Good Girl, Bad Girl: A Novel (1) (Cyrus Haven Series)

Finalist for the 2020 Edgar Award for Best Novel

From the internationally bestselling author who Stephen King calls “an absolute master,” a fiendishly clever thriller about a dangerous young woman with the ability to know when someone is lying—and the criminal psychologist who must outwit her to survive.

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 died 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?

Emotionally explosive, swiftly paced, and “haunting…Robotham expertly raises the tension as the action hurtles toward the devastating climax” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

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384 pages

Average rating: 7.83

48 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

JackieS
Mar 03, 2025
9/10 stars
It turned out to be a very good read.
Anonymous
Nov 18, 2024
8/10 stars
Interesting mystery, I was surprised (haven't decided whether it's good or bad) that the author entwined Evie with Felix for a minute there, felt random but maybe it will be built off of/relevant later ..?
WineforReading
Jul 29, 2023
8/10 stars
Psychological thriller - Interesting police investigation novel with twists and turns.
Jenn K
Nov 16, 2022
8/10 stars
I couldn’t put this book down! Great suspense novel, and you really fall in love with the characters!
Suzy
Jul 08, 2022
Another book in my all time favourites list, loved it.

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