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The Good Ones
"Polly Stewart's The Good Ones is a fantastic achievement. A classic Southern Gothic tale told through the prism of modern-day sensibilities. Not to be missed."--S. A. Cosby, New York Times bestselling author of Razorblade Tears
"A riveting, unflinching exploration of adolescent female friendships, small-town pressures to conform, and the true crime lover's tendency to conflate empathy and voyeurism, The Good Ones drew me in from the first lines and still hasn't released me, days after finishing."--Katie Guiterrez, nationally bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know
An engrossing work of literary suspense that illuminates the push and pull of female friendship and the costs of being "good" when the rules for women begin to chafe.
The last time Nicola Bennett saw Lauren Ballard she was scraping a key along the side of a new cherry-red Chevy Silverado. That was the night before her friend mysteriously vanished from her home, leaving a bloodstained washcloth and signs of a struggle--as well as her grieving husband and young daughter--behind.
Now, nearly twenty years later, Nicola, newly unemployed and still haunted by the disappearance of her childhood friend, is returning to her Appalachian hometown. For Nicola, Tyndall County has remained frozen in time. Everywhere she turns she's reminded of Lauren. Yet shockingly, her former friends and neighbors have all moved on. Drawn to stories of missing girls, Nicola obsessively searches the internet, hoping to discover a clue to Lauren's ultimate fate.
Driven by a desperate need to know what happened to her friend, Nicola takes a job in her hometown, determined to uncover any bit of information, any small clue, that can help. Deep down she knows the answers are tucked in the hollows and valleys of this small Blue Ridge county. As secrets come to light and the truth begins to unravel, will Nicola finally find release and break free of the past--or lose herself completely to unanswered questions from her adolescence?
"A riveting, unflinching exploration of adolescent female friendships, small-town pressures to conform, and the true crime lover's tendency to conflate empathy and voyeurism, The Good Ones drew me in from the first lines and still hasn't released me, days after finishing."--Katie Guiterrez, nationally bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know
An engrossing work of literary suspense that illuminates the push and pull of female friendship and the costs of being "good" when the rules for women begin to chafe.
The last time Nicola Bennett saw Lauren Ballard she was scraping a key along the side of a new cherry-red Chevy Silverado. That was the night before her friend mysteriously vanished from her home, leaving a bloodstained washcloth and signs of a struggle--as well as her grieving husband and young daughter--behind.
Now, nearly twenty years later, Nicola, newly unemployed and still haunted by the disappearance of her childhood friend, is returning to her Appalachian hometown. For Nicola, Tyndall County has remained frozen in time. Everywhere she turns she's reminded of Lauren. Yet shockingly, her former friends and neighbors have all moved on. Drawn to stories of missing girls, Nicola obsessively searches the internet, hoping to discover a clue to Lauren's ultimate fate.
Driven by a desperate need to know what happened to her friend, Nicola takes a job in her hometown, determined to uncover any bit of information, any small clue, that can help. Deep down she knows the answers are tucked in the hollows and valleys of this small Blue Ridge county. As secrets come to light and the truth begins to unravel, will Nicola finally find release and break free of the past--or lose herself completely to unanswered questions from her adolescence?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2023
133 people are currently reading
16582 people want to read
About the author
Polly Stewart
6 books116 followersPolly Stewart grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, where she still lives. She graduated from Hollins University and has an MFA in fiction and a PhD in British literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Her short fiction has appeared in literary collections and journals, including Best New American Voices, The Best American Mystery Stories, Epoch, and the Alaska Quarterly Review. Her nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, Crime Reads, and Poets & Writers, among other publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
June 12, 2023
I think if I would have gone into my reading of this book knowing that it was more of a coming of age story with a bit of mystery I would have liked it better. This is definitely not a thriller, it's about a woman learning that the past wasn't as cut and dried as she had originally thought it was.
Nicola has returned to her hometown after twenty years away in order to sell her mother's house following her mother's recent death. Nicola was friends in high school with mean girl Lauren, who married Warren and had a baby. Then Lauren disappeared, and no one knows what happened to her although a local man was always blamed for her murder. Nicola can't seem to forget and wants to know the answers, but everyone seems to have moved on.
