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A Deadly Marriage: How Molly Martens’ obsession with her stepchildren cost her husband, Jason, his life and legacy
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER
‘Extraordinary and compelling’ Pat Kenny, Newstalk
‘There is quite a twist in this’ Martin King, Ireland AM
A story of betrayal and deceit that gripped the nation
When Limerick widower Jason Corbett hired a wholesome young American, Molly Martens, to care for his eighteen-month-old daughter and three and-a-half-year-old son, he could not have known that she was a troubled woman whose obsession with his children would end in his death.
Three years after meeting, Jason and Molly married and settled in North Carolina. Four years later, Jason was beaten to death in their marital bedroom. Molly and her father, Tom, a former FBI agent, admitted to killing Jason but claimed self-defence.
A Deadly Marriage reveals new information about this shocking case including the strange text Molly sent to Jason’s brother less than two hours after his death, how Jason told a friend he was planning to return to Ireland for good just two weeks before he died and Tom Martens’ pattern of cleaning up Molly’s mess. This is the story of how a wealthy and well-connected American family framed the victim as the aggressor in a horrific killing, blackened his name and served minimal jail time.
Journalist Brian Carroll reported on the Martens’ court hearings for the Irish Times and is a co-producer of the Netflix documentary A Deadly American Marriage. He has thoroughly investigated the case, including conducting fresh reporting in North Carolina, to write the definitive account of a shattering story.
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‘Goes into the case in far more detail in a much more illuminating way’ Matt Cooper, Today FM
‘Read this and you’ll get quite the education’ Elaine Crowley, Ireland AM
‘Extraordinary and compelling’ Pat Kenny, Newstalk
‘There is quite a twist in this’ Martin King, Ireland AM
A story of betrayal and deceit that gripped the nation
When Limerick widower Jason Corbett hired a wholesome young American, Molly Martens, to care for his eighteen-month-old daughter and three and-a-half-year-old son, he could not have known that she was a troubled woman whose obsession with his children would end in his death.
Three years after meeting, Jason and Molly married and settled in North Carolina. Four years later, Jason was beaten to death in their marital bedroom. Molly and her father, Tom, a former FBI agent, admitted to killing Jason but claimed self-defence.
A Deadly Marriage reveals new information about this shocking case including the strange text Molly sent to Jason’s brother less than two hours after his death, how Jason told a friend he was planning to return to Ireland for good just two weeks before he died and Tom Martens’ pattern of cleaning up Molly’s mess. This is the story of how a wealthy and well-connected American family framed the victim as the aggressor in a horrific killing, blackened his name and served minimal jail time.
Journalist Brian Carroll reported on the Martens’ court hearings for the Irish Times and is a co-producer of the Netflix documentary A Deadly American Marriage. He has thoroughly investigated the case, including conducting fresh reporting in North Carolina, to write the definitive account of a shattering story.
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‘Goes into the case in far more detail in a much more illuminating way’ Matt Cooper, Today FM
‘Read this and you’ll get quite the education’ Elaine Crowley, Ireland AM
- GenresNonfiction
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2025
About the author
Brian Carroll
105 books1 followerBrian Carroll, a Master of Arts with Honours in Australian History, freelance writer, specialising in Australian history, economics and politics.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 12, 2026
Very interesting case to read about although very sad and disturbing
Unbelievable how much the system failed Jack and Sarah and how the police handled this case was shocking to read about
I feel as though Tom thinks he’s above the law and seems to think he’s entitled
Mollys background is so much to comprehend with all her lies and I believe she planned to kill Jason and take his children and I think the whole crime scene and story was fabricated
I don’t understand why Tom and Molly were arrested but then were allowed to go home for around 3 weeks at the very first trial
Serving just over 4 years for this brutal murder is a joke
Unbelievable how much the system failed Jack and Sarah and how the police handled this case was shocking to read about
I feel as though Tom thinks he’s above the law and seems to think he’s entitled
Mollys background is so much to comprehend with all her lies and I believe she planned to kill Jason and take his children and I think the whole crime scene and story was fabricated
I don’t understand why Tom and Molly were arrested but then were allowed to go home for around 3 weeks at the very first trial
Serving just over 4 years for this brutal murder is a joke
May 13, 2026
A very disturbing book covering the murder of Jason Corbett by his wife. The author does a good job covering the horror of the situation, and how Molly and her father was able to get away with it all with the help of the flawed American justice system. I do think that Jack and Sarah were a little underused, especially after their final statement which paints them as traumatised individuals who are not sure they deserve happiness (and I really hope they heal because it’s a little sad that they’re feeling this way and still in therapy eight years in), but I get why the author might not want to focus on them too much.
January 7, 2026
tough to read in parts owing to the tragic events discussed in quite a lot of details by the author. you do come out reflecting on the legal systems developed to uphold justice, and the influence that money and influence can wield in the process.
another key takeaway was the reality that social media and the resulting echo chambers around public opinion results in a public trial irrespective of the facts and the formal legal process.
good investigative writing..
another key takeaway was the reality that social media and the resulting echo chambers around public opinion results in a public trial irrespective of the facts and the formal legal process.
good investigative writing..
November 7, 2025
A hard read. A detailed account of how the flawed American 'justice' system let down Jason, Jack, Sarah and their family. How that father and daughter are out living normal lives after committing that horrific murder is beyond my understanding. May Jason rest in peace.
September 28, 2025
A really good story that not only details the circumstances of the murder but also the inadequacies of the law.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews