A Most Anticipated Book by: Crime Reads, Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Bustle, New York PostFrom “master of clever misdirection” (Kirkus Reviews) Aimee Molloy, author of the New York Times bestseller The Perfect Mother, comes an irresistible psychological thriller featuring a newly married woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband goes missing.A handsome psychotherapist. His lonely wife. And … whose life is turned upside down when her husband goes missing.
A handsome psychotherapist. His lonely wife. And in his home office ceiling, a vent …
You’d listen too, wouldn’t you? (You know you would.)
Newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter are head over heels, and excited to say good-bye to New York City and start a life together in Sam’s sleepy hometown upstate. Or, it turns out, a life where Annie spends most of her time alone while Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his downstairs office, tending to the egos of his (mostly female) clientele. Little does Sam know that through a vent in his ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. The pharmacist’s wife, contemplating a divorce. The well-known painter whose boyfriend doesn’t satisfy her in bed. Who could resist listening? Everything is fine until the French girl in the green mini Cooper shows up, and Sam decides to go to work and not come home, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie’s happily ever after.
Showcasing Molloy’s deft ability to subvert norms and culminating in the kind of stunning twist that is becoming her trademark, Goodnight Beautiful is a thrilling tale of domestic suspense that not only questions assumptions but defies expectations.
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Excellent read! This book had me guessing until Aimee Molloy cleverly disclosed what was really going on here. That’s when the story seriously picked up speed. Wow! Dr. Sam Statler is a handsome and talented psychotherapist who has found his true love in Annie Potter. I was immediately taken with their romance and their creative efforts to keep their relationship fresh. We are misdirected in the first quarter of this book into thinking Annie isn’t what she comes off as in the beginning. We are suddenly enlightened and then misdirected again! The last half of the book we are treated to the frightening, maddening antics of a mystery person, who turns out to be our misdirection from the beginning. Dr. Statler is missing, and how he is returned to his life is clever, lucky, and a great example of finding your soulmate. This is such an engaging, hard to put down book.
You never know who might be listening !! And you never know just how mentally twited they might be. Read carefully. A great twisted tale.
Definitely a page turner! I was mind blown throughout the ENTIRE book! A short read but so worth it.
Very suspenseful, confusing to figure out who is speaking. I kept reading to try to place which character I was with, which took away some the joy. You shouldn’t have to work that hard to enjoy a book.
I was part way through and missed a plot twist so I had to go back and reread that part. So many plot twists going that me entertained. I have a bit a whiplash after finishing this. So good!
More about the way the story was written than the story itself – a bit predictable
This is an awesome pages turning thriller with not one, but two, jaw dropping twists. Great writing, twisty plot and unexpected revelations. I love that Molloy took on the topic of gender assumptions and expectations in the psychological thriller genre. I will definitely be reading whatever she writes next!
It really had me questioning my sanity and ability to read. I loved the characters and liked the plot. I will certainly read more from this author.
WELL WRITTEN TWISTY CHARACTER DRIVEN STORY
I can’t discuss this story without giving spoilers, so I’ll talk about readability and enjoyability.
I personally loved this book. Listening through the vent to Sam’s therapy sessions was what hooked me in the first place. How tempting would that be? Each of these characters had their own dilemmas to solve and how they went about it was compelling and urgent. I felt like I understood these characters and I liked them and could relate to their points of view. Two points of view were used, one first person and the rest third person.
The writing style was good too. Not fancy, therefore it was easy to read. The dialogue and prose were natural and advanced the story very well. No wasted words or useless scenarios here. The storytelling technique was not unusual for thrillers, but I was genuinely surprised by the twists and turns. The author expertly steered the reader in the direction she wanted you to go without giving anything away. I was buddy reading this book and it was fun to discuss.
So, for me, the plot, characters and suspense in this well written story were more than enough to hold my interest, and the ending and epilogue were just perfect for what I like in a book. If you’re looking for a literary escape from a pandemic and/or holiday frenzy you can easily lose yourself in this one for a day or two or three.
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: 290
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: 10/13/2020
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I buddy read this with my two good friends Erin and Nicole. Thank you Olivia @thrillerbooklover for my #gifted copy
This is the story of newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter who are head over heals for each other. Sam is a therapist who works long hours trying to help his patients.
This book is told in multiple parts. I thought the first part was twisty and had me thinking what the hell just happened? The second and third part of the story was different then I expected it to be. I didn’t feel as those two were as dynamic as part one. I was expecting more out of the story then I got. There are a few parts that were confusing, and yet I was still able to figure out the reveals. Overall, I thought it was a solid thriller. Some parts were great, while other parts were just okay. I might have an unpopular opinion, but I would still love to discuss this with other readers.
Aimee Molloy is a magician. With Goodnight Beautiful, she will artfully deceive you while holding you firmly in her grasp… What begins as a sexy, smart domestic thriller turns out to be so much more. If you think you’ve figured this one out, think again: Molloy will be three steps ahead of you all the way through.
Twisty, complex, and unpredictable!
Goodnight Beautiful is a cunning, tortuous, psychological thriller that delves into all the deep, dark secrets people keep and highlights just how easily people can be psychologically and emotionally manipulated.
The prose is taut and intense. The characters are troubled, unstable, and secretive. And the plot, told through a mixture of first-person and third-person narration, builds and unravels quickly into an ominous tale filled with unexpected twists, suspicious personalities, shocking revelations, familial drama, deception, obsession, suffering, and violence.
Overall, Goodnight Beautiful is a brisk, sinister, unsettling tale by Molloy that keeps you guessing from the very first page and is deliciously relentless, surprising, and bursting with misdirection.
Are you looking for a thriller that will really knock your socks off? Well look no further than Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy! I loved Molloy’s debut which was The Perfect Mother, but this one really blew me away. It is just SO well done, both the book and the audio, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. There are so many twists and turns and just when you think nothing else could surprise you BOOM there’s another revelation! It was a crazy ride all the way until the end and I listened to the audio all in one day.
I am not going to talk about the plot of Goodnight Beautiful because it will be better if you go in blind, but I will tell you that I loved the short chapters and various viewpoints. The audiobook is narrated by Val Toomey, George Newbern, Marin Ireland & Joel Froomkin, which was a great cast, and everyone was PERFECT for their part. I was actually blown away from the audio too since one narrator completely threw me for a loop and I wasn’t expecting what happened. Audio is highly recommended by me, but I really just want you to read this book because it was so amazing. Molloy is such a fantastic writer and already one of my favorites. I cannot WAIT to see what she churns out next!
Thank you to Libro.fm, the author and the publisher for both my advance listening copy and advance review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Goodnight Beautiful is such a page-turner! An engrossing psychological thriller with quite a few good twists as the plot unfolds. The fast paced story does not lag and, as true identities and motives are revealed, it all masterfully comes together.
The publisher’s book summary is all that can be said, anything more would be a spoiler. It was an excellent read for a cold rainy October night!
Highly recommend. I couldn’t put it down!
A remarkable and groundbreaking thriller. Molloy grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the final mind-bending, utterly astounding twist.