The Good Lie a book of Crime

Pages: 254 – Moderated by Yulissa Molina & Margie Filpo

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Six teenagers dead. Finally, the killer behind bars. But are the games just beginning?

Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore is an expert on killers. She’s spent a decade treating California’s most depraved predators and unlocking their motives—predators much like the notorious Bloody Heart serial killer, whose latest teenage victim escaped and then identified local high school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor. The case against Thompson as the Bloody Heart Killer is damning—and closed, as far as Gwen and the media are concerned. If not for one new development…

Defense attorney Robert Kavin is a still-traumatized father whose own son fell prey to the BH Killer. Convinced of Thompson’s innocence, he steps in to represent him. Now Robert wants Gwen to interview the accused, create a psych profile of the killer and his victims, and help clear his client’s name.

As Gwen and Robert grow closer and she dives deeper into the investigation, grave questions arise. So does Gwen’s suspicion that Robert is hiding something—and that he might not be the only one with a secret.

About the author

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, was a breakout hit, rising to the top of the ebook charts on Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses and garnered Torre her first print deal with Harlequin HQN. Less than twelve months later, Torre signed a second six-figure print deal, this time with Redhook (Hachette) for the Deanna Madden series, an erotic suspense trilogy.

Torre has been featured in such publications as Elle and Elle UK, as well as guest-blogged for the Huffington Post and RT Book Reviews. She is also the Bedroom Blogger for Cosmopolitan.com. In 2017, her New York Times bestseller HOLLYWOOD DIRT, was released as a full-length film by PassionFlix. Torre’s novels have been translated in eighteen languages and are distributed in over thirty countries.

Torre is the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink – an authors community and online school with over 20,000 members. She is also the founder of INKERS CON, an annual authors conference. A self-publishing advocate, Alessandra speaks frequently to universities, conventions and author groups.

In 2019, Alessandra co-founded Authors A.I. – a company that uses artificial intelligence to help authors with their development and editing process. In November of 2020, Authors A.I. launched BingeBooks, an online community that helps readers discover their next great novel.

From her home in Key West, Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. When not battling her husband at Scrabble, she chases her pet chickens, three dogs, and shoos away iguanas.

Other books by A.R. Torre:

Reading guide by Between the wines Book Club:

The Good Lie Reading guide

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Order book here: The Good lie

Character Analysis

Dr. Gwen Moore

Dr. Gwen Moore is the protagonist and narrator of The Good Lie. As a psychiatrist specializing in violent patients, she has a keen interest in criminal psychology. Her professional training shapes how she views the world, leading her to “psychoanalyze” others and make quick judgments. Although she presents a confident and orderly exterior, she struggles with her own self-doubt and guilt after the death of a patient, which she feels she could have prevented. Gwen’s character arc is defined by her declining confidence in her professional abilities and her struggle to cope with the immense guilt of her perceived failure.

Robert Kavin

Robert Kavin is a defense attorney and Gwen’s love interest, who lost his son to the Bloody Heart Killer. He is a handsome, intelligent, and cocky man who uses his professional training to cross-examine others, including Gwen. Driven by his grief, he seeks justice for his son’s death. He hires Gwen to create a profile of the killer, though he already knows the truth and is using her to get information. Robert’s quest for justice is morally gray, as he takes matters into his own hands by stabbing John Abbott.

Scott Harden

Scott Harden is a teenage boy who was kidnapped by the Bloody Heart Killer. He is popular and from a wealthy family, but he is fundamentally a victim of trauma and manipulation. After his escape, he conspires with Brooke Abbott to frame Randall Thompson for the murders. Scott’s actions are driven by his love for Brooke, which he mistakes for a genuine connection. His character highlights how trauma can lead a person to turn to violence, as he almost kills Randall Thompson at the end of the novel.

John Abbott

John Abbott is one of Gwen’s patients and, with his wife, Brooke, the real Bloody Heart Killer. He is a meticulous and precise man who kidnapped and tortured teenage boys as a way to cope with his own past trauma. His violent urges and possessive love for Brooke ultimately lead him to poison her and apparently take his own life.

Brooke Abbott

Brooke Abbott is John Abbott’s wife and a co-conspirator in the Bloody Heart murders. She is the sadistic counterpart to John’s violence, tending to the victims’ wounds and manipulating them emotionally. She was a victim of rape by Randall Thompson in high school, and she uses this past trauma to justify her crimes and her plot to frame him for the murders. She manipulates Scott Harden, who believes they are in love, and uses him to carry out her plan for revenge.

Detective Ted Saxe

Detective Ted Saxe is the investigator on the case, acting as a foil to Gwen and Robert’s more morally ambiguous quests for justice. He is described as stern and distrustful, representing a traditional, by-the-book approach to justice.

Randall Thompson

Randall Thompson is a high school teacher who is framed for the Bloody Heart murders. He is physically unkempt and a poor fit for the killer’s profile, leading Robert to believe in his innocence. Although he is not the Bloody Heart Killer, the novel reveals that he is a sexual predator who raped Brooke Abbott in high school, making him a deserving target of her revenge plot. His character raises questions about justice and punishment.