It’s been a long time since I read a book that caught me off guard with almost every single turn. I’m not sure I would consider this one a thriller, but it certainly was twisty and turny and kept me on the edge of my seat. I listened to the audiobook of this one and I really liked the narrator. This book is told in two timelines the first when Maggie was 17 and her mother died of a rare blood disease at 43 and when Maggie was 43 and diagnosed with that same blood disease. Both timelines were fascinating and took me places I was not expecting to go. There are definitely some mysteries the reader will find and lots of craziness. It was a fun book and since I rarely find books that have multiple twists take me off guard I definitely had to give it 5 stars. Definitely an author I will keep an eye out for.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc audio of this book. I enjoyed the narration and the characters in this story. I thought it was a very well done thriller.

The set up: Maggie is found to be suffering from the same fatal illness as her mother, who died at the age of 41. She is determined to find a suitable wife for her husband after she’s gone, after her father was the victim of a con artist after her mother died.

But the majority of the book is set in the past with teenage Maggie behaving badly while her friends, parents, and sister speak in pithy, smart-ass comments. They find hilarity and humor even when faced with the death. The problem is the humor wasn’t funny in the least.

Everything that happens in this book requires a massive suspension of disbelief. Everything, and I mean everything, is completely implausible. If it wasn’t so stupid and cheesy I would have been laughing.

The adults at 43 were indistinguishable from their 16 year old selves. They were all insufferable. The dialogue was ridiculous, and bears no resemblance to how people really talk to one another.

The final nail in the coffin is the author portrays women to be predatory, gold-digging, casserole-wielding piranhas out to snare new widowers in their web. Misogyny at its finest. Very offensive.

I was ready to DNF early but the glowing reviews kept me listening to the audiobook, sure that at 50% the book would pick up. It did not.

The synopsis promised a thriller with biting humor. Don’t believe it. The author seems like a good person, working with international charities, but it still doesn’t redeem this book.

January LaVoy did her usual excellent job narrating the audiobook!

Thank you so much Blackstone #partner + NetGalley for the book and audiobook narrated by the one and only January LaVoy!
——

Even though we have a host of characters, Maggie is at the center of the story. Maggie has a beautiful family and has overall had a good life. But now she is diagnosed with the same terminal illness as her mother was. And just as her mother was worried leaving her husband with predatory women, Maggie faces the same thoughts with her 2 kids. But Maggie would like to think Alex is a doctor and dotting father who will not make the same mistakes her dad did.

The major chunk of the book explores Maggie’s history with her family and friends in her small town and this is where I had a hard time with the pacing of the book and the family interactions, some of which felt unnatural to me. Maggie is a go-getter, ambitious personality who will stop at nothing to climb up, which is an aspect I love to see about women in books. However it felt particularly forced to me and I found Maggie to be insufferable in many of her actions, well into adulthood. (This is where I’ll insert my opinion nobody asked for, that women are best written by women authors).

The last 30% or so of the book had the pacing I expect from thrillers and a lot of jaw-dropping twists that I didn’t see coming, and overall redeemed the book for me. January LaVoy was the saving factor for me to keep reading the book because she’s the queen of audiobooks and was simply flawless with breathing life into this story.

I realize that I’m in the minority and this book comes with accolades of 5 stars so please take my review with a grain of salt and I urge you to try the book for yourself.

Marshall Karp delivers an exhilarating and witty thriller in Don’t Tell Me How To Die, a novel that keeps readers on their toes from start to finish. With his signature blend of humor and suspense, Karp masterfully crafts a narrative that is as engaging as it is unpredictable.

The story unfolds with gripping intensity, challenging readers to piece together the truth as twists and revelations continually shift expectations. Karp’s writing style is sharp, immersive, and effortlessly entertaining, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. His characters are well-developed, their dialogue infused with humor and realism, adding depth to the novel’s already compelling mystery.

What sets Don’t Tell Me How To Die apart is its ability to surprise. Just when you think you have it figured out, Karp turns the narrative on its head, proving that nothing is as it seems. This clever storytelling ensures an experience that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

For fans of crime fiction that delivers both suspense and a dose of humor, Don’t Tell Me How To Die is a must-read. Karp’s ability to blend tension with levity makes for an unforgettable ride, and this book is a testament to his skill as a storyteller. Highly recommended.

What begins as a slow burn read leads to family drama, lies, deceit, and betrayal. This was such a good book that drew me in quickly. It was an addictive listen, and the twists!! OMG, I didn’t see any coming or guessed any of them! The twists sent me in a tailspin and what an incredible addicting psychological read. The characters were all wonderful and complex. I cried several times while reading, that’s how amazing the characters are written. I gasped so loud, I scared my kids several times. One of my favorites of the year.
The narrator, January LaVoy does a wonderful job portraying Maggie, the pain and loss she felt were very well done and I truly felt many ranges of emotions while listening. LaVoy is very talented and she truly brought all of the characters to life. When is the movie/series coming out? Because I need it!

