The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way
- Downloads：5300
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-11-18 11:21:34
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Raymond Benson
- ISBN：B0BDHHQ7X7
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Buckley
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Mad， mad murders indeed！A murder mystery set in the mad days of covid-19。 The narrator keeps us focused and adds a little humor to the story。 And wait to find out who the narrator is！ And the ending will keep you looking for more answers， or do you really want to know？
Stephanie
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2。5It was weird reading about Covid times and remembering that that was life 2 years ago。Also， super weird having a random omniscient narrator that popped in randomly。
Holly
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I really liked the idea of this book。 The pandemic was a huge part of all of our lives and I thought it would be cool to have a book set during that time。。。 I found myself very bored during this book。 The twist was also easy to guess and I didn't like it。。。 I really liked the idea of this book。 The pandemic was a huge part of all of our lives and I thought it would be cool to have a book set during that time。。。 I found myself very bored during this book。 The twist was also easy to guess and I didn't like it。。。 。。。more
Renske
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This was a really fun murder mystery set in the covid times in May 2020。 The story is told from the perspective of an unknown narrator until the very end。 I also really enjoyed the use of the reverse timeline at the end where you learn what happened before the murders were discovered。 Because of the unknown narrators position we do not really find out what happened to the main characters in the book but I do not mind at all I like that it stayed a mystery。 I also did not see the ending coming at This was a really fun murder mystery set in the covid times in May 2020。 The story is told from the perspective of an unknown narrator until the very end。 I also really enjoyed the use of the reverse timeline at the end where you learn what happened before the murders were discovered。 Because of the unknown narrators position we do not really find out what happened to the main characters in the book but I do not mind at all I like that it stayed a mystery。 I also did not see the ending coming at all （I usually don't） so it was a nice surprise to learn what happened in early May in this bookThe writer created such wonderful characters and a wonderful suburb （the map at the start of the book helped picturing the layout/setting as well） I enjoyed reading about the many characters and how they were connected to one and other。This was my first book by Raymond Benson and after this I am interested in reading more of his work。 。。。more
Emily DP
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This was a fun ride， even though it was a murder mystery。 Very present taking place during Covid。 Loved it！
Ryan Hoffman
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This is a fun story， a murder mystery wrapped in a social commentary om the Co-vid pandemic of 2020。 The story is told though a omnipresent narrator， a watcher if you will。 This part was hilarious but also annoying to a point？ The primary location is Marigold Way， a neighborhood block on Lincoln Grove， Illinois。 The main character is Scott Hunter， a recently laid off screenwriter turned struggling novelist。 Scott's wife Marie and neiberJohn disappear。 Later when a house fire breaks out in the ne This is a fun story， a murder mystery wrapped in a social commentary om the Co-vid pandemic of 2020。 The story is told though a omnipresent narrator， a watcher if you will。 This part was hilarious but also annoying to a point？ The primary location is Marigold Way， a neighborhood block on Lincoln Grove， Illinois。 The main character is Scott Hunter， a recently laid off screenwriter turned struggling novelist。 Scott's wife Marie and neiberJohn disappear。 Later when a house fire breaks out in the neighborhood， both Marie and John's bodies are found， next to boxes full of masks and sanitizer。 Scott along the local detective to figure out the events 。。。more
Mark
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“Friends， this is a little tale about some murders。” So begins Raymond Benson’s latest novel， The Mad Murders of Marigold Way。 Set at the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak when mostly we stayed closed in our homes due to fears of the virus。 Uncertain and suspicious regarding the health risk that strangers and even neighbors might pose， we all had plenty of time to wonder what was really going on outside， and how others were passing the time。Our snarky narrator for the story， who remains unidentifi “Friends， this is a little tale about some murders。” So begins Raymond Benson’s latest novel， The Mad Murders of Marigold Way。 Set at the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak when mostly we stayed closed in our homes due to fears of the virus。 Uncertain and suspicious regarding the health risk that strangers and even neighbors might pose， we all had plenty of time to wonder what was really going on outside， and how others were passing the time。Our snarky narrator for the story， who remains unidentified until the last， is only too eager to dole out clues as to what is going on next door and down the street。 And Marigold Way， as we learn， has plenty of secrets behind those doors。 As our guide though this sordid tale， the Narrator likens his role to that of the “Stage Manager” in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town， speaking directly to the audience and commenting throughout。 His role， however， may be closer to Desperate Housewives’ Mary Alice who offered cryptic plot teases and left us wondering about her secrets。 Benson’s very entertaining Narrator， however， primarily serves to remind us that Marigold Way is a dark comedy， not a snapshot of American life during Covid。 The tale centers around Scott Hatcher， who wakes up one morning only to find his wife missing。 Scott later learns that the husband of a nearby neighbor is also， curiously， missing。 Both gone without a word。My copy of Marigold Way came from my local book seller， and I’m glad I made a rare choice for me of hardcover rather than ebook。 The dust cover finish and jacket art for Marigold Way were exceptional， indicating the attention to detail to which this novel adheres， adding to the joy of reading this book。 I’ve read all of Benson’s forty plus novels， and Marigold now ranks among my favorites。 The plot is tight， and the writing is precise， making the read quite entertaining。 This was the first story I’ve picked up told during the start of Covid， which I think is a genius backdrop because it is a time to which we all can relate。 I enjoyed discovering at the very end of the story who did what to whom。 Because we don’t really know if the perpetrator or perpetrators ever get caught， there may be a road that could be followed for a post-Covid sequel to Marigold Way。 And that piece of uncertainty speaks to Benson’s Hitchcockian influences， as our author has us looking one place only to give us that intriguing final twist。In the final words of our Narrator， “Goodbye…for now。” 。。。more
Laura
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Set during the COVID era， I really thought this had promise because it's very nearly a Locked Room， except it's everyone locked away because of lockdown。 Even in the "normal" times， when do you report your spouse missing， especially if your relationship isn't great？ Or they're known to work weird hours？ Or travel？ And when do the police take that report seriously？ The relationship between the boys was very real， with loyalty and friendship at the center， and what do you do when you've outgrown s Set during the COVID era， I really thought this had promise because it's very nearly a Locked Room， except it's everyone locked away because of lockdown。 Even in the "normal" times， when do you report your spouse missing， especially if your relationship isn't great？ Or they're known to work weird hours？ Or travel？ And when do the police take that report seriously？ The relationship between the boys was very real， with loyalty and friendship at the center， and what do you do when you've outgrown someone but are stuck with them because of something like COVID？So that was the good part。 The title made me think that there would be more of a madcap aspect that never appeared， and the narrator was just annoying （even more so when we learn who the narrator is）。 And there's one relationship there that is just creepy and clearly wrong。eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss。 。。。more
Kim
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The Mad， Mad Murders of Marigold Way by Raymond Benson is the first fiction book that I’ve read where the author had fully incorporated Covid 19， and I thought that was done very well。 As for the mystery itself， it was pretty light and I think most people will figure out what is going on pretty easily， but finally finding out who the narrator was， did surprise me。This had a Desperate Housewives （TV show from the mid-2000’s） vibe， where everything may look nice in the suburbs， but slowly all the The Mad， Mad Murders of Marigold Way by Raymond Benson is the first fiction book that I’ve read where the author had fully incorporated Covid 19， and I thought that was done very well。 As for the mystery itself， it was pretty light and I think most people will figure out what is going on pretty easily， but finally finding out who the narrator was， did surprise me。This had a Desperate Housewives （TV show from the mid-2000’s） vibe， where everything may look nice in the suburbs， but slowly all the dark secrets are revealed。 Combine that with Our Town， where the narrator starts each chapter and gives us little tidbits that slowly become darker and more disturbing， and we get a good mix for a novel。While there are a lot of different storylines going on， it didn’t have the urgency of a thriller or suspense novel。 I will have to say that it leaned a bit more towards the genre of Woman’s Fiction， even if the main character and author are male。 That did put a different spin on it， but for an author that is best known for his continuation of James Bond， I would have expected a bit more action and a deeper mystery。 。。。more
Reading Fool
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I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book。This story is set in suburban Chicago in May 2020， in the middle of the COVID lockdown。 Scott Hatcher is in a loveless marriage with his wife Marie。 One day Marie disappears， and soon Scott learns that his neighbor John is also missing。 Then the next-door house for sale burns down and John and Marie's burned bodies are found inside。 This was an entertaining novel， made even more interesting because it is told by a narrator， a la Thornton Wilder's I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book。This story is set in suburban Chicago in May 2020， in the middle of the COVID lockdown。 Scott Hatcher is in a loveless marriage with his wife Marie。 One day Marie disappears， and soon Scott learns that his neighbor John is also missing。 Then the next-door house for sale burns down and John and Marie's burned bodies are found inside。 This was an entertaining novel， made even more interesting because it is told by a narrator， a la Thornton Wilder's Our Town。 I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator's commentary at the beginning of each chapter。 Quick read。 。。。more
Erin Clark
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This was a fun read。 It is a murder mystery that takes place in the middle of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown in a suburb of Chicago。 There is a narrator that sets up each chapter with tidbits of information that keeps drawing the reader in。 When Scott Hatcher's wife goes missing and his neighbor Rachel Bergmans husband disappears at the same time questions arise。 When they are both found together is a burned out abandoned house in the neighborhood it is clear things were not as they appeared on the This was a fun read。 It is a murder mystery that takes place in the middle of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown in a suburb of Chicago。 There is a narrator that sets up each chapter with tidbits of information that keeps drawing the reader in。 When Scott Hatcher's wife goes missing and his neighbor Rachel Bergmans husband disappears at the same time questions arise。 When they are both found together is a burned out abandoned house in the neighborhood it is clear things were not as they appeared on the surface。 Enter the police and the story becomes more and more murky。 Was it a murder suicide or a third party murder。 The narrator walks us through it at a good pace。 I especially enjoyed the Covid references of how we all ran around looking for hand sanitizer， clorox wipes， toilet paper etc。 at the beginning of the pandemic。 All too real， and now looking back seemingly silly。 Covid is not yet gone from our lives yet but the writer took the time to tell this tale of crazy things in crazy times to entertain the reader。 Recommended。 。。。more
Dan
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During the beginning of the COVID pandemic， Scott Hatcher awakes one morning to find his wife Marie gone。 He wonders if she went out for a run。 Since the death of their son years earlier， their relationship was strained， living more like brother and sister。 But when she doesn’t come home， he contacts the police。 Only to find out their neighbor across the street， John was also missing。 Coincidence？ Then the empty house next door is burned to the ground and the bodies of Marie and John are found b During the beginning of the COVID pandemic， Scott Hatcher awakes one morning to find his wife Marie gone。 He wonders if she went out for a run。 Since the death of their son years earlier， their relationship was strained， living more like brother and sister。 But when she doesn’t come home， he contacts the police。 Only to find out their neighbor across the street， John was also missing。 Coincidence？ Then the empty house next door is burned to the ground and the bodies of Marie and John are found badly burned。This is the premise of the story as told by a narrator， which had me wondering who was telling the story of the residents of Marigold Way。 There is much that is happening on Marigold Way like mischievous boys， a neighbor who likes to do construction on his house early in the morning， a Russian thug， and nosy neighbors。All this makes for a fun mystery although not too difficult to decipher。 Except for the narrator that was unexpected。 All in all， it kept me entertained。 。。。more
Kathy
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COVID has forced the residents of Marigold Way into a very quiet ， self isolating life style。 Long walks， gardening are good outside activities and any inside contact is done with masks in place。 A time we all identify with。 On comes our narrator， to tell us the story of those Mad， mad murders。Scott Hatcher’s wife has gone missing and so has Rachel Bergman’s husband。 When they are reported as missing， the police initiate a search。 But they are not found until a suspicious fire destroys the empty COVID has forced the residents of Marigold Way into a very quiet ， self isolating life style。 Long walks， gardening are good outside activities and any inside contact is done with masks in place。 A time we all identify with。 On comes our narrator， to tell us the story of those Mad， mad murders。Scott Hatcher’s wife has gone missing and so has Rachel Bergman’s husband。 When they are reported as missing， the police initiate a search。 But they are not found until a suspicious fire destroys the empty house next door to Rachel。 A fun read， with well done characters and a setting familiar to all。 A few unexpected twists and turns。 I really enjoyed the writing style。Read as an ARC from LibraryThing。 。。。more
