The Good Daughter

by S.A. McEwen

A violent murder.
A family secret.
And a boyfriend who's not who he says he is...
Sydney, Australia. Lawyer and companion Natalie Coommaraswamy struggles to be the good daughter her parents demand. A second-generation Sri Lankan, she’s never penetrated her family’s resolute silence surrounding their flight from Sri Lanka, and has been left with unanswered questions about where she belongs and who she can trust.
Then her best friend is found murdered. Fuelled by disinterest from the police, Natalie begins her own hunt for the murderer. But when clues point to her new lover, her carefully regulated world starts to unravel. And the truth will threaten more than her sanity…

Genres: Mystery, Ebooks, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

242 pages, ebook

First published March 12, 2021

About the author

S.A. McEwen writes nuanced and gritty domestic and psychological thrillers exploring human relationships and how the dark gets in.
She is particularly interested in family relationships.
She is a qualified social worker and works as an educator in youth mental health, and is mum to two delightful boys and a puppy.

Reviews

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of dramas in this book: about sex industry, racism, abortion, bad relationships. Natalie's best friend is found dead, but because both are hookers the police is not really interested in the case. I did not enjoyed the plot.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: Sydney, Australia; 2017-2018.

Natalie works as a high-end escort, charging $800 an hour, and is doing well. But she struggles to come to terms with her Sri Lankan ethnicity as her parents, who fled the Sri Lankan civil war in the late 1970s, refuse to discuss the past and simply want to consider themselves 'white'. Only with her best friend Letitia, a fellow escort, can Natalie express her feelings about race - then Letitia is murdered. It soon becomes clear that Letitia is the latest victim of a serial killer who seems to be targeting coloured escorts. Natalie has recently started seeing Griffin on a personal level and is getting good vibes from the relationship - but then she starts to wonder if he could be behind the murders....
This was another good read from this author - another solid 4-star read with good characters and an interesting storyline. However, I never really felt much of a threat from the killer, even though he admits in the book that he was intending to target Natalie next! An intriguing twist at the end although I had correctly deduced who the killer was before the end - 8/10.

[Theredheaded_Bibliomaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

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A well written fast paced thriller is very rare to find these days. All the famous thrillers are not that fast from first page itself but this one was. From first page I was hooked.
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It's a story of a girl who never had any emotional relationship with parents. Her parents were immigrants from Sri Lanka who immigrated to Australia during their civil war and they didn't share anything with her as a result of which she stayed away from real-life adult relationships. But when she finally finds someone with whom she can connect with, that guy turns out to be suspect in the death of her best friend.
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There are so many topics discussed in this one from racism to the lives of Sex workers and life of migrants.
I read this in one go and it is pretty good read.
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In few places I thought that there were too much thoughts of the protagonist on display. Which according to me were a bit more than required. Her emotions and all.
Otherwise I liked this one.
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Small and fast read. Can read it in one go.
Good if you are looking for Short Thriller..
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Thanks to @netgalley for this review copy ..
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[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that promises to blow your socks off with its riveting twists right in the title in a terribly clunky and tediously obvious aggrandizing advertising is rarely if ever does that. In fact, for me it’s usually a red flag. But this one was a freebie of the day, and I didn’t want to make any decisions, et voila.
From title to cover, this looks like a million other generic thrillers of this sort populating the market right now. And yet, the insides surprised. The book turned out to have much more substance than a cursory perusal might have led one to expect.
Bravely risking accusations of cultural and otherwise appropriation in this hyper politically correct day and age, the author creates a protagonist who is a brown-skinned sex worker. Specifically, a Sri Lankan Australian expensive escort. The author is neither – gasp. Imagine that, using one’s imagination and research to write fiction. Did you imagine it? Good. So many people apparently can’t anymore.
Anyway, Natalie (who professionally goes by Ivy) grew up with parents she refers to as coconuts for how staunchly they had always rejected their skin and their foreignness. And yet, Natalie has always felt the brunt of it, dealt with racism, etc. That and her parents emotionally withholding ways had led her to become an island of a person. An island a devastatingly handsome and sexy sailor (er…businessman) named Griffin crashlands on and the two proceed to have a sort of reluctant affair. All while Natalie deals with unplanned pregnancy, weird customers, friend’s death, a local criminal responsible for her brother’s brain trauma release from prison, etc.
The friend’s death is the salient thing there, for she is the fifth sex worker of color murdered. Not something police are especially dedicated to investigating, so it’s up to Natalie to spur a sympathetic detective on. After all, Natalie fears she might be next. In fact, she fears the killer might be Griffin himself.
So, a thriller by all right, murders and killers, including a prerequisite final plot twist and a pretty good one at that, but also very much a family drama and a moral-laden tale of racism and sex work. Some of that is done quite heavy-handedly, but overall, credibly.
Australia, as it turns out, is so racist and so legally backwards in certain areas only, it can practically stand in for the US. So, it won’t read as especially exotic to American readers, but the Sri Lanka chapters would and they are very good and hauntingly dark. And very effective at explaining Natalie’s parents, to readers if not to Natalie herself. The romance is only slightly overdone, the author has written some specifically romance books and some of it shows.
But overall, this is a much smarter, much more ambitious book that it appears to be. It thrives to entertain, with a message. Plus, it’s a quick read. Pretty good for a random kindle freebie.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at a young woman's upbringing in Sri Lanka and her later escapades as a sex worker. Natalie is "brown" but her parents pretend they are white, much to her dismay. As a highly-paid escort, "Ivy" meets all sorts of men but is caught off guard when she meets handsome, Griffen one night at an art gallery and they begin a relationship, of sorts. But when other escorts turn up dead, she is worried she doesn't know him well and becomes suspicious. Lots of great background about her upbringing and her brother, Alex as well as friendships and familial tension. I raced through it as I couldn't get enough!

