Good Guys: A Novel

by Sharon Bala

From the bestselling author of The Boat People comes a moral thriller about money, the dark side of philanthropy, and what happens when you try to change the world for all the wrong reasons.

"The easiest choices are the ones you make for other people."

Claire Talbot is the publicist at Children of the World, an NGO that funds international aid projects. Morally burnt out after decades working in reputation management, Claire is relieved to finally use her PR skills for good. Too bad the charity is on the verge of bankruptcy. In a last-ditch effort to keep them afloat, Claire arranges for an A-list actress to volunteer at one of their overseas orphanages. When the actress decides to adopt a baby and promises a massive donation, it seems as if Claire has single-handedly saved the day. But after a journalist digs into their operations and reveals a shocking crime, Claire and her colleagues must reckon with their complicity and all the ways their work abroad has harmed the very people they set out to save.

Moving between their headquarters in Toronto and their compound in Central America, the novel charts the charity’s rise and fall. By turns scathing and compassionate, the book offers a compelling behind-the-scenes look at the complex and morally ambiguous world of international aid, and ultimately asks the is it possible to do good in a broken system?

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Canada

376 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 20, 2026

About the author

Sharon Bala is trapped on a rock in the cold North Atlantic. Please send mangoes.

Her debut novel, The Boat People, was published by McClelland & Stewart and Doubleday US in January, 2018. The manuscript won the Percy Janes First Novel Award (May 2015) and was short listed for the Fresh Fish Award (October 2015).

In 2017, she won the Journey Prize and had a second story long-listed in the anthology. A three-time recipient of Newfoundland and Labrador's Arts and Letters award, she has stories published in Hazlitt, Grain, The Dalhousie Review, Riddle Fence, Room, Prism international, The New Quarterly, Journey Prize 29, and in an anthology called Racket: New Writing From Newfoundland (Breakwater Books, Fall 2015).

Sharon is a member of the Port Authority writing group. They can be found every second Tuesday swapping fiction in the closet of a store room on Memorial University's campus.

In her past lives, she worked in PR, event planning, and enjoyed a brief stint as a British housewife. Today, she earns her bread with words. She's available to write articles and essays, adjudicate competitions, for readings, manuscript evaluations, and editorial aid.

Sharon was born in Dubai, raised in the 905, and now lives in St. John's, Newfoundland with her husband, the mathematician Tom Baird.

Reviews

[Quill (thecriticalreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Good Guys by Sharon Bala is a searing gut-punch of a book that indicts the first world’s obsession with global philanthropy in a fictional story that could too easily be real.

Review:
Good Guys starts with the premise that global philanthropy is problematic. For some readers, this might be old news. White guilt, neocolonialism, etc., etc. For others, this might be a bit of a shock to the system; if you’ve been raised to believe that international charitable enterprises perform unequivocal good for the less fortunate, it might be a bitter pill to swallow to learn they are often at best ineffective, and at worst, exploitative. The book’s beginning feels almost like a crash course on the topic. The characters form a fitting stock image: the charming, quixotic, and self-absorbed rockstar at the head of an underfunded international charity organization; the aggrieved and overworked director in a fictional third-world country; the visionary publicist eager to capitalize on social media trends and celebrity in support of the cause; and the skeptical journalist eager to uncover the story of nonprofit corruption while advancing her own career.

While Good Guys begins on a rather didactic note, the characters develop dimension as the story gains traction. Claire, the new publicist for the international charity Children of the World, is determined to use her skills for good after a career spent strategically shielding billionaires and corporate predators from facing the consequences of their wrongdoing. She recognizes social media and celebrity clout as the potential saviors of the nonprofit’s anemic bank account. Her wildest dreams come true when Dallas Hayden, America’s favorite young female celebrity, agrees to visit the charity’s compound in the fictional South American country of Santa Rosa. There, Dallas falls in love with a young baby with a clubbed foot and adopts her after providing Children of the World with a hefty donation—but the baby isn’t an orphan, and her family wants her back. From there, Good Guys confronts the network of culpability as “good intentions” (or are they?) lead to heart-wrenching results.

