Book ~ "The Good Girl" (2014) Mary Kubica

From Goodreads ~ One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend but when he doesn't show up, she leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand but following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.

Mia has been dating her boyfriendfor a couple months.  He tends to cancel their dates at the last second, which doesn't make her happy.  When he does it yet again, she is sitting in a bar and allows herself to be picked up by Colin.  When she goes home with him, things don't go as she was expecting.  Rather than wanting to spend the night with her, he is, in fact, kidnapping her.  He has been hired to deliver her to someone in return for $$.  She will then be held for ransom (her father is a wealthy judge).

As Colin is delivering her, he has a change of heart because he knows Mia will be abused and possibly killed after the ransom has been paid.  Instead he keeps going and keeps her hostage until he can figure out what to do with her and himself.  He knows he's a dead man since he didn't deliver her or he's going to prison.  He also knows that she identify him and that can't happen.

This was the debut novel of Mary Kubica.  It was an interesting story and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style.  It was written in first person perspective from three different people ... Mia's mother, Eva;, Gabe, the police officer trying to find Mia; and Colin, Mia's kidnapper.  It's also written before and after Mia's kidnapping.  Though the chapters go back and forth in time, it's obvious whose voice it is and the time frame because they are labelled at the beginning of the chapter.  This style worked for me as it added to the suspense.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

As the book goes on, we get to know the main characters and their backgrounds.  Though Colin is a bad guy, it was hard not to have sympathy for him and why he was doing what he is doing.  Mia rebelled against her parents, moved out when she was 18 and became a teacher.  Eve was swept off her feet and married Mia's father when she was young but has watched her husband become more cold and a jerk as the years go on so they end up with an empty shell of a marriage.  Gabe feels the pressure to find Mia as his job is on the line (they judge is a friend of his boss).

I look forward to reading more by this author.