Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this copy of "Don't Tell Me How to Die."

Wow - what a fantastic book! The ending! The secrets! The twists! Definitely lives up to the hype and if this isn't already optioned for a movie, I'd be shocked.

The characters are amazing and unforgettable which is what drives a story for me. Maggie and her sister Lizzie are fantastic, funny, wise-cracking, and so tender together.

It's told in current time and flashbacks as we learn about Maggie and Lizzie's mom who died from a rare blood disease which is genetic. So it's a heart-wrenching story of grief and regrets.

I'm not saying anything else in case I spoil anything (you can read the book blurbs) but it was wonderful!

Marshall Karp is a wonderful writer. His Lomax and Biggs series won me over with The Rabbit Factory and I look forward to reading each installment. Don’t Tell Me How to Die, a standalone, is a bit of a hybrid but pure Marshall Karp. It’s part domestic thriller but mostly a humorous heartfelt family saga. Maggie drives the story with wisecracking sister, Lizzie, as her backup, confidante, and go-to. Their mother has a rare and terminal blood disease that earmarks the mother for an early death. Teen Maggie is asked by the mother to make sure the father is looked after and through his grief doesn’t become enamored of some woman after his money. Maggie accepts the challenge and handles her responsibility well keeping the gold diggers at arm’s length. The story continues with adult Maggie as mayor of a small Hudson Valley town and Lizzie a doctor in the same town. Maggie has the perfect husband, a handsome and popular doctor, and teen twins, a boy and girl, whenMaggie receives horrific news that she has the same terminal disease as her mother. Maggie decides to deal with her death and ensuring husband and kids are able to continue without her.

The story flashes from the present to the past with hilarious scenes in both. All the characters bring the story to life as teen Maggie and adult Maggie engages with family and friends with enthusiasm and humor. While the mystery and thriller parts of the book are limited they do bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.

The title immediately drew me in and the premise ket me engaged. The FMC, Maggie is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease like her mother before her. Accepting fate, she's determined to find a new wife to ensure her family is left in good hands,. From the very beginning you can already tell Maggie is a complex and interesting character.

For me there were issues with the pacing. While Maggie's voice is engaging, the story is slow in the first half. The shifts in timelines add layers to the story but there were times that the jump threw me off. And then all of a sudden it became fast-paced, and the twist were solid, a little extra (unrealistic) but interesting. Solid family drama/mystery.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
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4.5 Stars
I first became interested in reading this story because of the subject of a genetically inherited disease. This is a story about a family and the impact this can have on the patient as well as the entire family. I especially liked the main character, Maggie, who had to acknowledge this disease and then live in fear that, like her mother, she too could succumb to an early death. This story was surprisingly so much more than the stress of a possible fatal inherited disease. There is unexpected intrigue and a surprising revelation as the story unfolds. As I read on, it only became more interesting and the ending was a total surprise to me.

This book was fantastic!! It's my first read from this author and I'm so glad I was able to read it. It had a little bit of everything.... humor, it was emotional, twists I absolutely was not expecting. The character development was perfect. Not too much, and not too little. I felt like I genuinely knew every character. Chapters weren't too long either. Definitely recommend this book. 5 stars.

3.5 stars, rounded up
Much different than I was expecting! Fast paced and twisty.

I went into this book with zero expectations, I didn't even read the synopsis. I had just seen all of my book friends raving about it, so I wanted to give it a try. For at least the first half of the book, I was really wondering what on earth all of the fuss was about, but then when the twists started coming they came quickly and furiously.

I liked that things were never what they seemed in this book, and that kept me invested to get the answers. I listened to the audiobook narrated by January LaVoy, and she did a spectacular job giving Maggie a voice. I love her narration and she elevated the novel.

It's not a perfect book, I thought the setup and the time in the past was a bit too long and drawn out, much longer than necessary. I didn't love the "protect your father from the predatory women" angle, it seemed too heavy handed and over the top. Yet overall, since I was looking for an escapist read I ended up really enjoying my experience with this unique book.

This is a slow burn book done right!!

It starts off slow and at times it read more like a contemporary fiction than a thriller (that’s not a complaint) That led to amazing character building and gave insight into all the relevant characters.

Just when you get comfortable and feel that ok now I know how this ride will go the author switches gear and throws you one twist after another which gives you a literal whiplash!