This book is unbearable in its unrelenting cynicism. Bala paints an unflattering portrait of all those involved while also demonstrating how capitalist forces continuously disincentivize moral choices. Even the crusading journalist determined to expose Children of the World, Emmanuelle, cannot escape the need to compromise her values for steady employment.

Bala’s cynicism is baked in truth, however. Anyone who has paid attention to the news over the past ten years will recognize how Bala draws inspiration from real-life events; one could easily imagine the novel’s events transpiring in our twisted age of corporate greed and celebrity worship. Her grasp on the human psychology behind the bad decisions, attempted cover-up, and belated blunderings toward atonement make Good Guys a sickeningly compelling read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has an agenda. In this deeply cynical, not-quite-satirical novel, we get an all-too-real portrait of global aid organizations, the cult of personality with celebrity- and influencer-adjacent, virtue-signalling staff and donors. Yes, people are trying to do good -- but often not having a clue about what "good" might look like substantially or sustainably.
The book takes us inside one such NGO, whose PR person - recently "reformed" from her former well-paid role defending big oil and others - jumps at the opportunity to engage with an A-List celebrity. The donations start pouring in until the celeb does something tone deaf that backfires in a big way. Can their reputations be repaired over the next few news cycles? The pressure builds as the NGO staffers try to remedy the situation, aid recipients and reporters try to expose every wrongdoing, and donors try to renege.
The audiobook is well-narrated by different voices. The story is a horror show of what can go wrong with some (not all) aid organizations as wealthy and often white donors try to assuage our guilt for empire building, slavery, and the unequal distribution of resources. Although slow in parts, I found it disturbing, believable, and compelling.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @PenguinRandomHouseCanada, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #GoodGuys for review purposes. Publication date: 20 January 2026.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corporate greed, the unintentional harms that can occur by NGOs and the public trying to ‘help,’ and the child at the heart of it all makes up the story of Good Guys by Sharon Bala.

I was deeply affected by Bala’s novel The Boat People and eagerly awaited the opportunity to read Good Guys. While this one didn’t quite reach the level of the previous one, I did very much enjoy the exploration of goodness and how it can go off the rails when the intention comes from a place of wanting to do good to make yourself feel good while not always considering that it is not about you.

Thank you to @mcclellandstewart for providing me with an early ALC in exchange for my honest opinions. The audio was narrated by Athena Karkanis, Nicolas van Burek, Lisa Bunting, Golden Madison, Caleb Stull, and Ivan Wanis Ruiz . I enjoyed the full cast.

Good Guys publishes January 20, 2026

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Good.
Utterly compelling, I didn't want to put it down. Hits all the right notes, tackles every horrific aspect of voluntourism and "charitainment." Again, so good.

[Eileen KM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guys is a very strong story, that leads you through real and the complex world issues of philanthropy, the white saviour complex, volunteerism, religion and more. The writing is very descriptive and the character development was stellar. Highly recommend!

Review in exchange for net galley ARC

[Mick B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncomfortable, cynical, and exactly what we need

"'What is Crispin's take?' 'He says we need to respect their decision.' 'Their decision? What about the Garcias' decision? What about their right to their own child?' 'Indeed, what about that?' Claire held up her hands in concession. 'I started this, this whole chain of events, and now...' 'The ending is out of your control,' Emmanuelle finished."

Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Bala, and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Kidnapping, depictions of third world countries with health issues, adoption, child theft

Sharon Bala's Good Guys: A Novel takes a hard look at international aid, celebrity philanthropy, and what happens when good intentions meet corporate greed. This book delivered exactly what I wanted from the description and then pushed even further, creating something that makes you deeply uncomfortable in all the ways it should.