The writing here is stellar. I can't believe this is Stewart's debut, the prose is purposeful and thoughtful, making the characters come to life as well as communicating the story. That said, I didn't like any of the characters and while I sympathized with Nicola and wanted her to have closure, she makes some bad choices both as a teen and in the present that make her unlikable.
I think the main problem I had with this book and what took me so long to get through it was that neither of the two elements (the personal story of Nicola and her growing up and also the mystery of what happened to Lauren) were strong enough. I feel like the author should have focused on one or the other, but trying to divide the two just made the book watered down.
I also wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, it felt trite and silly compared to the rest of the book. This isn't a bad book, and the strong writing definitely carries it further than another book of the same theming would.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Nicola has returned to her hometown after twenty years away in order to sell her mother's house following her mother's recent death. Nicola was friends in high school with mean girl Lauren, who married Warren and had a baby. Then Lauren disappeared, and no one knows what happened to her although a local man was always blamed for her murder. Nicola can't seem to forget and wants to know the answers, but everyone seems to have moved on.
The writing here is stellar. I can't believe this is Stewart's debut, the prose is purposeful and thoughtful, making the characters come to life as well as communicating the story. That said, I didn't like any of the characters and while I sympathized with Nicola and wanted her to have closure, she makes some bad choices both as a teen and in the present that make her unlikable.
I think the main problem I had with this book and what took me so long to get through it was that neither of the two elements (the personal story of Nicola and her growing up and also the mystery of what happened to Lauren) were strong enough. I feel like the author should have focused on one or the other, but trying to divide the two just made the book watered down.
I also wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, it felt trite and silly compared to the rest of the book. This isn't a bad book, and the strong writing definitely carries it further than another book of the same theming would.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
September 1, 2023
Back home in Tyndall, I couldn't avoid the fact that I'd been shaped by the loss of Lauren more than I cared to admit. What choice did you have, after all, when the person who had stood at the center of your sense of self wasn't there anymore? You grew around that damage like a tree wrapped in barbed wire.
You let it bite into you. You shaped yourself to the new reality, until it was hard to tell what was you and what was the hole she left.
Damn, I'm so mad at this book.
It started out pretty decently but before I knew it, I was invested.
The bi rep portrayed in The Good Ones is pretty realistic, especially the (internalized) biphobia. It wasn't hard falling into the main character's shoes and see myself in her fears and her mistakes.
I have it bad for thrillers or true crime dramas where every character is flawed and incredibly unlikeable, and while Stewart's writing is a bit stuffy, I adored how I couldn't trust anyone in this story and how I felt like my heart couldn't stop hammering in my chest at the thought of what might have been coming next.
And then...
That first and painfully obvious plothole happened.
The writing I initially adored turned into a chaotic mess, and what first read like an atmospheric and claustrophobic chain of events slowed down and imploded in on itself, leaving me with nothing but an unsatisfying final semi-twist and a flat ending.
The moment I turned the page and realized the book ended, I felt sad because I'd hoped till that very last moment that something, anything, really, would come up and redeem the story I thought I'd end up loving to pieces when I first picked it up.
Mind it, I didn't hate it, but I can't give it more than 3 stars because that last 40% was messy and dull at the same time.
I'll keep an eye out for this author, anyway, because the first half of this book was promising and gave me emotions, some of which I still need to process.
July 5, 2023
2.5
What event precipitated the main character going to the hospital? I totally missed that.
What event precipitated the main character going to the hospital? I totally missed that.
August 21, 2023
Again, behind on my reviews. Finished this novel earlier this month. A terrific mystery with deep character development, plenty of twists (and red herrings), and one heck of a well-done surprise at the end.
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May 26, 2023Thanks Polly Stewart for such an intriguing story. I didn't want to put it down. Very well written.
The book has such a good plot. It keeps you guessing as the plot thickens. You can't wait to get to the end to find out who did it and what happens. Unexpected ending. Highly recommend.
