Book Review: Michael Robotham's When She Was Good ... a Cyrus Haven & Evie Cormac thriller

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Published by Sphere Release date 28th July 2020 
I've had When She Was Good on my TBR pile from Netgalley for absolutely ages and  other commitments kept pushing it down the pile. After reading the first in this series - Good Girl Bad Girl -  I was absolutely smitten by the characters and wanted to follow their journey and, just to be clear I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. When She Was Good is a brilliant follow up and is every bit as compelling as the first in the series. Although it could be read as a standalone, I'd recommend reading the first in the series first to get the full effect of this brilliant follow up, which follows the two main characters' journey,

Here's the Blurb
She has secrets.

Six years ago, Evie Cormac was found hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a brutal murder. But nobody has ever discovered her real name or where she came from, because everybody who tries ends up dead.

He needs answers.

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven believes the truth will set Evie free. Ignoring her warnings, he begins to dig into her past, only to disturb a hornet's nest of corrupt and powerful people, who have been waiting to find Evie - the final witness to their crimes. Unbeknownst to him, Cyrus is leading them straight to Evie. The truth will not set her free. It will get them killed.

My Thoughts
After finishing Good Girl Bad Girl, I was desperate to find out more about the two

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troubled main characters, Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac. I was left desperate to know the rest of their stories and in When She Was Good, that's exactly what we find out - well as regards Evie anyway.
Told from the two main characters' points of view, When She Was Good is poignant, thought provoking and utterly brilliantly written. Both characters are troubled in very different ways and that draws them together with an invisible bond that is stronger than steel. 
I love that we get to see both characters' vulnerability as well as their strengths. At times I was almost in tears with Evie's story and I admit to having murderous thoughts on occasion at some of what she went through. 
Rarely does a novel stir me so much that I want to immediately start on the next one and shout about it from the roof tops, but When She Was Good did just that. I felt I was with the characters each step of the way and was cheering them on over each and every hurdle they faced. 
Spine tingling, suspenseful and chillingly emotive - I can't praise this book enough. I think it is my favourite book of 2020 so far. 

Author Bio
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.

Michael's haunting psychological thrillers have been translated into twenty-three languages and are currently in development for TV by Bonafide Films. He is a two time winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Australia's Crime Novel of the Year, and has twice been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger and twice for the CWA's acclaimed Gold Dagger award, which he won in 2015 with his standalone thriller, LIFE OR DEATH.
Michael lives in Sydney with his wife and three daughters.
His website is: www.michaelrobotham.com