The Good Goodbye
A Novel
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4.3 • 67 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Jodi Picoult comes an enthralling domestic thriller about the lies we tell, and let ourselves believe, in the name of love.
The first thing you should know is that everyone lies. The second thing is that it matters.
How well do we know our children? Natalie Falcone would say she knows her daughter, Arden, very well. Despite the challenges of running a restaurant and raising six-year-old twin boys, she’s not too worried as she sends her daughter off to college—until she gets the call that Arden’s been in a terrible fire, along with her best friend and cousin, Rory. Both girls are critically injured and another student has died. The police suspect arson.
Arden and Rory have always been close, but they have secrets they’ve never shared, secrets that reel all the way back to their childhoods, and which led them to that tragic night. Who set the fire, and why? As the police dig deep into both the present and the past, Natalie realizes that in order to protect her daughter, she’ll first have to find out who Arden really is, even if it means risking everything—and everyone—she loves most.
Praise for The Good Goodbye
“A fluid, suspenseful story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happened—and what will happen next. I devoured this novel.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
“[Carla] Buckley’s writing is totally addictive. . . . Equal parts Judith Guest’s Ordinary People and Lisa Gardner at her best, this is a stupendous effort by a major talent.”—The Providence Journal
“Offers plenty of thematic richness to accompany its suspenseful plot . . . [Readers] will find their thoughts returning to the story, especially its affecting final scenes, long after it comes to a close.”—Bookreporter
“Each chapter reveals a tantalizing new detail that further complicates the cousins’ bond. . . . Buckley’s characters are well-developed and interesting.”—Publishers Weekly
“A journey through two marriages and a lifelong competitive friendship . . . The mystery of the fire runs through it all. . . . For readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult’s family dramas.”—Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two families come to terms with a devastating tragedy in Buckley's (The Deepest Secret) latest. Arden and Rory Falcone have always considered themselves more like sisters than cousins, even opting to room together when they leave for the same college. A few weeks into their first semester, Arden's mother, Natalie, receives a devastating phone call: a fire has destroyed the girls' dorm room, killing Rory's boyfriend, Hunter, and leaving both girls in critical condition. As Rory and Arden fight for survival, their stories unfold, and secrets emerge about the cousins' relationships with their families, their peers, Hunter, and, of course, each other. But the secret of how the fire started is the one weighing most heavily on Natalie, and with the police and media asking relentless questions, she begins to doubt everything she knew about her own daughter and niece. Told variously from the first-person viewpoints of Natalie, Arden, and Rory, each chapter reveals a tantalizing new detail that further complicates the cousins' bond. The three narrative voices are nearly identical, and the climactic twist feels a bit forced, but Buckley's characters are well-developed and interesting.
Customer Reviews
Couldn’t put it down
I could not stop reading this book. I loved how the author kept me guessing until the end. A must read!
Really Good!
I began this book because it was inexpensive and I could return it if I didn't like it. What a surprise! I did not want to put it down. You feel this book in the pit of your stomach. It is full of suspense and mystery, yet is a story about relationships. I will try another of the author's novels. Could it possibly be as good as this?
Beyond excellent!
This book was awesome. I highly recommend it. Through most of it, I was on edge. The characters were great, and so well-developed that I couldn't stand a couple of them. I plan to read every book this author writes and I hope there are many.