The Good Goodbye : A Novel

For fans of Jodi Picoult comes an enthralling domestic thriller about the lies we tell, and let ourselves believe, in the name of love. The first thing you should know is that everyone lies. The second thing is that it matters. How well do we know our children? Natalie Falcone would say she knows her daughter, Arden, very well. Despite the challenges of running a restaurant and raising six-year-old twin boys, she’s not too worried as she sends her daughter off to college—until she gets the call that Arden’s been in a terrible fire, along with her best friend and cousin, Rory. Both girls are critically injured and another student has died. The police suspect arson. Arden and Rory have always been close, but they have secrets they’ve never shared, secrets that reel all the way back to their childhoods, and which led them to that tragic night. Who set the fire, and why? As the police dig deep into both the present and the past, Natalie realizes that in order to protect her daughter, she’ll first have to find out who Arden really is, even if it means risking everything—and everyone—she loves most. Praise for The Good Goodbye “A fluid, suspenseful story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happened—and what will happen next. I devoured this novel.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train “[Carla] Buckley’s writing is totally addictive. . . . Equal parts Judith Guest’s Ordinary People and Lisa Gardner at her best, this is a stupendous effort by a major talent.”—The Providence Journal “Offers plenty of thematic richness to accompany its suspenseful plot . . . [Readers] will find their thoughts returning to the story, especially its affecting final scenes, long after it comes to a close.”—Bookreporter “Each chapter reveals a tantalizing new detail that further complicates the cousins’ bond. . . . Buckley’s characters are well-developed and interesting.”—Publishers Weekly “A journey through two marriages and a lifelong competitive friendship . . . The mystery of the fire runs through it all. . . . For readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult’s family dramas.”—Booklist “A tender portrait of an ordinary family torn by rivalry and disaster . . . a rich and satisfying family drama.”—William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob “Evocative and poignant, this story will curl around you like a glowing flame and suck the air out of your lungs with its power.”—Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Those Girls “Terrific . . . a deep dive into the mysteries of long friendships, parenthood, and the stories we build our lives on . . . Carla Buckley has written a book that grabs you on the first page, breaks your heart, and leaves you hopeful.”—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of The Fixer “Elegant and emotional, deeply affecting . . . an exquisitely troubling, psychologically complex novel that grabs the reader on page 1 and never lets go.”—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Language of Sisters “Twisty and beguiling, an emotionally rich novel about the formidable and fraught bonds of family, The Good Goodbye shudders with revelations from its first page, ensnaring you with its suspense.”—Megan Abbott, author of The Fever For fans of Jodi Picoult comes an enthralling domestic thriller about the lies we tell, and let ourselves believe, in the name of love. The first thing you should know is that everyone lies. The second thing is that it matters. On her way to her nineteenth wedding anniversary celebration, Natalie Falcone leaves the struggling restaurant she owns with her brother-in-law, Vince. She doesn't speak to him on her way out; they haven't spoken in months. But out on the sidewalk, she gets a phone call every mother dreads: It's from the emergency room where her daughter, Arden, attends college. Arden's been in a fire, along with Natalie's niece, Rory-- Vince's daughter and Arden s best friend. Natalie rushes to the hospital and learns that both Arden and Rory lie unconscious, and that another student has died in the blaze. The police suspect arson. As the investigation mounts, Natalie struggles to piece together the elusive details of Arden's and Rory's freshman year. Growing up, Rory was charming, popular, and charismatic, while Arden was artistic, perceptive, and reserved. They were different yet inseparable, more like sisters than cousins. But the case unearths a different portrait of a complex friendship, a love triangle, a fight, and a girl who was struggling more than anyone realized. To discover what really happened that tragic night, Natalie's and Vince's families must confront the one truth that ultimately emerges: Nothing is ever exactly what it seems. Advance praise for The Good Goodbye Cousins as close as sisters, a mysterious fire, a tangled web of lies: It all adds up to a fluid, suspenseful story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happened and what will happen next. I devoured this novel. Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train Elegant and emotional, deeply affecting ... Carla Buckley has done it again, writing an exquisitely troubling, psychologically complex novel that grabs the reader on page one and never lets go. Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Language of Sisters Twisty and beguiling, Carla Buckley s The Good Goodbye shudders with revelations from its first pages. As suspense, it ensnares you, and as an emotionally rich novel about the formidable and fraught bonds of family, it will have you holding your breath until its final, moving paragraphs. Megan Abbott, author of The Fever Relentlessly suspenseful and instantly riveting, this heartbreaking page-turner probes the darkest secrets a family tries to protect. Complex, sinister and beautifully written, Carla Buckley s powerful story will make you stop, listen, and hug your children. Hank Phillippi Ryan, winner of the Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark awards Utterly hypnotizing ... I was left in awe of Buckley s powers of storytelling, of the way she lays clues with deftness and care, luring the reader down a cataclysmic and at times evasive trail of lies, family secrets, and teenage betrayal, leading to a perfectly satisfying finale. The Good Goodbye is incredible! Mary Kubica, internationally