I loved it! Thankyou NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review 🥰

Oh my god, this BOOK! Obsessed doesn’t even cover it. Halfway through I pre-ordered this because I knew I would have to share this with friends. This was so unexpected as it is a slow burn to get to the thriller part but I was enraptured nonetheless. You will go through all the emotions during your read - I was sobbing, laughing, shaking with fury, etc.! There are so many twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Seriously, I cannot recommend this book enough so please believe me when I say you won’t regret reading it!

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

More like 4.5 stars, I think!

Thanks to a lot of my GR friends glowing reviews and the original sounding premise - I could not wait to get my hands on this one. I was so happy to see it was a “Read Now” on NetGalley. Downloaded immediately.

This author - Marshall Karp - is new to me. I love James Patterson, but have yet to read the NYPD series, which he wrote and co-wrote. I’m thinking I should go start that series now!

This book had me hooked from the get-go! I loved the short, cliffhanger chapters and alternating timelines that intertwined in spectacular fashion!

I was expecting a psychological thriller, but I would say the first 2/3 was general fiction. However, I was never disappointed! The last 1/3 had me flying through the pages. So many unexpected twists. The ending was perfection!

Unputdownable and worthy of the hype!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Marshall Karp for my advanced copy to read and review.

Can a book about impending death from a deadly disease be both a mystery thriller, a dramatic family saga and somewhat funny? Marshall Karp has managed this trifecta. Not only that, but he made it the kind of book to be read in one sitting!

Teen-aged Maggie and her sister have lost their mother to a dreaded hereditary illness. In her early forties, Maggie, now married with children, discovers she also will fall victim to the illness.
Karp takes us back to Maggie’s teenaged years, as the sisters witness the parade of potential future stepmothers who come armed with comforting casseroles. Older Maggie does not want her husband to become a victim to her “replacement”, so she starts thinking - do I need to find a replacement?

But everyone has secrets, everyone’s relationships are complicated, and the small upstate NY town has more than enough problems and characters for Maggie, who is also its mayor! Readers will be whipsawing between tears and laughter. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

I listened to the audiobook and wow, what a great book! It was narrated by January LaVoy and I have loved her narration of other books too and this was also so well done. I was expecting this to be a thriller but it was so much more. Maggie, Who is married with two kids and has a happy life, is dying of a rare disease at the age of 43. She vows to find the woman who will take her place as the wife to her husband before she passes away. The first half of the book builds on the family dynamics and drama and then the suspense picked up through the second half. This part definitely was more like a thriller. So many twists that I didn't see coming, and although it took a bit to get to that part, it was worth it. I will definitely be interested in more books by this author.

Thank you to the publisher, netgalley and librofm for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Super fun! Not really a popcorn thriller because it wasn’t “thrilling” until about the last 1/4, but it was nonstop twists and surprises once we got there. I was surprised at how emotional certain parts were because the cover and description certainly do not suggest that. I loved all these characters and I was invested in them from start to finish. It reads like it would be a fun TV series. So much came out at the ending that I didn’t expect!

🎧 January LaVoy was a fantastic narrator!!

I received an early digital copy and an early audio copy for review, both from Blackstone Publishing. Publish date is 3/4/25.

Maggie had it all: a fantastic husband, two great kids, and an exciting career. But at age forty-three, she found out that she’d be dead before her next birthday. Her mother died at the same age from the same illness. Maggie’s mother had given her and her sister, Lizzie, some advice that Maggie intends to impart to her own family and she plans to find the perfect woman to take her place.

DON’T TELL ME HOW TO DIE was not the psychological thriller that I was expecting, but it was well worth the ride. I went in entirely unaware of what to expect, having picked it off NetGalley after seeing a single glowing review. It’s very much a slow, slow burn and is very character driven – two things that I am not used to when it comes to psychological thrillers. Never fear though, because it’s written with such precision and care that I was gripped from the first few lines.

I’d endeavor to say that there’s a heavier note of family drama that is immediately evident but it serves to set the scene while introducing the characters and forming the backstory. DON’T TELL ME HOW TO DIE is told in Maggie’s POV, spanning from her early life to her present day. Each character is well-developed, deep, and messy. The relationships between the characters are well-crafted and intricate. The plot is emotional, impactful, and really well-done. I loved the biting and dark humour interspersed within the dialogue.

