A Good Marriage

Thank goodness for this book!!! It got me out of a terrible slump where I just couldn't get interested in ANYTHING. This book is just what I needed during this blah time in my life.

It starts out with Lizzie, a lawyer with her own marriage troubles, getting a call from a former law school friend who is about to be arrested for the murder of his wife. She doesn't think the Zach she knew would do something like that, but law school was a long time ago, and how well do we really know people anyway?

It turns out that Zach's deceased wife, Amanda, came from a truly troubled background. One that few knew about (including Zach). Has someone from that past come back to hurt her?

As we alternate chapters between Lizzie's investigation and Amanda's show more life in the days before she died, we get to see that relationships are complicated, everyone has secrets, and you can be lonely even if you're married.

I'm so happy that this author is back to Adult Mysteries. She's so good at them. Some authors are just great at weaving multiple storylines together without it feeling forced, and Kimberly McCreight is one of them. I loved how Amanda's past and present came together, how every character in this book was there for a reason-- they all played a part, they all connected the dots.

The characters in this book weren't very likable. To be honest, I'm not sure I rooted for a single one. They all had secrets and issues and personality flaws. BUT, I also kind of liked this?? I don't have to love the characters to want to know what is going to happen to them. Also, I really liked the way this book delved into the idea of marriage and how relationships really are instead of how they are perceived.

The added bonus of included police reports, trial transcripts, emails, etc. just gave it a little something extra. Kimberly McCreight has included these in all of her Adult books, and I've loved them each time.

The only bad part of this book was that it was over. I didn't want it to end because it kept my attention so well. And I didn't guess the ending-- which, YAY!!

(PS- I totally recommend [b:Reconstructing Amelia|15776309|Reconstructing Amelia|Kimberly McCreight|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1350193583l/15776309._SY75_.jpg|21488217] also. It was just as good as this one.)

OVERALL: If you like Mysteries, READ IT. Kimberly McCreight has cemented her place as one of the great storytellers for me. She weaves a mystery like only few can.

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The Short of It:

A woman is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Her husband has been arrested for the crime, but everyone is lying.

The Rest of It:

*No Spoilers*

Zach is married to beautiful Amanda but their marriage is riddled with secrets. After dragging Zach to a party that he does not want to attend, Amanda returns home alone and is murdered shortly thereafter.

When Zach finds himself accused of her murder, he contacts an old lawyer friend, Lizzie to defend him even though she’s never defended anyone in a criminal trial. As Lizzie goes through the motions to discover the truth, she slowly realizes that anyone could have killed Amanda and that Amanda’s past was haunting her the entire time.

A Good Marriage is getting a lot of buzz. show more The author keeps you guessing the entire time. I thought I knew who the killer was numerous times and was wrong every time. Structurally, it’s tightly written and is an absolute a page turner (read it in one sitting) but I did not care about any of these characters, even Amanda. I don’t think you have to love the characters to like a story but in a murder mystery, I find it’s helpful to at least care about the victim. I felt nothing for her. Everything felt a little too detached for me. The relationships were somewhat shallow, or appeared to be which made it difficult to feel anything for these people.

I’ve read McCreight before. You may remember Reconstructing Amelia. That one had a lot of drama but I remember feeling empathy for the characters. That is the only thing I felt was missing here. In the end, I appreciated how quickly the story was told and for the author’s skill at keeping the big reveal a secret right until the end but had I felt a little more for these characters I think I would have enjoyed it even more.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter. show less

A Good Marriage is a deep-dive, compelling, thought-provoking look at marriages, the secrets we keep, the compromises me make, and the reality behind the shiny façade we show the world.

Expectations are important, so be aware this is not a thriller as some marketing is currently claiming. This is a slow burn character study, a legal drama, a mystery/suspense, but not a thriller. The intensity builds along with pacing, until the final quarter becomes explosive and impossible to put down.