Claire Talbot spent years in corporate PR defending oil companies and other terrible clients. Now she's working as a publicist for Children of the World, a nonprofit that's barely staying afloat. She thinks she's finally doing something good with her career. When she gets A-list actress Dallas Hayden to visit one of their orphanages, it seems like the perfect solution. Dallas falls in love with a baby, adopts her, promises millions to the organization. Problem solved, right? Except the baby isn't an orphan. Her parents want her back. And when a journalist starts investigating, everything falls apart.

The satire in this book is fantastic. Bala shows how money corrupts everything, even places that are supposed to be doing good work. Claire reminds me of so many people I went to college with who had the best intentions but eventually went to work for "the man." She's now trying to cleanse her soul of corporate greed by working for a nonprofit, only to find out that money ruins everything it touches. Nobody in this book is purely good or purely bad. They're all just people making questionable decisions while convincing themselves they're helping.

I really loved what Bala does with Dallas as a character. She's not just a celebrity doing something stupid. She's a mirror held up to all of us. We're the ones following these people, liking their posts, consuming every detail of their lives. We're part of the problem too. But Bala also gives us Crispin, the nonprofit's founder, someone whose celebrity comes from a different era. He's a former rock star from the pre-internet days, think KISS or Ozzy Osbourne. His kind of fame is fading while Dallas represents this current moment of celebrity, the Kardashians or Sydney Sweeney type. Watching how Dallas can leverage her celebrity in ways Crispin no longer can adds another layer to the story about power and influence.

The audiobook worked really well. Multiple narrators handle different characters, and each one brings a distinct voice and perspective. That choice really enhanced the story for me. Hearing these different viewpoints made the ethical mess even more effective.

I have to be honest, this started slow. It took me longer than usual to get through the beginning because it didn't grab me right away. But once I was in, I was completely hooked. The book is relentlessly cynical, but that feels right for the story and for where we are as a society right now. This should make you question nonprofits. It should make you uncomfortable. It should push you to think more critically about who you support and why. But more than that, this book forces you to question how much power money can buy. What can the rich get away with? What can money buy? With everything happening in the world right now, this feels incredibly topical. Rich powerful people can get away with almost anything, and that IS the point of this book.

This book works for readers who want complicated characters without clean resolutions, people who want to think critically about celebrity activism and international aid, anyone interested in how money corrupts even good intentions, fans of satire that forces you to look at your own behavior, and people willing to sit with discomfort. If you've worked in the nonprofit world, you'll recognize a lot here. If you're looking for feel-good charity stories, this is not that book.

A sharp, challenging look at philanthropy that pushes you to question everything.

[Paul Wagenbreth · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Our intentions were good,” asserts publicist Claire Talbot about what will come to be a decidedly off-the-rails effort to aid an afflicted young Central American girl by Children of the World, a Toronto-based NGO which Claire is happy to be on board with. More than happy, indeed, positively thrilled she is to be part of an honest-to-God philanthropic entity – a chance, as she sees it, to be on the side of the angels after her earlier PR work for weapons manufacturers and blood diamond miners (being a laundromat for dirty corporations, as she puts it).
And an especially laudable lot it appears she has cast her lot with, Children of the World, including at its helm Crispin, the onetime front man of an alt-rock band who fancies himself a different sort of missionary, “casting his net among the rich and gently converting them with the gospel of equity”; Anya, the director of operations still smarting from her earlier association with a donor with another NGO who’d been charged with running a Ponzi scheme; and Lucca, the on-the-ground representative in Central America with whom Claire will become intimate.
So, a would-be agency for good, Children of the World. But as with other NGOs, afflicted enough with money woes that seeming manna from heaven it seems when a noted American actress becomes enamored enough with the afflicted girl to promise $2 million to the organization if she can adopt her – something that indeed comes to pass, even if there is a question about just how willingly the girl’s parents gave her up.
It’s what will make for the central issue of the novel, especially with the vigorous protestations of the girl’s father, though the adoption might still have gone under the radar, but for an enterprising journalist, Emmanuelle, who sniffs a big story with allegations of a kidnapping. Also something of the book's moral center she makes for, for all her opportunism, even if I found somewhat contrived the development that will allow her to run the story to ground.
Still, an uncompromising look at corporate philanthropy, author Sharon Bala’s novel, which along the way serves up some arresting prose reminiscent of another critic of efforts abroad gone bad, Robert Stone, as when it’s noted that "Crispin, the high-school dropout, could wield the capitalist argot too.”