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Preposterous. This misogynistic drivel is a waste of time (yes, I know this was written by a woman, but she clearly hates other women.) The lead character has a law degree but prefers work in the sex trade, believing that once she's done selling herself she can return to law. All but two of the women are or were involved in the sex trade. One, the lead characters mother, murdered two people and got away with both. She escaped a penalty for the 2nd murder because cops don't really care who kills serial killers, according to the author. The lead characters boyfriend accepts her work because, after all, his mother was a prostitute too, but she was home to make dinner every night. In the end, the murder and mayhem is overlooked because the lead character’s boyfriend knows how to grill steaks to everyone liking. Seriously, that's how it ends.

In addition that, the dialogue is poor and the plot us full if gaping holes. There are much better mystery books out there.

[Ginger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even with the “twist” at the end, it wasn’t all that good. The timeline kept confusing me, and I felt like the story was told somewhat backwards. Once again, I’m glad this was a freebie on Amazon & I didn’t waste any money, just time I can’t get back. Oh well….

[Caroline Berlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie has some inner issues with herself that stem from her lack of a relationship with her parents, an understanding of where her family is from and their background. Her family never spoke of their struggles and challenges of immigrating from Sri Lanka to Australia during their civil war. This has caused Natalie to keep people at arms-length and to have issues with creating close relationships. When she finds a man that she feels close to, she starts to struggle even more with herself and everything she thought she wanted is now put into question.
Then, her best friend is murdered, one in a few similar murders. Now she is unsure about her new boyfriend, the way they met and why they met, and starts to suspect him.

This was a nice quick book. I was definitely interested and the writing was intriguing. There were two perspectives, one from Natalie and one of the killer, except we don't know who the killer is. I thought that was pretty ingenious as it makes you think you know who the killer is except that you don't. The ending was also very satisfying, I wasn’t quite sure I was expecting how it would end.

I felt that there were a lot of topics and social issues in this book, and it was a little overwhelming in the first 30 pages of the book. In those first few pages, we learn that Natalie is a sex worker, is getting an abortion, racism is a problem for her and her family, her brother has a mental illness, and the murder hadn't even happened! By the end of the book I do feel like all those issues were connected in one way or the other, except the abortion. I am not sure why that was in the book, other than the fact it was the first indication that maybe Natalie didn’t really know herself afterall.

I also liked the author note that states the author's research on many of the social issues discussed in the book. I appreciate that the author took the time to really understand some of the cultural social issues included in the book before writing about them.

I do feel like a few other plot points were not explained or were unfinished. For example, Natalie's client that painted her. I'm not sure what his role was in the storyline. I feel like there was a lot going on that some things didn’t get as well developed as it should/could have been.

Overall, an enjoyable quick read - Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this electronic review copy!

[Ambula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quickest I’ve read a book in a long while!

Very addictive read.

[Olivia Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and fast paced crime thriller. I might have had really low expectations but every shock, twist and turn took me completely by surprise and left me gasping out loud. 10/10.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Australian setting was interesting. The fact that our past always influences the present is clear. One gives parental love in the only way they can.

[judymellinnetzero.net · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why did I finish this?

