CEO Reads: When She Was Good

This is another guaranteed Summer Holiday great read and I definitely recommend you put it on your list. The library has plenty of copies so the wait will be quite short so put your reservation on now.  I loved Robotham’s Joe O’Loughlin series and was very sad when it finished. I approached this new series, featuring Cyrus Haven, with a little reader apprehension as was not sure that I would like this change. The first instalment in the Cyrus Haven series is Good Girl, Bad Girl, and I do recommend you read it first.  Saying that, though, When She Was Good has good backstory that means it can be read as a standalone novel.

Evie Cormac, Angel Face, was found hiding in a secret room after a man was tortured and killed in the same house, and after six years has never revealed her real name, her past, or her secrets.  In Good Girl, Bad Girl  we learned of her ability to tell if someone is lying and that others are looking for her.  Cyrus has been working with her over this time, first as a foster parent, and when that did not work out and Evie was transferred to a secure children’s facility under an assumed name, has continued to be her friend.  But people are still looking for Angel Face and not with kind intent.

Cyrus wants to know the truth of her past but Evie knows that this is very dangerous. Cyrus, despite Evie’s warnings and fear, goes looking for her past.  He finds powerful people are interested and insisting, sometimes forcefully, that he cease and desist. Then Evie’s friend in the children’s home is murdered and events spiral out of control – and still Cyrus wants the truth.

This is a fast paced read and we explore the story through both Evie’s perspective and Cyrus’s perspective which I really enjoyed. The plot totally draws you in and you want to know the shocking truth too. Evie, as a character, brings to mind Steig Larsson’s damaged heroine, Lisbeth Salander, and if you enjoyed those books you will definitely love this one too.

Robotham, an Australian writer based in Sydney, started his writing career as an investigative journalist where he honed his writing skills and understanding of the human psyche. And it is this background that must bring a depth of understanding to his characters that resonate with readers, and that also allows him to skilfully portray those that are damaged by trauma and struggling to survive.  A great read that will satisfy those that love a good twisty crime novel.