ANN GIRDHARRY - GOOD GIRL BAD GIRL (2016)

 

Synopsis/blurb....

The darkest crimes can't stay hidden forever

A dead journalist?

A dead matron at a children's home

A young body washed up by the river

The twisted killer is a man of power and influence.

A man who believes himself beyond the reach of the law.

His Achilles heel - a thirst for revenge that spans generations.

Only one person can nail him - Kal Medi - and she's the daughter of a criminal.

Kal Medi trusts no one and least of all Detective Inspector Spinks.

She's always hidden the fact that her father was a criminal

and he trained her to follow in his footsteps.

But when her journalist mother goes missing, Kal takes on the investigation.

Murder, trafficking and dark family secrets, she'll be forced

to confront her own worst nightmares, to nail a twisted killer.

My second time reading this author after sampling her work with Chilling Tales of the Unexpected a couple of years ago. Good Girl Bad Girl is a deeper piece of fiction with some tough subject matter at its heart. It's also the first in her Kal Medi series.

Kal Medi is our main character and focus. Her mum is an investigative journalist and she's gone missing. Medi's father, now dead was a criminal and taught her a few tricks, especially in the "how to look after yourself" department. She's conflicted over her relationship with her father, there's a combination of pride and shame. She has an Indian heritage. I can't actually recall if she is the mixed race or not. Regardless, she is proud of who she is. 

Here she is obviously concerned about her finding her mum and resolves to stick her nose in, with the assistance of some capable friends, all the while trying to keep the police at arm's length. Something of her father's spirit remains embedded in her, wiith her suspicion of the authorities. Her mum, unbeknown to Kal had a rich, philanthropist, doctor-surgeon boyfriend, Alistair Kealy who does some amazing things with his bio-tech company concerning articificial limb replacement for amputee Indian street children.

Kal scratches beneath the surface to discover things aren't exactly what they seem. Part London setting, part overseas, with some of the events and action occurring in India as Kal goes undercover as a volunteer at one of her target's facilities. She discovers some harrowing stuff ... trafficking, abuse, exploitation. 

On her return to London, the book kind of morphs into a one vs one, goods vs evil battle between Kal and Kealy. Kealy's agenda has roots in the past, where historic events between two families - his and Kal's - sowed discord and a thirst for revenge. Each is highly suspicious of the other, as they pretend otherwise. The missing mum investigation takes on another dimension as the main character tries to bring down the arrogant doctor and end the abuse and exploitation of the child victims, regardless of whether or not she is too late for her mother.

I quite enjoyed this one. I liked the strong, feisty, young female character aided by the backing of her lifelong childhood friend. I liked her softening attitude towards the police detective, as the book unfolded and the manner in which they combined forces. I was happy enough with the outcome, even if there's a certain predictability as to how things will unfold. As with all fiction, there is a certain suspension of disbelief required to enjoy events.

Overall 4 from 5

An author I'd be happy enough reading more from in the future.

Read - February, 2021

Published - 2016

Page count - 302

Source - review copy from author via Voracious Readers

Format - Kindle