One of our spring Star Books, Araminta Hall’s One of the Good Guys is a timely, twisty gripping thriller of feminist revenge — a true-page-turner with an unreliable narrator, incredible narrative misdirection, and thought-provoking acts of vengeance. 

Boasting layers of twists and revelations, and stacks of debate-sparking deception, it’s exactly the kind of book that’ll fire up topical discussions at your next book group. And you don’t just have to take our word for it — Gillian Flynn described it as a “resonant, razor-laced, and dangerously glittering novel”, and Publishers’ Weekly hailed it an “unsettling psychological suspense novel”.

Like the sound of this novel? Browse our collection of thought-provoking feminist-minded fiction after you’ve checked-out these questions to kick-start conversations around One of the Good Guys, and before you head here for more book club inspiration.

1. “She was so mean to me in the end, so spiteful and hurtful I sometimes thought she had confused me with someone else. Sometimes my heart feels so broken…Sometimes I almost feel scared of her, like she would do me harm if she could.” Did you feel sympathy for Cole at the outset of the novel? 

2. “Being a successful woman and building your own business means you have to be twice as hard as any man, which is ridiculous, but true.” Were you duped by Cole’s apparent respect for women and awareness of the challenges of being a woman? Did you spot any early hints that Cole might not be exactly how he presents himself? 

3. What did you think of the way the author reveals Cole’s character? Discuss in relation to how Cole portrays Mel from the opening of the novel, and how his relationship with Lennie develops.

4. “Mermaids are my most frequent terror.” Discuss the significance of Cole’s fear of mermaids

5. Whose side were you on when Cole encountered the two Walk for Women activists on the cliff? Did you think their reaction was justified? 

6. Whose side were you on when Mel announced she wanted to have their IVF embryos destroyed? How did you feel when Cole offered to raise their potential babies? Did you agree with Mel that his suggestion was “insane”?

7. How did you feel when Cole declared: “It was time to be honest with myself. I’m not an alpha male and I think these alpha female types shrink me somehow.” Is Cole ever honest with himself? Do you think he wilfully mispresents the truth, or is he oblivious?

8. "Historically, it’s been hard to be a woman but, my God, it’s hard to be a man right now.” How did you respond to this statement from Cole?

9. “Men like Cole believe they’re right because society has told them that their whole lives. And as a result they find it hard when things are denied them...I can’t understand how we go on expecting individual women to erode thousands of years of bullshit.” Do you agree with this comment from Mel?

10. Were you surprised when the connection between Mel and Lennie came to light? Were they right to wreak revenge on Cole in this way? Did he deserve it?

11. Discuss the Daily Mail “When will we start admitting women are at fault as well?” article that appears in the novel.

12. “Men are allowed to act, but women, it seems, should only react.” How is this statement from Lennie borne out by the novel? Does it chime with your own experience?

13. How did you feel after reading One of the Good Guys? Did it resonate with you?

Look through all our Book Club recommendations and our discussion questions for more inspiration. Click below to add the book order a copies for you and your reading group.