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A Good Man on a Dark Night
Not yet published
Expected 19 Jan 27In New York Times bestselling author Flynn Berry’s gripping new thriller, an ordinary woman is ordered to spy on a suspected enemy of the state, or become one herself
A private nurse. A mysterious patient. A dangerous secret.
Every week, Eleanor commutes from her house in the countryside into Washington, D.C. to visit her wealthy, powerful patients. On a warm spring morning, an officer from a shadowy security agency approaches her along the riverbank and orders her to inform on one of them, a foreign service officer named Anna.
Eleanor faces an impossible will she destroy another woman’s life, or her own? Anna is suspected of hiding a shocking secret, but she appears warm and trustworthy. Despite all Eleanor is risking, an unlikely friendship starts to form—and when she learns that her assignment is even more sinister than it seemed, their fates become dangerously entwined. Can Eleanor unravel the government’s plans before it’s too late?
A masterly new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of four acclaimed novels including the Reese’s Book Club pick Northern Spy, A Good Man on a Dark Night is both a riveting page-turner and a rich exploration of womanhood, friendship, and love in an era that threatens all three.
A private nurse. A mysterious patient. A dangerous secret.
Every week, Eleanor commutes from her house in the countryside into Washington, D.C. to visit her wealthy, powerful patients. On a warm spring morning, an officer from a shadowy security agency approaches her along the riverbank and orders her to inform on one of them, a foreign service officer named Anna.
Eleanor faces an impossible will she destroy another woman’s life, or her own? Anna is suspected of hiding a shocking secret, but she appears warm and trustworthy. Despite all Eleanor is risking, an unlikely friendship starts to form—and when she learns that her assignment is even more sinister than it seemed, their fates become dangerously entwined. Can Eleanor unravel the government’s plans before it’s too late?
A masterly new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of four acclaimed novels including the Reese’s Book Club pick Northern Spy, A Good Man on a Dark Night is both a riveting page-turner and a rich exploration of womanhood, friendship, and love in an era that threatens all three.
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 19, 2027
About the author
Flynn Berry
11 books1,559 followersFlynn Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of Trust Her (out June 2024), Northern Spy, A Double Life, and Under the Harrow. Northern Spy was a Reese’s Book Club Pick and chosen as one of the ten best thrillers of the year by The New York Times and the Washington Post, and Under the Harrow won the Edgar Award for best first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.25 stars
Mysteries and espionage have been my favorite genre for most of my adult life. I've branched out to others in recent years, but I still love to read these. Thanks to NetGalley, I received an advanced copy of A Good Man on a Dark Night by Flynn Berry.
Eleanor is a private nurse in Washington, D.C. providing private care to DC elites. Her government has asked her to spy on a suspected terrorist who is her newest patient. Eleanor isn't sure who the bad guy is - her new patient, her handler, the whistleblower, or her government.
I liked the premise, I liked Anna and Luke, and I liked not being sure who would end up being the bad guy. I did not like the writing style - it seemed more like a stream of consciousness type of monologue and it was stilted and chaotic for me. I had to suspend belief when Charles started sharing pictures and files with Eleanor to convince her of the terrorist activities while knowing he was supposedly sharing top secret information with an uncleared civilian. One of my biggest complaints with female main characters is that they tend to start whining a lot. Eleanor started doing that and was very melodramatic in Chapter 22.
My favorite interaction was between Eleanor and her mother when she needed mom to babysit:
"'It's not that sort of party.' 'What sort of party would you call it, Eleanor?' A party with four people suspected of terrorism, a defector from the secret police, a close protection officer, and my ex-boyfriend. 'A casual one.'" I will say, I was extremely happy about Dash.
Mysteries and espionage have been my favorite genre for most of my adult life. I've branched out to others in recent years, but I still love to read these. Thanks to NetGalley, I received an advanced copy of A Good Man on a Dark Night by Flynn Berry.
Eleanor is a private nurse in Washington, D.C. providing private care to DC elites. Her government has asked her to spy on a suspected terrorist who is her newest patient. Eleanor isn't sure who the bad guy is - her new patient, her handler, the whistleblower, or her government.
I liked the premise, I liked Anna and Luke, and I liked not being sure who would end up being the bad guy. I did not like the writing style - it seemed more like a stream of consciousness type of monologue and it was stilted and chaotic for me. I had to suspend belief when Charles started sharing pictures and files with Eleanor to convince her of the terrorist activities while knowing he was supposedly sharing top secret information with an uncleared civilian. One of my biggest complaints with female main characters is that they tend to start whining a lot. Eleanor started doing that and was very melodramatic in Chapter 22.
My favorite interaction was between Eleanor and her mother when she needed mom to babysit:
"'It's not that sort of party.' 'What sort of party would you call it, Eleanor?' A party with four people suspected of terrorism, a defector from the secret police, a close protection officer, and my ex-boyfriend. 'A casual one.'" I will say, I was extremely happy about Dash.
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June 20, 2026I was immediately drawn to this book by the description and was thrilled to be picked as an ARC reviewer thanks to Netgalley and Viking Penguin.
This is the first book I have read by Flynn Berry and I would certainly like to read more from this author.
Once I started reading it, I found it hard to put down. Towards the end it did seem a little rushed and the ending was wrapped up too quickly for my liking. It was almost like the required number of words had been met and parts were removed that would have made it easier to follow at the end.
The storyline was a good one with a rogue government agent that wanted to stop terrorism at any cost, even if the charges against certain people were made up. Eleanor, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, is unwillingly drawn into his plans. Thanks to an unexpected ally, Eleanor and her "friends" work to figure it all out. Again, the ending was a little too abrupt for me, but I loved the storyline..
