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 

Thank you!

I’m not saying this book is perfect, but what a breath of fresh air 🌬! Really good character development and a deep dive into how life can change & lead good people to do things they would have never imagined.

I love the subtle incorporation of faith (not laughing at it like almost every other domestic thriller I’ve listened to), without becoming boring or squeaky clean. There is no denial that inequality and privilege exist, but it’s depicted in a realistic and compassionate way.

The time hops are a little confusing and sometimes frustrating, and some of the story drags on. But overall, I would recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great Find 👍

I didn't read the jacket nor any reviews when picking this book, it was the title and the picture on the front that first captivated me. Holy Cow! What a ride of believability- the rich hiding behind their money and paying off the poor when they've done something wrong and the messy trail it leaves and the fixers attempting to clean it all up before anyone finds out. Happens everywhere but the setting being California and even more direct- Hollywood, well,.... I'll let you read and see what you think. I had no misconceptions that this scenario has already happened in real life just the endings are different. Enjoy!

Title is not what it seems

When I saw the title it didn’t really appeal to me. I do however have to say it was an excellent read. If it wasn’t for the f bomba that appear i would share this with my teenage daughter. It is a wonderful story and I hope to read more by this author. I was able to figure out early on who the villain was in the book, but I’m ok with that. I loved the characters and would love to see a sequel to this and follow up on Jack, Evan and “Elizabeth” I loved Holly and would love to see where things went there also… it wrapped up nicely.

Standard thriller

This book started out well--a fast-paced, engaging psychological thriller. Unfortunately, at around the 2/3 mark, one of the main characters committed an act that was totally out-of-character. This led to a conclusion where everything was very neatly tied up, albeit in a way where the characters lost their resemblance to real people. Overall rating: 3.5 stars rounded up

Some fun twists and turns

I enjoyed listening to this book. The voices were easy to listen to and seemed to be how I might have imagined the personalities to be. I had some inkling about the twist, but it was well introduced in the following chapter. I always enjoy a happier ending. Thank you for this story.

Wow!!

This was a well planned, well written, breathtaking novel. The characters were all well developed. The story line was captivating and full of twists. The novel was written in several character points of view bouncing back in a 3 month time frame that the author made into a masterpiece. I would recommend this book to any reader who loves a great thriller that will keep you engaged to the very end!! Excellent excellent book!!

Woke woke woke disgusting!!

Really? She felt ashamed because of her white privilege of having her nails done by Asian technicians!! Pathetic!
What world is the author living in, those nail techs make a decent living, if you bother to check the car as they drive Lexus,Mercedes so they can’t be doing too bad.
That stopped me from reading the rest of the book!!

Loved It!

Surprise me with a great twist I didn't see coming. Excellent narration by the cast. Definitely recommend👍🏾

it kept my attention

this was a quick read, with nice character development. It kept my attention. I would recommend to friends.

Good as Dead

There were twists and turns throughout this story. Never a dull moment. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I will put her on my list of authors to listen to.