I received this book on Netgally. The release date is March 4th, 2025. The book is said to be a psychological thriller, I did not find that to be true until maybe the last fourth of the book. I listened to this on audio, and I enjoyed the narrator.
I found that for me, the majority of the book was a family drama. I liked all of the characters and thought it was a great read.

🩸𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗠𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 L̶I̶V̶E̶ 𝗗𝗜𝗘
𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔩 𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫/𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟝+𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★★+

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...Maggie has been diagnosed with the same rare blood disease that her mother died from. She has 3 months to find a new wife for her husband & a mom to her kids….

🌸𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...HOLY FRIGGIN WOW! I loved this book! If you see above👆 I wrote general fic AND thriller as the genre even though this one is dubbed solely as a thriller/mystery. Wellllllll…it is BOTH! Woohoo! 🎉The first two thirds-ish is an amazing emotional story about grief, family & love. The added wit & banter made it not a massive tear jerker for me, but I DEF felt big things. 🥺♥️The pacing, the writing, the main character....all are phenomenal. 💯The last third-ish is like whiplash in the best of ways🙌. That’s when the thriller part hits & barely lets up! 😳I am talking twists galore 🌀& the whole damn thang was just BRILLIANT! 🏆

♥︎I was lucky enough to get this in ARC & ALC form & I recommend both equally(I can’t choose like I normally do on which is better). January LaVoy did a flawless job at bringing Maggie & the story to life.

I enjoyed this story so much. From the beginning, I was invested. I loved Joe the story is told in two timelines to show how the events connect, but I was not ready for that twist at allllll! My mouth was wide open and I had to stare into the oblivion.

The narrator was great! This was my first time listening to work by January LaVoy and I’ll be looking more into her work. Her voice was perfect for the characters and really displayed her range. I didn’t want to stop listening. She made me love the characters even more. Definitely a top audiobook for me.

HOLY CRAP!
I just finished this one about an hour ago…and I still have whiplash!
I never saw, or even SUSPECTED, the twists in this one! 😮😮

We begin with Maggie and Lizzy, Irish Twins as they say… born less than a year apart. They are each others best friends and confidants, and yet they are TOTAL opposites, in every way!
They are just kids (teenagers) when their Mom gets a deadly diagnosis. Although she tries her best to fight, it’s a losing battle. And more bad news…it’s hereditary…
She makes them PROMISE her one thing before she dies…to look after their father. The love of her life. And, they DO! With their lives!!

Fast forward about 20 years. Maggie and Lizzy are all grown up. Maggie’s a DA/Lawyer and Lizzy’s a Doctor. Maggie has a beautiful family of her own. Her husband Alex is a well known Doctor and a pillar of the community. She has a boy and a girl…now teenagers themselves. But, she’s just waiting for the diagnosis to come. She just KNOWS it! Lizzy is an established doc too. She’s not married, and no one on her radar…but she’s happy! And the sisters are still very close!
Their Dad is still alive and well, and so is their grandpa!

🛑 And that’s where I’m stopping! 🛑
This one was just amazing!!!!

If I’ve hooked you, PLEASE, look 👀 for this one TODAY, as the release date is today, 3/4/25! If I haven’t , please consider doing a bit more research!
I know I will definitely be looking for more from this amazing author!! ✍️

5+++ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫💫💫💫✨✨✨✨✨ for me!!

#DontTellMeHiwToDie by #MarshallKarp and narrated breathtakingly, by the one and only (one of my all time favorites) #JanuaryLaVoy!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BlackstonePublishing for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Again, release date is TODAY, so look 👀 for it on shelves now!! ***

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Five stars for one of the most original - and what will make my Top 10 of the year - thrillers I have ever read!

Maggie is a lawyer and the mayor of her small town. She is dealing with a death of a prominent citizen when this story begins. Maggie also receives some life-altering news: she has been diagnosed with the same rare condition that took her mother’s life at a young age. Maggie is determined to spend her last days with her family and making plans.

That’s as much about the plot that I want to say. Go into this one blind - that is my advice. This book has so many twists and turns that you will not know if you are coming or going. That is a compliment. I had NO idea where this one was heading, and I was surprised at every turn. This story does bounce back and forth throughout Maggie’s life, but it is very easy to follow. I absolutely loved the ending too!

I also was lucky enough to get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of this one. January LaVoy does a phenomenal job as always. If you prefer the audiobook, you are in for a treat!

