Review: A Good Family

A Good Family by Matt Goldman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A slow-moving domestic thriller that, in some places, is right up there with the movie Gaslight.

There are plenty of issues with this book; for example, Katie seems to be heavily in denial. We can almost understand why, but I can't buy it - not completely. I had to stretch my credibility muscles quite a bit during parts of this novel. Katie just seemed too naive to be a higher-up at General Mills.

I can not say that this was a bad read-it really wasn't, and it kept me turning pages avidly. I really wanted to know how and why Jack kept disappearing and why Bagman just suddenly showed up with not a peep from Jack or Katie at the lateness of the hour.

This was worth the time it takes to read and will keep you guessing even if the ending is a little too pat for my comfort. I will most likely be reading the next book Mr. Goldman produces.

ARC* was supplied by the publisher Forge Books, the author, and NetGalley.

View all my reviews

SYNOPSIS: "Katie Kuhlmann's marriage is falling apart. But she has a secure job, her children are healthy, and her house, a new construction in the prestigious Country Club neighborhood of Edina, Minnesota, is beautiful. She can almost ignore the way her husband, Jack, has been acting -- constantly checking his phone, not going to work, disappearing from the house only to show up again without explanation.

Tension in the Kuhlmann house only gets worse when Adam "Bagman" Ross, a mutual friend from college, happens to be in the neighborhood and in need of a place to stay. Jack is quick to welcome him into the sanctity of their home, but Jack's strange behavior only gets worse, and Katie fears their new guest is also harboring a dark secret. As she begins to uncover the truth, she realizes that something is terribly wrong -- and she must race to protect her family as danger closes in."