Three years ago, Stefan was sentenced for the drug-fueled murder of his girlfriend Belinda. When Stefan is released from prison, his mother Thea struggles to support him as he tries to make amends to a community that wants nothing to do with him. As threats escalate, Thea wonders how well she truly knows her son and questions what actually happened the night Belinda died.

Mitchard's January release starts as a strong character study of a mother trying to process her son's release from prison. Thea loves her son, yet questions her parenting, his temper, and state of mind. At times, The Good Son is thought-provoking and at other times utterly dull.

Sadly, the story completely misses the mark when it adds a thriller subplot. Suddenly the story isn't about facing the consequence of a crime, but a "thriller" that's not very thrilling. In all, The Good Son is a novel that has so much potential but ends up being rather mediocre.