The Good Child by Charlotte Barnes
The murder of a teenage boy reveals fractured relationships, in this twist-filled new psychological thriller by the author of Penance.
Single mother Annie has spent ten years raising her daughter, Jessica, on her own—and now Jessica’s on the verge of adulthood. Annie’s just relieved that she’s found a sweetheart in Ryan, the son of her close friends, a respectable boy they’ve both known for years.
But the fairy-tale romance between the two teenagers is not to be. As if the traumatic loss of her father wasn’t bad enough, Jessica has now lost her boyfriend—to a killer. Jessica is distraught. Ryan’s parents are in shock. And the heartbreak only grows as evidence begins to emerge that Ryan may not have been the upstanding young man that they thought.
In the face of an unsolved murder and shocking revelations, those left behind struggle to move on and relationships start to fall apart under the strain. What was real? What was an illusion? And are some truths just too difficult to face?
About the author
Charlotte Barnes (Charley to her long-time pals) is a Worcestershire-based writer and poet who has recently achieved her Doctorate degree in Creative Writing, and now spends a lot of her time wondering what to do with it. She is a lecturer, content writer, tea-drinker and book-reader with a passion for psychological thrillers that shines through her own work.
Barnes is also one of three directors of Worcestershire LitFest and Fringe literary festival and, independently of this, she runs her own monthly open mic/spoken word event in Worcester City Centre, titled Dear Listener.
She published her debut short story collection in May 2017, titled The Women You Were Warned About (Black Pear Press), and her debut poetry pamphlet, A Z-hearted Guide to Heartache, was published be in July 2018 (V. Press). Intention is Barnes’s debut novel, published by Bloodhound Books in 2019.
For writerly updates you can follow Barnes on Twitter: @charleyblogs
Review
‘The Good Child’ was an intriguing and compelling story that I devoured in one sitting. This is the first time I have read one of this author’s books but I will certainly be keeping an eye out for what she does next as I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Whilst the death of a child is never an easy subject to talk about and even read about, the author handles it with sensitivity and empathy. This book is really about the people who have been left behind, those that loved him. It was interesting to see relationships bend and stretch throughout the story but the core one for me was between Freya and Annie. How true best friends will be there for anything and everything. They are the family which you choose. The author was brilliant in portraying the grief that came from each core character and it felt very authentic. Clearly, they have either experienced this for themselves or done a lot of research for the book. Hopefully, the latter!
There were a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes and I was hooked right from the start. It really showcased what a parent was willing to do for their children and I do love when a character is morally questionable! I devoured this book in one evening and I found it to be very compelling.
Let me know if you pick this one up!
