Don't Tell Me How to Die ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp

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G👀dreads About Summary 

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 at forty-three. 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”?***

***The investigator in me is wondering if that's a clue?!?!?!

Genre: Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Crime

The How/Why: Influenced by two of my SM thriller girlies. It's been on my TBR for a while and I'm due for a serious crime psycho thriller. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

🎉🎊 Overall Storytelling? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 All Categories

• Setting the stage. Atmosphere, Vibe
• Likeable Characters: Protagonist, Supporting Cast, Extras
• Unlikeable Antagonist
• Executing the premise
• Lives up to the promise

 🎣🎏 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

 🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕to ALL my Mystery Psychological Thriller friends. 

 🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ Not necessary but I would add to it my TBR! 😉

 📚 Would I want to read more books by this author? Yes ➕

 ⚠️💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? Tɇrmïnɐl IllnɇŞŞ & Gɇnɇtic Disɇasɇ, Ǥriɇf & LoŞŞ, DɇaṪh & MŪrdɇr

 🌶️🫑Spice? No, but half a pepper for PG13 Sɇx talk. 

 🌪 Plot Twist? YES! If yes, Predictable? Only partially. 

 👟 Pace? Excellent

 💻 Tidbits ~ Thrilling AND heartfelt? This book has no business being so emotional! I'm not saying I needed a tissue, but I'm not saying I didn't! Oh, and the humor! Marshall Karp really colored outside the lines for a Mystery Thriller in the best way. 

Character Cheat Sheet:
Maggie: 43-year-old Mayor, learns she has three months to live due to a rare genetic blood disease.
Alex: Maggie's loving and supportive husband, successful surgeon. 
Kevin & Katie: Maggie & Alex's teenage twins. 
Lizzie: Maggie's younger sister.
Finn: Maggie & Lizzie's father.
Maggie's Mother: Warned Maggie to protect her father from predatory women.
Johnny: Maggie's former high school drug dealer and her Ride or Die. 
Connie: A woman who tried to replace Maggie's mother after her death, (as predicted).
Minna: Ruthless real estate agent.
Beth: The hero Librarian. 

Highlights: 
Everything! Full character development. Real life drama and unhinged relationships. Told through flashbacks and alternating timelines. 

Before her Mother died she told her daughters to watch out of the "casserole ladies". People would be bringing food, but the casserole ladies would be out to get their hooks into Dad. They would have an excuse to come back to get their Pyrex with the "Hi Finn, how are you holding up" while offering all kinds of "comfort". To stop them, the girls took it upon themselves to intercept and deliver those dishes back themselves. They called themselves The Casserole Patrol. Anything to protect Dad. And I do mean ANYTHING!  

"One More Ride" was her Mom's last wish. This was such an emotional rollercoaster! 

I loved Maggie's can-do attitude, her relationships with her friends and family, her dedication to her career, and her ability to handle her diagnosis head-on. She loved her life and she had gumption.  

Lizzie was hilarious in her own way. As a teenager she went around with her fake mic like the town reporter. As an adult she's a doctor but still keeps the mic on hand. She's also the super cool aunt to Maggie's twins. 

Beth - Easter Egg alert: She gave Maggie a book for her Dad and says its "I'm fine, don't worry, next question." 😉

I could go on and on about how much I liked all the characters but we'd be here all day. I'll just say you should just read it! 

Lowlights:
This is a tough one. I can't think of any. Some unrealistic things happened but it's fiction, so there's that. 

Favorite Character:
Another tough one. Lizzy, Johnny, Ester.
Ester isn't in the initial list of characters above. She was the therapist that Maggie went to when her mom died. Currently in her 80's, Maggie reaches out to her again when she finds out she has the same terminal disease. Ester is full of wonderful words of wisdom. 

Favorite Quote: 
Right off the bat: Maggie's mother when teenage Maggie asked her what was going on [with her health]: "How strong are you?" 💔

"Self pity is a waste of precious time. Shut up and play the cards you're dealt!" WOW!

There are a lot of little gems along the way such as "One more ride" and "Don't blink". 

🎧 Narrator: January LaVoy 💖(one of my favs). She knocked it out of the park! 

Request of the Day: Since this one checked all the boxes for me, if you've read/listened to this book and enjoyed it, drop a comment with a title of a similar favorite. 

🎧 9.42 hours (Listened on: Hoopla) 🕮 336 pages

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