This book is absolutely incredible. I cannot recommend it highly enough! It is truly original, and my head was spinning by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the digital and audiobook copies of this amazing thriller! Now I need to read more from this author. This book is out now! Pick it up!

Love when I read a book and think I know how it will end and then Wham! twists are coming , amazing ending ! The narrator was awesome to .

WOW. Just…wow.

“How strong are you?”

I’ve been trying to come up with what to say about this book for a few days now and I’m at a loss. I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook of this book, which was phenomenally narrated by January LaVoy and I couldn’t stop listening. I finished this in less than 24 hours and yet it’s been living rent-free in my mind for DAYS.

It’s starts off a bit heartbreaking as we learn that Maggie’s mom died when Maggie was only 17 from a fatal condition that Maggie has apparently now been diagnosed with herself. Her mom’s last wish was for Maggie and her sister to protect their father from the vultures of women who would throw themselves at him—and protect him they did.

So when Maggie learns she has a similar fate coming her way, and realizes her kids might be too young for that kind of undertaking, she decides to find a woman to take her place in her family—as her husband’s wife and also mother to her twins.

This story captured bits of the past alongside the present to show us just how much Maggie has been through and just how important family truly is to her. We see the bonds she’s made with people over the years and which ones truly stand the test of time.

A lot of people have said they’ve cried while reading this one, and while I didn’t, I can understand it as part of this psychological thriller does read like a family drama and with deaths involved, it’s hard not to tear up at times.

I was riveted for the entire story either way though. And the twist at the end??? Wow.

I cannot recommend this one enough, and I hope you’ll check it out! It’s addictive, twisty, and completely original.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and couldn't get enough. There are so many twists, chills and thrills that I did not see coming and I love that about this book. I would highly recommend this one.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The main character has so many layers. The plot was incredible. The narration was great.

🌟✨BOOK REVIEW✨🌟

“Cancel the rest of your day and slowwwwwwwly tighten that seatbelt–things are about to get wild.” -Marshall Karp

In the words of the author of Don’t Tell Me How to Die, Marshall Karp was dead on. He tried to warn me of the wild ride I was about to experience. This book has it all- heartache, lasting love, extreme loyalty, unforgettable promises, and deep secrets.

❤️‍🩹 Maggie Mc Cormick Dunn’s world changed from four simple words her mother spoke when she was a teenager, “How strong are you?”

🏍️ Maggie’s parents, Katie and Finn Mc Cormick, have been together since high school. Their love is strong, and their commitment to each other even stronger. Maggie’s mom was diagnosed with a rare fatal blood disease (HLH), one in which could put Maggie and her sister at risk of developing later in life. Katie tasks her daughters with making sure their dad’s next companion connects with him for the right reasons. Upon Katie’s death, Maggie spirals and makes risky choices that will affect the way her life plays out in ways she could never imagine.

🏥 This story is told in dual timelines and I was vested in each. I loved reading about Maggie’s teenage years, as well as her married life with her twins. There were incredible twists in each of the timelines and I was amazed to see how Karp effortlessly tied it all together at the end. The flashbacks and explanations from her teenage years, occurrences I didn’t see materializing toward the end of the book, sent shockwaves as I kept listening to January LaVoy’s phenomenal narration of Marshall Karp’s masterful spun novel, one built on undeniable loyalty and layers of deep-rooted secrets. This is a 5-star read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Marshall Karp for providing me with an ARC (audiobook). All opinions are my own.

PUBLICATION DAY: March 4, 2025

#donttellmehowtodie #marshallkarp #5starread #5starread⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #blackstonepublishing #dualtimelines #twistyreads

This didn’t wow me like all the 5 star reviews you’ll see. I think my expectations were too high. It’s VERY slow and NOT a thriller. This reads like a family drama, coming of age, with a heavy theme of grief and some scandalous behavior. The suspense and “twist” doesn’t hit until 88% which is way too late.

One thing I will say is that it DID make me cry in the beginning; my sad heart just couldn’t take it. So for that, I added a star.

Wow, this was intriguing, suspenseful and so surprising. The beginning started more family drama and by the end, it completely changed directions to a thriller. Funny comments throughout the dialogue kept a note of humor throughout. The narrator was fantastic at bringing this story to life.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the epitome of a roller coaster, starts off slow and then you are thrust into the action!

I read this in one sitting and anyone who may be reading this review add this to your TBR. You won't be disappointed!

Wow! I went into this one not knowing a lot. I honestly thought it was more of a thriller and since thrillers haven’t really been my thing lately, I was a little weary. I don’t think it really became a thriller until about 75% but the weaving of family trauma and all the different characters and stories had me so intrigued. This wasn’t like any book I ever read before. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.