What do you think?
Rate this book
The Good Friend: A Psychological Thriller with a Shocking Twist
She went to prison for murdering her best friend. Two years later, the victim walked into a police station.
When Eric Linley returns home from a business trip to find a shattered vase, a bloody handprint on the wall, and his wife missing, he fears the worst. The police immediately suspect the husband—until an ironclad alibi clears his name.
Detective Jack Russo needs a new suspect, and he finds the perfect one in Becky Mercer.
Becky is Tara Linley’s inseparable best friend. She is devastated, vocal, and determined to find Tara. But as Russo digs deeper, the facade of a grieving friend crumbles. He finds a hidden shrine of photos. A diary detailing a suffocating jealousy. And finally, a "trophy" of the victim hidden in Becky's air vent.
The narrative is The obsession. The motive. The murder. Becky is convicted and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. Justice is served.
Until two years later.
A woman walks into a police station in Oklahoma with a new hair color, a cheap jacket, and a name that belongs to a dead Tara Linley.
She claims she ran away to escape a toxic life, unaware her best friend was rotting in a cell for a crime that never happened. Becky is released, an innocent martyr wronged by the system, poised for a multi-million dollar settlement.
But as the two friends reunite, Detective Russo can’t shake the nagging feeling that the pieces fit together too perfectly. As he pulls at the loose threads of the investigation, he realizes that the truth isn't about who died... it's about who lived.
From Thad Cross, author of The Gentle Child, comes a diabolical thriller about the lies we tell, the systems we manipulate, and the terrifying intimacy of female friendship.
When Eric Linley returns home from a business trip to find a shattered vase, a bloody handprint on the wall, and his wife missing, he fears the worst. The police immediately suspect the husband—until an ironclad alibi clears his name.
Detective Jack Russo needs a new suspect, and he finds the perfect one in Becky Mercer.
Becky is Tara Linley’s inseparable best friend. She is devastated, vocal, and determined to find Tara. But as Russo digs deeper, the facade of a grieving friend crumbles. He finds a hidden shrine of photos. A diary detailing a suffocating jealousy. And finally, a "trophy" of the victim hidden in Becky's air vent.
The narrative is The obsession. The motive. The murder. Becky is convicted and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. Justice is served.
Until two years later.
A woman walks into a police station in Oklahoma with a new hair color, a cheap jacket, and a name that belongs to a dead Tara Linley.
She claims she ran away to escape a toxic life, unaware her best friend was rotting in a cell for a crime that never happened. Becky is released, an innocent martyr wronged by the system, poised for a multi-million dollar settlement.
But as the two friends reunite, Detective Russo can’t shake the nagging feeling that the pieces fit together too perfectly. As he pulls at the loose threads of the investigation, he realizes that the truth isn't about who died... it's about who lived.
From Thad Cross, author of The Gentle Child, comes a diabolical thriller about the lies we tell, the systems we manipulate, and the terrifying intimacy of female friendship.
101 pages, Paperback
Published December 23, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 27, 2026
very short book, the 2 women set it up so it looked like her best friend killed her. she was sent to prison and 2 yrs later her friend shows up. she sued and got $15 million. they left the country and enjoyed themselves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2026
haha
good for them
very gone girl
the detective russo felt very satirical and made me laugh he was so silly
good for them
very gone girl
the detective russo felt very satirical and made me laugh he was so silly
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews