β Scribed by Mary McGarry Morris
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Keeping secrets leads to calamitous consequences in Morris's disturbing domestic thriller. At age 17, Nora Trimble has a dangerous eight-day summer escapade with psycho boyfriend Eddie Hawkins that ends in a violent incident in a bar. Twenty-six years later, Nora is the happy wife of wealthy Kendall Ken Hammond, co-owner of a smalltown Massachusetts newspaper, and the devoted mother of two teens. Her world's turned upside down by Eddie's shocking reappearance and Ken's revelation that he's been having an adulterous relationship for four years with his childhood sweetheart Robin Gendron, his best friend's wife. Nora must contend with not only marital woes but the blackmailing serial killer Eddie, who refuses to leave town because of his new obsessionRobin. Morris (_The Lost Mother_) knocks over a domino chain of events that, while not too surprising, confirm the importance of comprehending past mistakes to avoid future ones. (Apr.)
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One assumes that a woman who marries into a family of privilege has the world on a string. Nora Hammond felt that way about her own life. Married with two teenage children, a prominent job at her husbands family newspaper, socializing with the wealthy and powerful, Nora was living her picture-perfect lifeuntilher husband, Ken, reveals he has been having a relationship with one of Noras best friends for years. What follows is a wrenching portrait of a family falling apart under the weight and ramifications of the affair and their futile struggle to stay together. As if this wasnt emotionally compelling enough, Morris, unfortunately, addsa subplota man from Noras past comes back to haunt her. It is unnecessary, distracting, and at times ruins the psychological arc Morris works to build. In the end, Morris ties the stories together, but it feels forced and unsatisfying. Those who follow this highly regarded authorwill want to read The Last Secret; those new to Morris shouldstart with an earlier title. --Carolyn Kubisz
A Novel
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### From Publishers Weekly Keeping secrets leads to calamitous consequences in Morris's disturbing domestic thriller. At age 17, Nora Trimble has a dangerous eight-day summer escapade with psycho boyfriend Eddie Hawkins that ends in a violent incident in a bar. Twenty-six years later, Nora is the h
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SUMMARY: In recent novels, which have been called βhypnotic,β βstunning,β and βexhilarating,β David Markson has created his own personal genre. In this new work, The Last Novel, an elderly author (referred to only as βNovelistβ) announces that since this will be his final effort, he has βcarte blanc
SUMMARY: In recent novels, which have been called hypnotic, stunning, and exhilarating, David Markson has created his own personal genre. In this new work, The Last Novel, an elderly author (referred to only as Novelist) announces that since this will be his final effort, he has carte blanche to d