This novel is incredibly original, compelling, and one I’d highly recommend. DON’T TELL ME HOW TO DIE may have been my first read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

If you are not familiar with Marshall Karp's back titles, he co-writes the NY Red series with James Patterson. He knows how to write thrillers and drama. In DON'T TELL ME HOW TO DIE, Karp leans into the drama with a heavy hand. In the first sections of the book, he'll have you sniffling and crying as Maggie loses her mother to cancer, then learns she has the same cancer. BUT.....here comes the thriller. Maggie is determined to get her affairs in order, including finding the woman to replace her when she dies. She saw the devastation caused when her father married the wrong woman after her mother's death and that's not going to happen to her family.

This was so good, it would be a crime if you didn't read it......

Not for me!

I had a hard time getting through this one. It is getting a lot of five star reviews, but was a fail for me. I thought it was very slow, not pacy, not intriguing or believable. 🤷‍♀️

I didn't want to finish it, but trudged through to the end. ☹️

The whole premise was rather depressing.

Thanks to Netgalley for my early ARC. Came out March 4, 2025

Through a publication I read some hype about this book that was coming out. I requested an ARC copy through Netgalley. I am so glad that I did. I both read and listened to this book. The narration was fantastic.

I am going to start by saying I have never read anything by Marshall Karp. I loved this book from the beginning. I was hooked with the family. The chapters are short. I love that. I could just pick up and read a little. I listen on my way to work and in the car. Then I couldn't stop listening.

There were twists and turns. You got a little more information later in the book that you did not have in the beginning. It kept me going until the very end. I definately had tears while reading.

This was a fantastic read and I cannot wait to read more.

You know that feeling when you’re into a book, trying to enjoy it, but something just keeps nagging at you? You push it aside, tell yourself to let it go—but no matter how hard you try, it lingers, growing until it completely ruins the experience. That was me with this one. I finally had to admit there was no coming back and I stopped reading around the halfway mark.

So what was it that I couldn’t shake?

I struggled with a male author writing from the POV of a teenage girl and I couldn’t shake that. It was hard to fully connect with the character knowing the author couldn’t truly understand what it’s like to experience certain things firsthand.

And then there’s the drug use. That can be a tough subject for me when it comes to young characters, and while it might not feel excessive to someone without that sensitivity, for me, it did.

I loved the concept—a gripping family drama with thriller elements, featuring moments of genuine emotional pull, is exactly my kind of read. The premise had so much potential, and some moments truly pulled me in, I might have enjoyed this one if it wasn't for that nagging feeling. I definitely feel like from all the glowing reviews this is just a me thing.

My advice to the reader…don’t miss one word as every word is necessary and will find its way into the end. Finn and Kathryn McCormack have a wonderful life, his own business and two daughters, Lizzie and Maggie. Life is wonderful, until it isn’t as Katherine is diagnosed with a rare blood disease, HTH, and there is no cure. Kathryn fights until the end and asks her daughters to take care of their father and not let him be taken in by someone not worthy of him or them. Upon her death, the “casserole patrol” begins, but it is someone from out of town who captivates Finn. Fast forward to Maggie who is now married with an amazing husband, a son and daughter and diagnosed with the same blood disorder as her mother. She will not fight the disease, but will search for the perfect partner for Alex as well as a mother for her son and daughter. A startling bit of news will force her to rethink her plans and with the aid of her two best friends, from her past, she will embark on an investigation into her mortality and question those events that have shaped her present and maybe her future? Sadness in the beginning, leads to laugh out loud dialog and events, a final twisted mystery and an amazing ending. Loved it! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp is a dark, funny and suspenseful thriller with short punchy chapters that will keep you entertained throughout.

Maggie is a lawyer and is also the mayor of her small town. She has just found out that she has the same incurable blood disease that her mother had died from. When she is told she only has three months left to live, Maggie wants to find a replacement for her absence for her husband and her two children.

This is a fast-paced and darkly humorous read. I loved Marshall Karp's writing style when he teamed up with James Patterson in the NYPD Red series, but this was my first solo Karp book. It did not disappoint. It does need to be read with a fair amount of suspension of belief but honestly I really enjoyed it. Short engaging chapters make this novel easy to read even though it is broken up into three parts. Plenty of laugh out loud moments and plot twists really elevate this thriller. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marshall Karp, and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC. Publication date is March 4th 2025.

This is a well-crafted and suspenseful mystery. Despite the shifts in time, they are clearly marked, making the story easy to follow. If you enjoy mysteries, this one is definitely worth a read!
I received this from Netgalley, but these opinions are my own.