Good Girl, Bad Girl – Michael Robotham (Cyrus Haven Book 1)

A girl is discovered hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a terrible crime. Half-starved and filthy, she won’t tell anyone her name, or her age, or where she came from. Maybe she is twelve, maybe fifteen. She doesn’t appear in any missing persons file, and her DNA can’t be matched to an identity.

Six years later, still unidentified, she is living in a secure children’s home with a new name, Evie Cormac. When she initiates a court case demanding the right to be released as an adult, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven must determine if Evie is ready to go free. But she is unlike anyone he’s ever met—fascinating and dangerous in equal measure. Evie knows when someone is lying, and no one around her is telling the truth.

Meanwhile, Cyrus is called in to investigate the shocking murder of a high school figure-skating champion, Jodie Sheehan, who dies on a lonely footpath close to her home. Pretty and popular, Jodie is portrayed by everyone as the ultimate girl-next-door, but as Cyrus peels back the layers, a secret life emerges—one that Evie Cormac, the girl with no past, knows something about. A man haunted by his own tragic history, Cyrus is caught between the two cases—one girl who needs saving and another who needs justice. What price will he pay for the truth

Good Girl, Bad Girl is an unnerving psychological thriller from one of the greatest crime writers of today, Michael Robotham, bestselling author of The Other Wife and The Secrets She Keeps. 

About the Author:

Gold Dagger award winner, Michael Robotham began his writing career as an investigative journalist working across Britain, Australia and America. Later he became a ghostwriter, collaborating on 15 ‘autobiographies’ for politician, pop stars, soldiers and adventurers. Twelve of these books became Sunday Times bestsellers

My Review:

This is my first book by Michael Robotham and also the first book in a brand new series.  Good Girl, Bad Girl is a gripping and addictive fast paced thriller which I devoured over a couple of days.

Cyrus Haven is a forensic psychologist.  A dedicated and professional man who’s determined to find the truth and help solve cases as and when the police require his assistance.  He lives alone in a large but run down house, doesn’t own a mobile phone and happens to be the sole survivor of a horrific family massacre.

Evie Cormac is a young girl living in a secure children’s home.  She’s angry, aggressive, withdrawn and determined to leave the home.  She also happens to be “Angel Face”.  The little girl found in a hidden room 6 years ago where a brutal murder took place but she refuses to talk about any of the events or where she came from.

When a 15 year old professional ice skater is brutally raped and murdered Cyrus is called to assist and begins to dig deeper into the victim’s life and her family.  Before long both Cyrus and Evie find their lives intertwined as they try to solve the young girls murder together.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, particularly getting to know the main characters Cyrus and Evie and learning more about their backstories.  The second book When She Was Good is being published in July and I will definite be reading it soon.