Our Marriage Is Murder - by Carol Goodman

Book Synopsis

In the latest thrilling mystery from Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author Carol Goodman, a writers' conference at an Italian castle turns deadly when a killer begins using a husband-and-wife writing team's novel as a blueprint for murder.

Fred and Thea Morgan-Lane are the envy of the mystery community, the perfect partners in life and in writing. Together they coauthor the wildly successful Death Takes a Holiday series, and they've been invited to the Italian castle where it all began for a mystery conference celebrating their first novel, Death Takes the Castle.

But their story isn't quite the fairytale it seems to outsiders. Twenty years and twenty books after they met, Thea wants out. Their marriage and partnership haven't been working for some time, and what better place to announce the end of the series than where it started?

Except shortly after their arrival at the beautiful Castellarosa, a shocking death takes place when the wrong person drinks a cocktail meant for Thea. The stunned conference-goers put it down to an unknown allergy, but Thea isn't so sure. Could someone be trying to kill her? Perhaps her loving husband isn't as ok with their series ending as he pretends, or maybe Nadine, the upstart young author who is vying to take Thea's place, wants her out of the way. Suddenly, it seems like everyone has a motive, and when a second death occurs, a disturbing pattern emerges--these deaths aren't random, they're following the murders in Death Takes a Castle exactly. Murders that Thea and Fred wrote.

In order to save the day--and maybe even their marriage--the unhappy couple will have to work together to figure out who is using their book as a blueprint for a killing spree. That is, if they can trust the person they've spent twenty years plotting murders with...

Review Quotes

"Return to Wyldcliffe Heights is a haunting gothic mystery that leaves you questioning everything and everyone. Be prepared to lose yourself in the fog of Wyldcliffe Heights." - Novels Alive
"In keeping with the grand gothic tradition of the Brontës and du Maurier, Goodman spins an engrossing tale.... Fans of the genre will be happy to take it all in." - Booklist (starred review) on Return to Wyldcliffe Heights
"Multigenerational mysteries haunt a Hudson Valley mansion.... Goodman nails the gothic atmosphere." - Publishers Weekly on Return to Wyldcliffe Heights
"Goodman... will please readers who like a gothic mystery with a creepy setting and unreliable narrators. Suggest for fans of Jane Eyre." - Library Journal on Return to Wyldcliffe Heights
"A mystery within a mystery shrouded in layers of ghosts and dark family secrets, Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman transports the reader effortlessly through three different timelines, each thick with deception and intrigue. A cleverly plotted gothic tale of madness, murder and revenge, readers will be riveted with the intertwined storylines, unable to stop until the last page is turned and the final secret revealed. An absorbing and addictive read!" - B.R. Myers, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of A Dreadful Splendor
"An excellent riff on And Then There Were None unfolds within a setting steeped in sinister mythology.... An absolutely perfect vacation read. Fans who remember Mary Stewart fondly will be delighted." - Booklist (starred review) on Writers and Liars
"Goodman's latest delivers a mash-up of Greek mythology and Agatha Christie's classic mysteries, to delightful effect. Readers who enjoy Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series, where a journey into history and culture weaves through a twisty mystery, will find lots to appreciate here." - Library Journal (starred review) on Writers and Liars
"Rich in Greek mythology, this book will fascinate many readers." - First Clue Reviews on Writers and Liars
"Carol Goodman never disappoints her fans, but Writers and Liars is sure to bring some new acolytes into her sphere. Join us, the waters here may be deadly, but they are also wildly entertaining." - Bolo Books on Writers and Liars
"With all the twists, the setting and the characters it makes for a fun murder mystery." - Red Carpet Crash on Writers and Liars
"Writers and Liars features a slow-burning storyline that eventually catches fire, leading to explosive outcomes." - Novels Alive on Writers and Liars
"[A] superior thriller...The plot takes many terrifying twists and turns en route to the surprising climax. Those with a taste for the gothic will be richly rewarded." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Stranger Behind You
"Goodman, a master genre-blender, has integrated elements of Mary Roberts Rinehart's 'had-I-but-known' gambit and Agatha Christie's 'alone-on-an-island' theme to come up with a real winner." - Booklist (starred review) on The Disinvited Guest
"Carol Goodman's The Stranger Behind You is at once a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, a powerful meditation on the deep bonds and power of female friendship, and a colorful glimpse of New York City old and new. In a twisting, mesmerizing story that is as beautifully written as it is utterly propulsive, Goodman weaves a dream that blends the past and the present, takes us deep into the hearts and souls of her characters, and keeps us breathlessly turning the pages right to the shocking and poignant end. I absolutely loved this layered and moving novel!" - Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45
"Carol Goodman is a superb writer, and she explores family and small-town dynamics in a way that's both suspenseful and touchingly real. THE SEA OF LOST GIRLS features a fascinating cast of characters, intriguing setting -- and enough shocking twists to leave you breathless. I loved it." - Alison Gaylin, Edgar Award-winning author of Never Look Back
"The Disinvited Guest is a tense, fever dream of a thriller in an extraordinary, atmospheric setting, gripping from first page to last. In a world under attack from a new virus, seven friends take refuge on a private, fog-drenched island where memories are both long and unreliable, illness lurks, the terrain is treacherous and even the island's history has claws. Carol Goodman is a brilliant writer, and she shines here. Loved it." - Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Long Weekend
"Carol Goodman's brilliant Writers and Liars is a fresh take on the classic Agatha Christie-style closed-circle island murder. While it cleverly and wittily plays with this familiar setup--most of the suspects are mystery writers, after all--it also grounds itself in psychological realism and an exquisitely rendered sense of place. The story hums with the thematic undertones of classical literature, making it not just a thrilling read but one layered with emotional depth. I say this without reservation: Goodman is our generation's Christie!" - John Copenhaver, award-winning author of Hall of Mirrors