The book has such a good plot. It keeps you guessing as the plot thickens. You can't wait to get to the end to find out who did it and what happens. Unexpected ending. Highly recommend.
June 9, 2023
I’m not sure what this book was trying to be but regardless she fell flat. Side note: I’m so tired of the high school mean girls trope. Writing female adolescence from an adult perspective is hard, sure. But can we stop giving these teenage/early 20s characters full on grown woman attributes? It’s so unbelievable it takes away from the actual story.
June 16, 2023
This novel did not feel like a thriller when I was reading it, rather it felt like a cold case crime novel with flashbacks that created an almost 'coming of age' vibe.
Long held secrets, regrets, poor choices, and reminiscences permeate the book. I enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present day narrative.
Nicola Bennett was a character that I never really felt a connection with. She was well drawn, yet there was just this undefinable lack of something about her that left me ambivalent about her fate. She came across as being very 'self involved' and seemed to be missing any altruistic traits. Nicola's missing friend, Lauren Ballard, was an entitled 'mean girl' who adeptly manipulated all who came into contact with her, hence it was only my own innate curiosity that spurred my reading to see what had become of her.
The Blue Ridge Mountain setting was portrayed with the author's expert knowledge of the area. The writing was polished and the pace steady, yet I trudged to the end...
I'm curious about the choice of title. Who were the 'good ones'? I'm stymied.
Uncomfortable and complicated friendships are the driving force behind this novel. To that end, the author succeeded brilliantly. That being said, I did struggle to maintain my engagement with the book, and confess it wasn't quite my 'cup of tea'.
Long held secrets, regrets, poor choices, and reminiscences permeate the book. I enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present day narrative.
Nicola Bennett was a character that I never really felt a connection with. She was well drawn, yet there was just this undefinable lack of something about her that left me ambivalent about her fate. She came across as being very 'self involved' and seemed to be missing any altruistic traits. Nicola's missing friend, Lauren Ballard, was an entitled 'mean girl' who adeptly manipulated all who came into contact with her, hence it was only my own innate curiosity that spurred my reading to see what had become of her.
The Blue Ridge Mountain setting was portrayed with the author's expert knowledge of the area. The writing was polished and the pace steady, yet I trudged to the end...
I'm curious about the choice of title. Who were the 'good ones'? I'm stymied.
Uncomfortable and complicated friendships are the driving force behind this novel. To that end, the author succeeded brilliantly. That being said, I did struggle to maintain my engagement with the book, and confess it wasn't quite my 'cup of tea'.
September 27, 2022
THE GOOD ONES by Polly Stewart is a stunning achievement. With gorgeous writing, a compelling, flawed protagonist whose journey is so authentic, and an intricate mystery in which everyone is a suspect, this debut is captivating. The twists and turns are seamless and subtle, fully immersing us in a world of wealth and power in a small town, where the line between love and hate closely bleeds together. And just when you think you've figured it all out, Stewart wallops you with a mind-blowing ending.
July 31, 2023
The Good Ones by Polly Stewart is yet another #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt of which I seem to have a lot of lately. This is a mix of coming-of-age, literary fiction, mystery, suspense, and crime fiction and I thought it was a pretty slow burn overall though it didn't take me long to finish it. Although the characters aren't all that likable, I loved reading about them, and I definitely enjoyed having Nicola as the MC of the story. For a debut novel, I thought the plot and characters were strong, and I didn't feel like this book was filled with extra fluff. Stewart was very straight and to the point with her words, while at the same time bringing plenty of imagery to the story. Friendship is really the basis of the storyline, and you see that a lot through the chapters set when Nicola and Lauren are younger. The coming-of-age part comes into play in these chapters as well and I really liked having the different timelines.
I didn't have any issues staying engaged in The Good Ones, and I think that is in large part thanks to listening to the audiobook. Maggi-Meg Reed is a fantastic narrator and she brought even more believability and dimension to the characters, especially Nicola. If you start and have any issues with it holding your attention, I would recommend giving the audio a try and see if it doesn't help you. I really wasn't sure how this would all end, and there were a few things along the way that ended up really surprising me. The ending did feel just a tad rushed and more of a tell than a show, but I liked it a lot and it was satisfying enough for me. I hope to see more books from this author and if she writes them, I will read them!