This book was just awful! I was so confused by the poorly-drawn characters, especially to their races that were supposed to be so important to the premise. We did not find out that Griffin, one of the main characters, was white until halfway through the book. The story was told through flashbacks but very confusing timelines. And the book was poorly edited. There were a variety of grammar errors and factual ones, too. For example, the author wrote about *plain" trees which would indicate they were ordinary when she was describing plane trees, a particular species.

[Lucinda Tolmie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book and found it very difficult to finish. It is not my type of book. I found it very confusing to understand what was happening.

[R Huiszoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.A. McEwen, ‘Ruined’

As an ARC reader I received this book for free. I promised an honest review. Here it is.

English is not my first language. Sorry for errors.

Rating: 4,5 (of 5) stars.

In general: Well written psychological, romantic novel.

Main characters:
- Natalie (38).
Daughter of refugees from Sri Lanka. Her parents sufferd heavily during the civil war between the Tamils and the government. After a trip full of hardships her family reached Australia and settled in Sydney when Natalie was still very young. Her lightly coloured, well educated parents, Ravi and Upeksha, were very busy pretending to be white. Natalie studied law, got rich with a lot of luck in the stock market. But at the start of the story she is already for eight years a succesful, exclusive escort, under the alias ‘Ivy’. She likes the sex and the money.
Natalie has an older brother, Alex, still living with her parents; as a teener he was attacked by a racist,neighbouring kid and suffered lasting brain damage. Natalie spends a big part of her earnings to give him an optimal medical treatment.

- Griffin.
He’s a business man living in Melbourne and traveling to a lot of foreign countries.

Natalie and Griffin met at an exhibition of an famous Aboriginal painter and next day have an accidental meeting. They are immediately attracted to each other and have an one-night stand. For both a very unusual experience. And both fear commitment in a relationship, so they don’t see each other again. Then Natalie discovers she is pregnant. And Griffin cannot forget their ‘one-night’ and tries to contact her. At last they meet again.
The author, Fen Wilde, describes the development of their relationship. Especially the psycholigical site of the deepening love between Natalie and Griffin is interesting and written with insight. (However I didn’t quite understand that Griffin finally rather easy accepted Natalie’s profession after his initial rejection).
The book is much more than a love story: the impact of a cruel civil war on people who suffered, the often discrete but widespread racism in Australia, the struggles of a daughter who wants to know her roots and hates the ‘pretending to be white’ of her parents, the relationship between Natalie and a younger colleague and - last but not least - Griffin’s struggle to overcome his difficult youth.
In short: this book of Fen Wilde - again - was very interesting and a pleasure to read.

R. Huiszoon.

[Dana Delamar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. Natalie isn't your typical character -- she's a sex worker, a woman of color who's grown up in Australia as the daughter of parents who fled a civil war in Sri Lanka. Because of her job and her race (and her parents' adamant denial that race is an issue at all), Natalie feels alone and adrift, keeping herself apart from everyone, even (and most especially) her family. She doesn't allow herself any romantic attachments, and she barely opens up enough to have any friends.

And then she meets Griffin -- handsome, wealthy, white. A man who not only wants her, but actually sees her. He almost can't connect with her at all because Natalie is so closed off, but Griffin persists. Despite herself, Natalie starts to fall for him... and then two tragedies occur. Natalie starts to spiral, but Griffin hangs onto her, and Natalie breaks, starting to let him in.

One of those tragedies is the murder of Natalie's best friend, Letitia, also a sex worker and a woman of color. When Natalie realizes that the police aren't interested in solving Letitia's murder, Natalie does her own digging and unearths an alarming truth -- a serial killer is stalking sex workers of color, and the police haven't put the pieces together. Natalie keeps pushing until she gets the attention of a female officer who's willing to listen and investigate, and when the officer looks into Natalie's story, Natalie learns some disturbing facts about Griffin, the first one being that Natalie isn't the only one who's been using a false name...

I won't say more for fear of spoiling the story. But I can say that this story takes a number of turns I didn't see coming, and whatever you think you know, be prepared to have the rug pulled out from under you.

As with Close, S.A McEwen writes a complex, multi-layered story of complicated, true-to-life characters. While Ruined didn't hook me quite as strongly as Close, I found myself puzzling over the story and characters for days after reading it, and I thank the author for writing a story that made me think long and hard about race, the immigrant experience, and the kind of psychological damage that people can inflict through the best of intentions. S.A McEwen is truly a writer to watch, and I look forward to whatever she does next.

[Amanda Varley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a truly gritty, intense thriller that explores a number of important issues including racism and identity.

