by Natali Simmonds
SYNOPSIS
Today, nothing is going right for Em. And it's about to get much worse.
Heartbroken by a recent split, with her 30th birthday looming, she loses her job and her home in the same morning because of two swaggering, dishonest men - the boss who sexually harassed her and the flatmate sleeping with her behind his fiancée's back. But all Em can think about is catching a flight to attend her sister's wedding and see her dying mother.
With a record-breaking heatwave, and a serial killer making the streets unsafe, London is completely gridlocked. Em's life has always been full of men getting their own way, and today the scorched city teems with them standing between her and home. As Em's troubled past returns to haunt her, she refuses to let them win. Her defiance leads to shocking consequences that soon spiral wildly out of control.
In a world where men don't listen, and girls have no voice, one woman can change everything. Today, no one will be staying silent.
REVIEW
Stay, run or jump?
After suffering years of abuse from her father, Em finally decided to run. She headed to London from Spain looking for a fresh start and the chance to be herself, unashamedly, for the first time. But, it turns out that you can't simply run away from your problems when your problems stem from men who think that they are above women, above the law and that women should be grateful of their attention, however unwelcome it may be.
A string of devastating events leaves Em at rock bottom. She is unable to reconcile with the love of her life, she is pushed out of her job after rejecting the advances of her boss and her flatmate is taking advantage of their living situation, sleeping with her whenever his girlfriend isn't around and then blaming Em for the temptation.
When news spreads that the police have discovered another female victim of a serial killer in London, Em has to decide whether to sit back and allow all of this injustice to continue, or if it's finally time to stand up for herself and the countless other women dealing with the same relentless fear.
Wow, Good Girls Die Last really took me by surprise. It made me angry that there is a need for a book like this to be written. It made me angry at the unfairness and inequality faced by women, and, it made me angry that my daughters might have to grow up and deal with this same mistreatment, unsolicited advice and take on all of the responsibility to not put themselves in a position where they could be hurt.
As I was reading I made a note for my review that the book was like a sweary, feminist rethinking of the classic Michael Douglas 1993 crime film Falling Down. I thought that I'd found a really great way to describe the story and then I read the acknowledgements at the back of the book where the author stated that this film was one of her main inspirations! Natali Simmonds definitely succeeded in getting the exact same vibe across to the reader in written form which can't have been easy to do. I always think that the best authors are able to create truly despicable characters and believe me there were plenty of them to choose from in this book.
Good Girls Die Last is a timely and hugely thought-provoking read. There was an incredibly strong message which refuses to leave your thoughts after you've finished reading. It's not an easy book to read for this reason, but the fact that it is so uncomfortable and raw is what makes it stand out as such a successful story. #SaveEm
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As the daughter of a Spanish immigrant, Natali J Simmonds has lived all over the world. GOOD GIRLS DIE LAST is her first thriller after writing fantasy novels. When not writing, she is the Head of Community and Editorial Commissions at Jericho Writers and lectures at Raindance Film School and The University of The Hague.
Thanks to Anne Cater @RandomTTours Headline Books @headlinepg and Natali Simmonds @NJSimmondsbooks for the opportunity to read and review
Genre: Thriller / Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 978-1035402366
Pages: 384pp
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