A GOOD MARRIAGE
by Kimberly McCreight
A white-collar criminal defense attorney takes on the case of a millionaire accused of the brutal murder of his wife in McCreight’s new thriller.
It’s only been a few months since Lizzie Kitsakis joined the prestigious New York law firm Young & Crane. It’s not her dream job, but her husband Sam’s alcoholism has put them in a precarious financial position, and she can’t afford to be picky. When her college friend Zach Grayson, now a millionaire, calls her from Rikers, he tells her he’s the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of his wife, Amanda, and is being held on an assault charge with no bail while awaiting indictment. He wants Lizzie, and no one else, to represent him, and she’s surprised when her boss tells her to take the case. Lizzie believes Zach is innocent, and by all accounts, Amanda was a devoted wife and a wonderful mother to their son, Case, who is away at camp. No one can think of a motive for her murder. However, the events leading up to the case are fodder for a gossip-obsessed press: Zach and Amanda reportedly attended a party the night of her death, at which parents of students from the upscale Brooklyn Country Day school let loose while the kids were away at various summer activities. The hostess even encouraged couples to use her upstairs rooms for a bit of partner swapping. Meanwhile, someone has hacked into the records of Brooklyn Country Day families, digging up dirt and threatening blackmail. Then Lizzie discovers Amanda’s journals, and it becomes clear that her life and marriage may have been darker and more complex than they appeared. Lizzie knows a bit about keeping secrets, and as she gets closer to the truth, she wonders if Zach might not be so innocent after all. 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. Lizzie’s narrative alternates with one that details Amanda’s movements for a few days before her murder, and 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.