Good Intentions

by Brandon Massey

Nate Noble has it all--a thriving business, a loving fiancée, and a bright future. But his world takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Marvin Waters, the childhood best friend he hasn't seen in thirty years.
Marvin is a man beaten down by life, haunted by a troubled past and barely scraping by. Driven by guilt and a desire to do the right thing, Nate extends a helping hand, offering Marvin a job and a fresh start.


But good deeds don't always go unpunished.


Marvin hasn't forgotten what happened when they were just boys—-and the role Nate played in his downfall. Resentment lurks beneath his gratitude, and as he weaves himself into Nate's life, a sinister plan begins to unfold. By the time Nate discovers the truth, it may already be too late.


Friendships might fade--but some grudges never die...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2025

About the author

Here’s a little about me, Brandon Massey. (“Massey” is not pronounced “macy,” by the way. Think of “mass” instead.)

I was born June 9, 1973, in Waukegan, Illinois. I grew up in Zion, a suburb north of Chicago.

I originally self-published Thunderland, my first novel, in 1999. After managing to sell a few thousand copies on my own, Kensington Publishing Corp. in New York offered me a two-book contract, and published a new, revised edition of Thunderland in December 2002.

Since then, I’ve published up to three books a year, ranging from thriller novels such as The Other Brother, to short story collections such as Twisted Tales, and anthologies such as Dark Dreams.

My newest suspense thriller, Covenant, was published in November 2010.

I’ve got plenty more stories in the works that I’ll publish in the coming years.

I live with my family near Atlanta, GA.

Reviews

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG TALK ABOUT A ONE SIT READ

In Good Intentions, Nate and Marvin are childhood friends, but after a tragic accident the two went their separate ways. 30 years later, Nate is a thriving businessman and he bumps into Marvin at a store who is not doing well for himself and is down on his luck. Nate decides to be a Good Samaritan and help Marvin out, but his good deeds are about to come with a bunch of complications!

Oh wow I think I have found a new author to obsess over. This was soooo good! I saw this book pop up on my kindle unlimited and decided to give it a read after enjoying the blurb. This is a fast paced read with so much juicy drama! I was so entertained throughout I didn’t want to put it down! This is your typical popcorn thriller with not so wise choices from the main character’s that keeps the drama spiraling and evoking a couple of eye rolls from us readers!

I was taken aback from the twist as I genuinely did not see it coming, I was enjoying the drama too much I didn’t ponder whether there would be any twist or turns.

This can be read in one go or listened too in one as I did, while doing some puzzling. The narrator did an amazing job and had me cackling!

I cant wait to read more of this authors backlist.






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pre read
Been wanting to read this authors work for the longest!
The blurb sounds juicy and giving major drama
Lets see if it delivers!
🧡💚🧡💚

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Brandon Massey doesn’t do anything else, he’s going to throw in some twists and write the last few chapters of his books to make you feel as if you’re having heart palpitations with the intensity! I literally feel raw & pure emotion at the end of every single book, and the anticipation is unreal. He is also going to always write an MMC that you yell at, yet still root for as you want to see him to win. I found myself saying numerous times “Nate what am I going to do with you.”

This story makes you rethink the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished.”

Nate has always been a straight by the book kinda guy, with “good intentions.” When his childhood friend Marvin returns, he tries so hard to help him, despite the bright red flags 🚩 🚩 that Marvin is not to be trusted. Racked with guilt from a childhood incident, Nate is still feels compelled to help!

★★★★★ Highly highly recommend, for fans of well written, page turning thrillers that grips you and refuses to let go.

[BrownBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate could have avoided half the things he went through if he would have listened to Leslie. This book shows you how sometimes being a good person can be a magnet for crazy people.

[Reading_Utopia! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally read my first Brandon Massey book and it was a total page turner! Good Intentions had me hooked from the first page, and I finished it in just one day! Nate, the MMC was so gullible it drove me a bit crazy, and I totally saw the twist coming from a mile away. Despite those quirks, Good Intentions was absolutely unputdownable. And ugh, Marvin the villain, words cannot describe how much I despised him!

[Papillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

real rating: 3.4

so in conclusion, you should always listen to women.

[Eros Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

“,but you know what they say about good intentions and where they lead.”

This is my introduction to Brandon Massey.
Not only has this made me a fan but, I’m ready to fly through his catalog.

If you are look for a fast paced psychological thriller that is perfect for immersive reading then this might be your next read!

-early 40s MMC
-unsealed/unforgiving past
-based in Georgia
-Black owned businesses
-moving forward x letting go
-long term grudges
-unexpected plot twists
-8/10 audiobook
-complicated relationships
-realistic characters
-no loose ends
-solid epilogue

This was one of those thrillers that is predictable until it isn’t.
I was locked in from the first chapter.
I couldn’t put it down.

As a reader who enjoys psychological thrillers that I can’t predict?
This had me gagged.
B. Massey will see more of me.

[WHL (Bill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Octavia Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good intentions and bad decisions

Brandon Massey’s books are the best. This was a very good book. The characters were a bit ditzy. But I think it made the story more enjoyable.

[Claudia W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced thriller about how one good deed turns into a nightmare. Nate reconnects with an old friend, only to uncover old hidden grudges. It reminded me of Chappelle’s “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong”—doing the right thing leads to all the wrong consequences 🥴

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rating
“You have good intentions, but you can’t save everyone.”

This was my first read by Brandon Massey, and it was a quick one! The narrator did a great job on the audio. I went in expecting more of a thriller, but it leaned more toward drama for me. The ending caught me off guard. I didn’t see that twist coming. Nate is genuinely a good guy who wanted to do right by his friend, but sometimes being too kind can make you a little gullible. That was a real lesson learned.

[Kim’s Kindle Reads. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everybody got on my nerves. Every decision made got more & more stupid. Massey really knows how to write a MMC that irks my nerves 😭 the twist was cool.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. One thing Mr. Massey is going to do write a MMC that annoys the hell out of me lol. Like why don’t the men ever have a backbone or listen to their partner? This was a decent quick thriller I needed tho. I’m not a fan of a miscommunication trope but I really like the twists at the end of the book for sure.

[Arika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars…. I love a good thriller/mystery. This one was a little predictable and a little repetitive at times for me. I started off enjoying it but then wanted the story to just get to the point. The “twist” to me wasn’t the big ah ha that I normally love I guess because I saw it coming. The hidden clues were there.

[Jada Elliard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazed

This book will keep you on your toes! The deception, lies, betrayal.. it was a great read! Nate wanted to be a hero but should have taken better precautions. Just because we grew up with someone doesn’t mean you know them. Highly recommend!

[✨Shay✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. I wasn’t surprised but the plot was good.

Nate was too nice and extremely naive.

I think it’s safe to say i’m in a book slump.

[Paige Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was gooooooood!! The way the story developed was pretty jaw dropping. I love how he drop little nuggets which allow you to connect the dots at the end. And the twist??? Great story!

[Love BookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Brandon Massey book and I enjoyed it. lol let me just say that I love going into books kind of blind and being surprised by some twists and turns. I had my finger on something while reading, so that was fun! I knew something weird was going on, so I’m proud of myself for not being totally clueless… but I hadn’t had it all figured out.

Nate’s character disappointed me, his fiancé’s character frustrated me, and Marvin’s character enraged me. My goodness!

The plot was there, the mystery was there.

[XiXi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every single character in this book frustrated me—just one questionable decision after another! I’m still confused about Nate’s mom’s reaction to the letter; I don’t understand why she’d be upset about her son trying to help his friend. That said, I actually enjoyed the book overall. It was a quick, engaging read with a twist at the end that I really liked. Oh, and the biggest takeaway: men, listen to your lady the first time. 💅🏽✨

[ChaeLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ No doubt a binge worthy psychological thriller. Twisty and fast paced. I wanted to shake Nate so bad and tell him to get it together!! I actually predicted what the twist was at one point but then questioned myself cuz it was still too early so I let it go. It felt good knowing I was on the right track in the end though.

