This book was a remarkable experience. I found it engaging, emotionally charged, and full of unexpected twists. The plot developments were completely unforeseen. I highly recommend it; you won't be disappointed. I give it a solid 5 star!

Okay, the reviews for this book almost always included one thing: "Trust the process," and they were right. I was pretty hooked early on into this book, but around the 60% mark, it became a little flat and I wasn't sure the description was accurate. However, around 70-80% it took off and NEVER STOPPED. It is no exaggeration when I say this book is a rollercoaster. My brain had no clue what was real during the third act, and I think my jaw was consistently on the floor. It reminded me a lot of an Alex Michaelides thriller, but this one is definitely more on the fiction side than being a true thriller. My only complaint is that the main character Maggie, is definitely a woman written by a man, and while it makes sense at times, at others it was way too over the top.

As a side note that I'm including in my NetGalley review only; this book still has a lot of editing to go through. Several timing inconsistencies and spelling errors might have made me put this one down if it had been a published copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good book! I was not expecting it to end the way it did. I liked the twists and turns throughout the book. I enjoyed the main character and liked how we saw her life play out over the years. I liked the different time points as well. I also enjoyed the hearfelt moments as well, I did shed some tears! Overall, it was a good thriller with family drama and I would highly recommend it.

Wow! My first 5 ⭐️ read of the year and it was completely unexpected.
This book was not what I expected at all. I thought I was reading a touching book about a mom with a terminal illness. And that’s what it was for the first half. I thought it was going into be a 3.75⭐️ book at the end which I would have rounded up for GR and then it took me by surprise and became an absolute page turner with twists and turns that left me dropping my jaw and literally pontificating out loud.

Full disclosure once things started unwinding I was able to piece things together before the reveal but it was exciting. The best part of it was that it was smartly written. Too often these days I’ve read thrillers where the twist comes out of nowhere and isn’t backed up by earlier prose. This was the exact opposite where the lightbulb goes off and you realize the significance of several things that seemed mundane.

I am so thankful to have gotten an eARC for free from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

This book comes out March 4, 2025. I highly suggest it for mystery/thriller lovers out there!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Oh my goodness—what. A. Ride!

I am not a huge mystery/thriller reader, but. I was immediately hooked with this one! I devoured the book in under 48 hours!!

I went in completely bind, which I recommend everyone does unless you have trigger warnings to check for!

The author did a phenomenal job of connection SO many different tiny details!!

This book was an interesting concept... reading it as present tense but it actually being told as a memory. First as a teenager Maggie with her mom's death and dad's grief, then as an adult Maggie with kids and her dad is now the grandpa.

This book was completely unpredicable. Just when I thought one thing, it was something completely different. No one is as they seem.

Around 70% it started to drag just a little but I still couldn't put it down, just waiting for something big to happen. It picked back up by 80 something percent and the rest was just crazy. It all ties together and every detail and question is answered. Very well written.

This book surprised me. I went in kinda blind and it did not disappoint. It was emotional with twist and sucked me in. Oh and the twist it had I never, let me repeat, I NEVER saw them coming. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.

This book surprised me. I went in kinda blind and it did not disappoint. It was emotional with twist and sucked me in. Oh and the twist it had I never, let me repeat, I NEVER saw them coming. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this truly amazing book.

I was almost half in before I realized it! Totally engrossing and amazing. You will cry, you will be on the edge of your seat, and you will be totally astounded by the ending.

I am ready for a reread.

This is going to be one people will be talking about for years. A best seller for sure!

Highly recommend.

This is not a fast paced book but boy is the slow burn worth it! I really enjoyed the build up of the characters, it gets you feeling super connected to them. The emotional pull in the first half of the book was so good. The last chunk of the book had my jaw dropped and my mind blown! The crazy plot twists I did not see coming and I loved how it all came together. A new favourite for me. And a moment for the motorcycle scene, so good!

I need to give honest feedback here on NetGalley. My review on Insta will be less detailed (I haven't published it yet), and I appreciate the opportunity to read this before it’s released. I’m always grateful.

This book is being marketed as a thriller, but I didn’t feel anything ‘thriller-y’ about it. It was very much a story about Maggie’s life – which is fine, but I think it should be marketed solely as General Fiction.

One thing I feel strongly I need to point out is that when we look at Maggie’s life at the age of 17, Karp painted her to be extremely promiscuous. I am absolutely not a fan of male writers depicting underage girls in a sexual light, even more so because this is a book that is not aimed at the romance or dark romance audience. If her promiscuous behaviour is considered to be an important part of her grieving, that’s fine, but on the other hand…I don’t know. I was very uncomfortable reading about an underage girls on the prowl, so to speak, and ‘gyrating’ in a particular scene, etc. I don’t think men have a place writing about underage girls like this…anything ending in ‘teen’ should be left alone.

I need to point out also a couple errors (sorry, I read it on my Kindle and there were no page numbers):
Loc 2595: “Married to a doctor, we have six-year-old twins – a boy and a girl…” upon catching up with Misty after they lost contact after so many years.
Loc 2867: But then…’at 6pm, Misty showed up all smiles. We had reconnected when my kids were born, and at this point, we were part of the fabric of each other’s lives’.
I’m under the impression Misty was NOT in Maggie’s life when the kids were born. Misty and Maggie meet at the pub, and Maggie tells her ‘I have six-year-old twins’. That indicates Misty was not there six years ago.

There are about 8 punctuation errors, but I didn’t keep track, hopefully someone else will pick them up.

I enjoyed the short chapters.

The chapters jumped from one storyline to another, and it felt a bit rushed. Almost like there were too many ideas in the author’s head and he had to get everything in on paper. For instance, Maggie and Johnny were at Thanksgiving dinner at the pub, but suddenly, they were breaking into Connie’s house. There was no flow into that situation – I suppose the word is ‘disjointed’.

Also too, Loc 3390: Why is the word Black capitalising? Are we capitalising people’s skin colours? I’d like to think this should be lower case?

I hope it helps at least a little bit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I love the way the characters weren't perfect and had their flaws, but at the same time, the dysfunction worked. I suspected a sinister plot, but the ending was even more than what I expected. I love this book and will be recommending to others!

Marshall Karp delivers a gripping blend of humor, emotional depth, and suspense in Don't Tell Me How To Die. The story begins with an unforgettable hook—a body discovered live on air during a weather report—and then dives into the complex and poignant life of Maggie Dunn, a small-town mayor battling a rare illness, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

Maggie’s determination to secure a stable future for her family—even seeking a replacement wife for her husband, Alex, a devoted physician—sets the stage for an emotional journey. The supporting cast, including her rational sister Lizzie, loyal friend Jonny Rollo, and her children Kevin and Katie, adds depth and heart to the story.

While the thriller elements take their time to unfold, the twists and turns, once they arrive, are worth the wait. The nonlinear timeline keeps things dynamic, though it occasionally challenges the reader to keep track. Despite this, Karp weaves a narrative that is as unpredictable as it is engaging.

Don't Tell Me How To Die is perfect for readers who enjoy thrillers with a strong emotional core, memorable characters, and a touch of humor. It’s a rollercoaster ride of surprises, anchored by moments of genuine human connection.

Marshall Karp has become one of my favorite authors since discovering him through his NYPD Red collaboration with James Patterson. So when it became available through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I grabbed it up.

I was definitely not disappointed! This is a bit different than your typical thriller that generally throws you headlong into one breathless scene after another and Maggie Dunn is not your typical heroine. Maggie is far from perfect and one of her big “flaws” is something that generally puts me off a character. Yet I was completely captivated from the beginning.

Given the book description I wasn’t sure where the mystery or thrill was going to come from. But sure enough, there are some really interesting twists and turns along the way and I found myself unable to stop reading.

This was an unusual plot and a phenomenal story. I will never not read a Karp book! :)

In reading this book, I was initially so confused as to why it was a thriller. I’d cried several times by the halfway mark.

The pacing through me off a few times, and I was confused on what part of Maggie’s life we were in, but it eventually settled out in a few sentences. I don’t think I understood the thriller context until I reached the 75% mark? By then, I didn’t want to put the book down and stayed up until three AM because I had to know how it ended.

This book was truly a wild and an emotional roller coaster. I was convinced I was gonna hate it and rage finish, but I think it threw such a wrench in my expectations I actually loved it. Wild.

Spoilers: it honestly made me kinda mad Maggie was cheating for so long with Van. I understand it, but it initially was upsetting like WTF. However, after reading more and understanding Maggie’s viewpoint of maybe how they never should have married to begin with? Also understandable. How everything tied together? Actually loved it. Never suspected Alex, and his role was just.. there was so much too it.

Honestly, Johnny Rollo was my favorite character.

Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp is a very intriguing story that I enjoyed.

The main character has a short time to live, and she wants to find a replacement wife for her husband before she dies.
UM WHAT?

That is just the beginning of this enthralling thriller.

There are so many twists and turns, you will not see it coming.

Great suspenseful novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an ARC for this book. I received an advance copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntary.

I thought this book was not for me. The beginning had a lot of family drama and complications and it took a while to get it going. I was wondering why it had been marketed as a thriller. But then around 25% it hit home. I was glad I continued reading as the journey was wild. I had a lot of fun trying to find out where the story was going and figuring it out Maggie’s motivations.

Maggie lost her mum at seventeen and we follow her before her mum’s death and the journey that she goes on figuring out everything. And at the age of Forty-Tree she discovers that she has the same disease that killed her mother and she needs to find her husband a perfect wife before she goes to take her place.

This was an emotional thriller, with a lot of family dynamics. It was funny and crazy at times, and I really enjoyed this book.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

This was a great read! Thoroughly enjoyed the story, characters and the twists. Didn't quite know where it was going at first and seemed a bit tame, but once it got going it was an addictive read. My first 5 star for 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley for having this book available as an open read 😊

This book was absolutely WILD. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and there were countless moments where my jaw was literally on the floor. I can confidently say I’ve never read a book that left me so utterly speechless. Marshall Karp deserves a standing ovation for crafting such an incredible story. I almost forgot I was reading a thriller until I hit the 70–80% mark—and then boom, another shocking twist!

Don’t Tell Me How To Die follows Maggie Dunn, who tragically loses her mother in her late teens to a fatal blood disease (HLH). Years later, Maggie discovers she has the same disease. Preparing for the worst, she begins orchestrating her husband's future—including choosing his next wife. But with twenty more twists and turns, Maggie is thrown into a chaotic whirlwind of duplicity, betrayal, and murder.

I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book when it hits the shelves. It’s an absolute must-read!