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

Intriguing story idea. Banal treatment.

Good vocal performances make up for rather banal treatment of a story with an intriguing concept.

not a bad listen

this book was read nicely with the different characters represented however the story was pretty predictable and it is a bit confusing at times. The story does the 3 months ago bit but it skipped around so much if you were not paying strict attention you might miss a part. (1st hand knowledge). Anyhow it was a pretty good listen overall. Nothing that I would recommend but I wouldn't discourage either.

nice easy listen

I rather enjoyed this book and finished quickly. I did however figure out a few plot twists but they were executed nicely so no complaints. Narration was really great. everyone did a fabulous job. impressive. as we all know a bad narration csn kill a book at the sample.
all in all this was a good book steady pace , no lulls and quite clearly written.

Kept my attention

Good listen, ending was very fictional, had some loose ends, but it had to end somehow right?

Entwining

This story has a very creative plot. I enjoyed it, but I wish that it didn’t jump around in time. She has a good probability going, but suddenly we leave in to go back to the “accident”. Back and forth.

Listened in a day!

I couldn’t put it down!! Great storyline. One and done in one day! Brilliant storyline!

Really good book!

Finished in a day! The story is not too complicated but it keeps you guessing. Has a lot of twist and turns that keep it interesting. There is a lot of characters but the author gives you a chance to get to know them and understand them. I truly loved everything about this book!

Love Love - great read

Great characters, flawed for sure but oh, so real. I didn’t want to put down this audio book; it kept me thoroughly engaged.

...3 months ago

It was not what I thought it would be. I initially only really added it to my library because the cover art caught my eye with no real intentions of listening, but to my surprise it did a good job keeping my attention. I enjoyed the character development and the differing character points of view between chapters. However, I feel that something other than “3 MONTHS AGO” could have been used to describe the timeframe of the events of the book. After all of the characters were introduced, by Chapter 15 the plot became predictable, and I could pretty much guess how things would end. Especially when I noticed a certain character did not get their own chapter describing their point of view. Overall, this was a good title.

Good book, liked the characters!

I’ve never read this author before, but I liked the characters and how she gave each one them their own chapters. Ending a little predictable but still good.