The narrative focuses on Natalie, a high-end escort and sex worker, a career she has chosen for herself in part because it requires no emotional intimacy and connection, something that she has struggled with due to her parents' determination to ignore and avoid the very real issue of racial discrimination that Natalie notices and is angered by every day. As she has been brought up in a family where this part of her identity is ignored, many of her life decisions have been affected by this disconnect with her identity. When she meets a man who seems to be too good to be true and enchanted by her, she struggles believing it is genuine while still longing to finally have found the connection she has secretly craved. However, when her friend and fellow sex worker is found dead, Natalie must face the very really danger of what her skin colour and identity presents, and the possibility that her dream man might not be so perfect after all.

This book was quite different to other psychological thrillers in that it took on some quite complex and important topics to explore while it unravelled the mystery around the deaths of sex workers. The main character Natalie is a strong and interesting character. Although I found it difficult to align myself with her beliefs about her work, I did like her character development and felt she was overall a believable character. I was a little confused about the link between her partner and a client's coincidence of speech that gave her some serious doubt about his motives and I've still not quite worked out the link there. All in all, I enjoyed the book and found it to be quite thought-provoking.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie is a trained lawyer and sex worker caught in the throes of her best friend and fellow sex worker's murder, family trauma, and new relationship with a man who carries a lot of secrets.

I think this book had a nice length for the plot and incorporated a lot of social issues that people might not be aware of. To me, Natalie's family and friendships were the most interesting part of the book, but these were overshadowed by the boyfriend (who didn't seem very realistic or multi-dimensional). I would have loved to get more time with Natalie's parents and brother, or have learned more about Sri Lanka.

A few plot points seemed mismatched and unfinished, for example, the pregnancy, racist neighbor, and young painter client. However, the 'twist' at the end was satisfying.

Finally, I wish the description was a little more clear about either the romance or sex aspect of the book, as both are major plot points. Romance isn't really my genre, and I prefer not to read about sex. No judgement whatsoever of sex workers or people who do like to read explicit material. Get it!! ;) It's just not for me, and I wished there had been more allusion to it in the description or listed genres.

Note: I received a free eBook copy of Ruined from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Krissy (books_and_biceps9155) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A violent murder, a big family secret and a boyfriend who isn’t quite who he says he is would sum this up quite nicely. Natalie struggles to be the daughter her parents want her to be. Being second generation Sri Lankan, she’s has never been able to find out her parents past, but she knows it’s dark and horrible. She doesn’t know how to trust or who she truly is.

When her best friend is murdered, she vows to find out who the killer is as the police don’t seem to care. When all clues start to point to her new boyfriend, Natalie may find too many answers to all her questions.

Welp....this book was confusing. It had a lot going on and too many unrealistic/unexplained things happening. There were certain aspects to the story that could have been left out (random pregnancy/abortion) and too many things that should have been added (more about her families past). I felt for lack of a better word it was a big cluster F. Now with that being said, I did like the main character and would definitely be interested in learning more about Sri Lankan history. If anything , it’s a good distraction and made for an interesting Saturday night.

Thank you Netgalley and Kaleido Text Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quiet, disturbing look at race relations, sex workers, emotionally dysfunctional families, physically and emotionally abused families and the birth of a serial killer. This complex story took me by surprise. It is like nothing I have ever read. I was engaged from the very beginning. This is definitely a page turner. The characters are well written and developed. They are realistic and captivating. They had down-to-earth personalities and had practical ideas. All of them had secrets. Darkness from their past haunted them and it affected their everyday life. The ending, when I realized what really happened, I was not as surprised as I thought I would be. It made perfect sense. It was interesting the way the book was divided up by time periods and not points of view. A refreshing change that was easy to keep on top of. I don't want to give out and spoilers but this is a book not to be overlooked. It is a must read. If you are looking for something different than your typical romance type books give this a try. You will not be disappointed.

