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Don't Tell Me How to Die

A Novel

Audiobook
0 of 2 copies available
0 of 2 copies available

"What begins as a mystery-tinted character study transforms into a full-bore thriller, with a spate of jaw-dropping twists that recast the entire narrative. Readers should be prepared to stay up all night." —Publishers Weekly

"A razor-sharp domestic thriller about a dying woman's desperate mission to handpick her husband's next wife—and she'll stop at nothing to get the job done. Darkly funny and relentlessly suspenseful, Karp displays every skill as one of the greatest storytellers of our generation." —Joe Donahue, host of The Book Show on NPR

I have one thing to do before I die.And time is running out.

I had it all: a fantastic husband, two great kids, an exciting career. And then, at the age of forty-three, I found out I would be dead before my next birthday.

My mother also died young. I was seventeen, and she warned me that women would flock to my suddenly single father like stray cats to an overturned milk truck. They did. And one absolutely evil woman practically destroyed his life, mine, and my sister's.

I am not letting that happen to my family.

I have three months, and I plan to spend every waking minute searching for the perfect woman to take my place as Alex's wife, and mother to Kevin and Katie.

You're probably thinking, She'll never do it. Did I mention that in high school I was voted "Most Likely to Kill Someone to Get What She Wants"?

From thriller writer Marshall Karp (cocreator with James Patterson of the #1 New York Times bestselling NYPD Red series), and rich with Karp's deft array of three-dimensional characters and his signature biting humor, Don't Tell Me How to Die has so many twists and turns, you'd swear he wrote it with a corkscrew.

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    • Booklist

      February 1, 2025
      Known primarily as the co-creator of the NYPD Red series, Karp has written some seriously good books under his own byline (such as 2006 debut The Rabbit Factory), but his new book might just be his best. Its characters include Maggie Dunn, a former prosecutor who lives under the constant threat of a fatal illness (the same one that killed her mother); her husband, Alex, a successful surgeon; and various friends and family. The story, as Karp initially presents it, is heartbreaking: Maggie receives some bad news about her illness and begins planning a life for her family after she is gone. But that's just the beginning. This is a masterfully plotted novel, and its pacing--particularly the timing of certain revelations--is perfect. Readers who enjoy playing literary detective, who try to see where a story will end up before the author gets there, are advised that they are in for a real challenge here. Karp does not give anything away until he is good and ready. A remarkable and beautifully executed thriller.

      COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Golden Voice January LaVoy applies her considerable narrating talents to elevate this novel from implausible to engaging. The story begins with the suspected suicide of a nasty real estate agent. Listeners then meet Maggie, the mayor of a small upstate New York town. The first three-quarters of the audiobook explore Maggie's past, including her mother's death at 43 from a rare disease and the instructions she left behind. Now Maggie seems to be cursed with the same illness. LaVoy masterfully conveys Maggie as both a teenager and an adult; she even excels at male voices. The thriller angle doesn't emerge until the final quarter, when past and present truths collide. LaVoy's expert performance makes this audiobook compelling--even when the plot stretches credulity. E.Q. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine

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