A Good Marriage

Lizzie Kitsakis works as a defense attorney in New York City when she receives a late-night call from an old law school friend requesting her help from Rikers Island. Accepting the case draws her into the privileged world of Park Slope, Brooklyn, where she must defend a husband accused of murdering his wife. As Lizzie investigates the death, she encounters a web of secrets among the neighborhood's wealthy residents. The case forces her to question her own marriage and confront unresolved issues from her past, all while racing against time to uncover the truth. The story moves between Lizzie's perspective and snippets from a grand jury investigation, creating parallel timelines that converge. Multiple characters emerge as potential suspects, each with motives and hidden connections to the victim. This legal thriller examines the facades of seemingly perfect marriages and the prices people pay to maintain appearances. Through its exploration of domestic partnerships, the novel raises questions about trust, loyalty, and what truly constitutes a good marriage.

Readers describe this as a slow-burn legal thriller that picks up pace in the second half. The multiple viewpoint characters and timeline shifts require attention to follow. Readers appreciated: - The authentic portrayal of wealthy Brooklyn neighborhoods and law firm culture - Complex female characters with realistic motivations - The integration of legal proceedings with domestic drama - Strong ending that ties plot threads together Common criticisms: - First 100 pages move too slowly - Too many characters to track initially - Some found the marriage/relationship themes predictable - Several plot points strain credibility Review Scores: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (66,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (8,900+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4/5 (135 ratings) As one Goodreads reviewer noted: "The legal aspects felt well-researched without being dry. But the pacing in the first third nearly lost me."

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn A wife's disappearance leads to dark revelations about a marriage while shifting narratives force readers to question the truth.

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison The psychological unraveling of a marriage unfolds through alternating perspectives as a wife plots revenge against her unfaithful husband.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen Multiple timelines and unreliable narrators expose the complexities of marriage, jealousy, and obsession in this domestic thriller.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris The facade of a perfect marriage masks sinister secrets as a wife discovers her husband's true nature.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney A woman in a coma pieces together the truth about her marriage through past and present timelines while questioning her memories.

📚 Despite its title, "A Good Marriage" explores multiple marriages throughout the story, each hiding dark secrets beneath a seemingly perfect facade. 🎓 Author Kimberly McCreight was a litigation attorney before becoming a full-time writer, lending authenticity to the legal elements in the novel. 🏆 The book was selected as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was an Amazon Best Book of 2020. 🌆 The story is set in Park Slope, Brooklyn—an affluent neighborhood known for its historic brownstones and family-friendly atmosphere, which creates an ironic backdrop for the book's sinister events. 🎬 The novel's film rights were acquired by Nicole Kidman's production company, Blossom Films, in partnership with Amazon Studios.