Don't concern yourself with this mess you've left for me: GOOD BAD GIRL.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Can you see the permanent furrow left in my brow from reading this book?

GOOD BAD GIRL is a befuddling thriller that keeps you flipping the pages, desperate to see how everything plays out. It focuses on the intertwined lives of several women. Edith is stuck against her will in a care home by her daughter, Clio. The two have never gotten along. Luckily Edith has Patience, a young cleaning woman and caretaker, who helps her out and brings her contraband supplies. But soon their lives collide dramatically, forcing secrets to come to light.

GOOD is told from the POV of these ladies and a few other characters. It flies by. There's a Mother's Day theme, with the story starting with the disappearance of a baby twenty years ago. It's fascinating trying to work out how our present-day characters are related, if at all, to that long-ago Mother's Day incident. The story deftly weaves in the theme of mothers and daughters and their relationships--sometimes troubled, sometimes not. At the same time, it's a well-done, intricately plotted mystery. I really enjoyed this one. 4.5 stars.

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After what you put me through: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An excellent twisty thriller

Adam and Amelia Wright win a weekend away to Scotland--and this romantic getaway might be the only thing to save their rocky marriage. Screenwriter Adam spends most of his time working, much to the frustration of Amelia. Adam also suffers from prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, and sometimes Amelia wonders if he'd even recognize his own wife in a crowd. They know this weekend could make a huge difference in their marriage, but what they don't know: they didn't win this trip. And someone really doesn't want them to save their marriage.

"We both know this weekend away is a last chance to fix things. Or at least to try. He hasn't forgotten that."

This was a really fun thriller, honestly! Just one of those creepy and mysterious reads that kept me guessing most of the entire time. It's told from the point of view of both Adam and Amelia and interspersed with Amelia's letters that she writes to Adam each year on their anniversary (but does not let him read). We also have a third point of view, from a mysterious other character. How does everyone fit together? Enjoy trying to figure it out!

"My husband doesn't cheat on me with other women, or men, he has love affairs with their words."

Everyone is keeping secrets in this mystery, leading to a wild ride. The setting is amazing, a cold, dark, and snowy atmospheric Scotland that serves as another character in our twisty thriller. Every thing seems ominous and foreboding, as Adam and Amelia traverse the snowy countryside and mysterious house they are staying in.

Overall, this is a great and thrilling mystery, which keeps you guessing. It's a surprising page-turner, that also delves into the themes of marriage and writing. 4+ stars.

I received a free ARC of this book from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

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Over the unclear eyes of memory: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

My rating: 4+ of 5 stars


Aimee Sinclair is an actress. She's not really famous yet, but you might have heard of her. Aimee is working on her latest film when she comes home and discovers that her husband, Ben, has vanished without his wallet, phone, keys, coat, or shoes. Initially she isn't too worried as the two had a large fight the night before. But he isn't home the next morning, and Aimee's card is declined when she tries to use it. The bank tells her her account has been emptied. She immediately suspects Ben, but the bank tells her it was her. Aimee has a history of "forgetting," but she's sure she would remember this. Soon the police are at Aimee's door, and her world starts to turn upside down.


"My husband is gone"


I really enjoyed Alice Feeney's first book, SOMETIMES I LIE, and this one lived up to expectations. I have to say that Feeney has cornered the market on confusing books with unreliable narrators who bring along messed up backstories. (How's that for a mouthful?) Aimee is an interesting character--an actress with a spotty past and flitty mentions of her "forgetting"--yet you can't help but feel somewhat drawn to her. Things go south pretty quickly once Ben disappears, and we are sucked down with her. Yet Aimee is tough, and she's pretty determined to figure out what is going on.


"Acting is easy; it's being me that I find difficult"


Like Feeney's first book, this one will leave you feeling confused and disjointed as you read, much like Aimee's brain. What is going on? Can we trust her? Can we trust anyone? Complicating things is the fact that Aimee's story alternates with that of a young girl who wanders away from home and, well, let's just say that doesn't end well. These two storylines are oddly captivating, motivating you to madly flip the pages. Eventually, I found myself caring not so much about what actually happened to Ben, but just caught up in Aimee's overall story and saga.


"Sometimes it's the people who love us the most that hurt us the hardest; because they can."


Now, be warned. This is not just a befuddling tale, but a twisted one. Feeney goes dark, very dark with our story here. Oh man, but it's a really good surprise, and while I saw hints of it, I loved it, and quite enjoyed how everything came together. (Or, conversely, fell apart?) The book keeps you guessing, that's for sure.

Overall, this is a really twisted, mesmerizing thriller that keeps you engaged. I will definitely be reading anything Alice Feeney writes. 4+ stars.

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I'm too far gone to turn this heart around: SOMETIMES I LIE.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Amber wakes up in the hospital in a coma after an accident, which she cannot remember. She is paralyzed, unable to move or speak. She feels convinced that her husband, Paul, may have had something to do with it. Her visitors include Paul and her sister, Claire.

Well, this is an interesting one. The novel takes the unreliable narrator trope to the highest level. After all, Amber is in a coma, with memory issues. She also tells us, at the beginning of the novel, that she lies. Armed with this information, we are thrown headfirst into the story, trying to figure out exactly what has happened. The reader struggles along with Amber to learn what happened as she overhears snippets in her hotel room. It's quite the ride.

The novel is told in three parts: Amber's thoughts as she struggles to remember from within the coma, Amber telling events as they lead up to the accident, and snippets of childhood journal entries. The result is a confusing, suspenseful read that makes you instantly suspicious about everything and everyone. The novel is full of warning signs and creepy moments. It also features its share of impressive twists and turns. I was definitely shocked a couple of times.

I was, honestly, a little confused sometimes too. I have some weird feelings on this one. It's a great thriller. It keeps you guessing, and it surprises you. A lot, if you're me. I'm not sure I always enjoyed the characters, but I'm certainly impressed by the book, if that makes any sense. No more details, as I highly recommend going in spoiler-free.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 03/13/2018.

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