Good as Dead

A Novel

By: Susan Walter

Narrated by: Kimberly Woods, Suzanne Elise Freeman, James Anderson Foster, Selah Victor, Jack Turner, Seth Podowitz

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

It all starts with a promise from a stranger: We’ll take care of everything.

Holly Kendrick’s husband is dead. Holly saw it all. In one violent moment, a hit-and-run accident turns Holly’s life upside down. Then a fixer for the high-powered guilty party approaches Holly with an offer she is in no position to refuse. Holly and her daughter, Savannah, will want for nothing, beginning with a luxury dream house - all for the price of their silence. But when their sudden appearance in privileged Calabasas, California, piques the curiosity of neighbors, the price becomes greater than they imagined. Because Holly and Savannah aren’t the only ones in the neighborhood with something to hide.

Told from alternating points of view, Good as Dead draws together an unlikely group of people bound to one another by a crime, a cover-up, and compounding deceptions. As carefully constructed lives begin to crumble, how far will everyone be willing to go to bury the truth and protect the people they love?

©2021 by Susan Walter. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Susan Walter’s debut novel is so full of surprises it should come with a warning label. From the daringly original premise to the shocking climax, you’ll never see the plot twists coming until you turn the page. I cannot wait for her next book!” —W. Bruce Cameron, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Courage

“Susan Walter’s debut novel is a masterful, superbly constructed thriller with high tension and clever twists, but also vital heart and soul. A wildly absorbing and propulsive look at what happens when good people do bad things and the unimaginable ripple effects of one tragic event. It’s a terrific read.” —Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times film critic and author of The Last Birthday Party

“Susan Walter delivers a thrilling puzzle of a story that she feeds you piece by twisty piece. A wonderfully unique premise, a deep cast of flawed but relatable characters, and a mind-blowing ending, I could not put down this book. Five stars!” —Sawyer Bennett, New York Times bestselling author

Bonfire of the Vanities

As I listened to this provocative novel, I couldn't help but think of similarities between it and the classic "Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe. No, the plot is not the same. But the basic situation the characters find themselves in due to such random events and spontaneous decisions had the same feel.

The characters in play here are pretty interesting. Holly is suddenly thrust into the role of widow and single mom due to one tragic event. She's hurting physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. Her family went from a good life to a life of desperation in a literal heartbeat.

But it's going to be okay. Because the person that caused this is rich and powerful. He has a fixer that will take care of everything. Just leave it to him. He's a pretty intense guy, as one might expect. But he's got a head full of thoughts his boss wouldn't expect.

One of the things I love about this story is the shifting of perspectives. Different characters tell the events from their own points of view. As the story spools out, the attitudes and opinions of several people seem to shift dramatically. Who's the good guy? The bad one? Who's to blame, anyway? It was just an accident. What seems in one chapter to be a solid foundation becomes treacherous shifting sands a couple of chapters later.

It certainly kept me engaged throughout the story. In fact, the entire story line was wonderfully plotted, flowing with intensity, emotion, and ever-building ferocity.

This is a great psycho -thriller, with all the pulse-pounding suspense, all the tangles, turns, and eccentricities one would expect.

A must read.

This is a must read. good into the very end. This twist and turns keeps you in the spell

Yes, yes, yes!

Fantastic narration, interesting story… absolutely worth a credit. Had me hooked from the first chapter! I thought I had it figured out, until I didn’t!

Amazing

I loved this book. It was easy to follow and had great characters. A couple really good twists and turns.

Dizzying traps of popularity and wealth

This fast paced story of engaging characters keeps you guessing about motives. I really liked the self corrections when assumptions proved wrong, and the positive characteristics that triumphed over unfounded suspicions.

Compelling!

I wish I could give it 10 stars!
I listened to it on Audible and thoroughly enjoyed it. The readers were awesome!

Great Story

This was a good book! Many twists and turns. Likable characters. Somewhat predictable, but an engaging book!

Deeds done in the dark.

I thought this was a great tale that caught several different emotional aspects. It was nice to not just get one experience or character feeling through a whole book. There are some time jumps that are jarring but once you get used to them then it becomes clear as to why they're in place. Great listen and I recommend it.

A great book

A great story that kept me hooked until the end. With twists and turns. great narration.

Didn't Move Me

I'm really torn on how I feel about this audio book. The story isn't bad but, honestly, drags quite a bit until you get to a flurry of twists and turns. The twists and turns themselves somehow did surprise me even though I felt like I should have seen them coming. Telling the story from different perspectives could have felt overdone if not for the brilliant performance of the different vocal actors. They really were exceptional, especially Kimberly Woods and Suzanne Elise Freeman (not to take away from the dudes). Despite their excellent work, I'd still rate this book a "meh" as I came away from it not really connecting or caring much about the characters and thinking that, although the plot was okay, the climax was more of a "so what?" Also, the notion that a hit-and-run accident = murder felt like a bit of a technical reach. That said, it's a decent read (listen) if you have nothing else going on, and thankfully it's not horribly long. But couldn't outright recommend it.