145 ratings | 3 reviews | avg rating:4.32

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C.J. Parsons

Goodreads Author

Born

London, The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.cjparsonswriter.com/

Twitter

charlopar

Genre

Thriller

Influences

Daphne du Maurier, Iain Banks, Maggie O'Farrell
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Member Since

July 2020

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/cj_parsons

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CJ Parsons was born in Britain and grew up in Canada. She graduated from Montreal's McGill University with a degree in psychology and went on to earn a graduate degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter at Canada's Globe and Mail before moving to Hong Kong, where she became a columnist at The South China Morning Post.
She also spent two years covering crime, seeing first-hand the disturbing forces that drive people to kill, something that has informed her writing to this day.
After returning to Britain, she moved into television news, working as a broadcast journalist for both the BBC and CNN International. CJ is now a senior producer at CGTN. She lives in north London with her twelve-year-old daughter.
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

C.J. Parsons Learn to not only accept, but embrace criticism. I am a feedback-dependent author, constantly inflicting various chunks of manuscript on long-sufferin…moreLearn to not only accept, but embrace criticism. I am a feedback-dependent author, constantly inflicting various chunks of manuscript on long-suffering writer friends. Feedback is an invaluable tool for moving your manuscript to the next level. So if you don't already have a writer friend whose opinion you rate, I suggest joining an online group or creative writing class, keeping an eye out for members whose work you admire and whose comments are on point. Approach them about helping each other outside of the group, offering your feedback in exchange for theirs. Giving feedback is useful in itself, sharpening your editing skills and honing your ability to see what does and doesn't work.(less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

C.J. Parsons Motherhood introduced me to a new kind of terror: the fear of losing my daughter. I experienced it time and again, kicking in within minutes of losing…moreMotherhood introduced me to a new kind of terror: the fear of losing my daughter. I experienced it time and again, kicking in within minutes of losing sight of her. I knew it wasn't logical, but I couldn't control it. So I decided to try and capture it instead. I wrote a scene from the mother's perspective in which a child goes missing in a playground. I hadn't thought about how the scene might be used or what might happen next. But it became the seed from which the Good Samaritan grew.(less)

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Combine Editions
C.J. Parsons’s books

Average rating: 3.76 · 1,137 ratings · 163 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Winner 3.59 avg rating — 640 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Good Samaritan 3.98 avg rating — 494 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Bad Mother: The gripping new psychological suspense thriller for 2026 Perfect for fans of Sue Watson, S.E. Lynes and Freida McFadden. 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

2 posts
C.J. Parsons's Blog

Ups and Down Web Sites

Something amazing happened not long after my book launch.
A reader complained.
He messaged my Facebook author page to let me know that my website was down.
Before the launch, the site’s only traffic had consisted of web designer Eddie, a smattering of exceptionally dedicated (or exceptionally nosey) friends and of course, me. But now, a real live reader had joined us: someone who had not only read m Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 27, 2020 08:09

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C.J.’s Recent Updates

C.J. Parsons liked Lorna Dounaeva's review of The Bad Mother: "The Bad Mother was so twisty and intense! Chloe is a fearless protagonist. I was rooting for her every step of the way. CJ Parsons is a master of misdirection. Just when I thought I had it figured out, she pulled the rug again. I couldn't put it down" Read more of this review »
Jun 10, 2026 11:40PM · see review
C.J. Parsons liked Rudrashree Makwana's review of The Winner: "The book is riveting, suspenseful and unputdownable. Characters had a poignant back stories. The plot is interesting. As the tagline says, ‘Be careful what you wish for...’ There is a program called Triple F, it stands for Fame, Fortune and Followers" Read more of this review »
Aug 15, 2024 08:32PM · see review
C.J. Parsons liked Jean Parsons's review of The Winner: "This book is a “Winner” for anyone who enjoys a good mystery/thriller. It is compelling from beginning to end. "
Aug 15, 2024 08:32PM · see review
C.J. Parsons liked Margaret's review of The Winner: "This was a brilliant read, I thoroughly enjoyed it, couldn't put it down. Well done to C.J. Parsons."
Aug 15, 2024 08:31PM · see review

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