bestselling author of The Good Girl In Carla Buckley s finest novel yet, the aftermath of a tragedy leaches long-hidden secrets into a family s vigil, revealing the hazy outlines of sin, debt, and desire. The Good Goodbye is provocative, riveting, wrenching. Sophie Littlefield, author of The Missing Place For fans of Jodi Picoult comes an enthralling domestic thriller about the lies we tell, and let ourselves believe, in the name of love. The first thing you should know is that everyone lies. The second thing is that it matters. On her way to her nineteenth wedding anniversary celebration, Natalie Falcone leaves the struggling restaurant she owns with her brother-in-law, Vince. She doesn t speak to him on her way out; they haven t spoken in months. But out on the sidewalk, she gets a phone call every mother dreads: It s from the emergency room where her daughter, Arden, attends college. Arden s been in a fire, along with Natalie s niece, Rory Vince s daughter and Arden s best friend. Natalie rushes to the hospital and learns that both Arden and Rory lie unconscious, and that another student has died in the blaze. The police suspect arson. As the investigation mounts, Natalie struggles to piece together the elusive details of Arden s and Rory s freshman year. Growing up, Rory was charming, popular, and charismatic, while Arden was artistic, perceptive, and reserved. They were different yet inseparable, more like sisters than cousins. But the case unearths a different portrait of a complex friendship, a love triangle, a fight, and a girl who was struggling more than anyone realized. To discover what really happened that tragic night, Natalie s and Vince s families must confront the one truth that ultimately emerges: Nothing is ever exactly what it seems. Advance praise for The Good Goodbye Cousins as close as sisters, a mysterious fire, a tangled web of lies: It all adds up to a fluid, suspenseful story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happened and what will happen next. I devoured this novel. Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train Elegant and emotional, deeply affecting ... Carla Buckley has done it again, writing an exquisitely troubling, psychologically complex novel that grabs the reader on page one and never lets go. Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Language of Sisters Twisty and beguiling, Carla Buckley s The Good Goodbye shudders with revelations from its first pages. As suspense, it ensnares you, and as an emotionally rich novel about the formidable and fraught bonds of family, it will have you holding your breath until its final, moving paragraphs. Megan Abbott, author of The Fever Relentlessly suspenseful and instantly riveting, this heartbreaking page-turner probes the darkest secrets a family tries to protect. Complex, sinister and beautifully written, Carla Buckley s powerful story will make you stop, listen, and hug your children. Hank Phillippi Ryan, winner of the Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark awards Utterly hypnotizing ... I was left in awe of Buckley s powers of storytelling, of the way she lays clues with deftness and care, luring the reader down a cataclysmic and at times evasive trail of lies, family secrets, and teenage betrayal, leading to a perfectly satisfying finale. The Good Goodbye is incredible! Mary Kubica, internationally bestselling author of The Good Girl In Carla Buckley s finest novel yet, the aftermath of a tragedy leaches long-hidden secrets into a family s vigil, revealing the hazy outlines of sin, debt, and desire. The Good Goodbye is provocative, riveting, wrenching. Sophie Littlefield, author of The Missing Place For fans of Jodi Picoult comes an enthralling domestic thriller about the lies we tell, and let ourselves believe, in the name of love. The first thing you should know is that everyone lies. The second thing is that it matters. How well do we know our children? Natalie Falcone would say she knows her daughter, Arden, very well. Despite the challenges of running a restaurant and raising six-year-old twin boys, she's not too worried as she sends her daughter off to college--until she gets the call that Arden's been in a terrible fire, along with her best friend and cousin, Rory. Both girls are critically injured and another student has died. The police suspect arson. Arden and Rory have always been close, but they have secrets they've never shared, secrets that reel all the way back to their childhoods, and which led them to that tragic night. Who set the fire, and why? As the police dig deep into both the present and the past, Natalie realizes that in order to protect her daughter, she'll first have to find out who Arden really is, even if it means risking everything--and everyone--she loves most. Praise for The Good Goodbye "A fluid, suspenseful story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happened--and what will happen next. I devoured this novel." --Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train "[Carla] Buckley's writing is totally addictive. . . . Equal parts Judith Guest's Ordinary People and Lisa Gardner at her best, this is a stupendous effort by a major talent." -- The Providence Journal "Offers plenty of thematic richness to accompany its suspenseful plot . . . [Readers] will find their thoughts returning to the story, especially its affecting final scenes, long after it comes to a close." -- Bookreporter "Each chapter reveals a tantalizing new detail that further complicates the cousins' bond. . . . Buckley's characters are well-developed and interesting." -- Publishers Weekly "A journey through two marriages and a lifelong competitive friendship . . . The mystery of the fire runs through it all. . . . For readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult's family dramas." -- Booklist On her way to her nineteenth wedding anniversary celebration, Natalie Falcone leaves the struggling restaurant she owns with her brother-in-law, Vince. She doesn't speak to him on her way out; they haven't spoken in months. But out on the sidewalk, she gets a phone call every mother dreads: her daughter, Arden, has been in a fire at her college, along with Vince's daughter, Rory. The police suspect arson. The families must confront the one truth that ultimately emerges: nothing is ever exactly what it seems