This is the first book I have read by Flynn Berry and I would certainly like to read more from this author.
Once I started reading it, I found it hard to put down. Towards the end it did seem a little rushed and the ending was wrapped up too quickly for my liking. It was almost like the required number of words had been met and parts were removed that would have made it easier to follow at the end.
The storyline was a good one with a rogue government agent that wanted to stop terrorism at any cost, even if the charges against certain people were made up. Eleanor, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, is unwillingly drawn into his plans. Thanks to an unexpected ally, Eleanor and her "friends" work to figure it all out. Again, the ending was a little too abrupt for me, but I loved the storyline..
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Eleanor is a single mom of 2, a private nurse to Washington's powerful and wealthy elite, and struggles to keep her head above water financially. Under threat of her children being taken from her, she is drawn into the operation of a dark government agency that operates off the books to prevent terrorism. She must decide if doing what she knows is the right thing is worth risking her life and her children's futures for.
This book really grabbed me from the beginning and I finished it in one day. Flynn Berry is a very engaging storyteller and knows just how to pace a great thriller. My only issue was that I was left with a good many unanswered questions. The ending seemed abrupt. Perhaps a sequel is coming and if so sign me up!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Viking for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book really grabbed me from the beginning and I finished it in one day. Flynn Berry is a very engaging storyteller and knows just how to pace a great thriller. My only issue was that I was left with a good many unanswered questions. The ending seemed abrupt. Perhaps a sequel is coming and if so sign me up!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Viking for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 15, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC for this book!
A Good Man on a Dark Night follows Eleanor, a private nurse for high profile individuals. She is soon faced with a government official forcing her to make an impossible choice. Risk herself and her kids, or risk another woman’s life.
This book left me with many unanswered questions and unresolved issues in the end. It struggled to keep me engaged, and some of it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I loved the authors eye for detail, but it seemed a bit rushed to me! Overall, I think maybe this one just wasn’t for me, but I can see others enjoying it!
A Good Man on a Dark Night follows Eleanor, a private nurse for high profile individuals. She is soon faced with a government official forcing her to make an impossible choice. Risk herself and her kids, or risk another woman’s life.
This book left me with many unanswered questions and unresolved issues in the end. It struggled to keep me engaged, and some of it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I loved the authors eye for detail, but it seemed a bit rushed to me! Overall, I think maybe this one just wasn’t for me, but I can see others enjoying it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Good Man on a Dark Night — another high quality novel by author Flynn Berry. I liked Northern Spy and I REALLY loved A Double Life. Berry manages to weave life’s mundanities with stressful, high-stakes situations that are so tense and gripping that you have no choice but to keep reading. Let me tell you that I was STRESSINGGG towards the end of the book. I’m seeing some criticism on the ending but I thought everything wrapped up fairly nicely. If you’re in the market for a quick espionage read, where any of the characters could easily be the bad guy, this may be for you.
Thank you NetGalley, Viking Penguin and Flynn Berry for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you NetGalley, Viking Penguin and Flynn Berry for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Eleanor is a single mom of two, a private nurse to Washington’s powerful and wealthy elite. She is struggling to keep her head above water financially under threat of her children being taken from her. She is drawn into the operations of a dark government agency that operates secretly to prevent terrorism.
This was an entertaining, quick read with just the right amount of suspense. Some feel that it wrapped up too quickly and maybe there were too many questions left unanswered. However, it was just the thriller I was looking for and I enjoyed it.
This was an entertaining, quick read with just the right amount of suspense. Some feel that it wrapped up too quickly and maybe there were too many questions left unanswered. However, it was just the thriller I was looking for and I enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars rounded up. This was a solid espionage/spy thriller and a quick read. Eleanor, a private nurse and a single mother to twins, finds herself faced with an assignment from a mysterious security agency. She soon realizes that nothing is what it seems and that danger is all around. I particularly enjoyed the Washington, D.C. setting (I am admittedly biased) and the sinister vibes permeating the pages.
Thank you to Viking Penguin | Viking and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #AGoodManonaDarkNight #NetGalley
Thank you to Viking Penguin | Viking and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #AGoodManonaDarkNight #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Good Man on a Dark Night was disappointing. The story was shallow and repetitive, the entire cast of characters was superficial and lacked emotional depth, and the CSD — Central Security Division — was neither realistic nor believable. After a while, I didn’t care if Charles killed Anna, Eleanor, or anyone for that matter. An often occurring question was, “Are you a terrorist?” Seriously? That might be a bit naive. What would the answer be, and would anyone believe it?
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, this one was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, this one was not for me.
July 1, 2026
This was my first book from this amazingly talented author and it will not be my last!! I LOVE the way this author writes and captivates your attention! This is a thriller you do not want to miss!!! Praying there is another book to come!
I would highly recommend this book & Author! I cannot wait to read more books from Flynn Berry.
Thank you Flynn Berry, Viking, An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC/Viking Penguin, & NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing Arc!
I would highly recommend this book & Author! I cannot wait to read more books from Flynn Berry.
Thank you Flynn Berry, Viking, An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC/Viking Penguin, & NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing Arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I usually love all books by this author, but this book didn't engage me as much as her other stories. I had a hard time engaging with the book and had many unanswered questions at the end. It just didn't feel resolved. The premise was great and had so much potential, but overall just wasn't for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a hot mess. It's far fetched, convoluted and cheesy. The author draws out small details of the scenery but leaves out meaningful plot points. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews