In her new novel, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS, Araminta Hall forces us to examine what makes a "good guy." In fact, when we finish the book, we still are wondering what determines that. We are presented with Cole, whose first-person narration leads us to believe that he's misunderstood. He's not the typical alpha male; he just wants to love and support the woman he adores.

Cole is married to Mel, who has her own very successful public relations company. Her earning power greatly exceeds his, so he's happy to work at an entry-level job while taking care of their house, cleaning and cooking. Cole desperately wants a baby; because they both are nearing their 40s, he suggests they do IVF.

"Hall's mastery of a diverse type of narration is quite stunning and makes for a compulsive read that we can’t put down."

Mel agrees, but as each implantation fails, she grows increasingly reluctant to continue with the heartrending, physically exhausting process. We see --- even through Cole's eyes --- that Mel doesn't want to do it, and we sense that something is off about him. He complains about her working and drinking coffee, and we realize that his expectations are unreasonable.

The book is divided into sections, each one in a different format. It really works well and makes the narrative especially fascinating as we see the story from different viewpoints. The second section is from Mel's first-person perspective. This narration takes us through Mel and Cole's relationship from the start, seven years before the action of the novel begins. In fact, each chapter is labeled with the time elapsed --- "seven years earlier," "six years earlier" --- until we end up at nine months before Cole's narrative begins.

Through Mel's narration, we get a different sense of their marriage. And it's confusing because Mel herself is torn in her feelings for Cole. He is supportive and loving, and he says over and over how wonderful she is. But at the same time he is telling her how much he admires her, he chides her for not resting and for working too hard. Yet Mel has to work --- it's her company --- and they must pay for the extremely expensive IVF treatments. There is also the fact that she loves her job and the business she created. So when Cole talks about moving to the countryside where it would be healthier for the baby and they could afford to have her not work, she isn't thrilled. Finally, Mel has enough and leaves Cole. It's interesting that she leaves --- sneaks out, really --- when he is out of the house.

The third section consists of social media posts alternating with a first-person narrative from Lennie, an artist who rents a cottage on the same piece of rural coastline where Cole moved after his separation from Mel. He works as a ranger and lives in the house that comes with the job. It's along a rough stretch of coastline where the cliffs are dangerous. He sees a woman who lives in a cottage quite close to the edge of the cliff, and he is entranced by her. We hear about her past and what led her to where she resides now.

There are numerous questions that we are left with after finishing the novel. Hall forces us to consider the story from many aspects, different angles and opposing viewpoints. Who are the bad guys here? She makes us confront head-on the arguments that rage on social media between feminist women and the men who sneer at what they call "hormonal females," those who shouldn't have "real" jobs that are important. We consider if the fear that assaults women walking alone late at night or in a deserted parking garage is valid (of course it is) or imaginary, as some men claim.

Fear, control and determining the truth of situations is what we think about throughout this gripping story as we get to know Cole, Mel and Lennie. What we learn is that one person's truth is not necessarily that of another person. Because of the questions regarding good and evil, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS would be an excellent choice for a book club --- especially one with both male and female participants. Hall's mastery of a diverse type of narration is quite stunning and makes for a compulsive read that we can’t put down.