I didn't have any issues staying engaged in The Good Ones, and I think that is in large part thanks to listening to the audiobook. Maggi-Meg Reed is a fantastic narrator and she brought even more believability and dimension to the characters, especially Nicola. If you start and have any issues with it holding your attention, I would recommend giving the audio a try and see if it doesn't help you. I really wasn't sure how this would all end, and there were a few things along the way that ended up really surprising me. The ending did feel just a tad rushed and more of a tell than a show, but I liked it a lot and it was satisfying enough for me. I hope to see more books from this author and if she writes them, I will read them!
August 24, 2023
🩸The Good Ones🩸
I picked this book up on a whim. If you go into this knowing it’s a slow-burn mystery & not a thriller you will enjoy it more. I’m not much for books paced over a long period of time or leisurely unraveled, but “The Good Ones” kept me interested the entire way through.
“From outside they looked like a family in an ad for cereal or stackable washer-dryers.”
Lauren & Warren were high-school sweethearts & both from prominent families in Tyndall County, so it was no shock to those close to them when they married young & had baby Mabry. Their lives seemed picture perfect. But, on August 10th, 2001 Lauren disappeared.
“…Even all these years later, I still don’t understand the events of that night. All I know is what was left behind: broken glass, a trace of blood on a wet washcloth; tire tracks in the grass.”
Almost 20 years have gone by when Lauren’s friend Nicola Bennet’s mom passes away & she has to go back to fix up & sell the house. In her mind nothing has changed since then & she’s more determined than ever to figure out what happened to Lauren.
“Why would the world give you a beautiful thing in the first place if you were just going to have to watch it disappear?”
The last time she was with her, Lauren keyed Dale Wescott’s truck for parking too close to her & he was blamed for her murder.Nicola’s not buying that resolution.
She may end up doing more harm than good. She gets herself caught in a love triangle with two men she suspects may have harmed Lauren & she keeps getting threatening letters “NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE” in red ink, dripping like blood.
She realizes more & more each day that Lauren wasn’t the best person…but neither is she.
“When she set her mind on something, she really committed. She would do as much damage as she possibly could.”
“Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.”
“Lauren would’ve smirked to hear herself called pure in heart.”
“What would she have to be depressed about? Her life is perfect. It always has been.”
“Maybe what I thought of as empathy was nothing more than a greedy feeding on someone else’s catastrophe.”
3.5⭐️
Background Photo Credit:Andre Govia
🏷
#pollystewart #newthriller #newthrillerbooks #newbook #bookreview #bookfeature #thrillernovel #thrillerbookstagram #mysterysuspense #fiction #newfiction #lgbtqbooks
I picked this book up on a whim. If you go into this knowing it’s a slow-burn mystery & not a thriller you will enjoy it more. I’m not much for books paced over a long period of time or leisurely unraveled, but “The Good Ones” kept me interested the entire way through.
“From outside they looked like a family in an ad for cereal or stackable washer-dryers.”
Lauren & Warren were high-school sweethearts & both from prominent families in Tyndall County, so it was no shock to those close to them when they married young & had baby Mabry. Their lives seemed picture perfect. But, on August 10th, 2001 Lauren disappeared.
“…Even all these years later, I still don’t understand the events of that night. All I know is what was left behind: broken glass, a trace of blood on a wet washcloth; tire tracks in the grass.”
Almost 20 years have gone by when Lauren’s friend Nicola Bennet’s mom passes away & she has to go back to fix up & sell the house. In her mind nothing has changed since then & she’s more determined than ever to figure out what happened to Lauren.
“Why would the world give you a beautiful thing in the first place if you were just going to have to watch it disappear?”
The last time she was with her, Lauren keyed Dale Wescott’s truck for parking too close to her & he was blamed for her murder.Nicola’s not buying that resolution.