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to S.A. McEwan. her publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Ruined in exchange for my honest review. Ruined takes place in Sidney Australia and tells the story of Natalie, daughter of Sri Lankan refugees and her struggles to understand her parents secrecy and seemingly rejection of their past. Her emotional anguish and difficulties dealing with love and trust take place while the possibility of a new relationship, loss, trauma and fear are forces in her life. Natalie works in the sex industry and grapples with her own feelings. Will her parents and the new man in her life accept or reject her? Ruined is not just a suspenseful read, but an intelligent writing about the sex industry, racism and the plight of refugees, told with great sensitivity. Ruined is also a suspenseful book, hard to put down. am now following S.A. McEwan and will recommend this book to my friends and book club.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

🐨Australia-set romantic thriller that takes on social issues👍
👍4-4.5 🌟stars 🌏
I ultimately truly enjoyed this plot-twisting romantic thriller set in Australia. It really kept me guessing about who heroine Natalie has actually become involved with and is he somehow connected to her friend's death. The discussion of racial and sexual discrimination was thoughtful, the reveal of Natalie's parents' traumatic flight from their Sri Lankan homeland horrifying but all too real. My favorite part was trying to identify the killer and how he might be stopped. The writing was focused and fast paced.

I was a bit confused at the beginning about the story's timeline but glad that I hung in there until I realized the chapter headings and timeline are all measured against the death scene briefly described in the prologue.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Auds · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was about a family who survived the civil war and migrated to Australia and lived in Sydney. Being the parents who experienced a lot of hardship in life, they want nothing of it to happen to their child. So they would do everything to avoid any hardship. They thought they did a good job raising Natalie as she became successful. Little did they know their daughter was also doing everything she can to be on top and at that time being a private escort is all she knows. All things might seem are already at their place until her friend was found dead.

Thus begin the hardship for Natalie. She was overwhelmed by it and now questions a lot of things that everything seems that they are not what they are before. Who to trust and what would Natalie do to solve all of this. Grieving yet determined to escape the harsh reality. I finished it fast not because that I loved it but because the chapters were a bit short.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie is a second generation Sri Lankan who has trained as a lawyer in Sydney Australia. Her parents fled Sri Lanka where unspeakable acts occurred.

Unbeknown to her parents, Natalie works as an escort. When her best friend is murdered and the police make all sorts of assumptions due to her profession, Natalie decides to take action to find her killer herself. Meanwhile she has a new boyfriend. But is he who he purports to be?

There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages. But guessing the killer was a bit too easy and some of the outcomes I found to be unbelievable in the context. However that is only at the very end. Otherwise it's a good escapist read.

[JT · Rating 5 out of 5]

i received a complimentary copy of this book exchange for a review. This was a great book it addresses so many issues in today's society and was a great murder read. I appreciated the way the story was told and the intensity it embraced. The characters were intriguing and well defined and I was impressed with the way they were developed and presented. I did figure the story out before it was disclosed at the same time it was an excellent read. I commend S.A. McEwen for the notes included at the conclusion of the book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only say that I am in awe of this writer and this story. It was so gritty and emotional and so compelling. I am only now able to relax after finishing it. I couldn't put it down. The emotions that ran thru and the intrigue kept you guessing what was going to happen next. The disconnect Natalie has with her parents and with relationships makes sense in the end. I don't say this often but, this is a story you want to read. There is so much more than you think, and it makes you think and feel and want to do something.

I read and reviewed a copy of this book.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this fast-paced romantic thriller. Natalie hasn’t had the easiest life but she is successful, she also has some secrets. When one of her friends turns up dead, she begins to look into it as the police seem reluctant to do anything. She learns there are a number of unsolved murders and she plans to find out what is happening. She also meets Griffin and sparks fly, but he may be linked to one of the murders. She may be falling for him but can she trust him. Intense read with great chemistry and loads of twists and turns. I was really drawn into the story, very entertaining. I liked it.

[O Prism · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars. When I began this book, I put it down after reading about graphic sex and violence. I prefer a clean read, and this was anything but. However, I went ahead and read it since it was a mystery thriller, and it was an ok read. There were some surprising twists that surprised me more because I didn’t pay attention at the very beginning. If you like to read about sex workers and dysfunctional families and graphic sex you will enjoy this. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was a decent read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Alana Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love the book, but I didn't. I thought the main character was tough to connect too. I thought it had some suspense, but overall when the story was resolved at least one main clue was never spoken of again or resolved. Additionally, the ending fit together too nicely. The angst of race and prejudice was a prevalent theme that I didn't expect based on the book description and although I didn't mind that element and understood why it was included, it wasn't the story I anticipated and made for a different underlying theme for a thriller.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

A painfully beautiful novel, breathtakingly original in structure and style, cleverly exploring serious issues within the framework of a psychological thriller. Sexy and seductive. Dark and chilling. Thought provoking and challenging.
S.A. McEwen joins the current wave of Australian writers who are rejuvenating an over-crowded genre. This is a lushly impressive, character driven plot that had me engrossed from the very first page. A book not to be missed.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant set to read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.