Rachel Miller
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I'm a sucker for a good cover。 Not only was the cover of this book intriguing， but the title kicked it up a notch。 So， I knew I had to get my hands on this one！Set against the backdrop of 2020 pandemic life， we're introduced to an idyllic neighborhood touched by the same fear and worry as the rest of the world。 While dealing with pandemic worries， this typical neighborhood also becomes the focus of an age old mystery。 Murder。 Was it murder？ Who did it？ Why？ And all those other need to know quest I'm a sucker for a good cover。 Not only was the cover of this book intriguing， but the title kicked it up a notch。 So， I knew I had to get my hands on this one！Set against the backdrop of 2020 pandemic life， we're introduced to an idyllic neighborhood touched by the same fear and worry as the rest of the world。 While dealing with pandemic worries， this typical neighborhood also becomes the focus of an age old mystery。 Murder。 Was it murder？ Who did it？ Why？ And all those other need to know questions we ask。 This was one of those mysteries that has you taking each character （even the anonymous narrator！） and attempting to piece the puzzle together as you read。 When you emerge， you'll find yourself questioning just how well you know your own neighbors！Huge thank you to Raymond Benson and the publisher Beaufort Books for an advanced read of this book！ 。。。more
Carolyn
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I received an advance copy of this book。 Thank youI found this book a fun， light read。 I love a book that is narrated by an omniscient， （he claims not to be） narrator。 It is the height of the pandemic。 Scott is a writer who has had better days， and struggles to get back in that groove。 He and his wife， really are just roommates， after drifting apart due to the death of their son。He wakes one morning， and his wife， Marie is gone。 He figures she's out for a walk。 He begins to worry when it's after I received an advance copy of this book。 Thank youI found this book a fun， light read。 I love a book that is narrated by an omniscient， （he claims not to be） narrator。 It is the height of the pandemic。 Scott is a writer who has had better days， and struggles to get back in that groove。 He and his wife， really are just roommates， after drifting apart due to the death of their son。He wakes one morning， and his wife， Marie is gone。 He figures she's out for a walk。 He begins to worry when it's afternoon and no word。 Finally， he calls the police department to report her missing。He soon hears that his neighbor Rachel's husband is missing。 Her husband has been linked to a theft at his work。At the same time， there seems to be a rash of prank fires from Molotov cocktails。 Teens are bored。Action picks up when there is a fire next door in a vacant house， not only does it seem that Scott's wife， and Rachel's husband's remains are found， but the house was full of quality PPE。 Why were they together in a vacant house， Why was there PPE， How did they die？ Who set the fire。 The narrator leads us through the story。 Lots of surprises。 。。。more
Chaya
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In a pretty， quiet， upscale and usually calm neighborhood in Illinois， Scott Hatcher awakens to find his wife， Marie， missing。 Scott and Marie's marriage has been on the rocks for years。 Then， the husband of one of Scott's neighbors is also reported missing， a man who curiously works for the company that had a ton of its PPE merchandise stock recently stolen。 This is the setup to a neighborhood drama， one that involves teenage ne'er-do-wells， a house with a gruesome past and haunted present， a m In a pretty， quiet， upscale and usually calm neighborhood in Illinois， Scott Hatcher awakens to find his wife， Marie， missing。 Scott and Marie's marriage has been on the rocks for years。 Then， the husband of one of Scott's neighbors is also reported missing， a man who curiously works for the company that had a ton of its PPE merchandise stock recently stolen。 This is the setup to a neighborhood drama， one that involves teenage ne'er-do-wells， a house with a gruesome past and haunted present， a mysterious rash of fire-bombed park garbage cans， a Russian mobster and his hulking moving van， hidden flash drives， nosy neighbors， and to top it all off， a very new and scary coronavirus that keeps the denizens of this cul-de-sac inside， peeking out through peepholes and window slats， suspicious of everyone else。Benson creates a deliciously suspenseful tale of the mystery， murder and mayhem that hide behind a seemingly normal facade of an average American street with average American citizens who harbor very unusual secrets。 。。。more
First Clue
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