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Good Guys by Sharon Bala

Good Guys is a novel that politely invites you to admire everyone’s good intentions and then immediately pulls the chair out from under you. Sharon Bala takes aim at the modern savior complex and asks a deeply uncomfortable question: what if “helping” is just ego with a press release? Centered on an international aid organization and a celebrity humanitarian moment, the story exposes the PR machinery working overtime to keep everything looking virtuous while quietly catching fire behind the scenes.

The characters are a parade of well-meaning chaos, led by Claire, a PR professional who is smart, capable, and extremely practiced at telling herself she’s on the right side of history. Journalists, executives, donors, and celebrities orbit her, all convinced they’re doing good while mostly protecting their own narratives. Bala excels at writing people who are sincere and self-serving in equal measure, which makes the satire sting. The audiobook only sharpens that edge, with multiple narrators handling different perspectives and striking a careful balance between restraint and attitude, letting the irony and moral discomfort land without overplaying it.

What makes Good Guys work is its sharp, controlled satire and brisk pacing. The prose never turns preachy, but it does quietly implicate the reader, reminding you that being one of the “good guys” is harder than the branding suggests. You won’t leave feeling inspired, but you will leave feeling smarter, slightly judged, and very aware that good intentions do not automatically equal good outcomes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. This is my unbiased and honest opinion.

[hannah ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sharp, thought-provoking character study full of the perfect amount of satire. It had me rolling my eyes, laughing uncomfortably, and saying “well that feels eerily familiar.” Sharon Bala takes a story that could’ve been straightforward and turns it into a layered, morally tangled tale that keeps you thinking long after the last page and that feels all too real.

The pacing is deliberate in the best way—slow enough to let you sit with the ethical questions it raises, but steady enough that I never felt pulled out of the narrative. Bala has a gift for writing flawed characters with such tenderness that even when you disagree with them, you still want to understand them. I loved how she explored guilt, responsibility, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify our own choices.

There are moments that feel uncomfortably real, almost like eavesdropping on someone’s internal battle. And honestly, that’s what made this such a compelling read. It’s not a thriller, but the tension of watching a life unravel is gripping in its own quiet way.

My only small complaint is that a couple of sections felt a bit drawn out—but the payoff was absolutely worth it.

A thoughtful, introspective novel that doesn’t hand you easy answers. If you love morally gray characters, ethical messiness, and books that spark conversation, this one is definitely worth picking up.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC!

[Stacey Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional look at international aid, bad decisions and flawed humans. What starts out as everyone doing their best for those that have less, turns into something twisted and dark.
So well written, it could easily be Non-Fiction. Haven't we heard this story 100 times? Celebrity goes into a war torn or poor country, attempts to make a difference (while documenting it all for social media) and leaving destruction in their wake. Good intentions and all that. The novel will make you uncomfortable and so it should. Think deep on what we do to others in the name of ego.
The characters here are all morally gray...even those that seem to be particularly dedicated. There is always a price for looking the other way. At heart...we're a selfish lot. I think the author captures this last bit particularly well with her sharp wit and satirical style.
The audio is terrific. Multiply narrators are needed here to bring those characters to life. The voice performances are nuanced and believable. The quality of sound and production is crisp and clear.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ALC to review. My thoughts are my own.

[Melanie Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. "Good Guys" is a novel I'll be thinking about for a while.

Children of the World is a financially failing NGO founded by a former rock star. When an A-list actress expresses interest in visiting it's Latin American arm, publicist Claire Talbot jumps at the opportunity. From a PR standpoint, all is going swimmingly, complete with a highly publicized baby adoption and generous donation to the NGO.

