The Late, Lamented Molly Marx
By Sally Koslow
(Ballantine Books, Hardcover, 9780345506207, 320pp.)
Publication Date: May 19, 2009
Categories: Contemporary Women
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The circumstances of Molly Marx’s death may be suspicious, but she hasn’t lost her joie de vivre. Newly arrived in the hereafter, aka the Duration, Molly, thirty-five years old, is delighted to discover that she can still keep tabs on those she left behind: Annabel, her beloved four-year-old daughter; Lucy, her combustible twin sister; Kitty, her piece-of-work mother-in-law; Brie, her beautiful and steadfast best friend; and, of course, her husband, Barry, a plastic surgeon with more than a professional interest in many of his female patients. As a bonus, Molly quickly realizes that the afterlife comes with a finely tuned bullshit detector.
As Molly looks on, her loved ones try to discern whether her death was an accident, suicide, or murder. She was last seen alive leaving for a bike ride through New York City’s Riverside Park; her body was found lying on the bank of the Hudson River. Did a stranger lure Molly to danger? Did she plan to meet someone she thought she could trust? Could she have ended her own life for mysterious reasons, or did she simply lose control of her bike? As the police question her circle of intimates, Molly relives the years and days that led up to her sudden end: her marriage, troubled yet tender; her charmed work life as a magazine decorating editor; and the irresistible colleague to whom she was drawn.
More than anything, Molly finds herself watching over Annabel–and realizing how motherhood helped to bring out her very best self. As the investigation into her death proceeds, Molly will relive her most precious moments–and take responsibility for the choices in her life.
Exploring the bonds of fidelity, family, and friendship, and narrated by a memorable and endearing character, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a hilarious, deeply moving, and thought-provoking novel that is part mystery, part love story, and all heart.
Sally Koslow is the author of the novel Little Pink Slips. Her essays have been published in More, O: The Oprah Magazine, and The New York Observer, among other publications. She was the editor in chief of both McCall’s and Lifetime, was an editor at Mademoiselle and Woman’s Day, and has taught creative writing at the Writing Institute of Sarah Lawrence College. The mother of two sons, she lives in New York City with her husband.
“Reading Sally Koslow's latest novel is like being at a cocktail party with the sharpest guest in the room. With her laser-like—and very funny—observations of human foibles, her wit and insight , Koslow has created a character with both heart and brains. You will love every minute you spend with her!”—Emily Listfield, author of Best Intentions
“Heaven only knows how Sally Koslow pulled off this novel with such precision and wit, and a narrative that drives you to the very last sentence. A story of love, friendship and family told from both sides, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a treasure no matter how you look at it.”—Betsy Carter, author of Swim to Me
"Molly Marx speaks from the grave with a voice that is fresh, funny and warm. In examining Molly's late, lamented life, Sally Koslow delivers a story about marriage, motherhood, and friendship that anyone who has ever been a spouse, a parent, or a friend will recognize. And who knew hanging out with the dead could be such a delight!"—Meg Wate Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
"Never has a voice from the grave sounded so delightful. Darkly comic, unflinchingly romantic, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a page-turner from the word go."—Michelle Richmond, author of The Year of Fog
"Koslow knows her way around expertly tuned phrasing, and Molly is a delightful gem of a heroine. Equal parts self-deprecating, wry and sassy, Molly is honest about her faults and equally forgiving of the others’ as she reviews her life with a hearty does of honesty and humor . . . The narrative’s heavy dose of hilarity and heartbreak will win readers over.”—Publishers Weekly
Koslow’s story of “a life examined” in the hereafter makes readers truly care about her protagonist, foibles and all. –Booklist
“By the time we meet Molly Divine Marx in the opening pages of The Late, Lamented Molly Marx, she is dead. But that by no means detracts from the many charms of Sally Koslow’s wonderful new novel … Filled with remarkable clarity about how to embrace life while you can.”—BookPage
“Dive into one of the season’s standout cliff-hangers… When Marx observes her intimates–and the investigation into her death–from the hereafter, she’s both tickled and ticked off by what she learns. You will be, too.”–Self
“For a weekend away … [An] unexpectedly spunky book about life after death.”–Redbook
“Hilarious ... will keep you hooked to the end.”–Real Simple
“[A] comic romp through the afterlife.”–More
“Young Manhattan mom cut down in the prime of life lands at the pearly gates with some unfinished buisiness in a frothy whodunit liberally sprinkled with Our Town-type wisdom . . . Koslow authentically details the privileged world Molly must leave behind.”–Kirkus
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