THE LATE, LAMENTED MOLLY MARX
Author: Sally Koslow ISBN:
9780345506207
5/2009 FICTION Publisher: BANTAM
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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. |
 RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: 
The fact that Molly Marx is dead on the first page of THE LATE, LAMENTED MOLLY MARX, doesn't detract at all from my enjoyment one bit. At first, it seemed strange to learn about Molly's life from her spot in her "Duration"—the place where the newly departed can examine their lives—but her wit, sense of comedic timing, and honest appraisal of the facets of her life made Molly's condition merely a side issue. Yes, I realized that Molly was dead, but suddenly it didn't matter. I was immersed in her life, and intrigued by the relationships that precluded her passing.
Molly pulls no punches when she shows how she feels about her philandering husband, twin sister, love of her life and the true gem of her time on earth, her darling daughter. She is candid about the choices she made, which I found wonderfully refreshing. We see the highlights of Molly's life, as well as some of the poor choices she made.
While this is a mystery, with the question of whether or not Molly committed suicide, was murdered or suffered an accidental death, it is more the tale of a woman who finally confronts, and comes to terms with, the facts of her life. A well-written, interesting read!
Kay James |