When a devastating crime is uncovered though, along with dozens of accounts of exploitation, dishonesty, and manipulation, the ensemble cast of Good Guys is forced to reckon with their own moral compasses and complicity.

Bala crafts characters who are so believable in their complex motivations (both altruistic, and selfish), and presents eye-opening and sobering truth about the world of charity--or "charity."

A five star read--I'm excited to talk about this one with friends.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving multi-perspective story that follows a large cast of characters dealing with the fallout of a celebrity actress who visits an overseas orphanage run by the nonprofit international aid charity, Children of the World. When the actress falls for a baby with club feet and wants to adopt her things turn into a PR nightmare, especially when it comes to light that the adoption may not have gone through proper channels and the father is demanding his child be given back!

Full of questions of morality and ethics, this is a timely read perfect for book clubs and fans of books like Little fires everywhere and The leavers. It was also excellent on audio narrated by a full cast. I loved the author's debut, The boat people, and this long-awaited follow up did NOT disappoint! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-crafted novel about an overseas foundation whose mandate is to provide health care and education to impoverished communities. When money runs dry, they jump at the chance to bring eyes and wallets back to their work by hosting a famous actress on a stint of voluntourism. At a critical moment, an expedient choice is made that will bring in buckets of cash, but will harm the very people they've vowed to help. Reading the fallout of this horrible decision made for pageturning intensity and a sick stomach. My heart broke for Maria, for Moses, and their impoverished communities who were mere backdrops for an actress looking to rehabilitate her reputation.

[Brenna Hogg • Really Into Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Guys was just as moving as The Boat People; dubbed a “moral thriller about money, the dark side of philanthropy, and what happens when you try to change the world for the wrong reasons,” this was suspenseful, thought provoking and an important read for the “Western world”.

Beautifully written and darkly cynical, I loved what it had to say about grim realities of the relationship between celebrities and philanthropy, specifically in our social media age, as well as how it shed a light on how fundamentally capitalist most of these foundations truly are.

I love how Sharon has found her literary niche and Good Guys solidified her as an auto buy author for me.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a relatable plot when it comes to doing good with charity and philanthropy in a world filled with evil and wrongdoing. Claire’s character is admirable and is someone I could really relate to especially with how she faces moral dilemmas. This book really got me reflecting and I really enjoyed the settings, where a picture was painted so clearly I felt I was right there looking at it myself. I felt so many emotions reading this book and the plot held my attention as it evolved. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bookaddictpnw · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars: This fictitious story rips news from headlines, and does so in a provocative and thoughtful manner. It is a tale of money, power and celebrity privilege in the world of NGOs. So many home truths to be found. I found it to be a bit too long, dragged in the middle, but brought it home with a punch. The audiobook is outstanding with great narrators.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read this book thanks to a Goodreads Giveaway.

This story was captivating, uncomfortable, raw and thought provoking. This is the first book I have read by this author and I’m officially a fan. This book challenges your assumptions and presents the complexity of being a “helper”.

[Chelsie Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book stressed me out so much when I was reading it. I thought it was well-written and powerful but man, it was intense.

[Melodi | booksandchicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable moral to an interesting story.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating fictional story of what happens in reality.

I couldnt read the pages fast enough during your the twists and enthralling events.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting moral thriller that occasionally felt a hair cardboard-cutout-ish but generally worked pretty well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD GUYS by Sharon Bala was the first book I finished this year and I loved it! This is such a great thought provoking novel and I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives. This story follows several people working at Children of the World, an NGO that is on the brink of bankruptcy. I enjoyed the settings of their headquarters in Toronto and their compound in Central America. The contrast highlights the power imbalance between the founder, workers at the compound and the children they’re aiding and the power of money. When an investigative journalist enters the story the tension really builds and I loved the pacing. It was so incredible to start off this year with such an excellent novel!

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC!