McCreight includes several different types of marriages in this story, but all of them at some point will make the reader think about just what an actual good marriage really is, and what it might look like from the outside as well as the inside ... Collectively, we get a fascinating, suspenseful tale that weaves together multiple events and storylines. This is definitely a book that is almost impossible to put down once you have picked it up. You’ll gasp, you may blush, you may cry, and you may cheer, but you will still not be able to stop reading!
... [an] irresistible domestic drama ... The novel...is filled with titillating details ... [an] equally compelling parallel plot ... The real mystery, though, is not the identity of the killer, but the answer to that age old question about solid marriages ... 'A good marriage is the one that survives. And none of us will know that until all is said and done.' The same goes for the identity of Amanda’s killer. You will never see it coming.
... an alluring psychological legal thriller that is jammed packed with layers of emotionally charged sexual revelations and suspense ... Most of the characters are likable and there is something about each that is relatable ... an intelligently written suspense filled thriller that is loaded with tantalizing tidbits of information that keep the reader guessing to the very end. McCreight does an exceptional job of releasing just the right amount of information about certain characters at just the right moment to keep the reader involved. This tactic of intentional deception works marvelously by widening the scope of suspects to the crime. And unlike many other domestic thrillers of the genre which are often filled with cliché storylines, McCreight has created a unique hook that demands attention from start to finish. Her characters are fresh and believable, and the novel is loaded with plenty of twists and turns.
A Good Marriage has many intertwined story strands, first- and third-person points of view, one intermittently unreliable narrator, and some whopping coincidences to tie it all together. Readers who persist through this novel’s diversions and digressions may well feel greatly entertained.
[McCreight] literally speaks the language of her characters, taking individuals who might be seen as one-dimensional, vapid and occasionally morally suspect and turning them into highly complex people with multiple facets to their personalities ... This direct testimony really makes for interesting reading, and each successive one will lean you in a different direction and toward another possible guilty party ... More than just a solid work of domestic suspense, A Good Marriage will make you question the very concept of marriage and how even the most insignificant secret could tear down the walls that couples put up to keep their secrets from everyone they know. These factors take what could have been a standard mystery and elevate it to top-notch thriller status. Everyone has secrets, but which of these characters could be driven to murder to keep theirs from being revealed? Hang on tight as I'm sure those answers will be real eye-openers!
McCreight fashions a plot with so many twists and turns that little is what it originally seemed, combining psychological suspense, murder investigation, and a legal thriller.
McCreight’s law credentials lend authenticity to the legal proceedings and to Lizzie’s high-stakes tango with a formidable assistant district attorney eager to put her in her place ... McCreight expertly weaves multiple plot threads with a few sly red herrings, paving the way to a series of surprising, and satisfying, reveals. A smartly plotted and altogether successful union of legal thriller and domestic suspense.
Bestseller McCreight...expertly blends domestic drama with a gripping murder mystery ... Filled with credible plot twists and realistically flawed characters, McCreight’s page-turner presses readers to question everything they think makes a 'good' marriage. This will stay with the reader long after the finish.
