Don't Tell Me How to Die: A Novel

by Marshall Karp Narrated by January LaVoy

Overview

“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.

Editorial Reviews

The Best Thriller Books Kashif Hussein

The narrative goes from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye.”

USA Today bestselling author Glynnis Campbell

This riveting page-turner has all the suspense, twists, and sly humor one enjoys in a Marshall Karp thriller…You may pick up this book for the joy ride of the plot, but you’ll be haunted by the humanity of the characters."

award-winning author Marie Sutro

Marshall Karp will keep you riveted page after page, twist after twist, until delivering a stunning blow in the final five words.”

The Best Thriller Books

Don’t Tell Me How to Die is a departure from typical crime thrillers as it ventures down the lane of a family drama before it switches gears and hightails into an intense and creepy story all the while keeping you guessing as to what is really going on. Marshall Karp does not disappoint.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author of the Women& Maxine Paetro

I’ve lost track of time. Thanks to frequent number one New York Times bestseller Marshall Karp’s deft storytelling, his likable, unpredictable characters, and the hairpin curves I never saw coming, Don’t Tell Me How to Die gripped me from page one to the end in a single two-day binge. I wanted more.”

#1 Sunday Times bestselling author Peter James

Marshall Karp had me in the palm of his hands. A riveting narrative that pulls the rug out from under you with every twist. Storytelling doesn’t get better than this.”

AudioFile

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.”

Booklist

[Karp’s] new book might just be his best…This is a masterfully plotted novel…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.”

Suspense Magazine

An engrossing confluence of humor, emotion, and suspense that never lets readers’ attention stray…Don’t Tell Me How to Die is more than the usual thriller; it is a candid look at family ties and love and the things we do to protect those in our lives we cherish most. This is must-reading for fans of smart storytelling and deep emotional resonance—a showcase for the unquestionable talent of Karp.”

host of The Book Show on NPR Joe Donahue

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.”

Publishers Weekly

01/27/2025

Karp (Snowstorm in August) levels up with this captivating slow burn. Maggie Dunn, mayor of Heartstone, N.Y., only has three months to live, courtesy of the same inflammatory blood disease that killed her mother. While Maggie busies herself finding a suitable new partner for her husband, Alex, before she’s gone, realtor Minna Schultz dies under suspicious circumstances during a powerful rainstorm, spiking Maggie’s anxiety. In flashbacks, Maggie’s dying mother frets about finding her husband, Finn, a wife who will help raise Maggie and her sister. Finn eventually settles on a woman named Connie Gilchrist, whose eagerness to join the family raises alarm bells for a young Maggie. Karp toggles back and forth in time, gradually revealing the root of Maggie’s deep-seated guilt in the present and building to the truth about Minna’s death. 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. Agent: Mel Berger, WME. (Mar.)

#1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Grace se Peter James

Marshall Karp had me in the palm of his hands. A riveting narrative that pulls the rug out from under you with every twist. Storytelling doesn’t get better than this.”

James Patterson

[Karp]’s an excellent writer who always manages to surprise readers with the twists and turns of his plotlines.”

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192119792
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	03/04/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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