It’s been some time where I’ve had a book where I couldn’t wait to pick it up and read because almost every chapter leaves you wanting more. Definitely will be reading more by this author. If you have KU, go ahead save this one!

[AMBER · Rating 4 out of 5]

September Read: Good Intentions by Brandon Massey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A good deed from 30 years ago comes back to bite Nate hard. Owner of a thriving chain of UPS stores, he hires his childhood friend Marvin despite clear warnings—even from his fiancée. Nate ignores red flags, and it’s maddening to watch. What starts as generosity unravels into guilt trips, manipulation, and greed that threaten his future. Massey delivers a relentless, nerve-rattling page-turner that’ll have you yelling at characters and losing track of your real-life to-dos.

[PrincezzBookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cant say the ending surprised me but I definitely wasn't shocked. I knew some stuff just wasn't adding up. A good lesson to learn is to not let your actions as a child dictate your future, you might end up in a crazy situation. Marvin was crazy and Nate was gullible. Discernment. If it sounds fishy, go with your instincts.

[Samyra Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining read

The characters were well developed, although I didn’t like many of them for one reason or another, but they all entertained me. The M.C. had to be the most gullible character I read about all year, lol. The plot twist caught me off guard, and the author did a great job of tying everything up. I highly recommend this story.

[Crystal (Melanatedreader) Forte' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandon Massey knows how to gag me every single time!Good intentions in fact feels like one of these friends does NOT in fact have good intentions at all! The plot twist was crazy and I loved the pacing as this thriller unraveled

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Rachel C. Buntin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional roller coaster! 🥲 I wanted to jump through the book and smack some sense into Nathan, the main character!

[Lisa Sunshine Book Babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot twist at the end omg. Nate had me pissed off the whole book he should’ve listened to Leslie. But overall i liked this book it kept me engaged

[Tonya Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first from this author and will definitely read more of his work. This book angered me so many times with some of the actions of these characters. The ending more than made up for all of that!!!

[Regina Hoskins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nate pissed me off the entire book . I only finished to see how dumb he was and skimmed through most of the book

[Melissa McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a fast read! It was not totally predictable! Nate is similar to other Massey male characters, gullible!

[Anniee Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, hey, my favorites 😁💚. #annieethebookiee is back with another book review.

📚 Good Intentions by Brandon Massey
🗓️ Published: May 30, 2025
⭐ Rating: 4/5 stars

Whew! This one took me on a ride—and I stayed buckled in the whole way.

Let me start by saying Good Intentions is a slow burn, but when I tell you the tension creeps in so smooth, you don’t even realize how deep you’re in until it’s too late to put it down. Brandon Massey knows how to pull you in with quiet suspense, layered characters, and just enough “Wait, what?!” moments to keep you guessing.

Now let’s talk about these characters...

Marvin had me STRESSED. I mean, good grief, sir—pull it together.
Nate was on a whole other level of aggravation. I found myself side-eyeing him more than once.
Danielle? Giiiirrrrl, why were you throwing yourself at people like that? Desperation isn’t cute.
But Leslie?! Baby, she was the brains of the whole operation. I wanted to high-five her and hug her at the same time. That woman was sharp, steady, and exactly what the story needed.

Massey blends psychological drama, mystery, and a dose of relationship messiness in a way that only he can. The pacing might be slower than some of his other thrillers, but it gives space for the characters to unravel—and trust me, they do.

If you're into domestic suspense with a dash of betrayal, secrets, and a smart woman holding it all together, this one’s for you. Brandon Massey does it again. I closed the book satisfied, annoyed (at the right people), and thoroughly entertained.