
I came across the audiobook of Don’t Tell Me How to Die Marshall Karp and was curious after reading the synopsis. Narrated by January LaVoy, Karp delivered a twisty domestic thriller that held me captive from beginning to end. Brilliant & addictive.

by Marshall Karp
Narrator: January LaVoy
Length: 9 hours and 33 minutes
Genres: Thriller
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating:





Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
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”?
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.
That cover & title really grabbed me, as did the tagline, “I have one thing to do before I die. And time is running out.”
We meet Maggie, the wife of a top surgeon and the mayor of a small-town in upstate New York. She seems to have an idyllic life with two children, a secure marriage and challenging job. Maggie’s mother died from an incurable blood disease and Maggie is regularly tested. Her world turns upside down when her latest results show she know has the fated disease with just months to live. Maggie is a driven woman and sets out to find the perfect wife and mother for her family. The tale that unfolds pulled me in and never let go.
Unlike a lot of thrillers, this one takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster before everything goes off the rails! Was it plausible? Probably not. Did it hold me captive and shock me? Absolutely. If you are looking for a fresh listen in this genre, I highly recommend grabbing the audio.
Not going to lie, I chose the audio format for the narrator. January LaVoy becomes the characters from mannerisms to emotions. Her narration made the unbelievable, believable, and enhanced my overall experience.

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Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
Wow, that is a crazy premise! Sounds like it was a really good read. Great review! I will have to tell my mom about this as it sounds exactly like her type of read.
Katherine
The fact that January LaVoy is the narrator caught my eye as well. I really enjoy her narrations and this sounds fantastic!
Laurel-Rain Snow
UPDATES
Mary Kirkland
Oh man this sounds heart breaking.
Kimberly
Yes… but remember, it is also a thriller. Very addictive.
ailyn koay
that’s definitely an emotional roller coaster of a book! The lengths a mother would go, right?
Sophia Rose
Interesting premise with her knowing she was dying and setting her affairs in order.
Anne- Books of My Heart
Glad to see this is a good one.