She may end up doing more harm than good. She gets herself caught in a love triangle with two men she suspects may have harmed Lauren & she keeps getting threatening letters “NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE” in red ink, dripping like blood.
She realizes more & more each day that Lauren wasn’t the best person…but neither is she.
“When she set her mind on something, she really committed. She would do as much damage as she possibly could.”
“Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.”
“Lauren would’ve smirked to hear herself called pure in heart.”
“What would she have to be depressed about? Her life is perfect. It always has been.”
“Maybe what I thought of as empathy was nothing more than a greedy feeding on someone else’s catastrophe.”
3.5⭐️
Background Photo Credit:Andre Govia
🏷
#pollystewart #newthriller #newthrillerbooks #newbook #bookreview #bookfeature #thrillernovel #thrillerbookstagram #mysterysuspense #fiction #newfiction #lgbtqbooks
September 27, 2023
This book wasn’t really a thriller at all but more romance/processing your high school years focused. The plot didn’t really exist and there were a lot of holes in the story - for example, at one point Nicola returns from the hospital with absolutely 0 context of why she had gone and her experience there. I had to go back and re-read the previous pages because I thought I missed something. I didn’t. The ending was predictable from the first few chapters and none of the characters were likeable or had depth. This book was all over the place.
June 6, 2023
Yeah, I think this is a no from me. This was just... not my favorite thriller???
I guessed the ending pretty early on which was frustrating but there was, honestly, only a couple of ways this could've gone? This was more of a mystery than a thriller but the ~mystery wasn't very, uh, mysterious...
This was full of unlikeable characters and just meandered along feeling like it didn't really have a point? Honestly, I'd say the prologue was the best part and then, unfortunately, it just lost steam from there and never really delivered on that initial promise.
It also felt just a little too close to another popular thriller which is probably another reason I disliked it so much? (I will say, I think the other one was done just a bit better but I also flat out hated that one.) Ultimately, this came off as predictable and, therefore, forgettable which is just not really what I'm looking for in a thriller. I read a lot of thrillers so unless it blows my mind, I'm going to forget about it in a week.
The one thing I will give this is that it did have some really pretty writing, especially at the beginning. So. There's that at least.
For me, this was just a no. If you also read a lot of thrillers, you'll probably catch on pretty fast. But if you're relatively new to the genre, you might really enjoy this one. But for me, I wish I would've just skipped this one, sadly. It's a shame because the cover is just stunning.
Anyway, thanks to Harper Books for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!
I guessed the ending pretty early on which was frustrating but there was, honestly, only a couple of ways this could've gone? This was more of a mystery than a thriller but the ~mystery wasn't very, uh, mysterious...
This was full of unlikeable characters and just meandered along feeling like it didn't really have a point? Honestly, I'd say the prologue was the best part and then, unfortunately, it just lost steam from there and never really delivered on that initial promise.
It also felt just a little too close to another popular thriller which is probably another reason I disliked it so much? (I will say, I think the other one was done just a bit better but I also flat out hated that one.) Ultimately, this came off as predictable and, therefore, forgettable which is just not really what I'm looking for in a thriller. I read a lot of thrillers so unless it blows my mind, I'm going to forget about it in a week.
The one thing I will give this is that it did have some really pretty writing, especially at the beginning. So. There's that at least.
For me, this was just a no. If you also read a lot of thrillers, you'll probably catch on pretty fast. But if you're relatively new to the genre, you might really enjoy this one. But for me, I wish I would've just skipped this one, sadly. It's a shame because the cover is just stunning.
Anyway, thanks to Harper Books for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!
October 3, 2023
Nicola's friend Lauren disappears and she doesn't care because she really hated Lauren but feels like she should care and that's the whole book. This SUCKED. Every single character was insanely unlikable and the ending was like 'duh' and also 'who cares' at the same time. This was not a thriller or a mystery. It had no plot and yet was full of plot holes. Also I'm just gonna put it out there: if I mysteriously die or disappear to create a new life and any of my friends hook up with my husband, I'm going to haunt you forever or mail you puke in a box every day forever.
February 24, 2023
Polly Stewart's stunning novel The Good Ones is reminiscent of Gone Girl with elements of Yellowjackets thrown in. This book dives straight into the heart of Appalachia, unearthing teenage tensions and full-grown fears which connect in ways I never saw coming. Fans of Megan Abbott will rejoice in this intricately textured addition to the rural noir canon
October 15, 2024
You know the book was really working for me up until the ending. I I just think that Stewart didn't know how to end it and I found the ending to be totally implausible.
Full review: Well that was a lot of nothing. I think Stewart wanted to do a coming of age story and instead of doing that, just tried to toss into a murder mystery that didn't really work when you peered at it too closely. I also think most of the characters were kind of awful outside of Jessi. The main character, Nicole (but goes by Nicola...do not ask) is just terrible. I don't even think she gets how awful she is throughout the book and Stewart leaves the character hanging at the end and moves towards chapters of another character that I really wish she had cut out of the book. It just does not work and it leaves more questions than answers.
The flow of the book was fine, but the plot of Nicola returning to her small town in VA trying to figure out if her long missing friend is dead and who killed her was not the central premise really. The main plot is her trying on her friend's life and really only liking (if you can say that) the husband she left behind but loathing everything else. And I have to say that most of the book was like that. I don't know if I was supposed to like Nicola (I did not) but her motivations for doing things did not ring true. And I think that's honestly because Stewart was trying for a coming of age and murder mystery that didn't really work.
Full review: Well that was a lot of nothing. I think Stewart wanted to do a coming of age story and instead of doing that, just tried to toss into a murder mystery that didn't really work when you peered at it too closely. I also think most of the characters were kind of awful outside of Jessi. The main character, Nicole (but goes by Nicola...do not ask) is just terrible. I don't even think she gets how awful she is throughout the book and Stewart leaves the character hanging at the end and moves towards chapters of another character that I really wish she had cut out of the book. It just does not work and it leaves more questions than answers.
The flow of the book was fine, but the plot of Nicola returning to her small town in VA trying to figure out if her long missing friend is dead and who killed her was not the central premise really. The main plot is her trying on her friend's life and really only liking (if you can say that) the husband she left behind but loathing everything else. And I have to say that most of the book was like that. I don't know if I was supposed to like Nicola (I did not) but her motivations for doing things did not ring true. And I think that's honestly because Stewart was trying for a coming of age and murder mystery that didn't really work.
April 30, 2023
I most likely would’ve given 4-5 stars if the main character, Nicola, hadn’t been so unrelatable. She was extremely naive, self-absorbed and narcissistic to the point that she didn’t care who she hurt. That detracted from the mystery aspect of the story for me, which I probably would’ve really enjoyed otherwise.
July 25, 2023
Not sure why it’s titled “The Good Ones” because all the main characters are not. It’s difficult to like any of the cold, cruel teenagers who grow into selfish, self-centered adults. Secrets, regrets, and poor choices from the past swarm around a twenty year old cold case. No one deserves a happy ending. Meh.
February 28, 2023
Wow! This was fantastic. I couldn't figure out the end. Very good characterization and the plot moved along at a good pace.
May 18, 2023
Nicola returns to her home in Tyndall County after nearly 20 years away. Her mom has died and she plans to just stay in town long enough to sell her mom's house. As she begins to connect with people from her past, she finds herself drawn into the mystery of her best friend's disappearance years before. Her friend Lauren, a popular but also mean girl in school was married to the star quarterback and they had a small baby when Lauren just disappeared without a trace. All of Nicola's friends have moved on with their lives but she is still stuck in the past thinking about Lauren's disappearance. She has gotten hooked on true crime podcasts and continues to search the internet for clues about Lauren. Was she alive somewhere or had she been killed? And if so, by who? There are certainly a lot of suspects - her husband, her husband's brother and some of the people that she'd been mean to during her life. As she starts to find answers in the small town and the truth begins to unravel, will she be able to quit thinking about her friend or continue to search for answers?
This book kept me guessing to the end. Just when I figured out who was responsible for the disappearance, the author would throw in something that made me completely change my mind. The ending was perfect and answered all of the questions that existed throughout the book. My only problem with the book is that I didn't really like any of the characters - Nicola was too obsessed with Lauren and her disappearance and her entire life seemed based on the Lauren. Even though I didn't like her much, I felt sorry for her and hoped that she'd get her questions answered. I didn't like Lauren at all. She was a spoiled rich girl who treated everyone as if they were beneath her. She used people for her own enjoyment and as many people that she was mean to, it was no surprise that she'd disappeared.
The entire mystery around Lauren's disappearance makes this book an interesting read. Also the realization that there are still lots of secrets about the disappearance in this small town even 20 years later. This was a debut novel for Polly Stewart and I look forward to her future books.
This book kept me guessing to the end. Just when I figured out who was responsible for the disappearance, the author would throw in something that made me completely change my mind. The ending was perfect and answered all of the questions that existed throughout the book. My only problem with the book is that I didn't really like any of the characters - Nicola was too obsessed with Lauren and her disappearance and her entire life seemed based on the Lauren. Even though I didn't like her much, I felt sorry for her and hoped that she'd get her questions answered. I didn't like Lauren at all. She was a spoiled rich girl who treated everyone as if they were beneath her. She used people for her own enjoyment and as many people that she was mean to, it was no surprise that she'd disappeared.
The entire mystery around Lauren's disappearance makes this book an interesting read. Also the realization that there are still lots of secrets about the disappearance in this small town even 20 years later. This was a debut novel for Polly Stewart and I look forward to her future books.
August 12, 2023
The plot here feels like it’s been done a lot: a young woman (and it’s always a woman, isn’t it?) vanishes without a trace, and many years later a person who was close to her tries to get to the bottom of what happened. But a few things distinguish this telling and elevate it a little above the pack. The prose is quite good, and the Appalachian setting in Blue Ridge County is beautifully drawn.
After 20 years away, Nicola returns to her small hometown to settle up her recently deceased mother’s affairs, and as things haven’t gone well for her career-wise (none of her academic teaching positions have gotten her tenure) and she has nowhere else to be, she stays put and takes a job as a substitute teacher. She left at the end of high school, and nothing much seems to have changed in town since and she keeps running into people she went to school with—a real time-warp. She quickly starts to hang out with people from that time, including her high school crush, who was married to Lauren at the time she disappeared. (They were a couple of years ahead of Nicola, which is why they were married with an infant when Nicola was a high school senior.) What happened to Lauren? Did she take off with a new identity? Was she murdered and her body disposed of? If so, who killed her? Why was there broken glass and a bloody washcloth in Lauren’s home the night of her disappearance? Nicola continues to probe, with many potential suspects, including the man she’s now seeing, Lauren’s former husband, who’s the scion of a local VIP family and so pretty much untouchable no matter what he might have done. The past is revealed in flashback, with Lauren emerging as quite the high school mean girl (another trope that feels done to death). Never fear, we are left in the end with no ambiguity: we do find out what happened that night.
After 20 years away, Nicola returns to her small hometown to settle up her recently deceased mother’s affairs, and as things haven’t gone well for her career-wise (none of her academic teaching positions have gotten her tenure) and she has nowhere else to be, she stays put and takes a job as a substitute teacher. She left at the end of high school, and nothing much seems to have changed in town since and she keeps running into people she went to school with—a real time-warp. She quickly starts to hang out with people from that time, including her high school crush, who was married to Lauren at the time she disappeared. (They were a couple of years ahead of Nicola, which is why they were married with an infant when Nicola was a high school senior.) What happened to Lauren? Did she take off with a new identity? Was she murdered and her body disposed of? If so, who killed her? Why was there broken glass and a bloody washcloth in Lauren’s home the night of her disappearance? Nicola continues to probe, with many potential suspects, including the man she’s now seeing, Lauren’s former husband, who’s the scion of a local VIP family and so pretty much untouchable no matter what he might have done. The past is revealed in flashback, with Lauren emerging as quite the high school mean girl (another trope that feels done to death). Never fear, we are left in the end with no ambiguity: we do find out what happened that night.
June 7, 2023
Shout out to Goodreads & the publisher for the ARC!
An ironic title considering I hated every single character, more like the The Bad Ones amirite?? Every one of them toxic and depraved in their own ways, and none of them managed to be charming in their villainy.
This was a trudge of a read and one I reckon I’ll have forgotten by next Summer. This isn’t necessarily the book’s fault, I think maybe I’ve just passed beyond my thriller phase- this is the 4th one I’ve read this year and they’re all the same?
This has all the right ingredients: bad moms, dead cats, suspicious grandmas, high school hazing, feuding brothers… it just did absolutely nothing for me.
An ironic title considering I hated every single character, more like the The Bad Ones amirite?? Every one of them toxic and depraved in their own ways, and none of them managed to be charming in their villainy.
This was a trudge of a read and one I reckon I’ll have forgotten by next Summer. This isn’t necessarily the book’s fault, I think maybe I’ve just passed beyond my thriller phase- this is the 4th one I’ve read this year and they’re all the same?
This has all the right ingredients: bad moms, dead cats, suspicious grandmas, high school hazing, feuding brothers… it just did absolutely nothing for me.
April 23, 2023
I enjoyed the story. I felt like the author was a little all over the place, but the story itself was good. I actually loved the ending even though as I was getting closer to the truth I thought that I would be disappointed. I never wanted to set the book down.
June 24, 2023
DNFed at 21% when you introduce a love triangle between a 36 year old woman and two gosh darn brothers, you immediately lose me.
July 17, 2023
It wasn't bad but it was so all over the place I couldn't keep track. At one point the main character is sitting in a basement with someone and then she wakes up in bed the next morning having a foggy memory of being at the hospital the night before... But all she did was hit her shoulder in a fall?? And there's no explanation to be found. There's no context for some time jumps and gets very confusing. I found myself getting bored with all of the mean girl antics. It was just okay. Credit for bisexual and lesbian characters though.
June 5, 2023
I was so unbelievably satisfied at the end of The Good Ones that I sat staring at it for a few minutes after I finished. I felt closure and felt comfortable knowing there weren’t any loose ends which is rare for a plot that moves at such a quick pace. I won’t say much more to avoid spoilers, but this one is a goodie for sure!
July 22, 2023
DNF at 80% I waited a long time for something to happen. This book was slow and boring.
October 1, 2023
Nobody is likable
June 5, 2023
The Good Ones by Polly Stewart. Thanks to @harperbooks and @netgalley for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lauren was queen bee in her small town. Nicole was always surprised that she married, stayed in town and didn’t venture into the world. Then a few years later, she disappeared.
If you like small town mysteries with some unlikeable characters as teens and adults, you may like this one. To me it was pretty slow for most of the book. I wanted to know what happened to Lauren so I kept with it. I wish I could have just read the first part and then the reveal at the end. To me, everything in the middle was fluff. There weren’t really any clues or hints. It just was revealed and that was that.
“Maybe, I thought, something terrible had to happen for your life to matter to anyone but you.”
The Good Ones comes out 6/6.
Lauren was queen bee in her small town. Nicole was always surprised that she married, stayed in town and didn’t venture into the world. Then a few years later, she disappeared.
If you like small town mysteries with some unlikeable characters as teens and adults, you may like this one. To me it was pretty slow for most of the book. I wanted to know what happened to Lauren so I kept with it. I wish I could have just read the first part and then the reveal at the end. To me, everything in the middle was fluff. There weren’t really any clues or hints. It just was revealed and that was that.
“Maybe, I thought, something terrible had to happen for your life to matter to anyone but you.”
The Good Ones comes out 6/6.
December 23, 2023
I was really quite into the book until about 75% of the way in then it just fell flat a bit. There was an attempt to keep the mystery alive by adding layers and possible outcomes, however it didn’t add anything to the storyline but length.
September 23, 2023
Good writing, good plot but not happy about the resolution or path there. Too slow, too meh. In other words; started great, dragged, disappointing ending.
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