at an assisted living facility.  We have 4 main characters that are the focus on Good Bad Girl. Alice Feeney knows how to write: “This is a crime with three suspects, two murders, and one victim.” 

For me the title could have been different: Can we please drop the ‘Girl’ in book titles, especially when we don’t even have a ‘girl’ in the story? All the characters were grown women. ‘Girl’ is in just too many titles these days for thrillers.  Especially when the book is less thriller and more domestic drama. 

For me the audiobook did not really work: This is a book where I need to actually be sitting down to actually read it and not worry about driving. Because of this I had trouble following the book and keeping the characters straight. The two narrators were very similar in their voices, so I know that did not help me either. I would be willing to pick up a physical/kindle copy to see if I can end up with a differing opinion of this one.

Many thanks to the publisher for granting me a copy to listen to and review. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK