'The Good Girl' by Mary Kubica is a psychological thriller about the kidnapping of Mia Dennett, the daughter of a prominent Chicago judge. The story is narrated from multiple perspectives, including Mia's mother Eve, the detective Gabe, and the kidnapper Colin. The plot alternates between before and after timelines, creating suspense and depth to the narrative. The writing style involves twists, surprises, and a nonlinear structure that keeps the readers engaged till the very end.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers for The Good Girl would include themes of kidnapping, emotional abuse, trauma, and elements related to psychological distress.
From The Publisher:
Look out for Mary Kubica's chilling new thriller, Local Woman Missing
Over a million copies sold.
"A twisty, roller coaster ride of a debut. Fans of Gone Girl will embrace this equally evocative tale." -Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"I've been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don't know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she's scared. But I will."
One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.
When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers, Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them. But no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.
An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a propulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems.
Look for these other pulse-pounding thrillers by New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica:
Pretty Baby
Don't You Cry
Every Last Lie
When the Lights Go Out
The Other Mrs.
Ratings (22)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (5) | |
Liked It (10) | |
It Was OK (4) |
Reader Stats (47):
Read It (24) | |
Want To Read (16) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (6) |
1 comment(s)
SYNOPSIS:
Mia has been kidnapped. Mia is in her 20s. She’s the black sheep in her family. She’s a school teacher.
James and Eve are Mia’s parents. James is a prominent judge, and he cares a lot about image.
Grace is Mia’s sister, and she is the golden child. She followed in her father’s footsteps & went to law school.
Gabe is the detective assigned to Mia’s case.
Colin is the kidnapper, who is working for someone else. At the beginning of book, we learn he kidnaps her to actually help her & goes against the wishes of the person that hired him.
MY THOUGHTS
I had no idea this was Mary Kubica’s debut novel. Clearly, I have been reading hers in all kinds of order. She has quickly become one of favorite writers in the thriller/suspense genre.
This was set in Chicago, which I loved. Since I used to live in Chicago, it was easy to visualize neighborhoods and cross streets.
I read this in 24 hours, and I couldn’t put it down.
Excellent character development.
Multiple POVs. Told from perspectives of Eve, Gabe, Colin. In the epilogue, we are also offered Mia’s perspective.
All the characters are written really well. There’s no cheap writing tactics here. The perspectives come from each character’s world views. Although all the characters are flawed, Kubica deftly makes them understandable.
Well-plotted & expertly crafted.
Lots of twists, suspense, & drama. Complex family dynamics as well.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️read in 24 hours. Kubica is Queen of character development & plotting a gripping story.
What can you read after
The Good Girl?
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