I loved the writing style, the complexities and depth of the characters, and the exploration of certain topics. Really, I simply loved everything about this book.

*I received an ARC from Harper Books, via BookishFirst.*

4.5 Stars! This one definitely kept me intrigued and entertained.

Amanda Grayson has been found dead in her Park Slope home. Her millionaire husband, Zach, has been arrested. Insisting he didn't kill his wife, he turns to an old friend from law school, Lizzie, to defend him. However, Lizzie has her own problems and her own marriage to save. As Lizzie tries to unfold what happened the night Amanda was killed, she begins to learn that each family in Amanda's close-knit group has their own troubling secrets to hide.

This was such a great thriller and each chapter, slowly, but strategically, unveiled a new clue behind the murder of Amanda. I really enjoyed that the trial and the questioning of the suspects was built into the storyline. show more Without giving it away, I do feel there was something missing though, maybe a lack of development in the issue behind the school, County Day, or in her relationship with her father. Overall though, it kept me reading and guessing the whole way through! show less

This legal/psychological thriller definitely does not hold back when it comes to laying bare the trials and sacrifices that make up a marriage. All of the characters are multi-layered and some are downright delusional. When Amanda and Zach move to the posh community of Park Slope, they seem to be the perfect couple, but nothing could be farther from the truth. However, their seemingly rich and privileged new neighbors are certainly no better. As the plot leads us down a twisty path of lies, deceptions, and addictions, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems and nobody has a perfect marriage. I found this one entertaining and suspenseful all the way to the last page.

See my full review here: https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/a-good-marriage-kimberly-mccreight/

I enjoyed this twisty legal thriller. It was full of secrets, marital drama, addiction, scandal, and trauma from past abuse. Some complex topics, but all well-handled in my opinion.

I preferred Amanda’s POV to Lizzie’s, even though we know she dies. She felt more relatable to me than Lizzie--many of Lizzie’s early chapters were too focused on how Lizzie didn’t want to take the case and her stress over her marriage. Amanda seemed more sweet and interesting. I liked how grateful she was to be accepted by the other moms. I did wish she would stand up for herself more, but you could tell she was building the courage to do that!

There were a show more lot of characters to keep straight. I found myself confusing Sarah and Maude and their husbands, and even confusing Lizzie and Amanda at times.

Overall, a compelling legal thriller with a satisfying ending. show less

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight is a 2020 Harper publication.

Lizzie has taken a job with Young & Crane out of necessity after her marriage and finances took a serious hit.

Out of the blue an old friend, Zach Grayson, calls asking for her help. He’s in a bit of a bind after his wife, Amanda, was found dead. Seems he hit a police officer at the scene, and is perhaps the prime suspect in Amanda’s death. Although her firm does not handle criminal cases, Lizzie is given permission to represent Zach- although she’s not exactly thrilled about taking his case.

As Lizzie begins to dig into Amanda’s life, and the affluent enclave she and Zach lived in, she discovers Amanda’s closest friends were into a few unconventional show more activities, such as open marriages and key parties, for example. Did Amanda participate? Did someone become jealous? What about Amanda’s ambiguous past, or her best friend, Carolyn, a woman no one else has met? And what about Zach? What motive might he have for murdering his wife?

I was expecting the usual domestic thriller set-up with this one, but got a little more than I bargained for. I love Legal Thrillers, and this book has a bit of that included in the story, so that certainly enhanced my enjoyment of this book. The story is also a bit titillating, kind of soapy, but oh so entertaining.

There were a few open- ended threads I would have liked to have been tied up or given a little more explanation- because some avenues seem to just dead end. The exploration of marriage in general, the secrets hidden behind closed doors, the struggles no one else knows about, or the dangerous games people play, was a great backdrop and the way the case intersects with Lizzie’s life was surprising.

Overall, this was a twisty, absorbing, thrill ride- a bit convoluted at times- but I still enjoyed it. This would be a good book to pack in your beach bag this summer!

3.5 stars show less