What do you think?
Rate this book
Grateful
Grace Elliott is a grief-stricken woman confronted with ongoing tragedy and loss, whose fantasies of being liberated from her agonizing existence are paralleled by the gruesome tale of the lovelorn Kent Clark. Kent regards himself a hopeless romantic, ceaselessly pursuing his perfect mate. As Kent’s deluded quest for love turns up nothing but bodies, homicide detective Erin Taylor relentlessly pursues the madman, determined to end the massacre. The psychological dance between criminal and crime-fighter, and victim and killer, increases in tempo until Grace is faced with a final, heart-pounding dilemma. Is her wretched life worth fighting for?
364 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2016
7 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Marnie Olson
1 book16 followersMarnie Olson is a critically-unacclaimed actor and writer.
Her novel, Grateful, is available wherever you buy books. Marnie Screams Into the Void is her Substack, which is widely read by at least three people.
Marnie lives in Los Angeles, unencumbered by progeny or partner. She is currently pitching and writing screenplays, stories and novels, querying lit agents, auditioning, performing, fighting the patriarchy and cleaning the litter box. In her free time, she beats herself up for not being more productive and successful.
Her novel, Grateful, is available wherever you buy books. Marnie Screams Into the Void is her Substack, which is widely read by at least three people.
Marnie lives in Los Angeles, unencumbered by progeny or partner. She is currently pitching and writing screenplays, stories and novels, querying lit agents, auditioning, performing, fighting the patriarchy and cleaning the litter box. In her free time, she beats herself up for not being more productive and successful.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 26, 2016
I just finished the book "Grateful". I couldn't put it down. I usually wouldn't read a book about a serial killer. Not my genre. But someone recommended this to me so I read it. Not only was it suspenseful, it had some interesting character studies, including going into the mind of the killer. It also had some snappy dialogue. I found myself really caring about the characters, not only the victims but also the detectives working on the case. This is a writer to watch. I'm looking forward to the next book by Ms. Olson.
August 21, 2017
Marnie Olson's Grateful is a psychological suspense novel, but it's also an insightful take on how we manage loss, develop coping mechanisms (snarky humor, anyone?), take risks, periodically stumble, and sometimes rise to the occasion.
But mostly it's a psychological suspense novel, which means that there's a violent madman killing people, considerably raising the stakes as Olson's interesting and believable characters wade through their own stories of loss, struggle, loyalty, and, significantly, depression. In this way, the tension of the crime story is made even more interesting by the way Olson back-and-forths it by developing her characters, the killer included, into three-dimensional people. Grateful is a smart, tense, and very sharp piece of writing. I'll most definitely be reading the next book from the talented Ms. Olson.
But mostly it's a psychological suspense novel, which means that there's a violent madman killing people, considerably raising the stakes as Olson's interesting and believable characters wade through their own stories of loss, struggle, loyalty, and, significantly, depression. In this way, the tension of the crime story is made even more interesting by the way Olson back-and-forths it by developing her characters, the killer included, into three-dimensional people. Grateful is a smart, tense, and very sharp piece of writing. I'll most definitely be reading the next book from the talented Ms. Olson.
April 12, 2020
This book will draw you in.
Grateful isn't the story of one woman. It's a story of all of us. Badass fighters who never give up, women who neglect themselves for the sake of pleasing men, intuitive women who've learned to trust their guts, and women who ignore their instincts for the sake of politeness: they're all here. So are the men in our lives: the thoughtless boyfriend who gets petty in an argument, the hard-working good man, the guy who never means harm but leaves broken hearts in his wake, and the Nice Guy who can't understand why women instinctively reject his amorous advances. It's a story of life and death and all the ways we spend the time in between.
Grateful isn't the story of one woman. It's a story of all of us. Badass fighters who never give up, women who neglect themselves for the sake of pleasing men, intuitive women who've learned to trust their guts, and women who ignore their instincts for the sake of politeness: they're all here. So are the men in our lives: the thoughtless boyfriend who gets petty in an argument, the hard-working good man, the guy who never means harm but leaves broken hearts in his wake, and the Nice Guy who can't understand why women instinctively reject his amorous advances. It's a story of life and death and all the ways we spend the time in between.
August 9, 2020
I am a huge fan of crime fiction and this book is absolutely one of the best I have read. From opening page to the end, Ms. Olson takes you on a well developed and character driven ride that leaves you breathless. Each character is perfectly defined and elemental to the story. The story itself is fascinating and the dark humor in the writing is like the cherry on a deliciously iced cake. I could not put the book down until I reached the very unexpected and mind blowing ending. Do yourself a favor and READ THIS NOVEL!
January 29, 2018
Exciting and spell binding
Wonderful book with fun plot twist. Looking forward to what comes next. I hope this becomes a series. Thank you Marnie!
Wonderful book with fun plot twist. Looking forward to what comes next. I hope this becomes a series. Thank you Marnie!
November 14, 2020
I was blown away by this book. I should have written a review about it a long time ago, but I just didn’t know what to say and couldn’t articulate much more than “Wow!” because there was just so much going through my head as the story took me places I never expected to go - beautifully and brutally. I wanted to write a review that would do the book and the author justice, but I let too much time pass and now I know I will need to, that I want to, read it again. I don’t know if I’ll ever write the mind-blowing review that will say all the things that should be said about Grateful, but I hope it gets the acclaim that it and the author, Marnie Olson, deserve.
October 13, 2022
“Grateful” by Marnie Olson introduces readers to Grace Elliott, a woman who is dealing with loss and tragedy, and Kent, who is a self-described handsome and hopeless romantic who is just looking for “the one” but tragically ends up hurting the ones he loves until he finds a replacement. Grace and Kent are living their lives until fate or, if you want to call it disaster, steps in and their lives interact. Can Grace overcome her grief in time? Will Kent finally find his “one?”
Overall, the plot of “Grateful” is a notable plot. It has enough tension to create that intense suspenseful feeling when reading a great thriller, but it takes too long for Grace and Kent to interact. Grace is a character that if this reader met in person, probably would not waste a lot of time on her “woe is me” attitude. Kent’s quirk to his personality really adds something to a standard serial killer personality. There are also a couple of detectives trying to solve the mystery of who killed several women. Personally, this reader wished that more time was spent with the police investigation. It seemed rushed in parts. Sometimes, the police investigation is the forefront, sometimes it is Grace, sometimes it is Kent. Each part could have been cut down in order for the story to flow better. The ending is predictable; however, this did not take away from the overall plot.
The chapters are quick and it is easy to tell who is acting/thinking/speaking in each chapter. This is beneficial given the fact that there are three main parts interacting with each other. “Grateful” is easy to read and fast-paced, though, at times, it is hard to figure out how much time has passed. Sometimes it seems like days and then other times it seems like months.
If you enjoy reading thrillers and like reading how people overcome their hardships, then you will enjoy “Grateful” by Marnie Olson.
Overall, the plot of “Grateful” is a notable plot. It has enough tension to create that intense suspenseful feeling when reading a great thriller, but it takes too long for Grace and Kent to interact. Grace is a character that if this reader met in person, probably would not waste a lot of time on her “woe is me” attitude. Kent’s quirk to his personality really adds something to a standard serial killer personality. There are also a couple of detectives trying to solve the mystery of who killed several women. Personally, this reader wished that more time was spent with the police investigation. It seemed rushed in parts. Sometimes, the police investigation is the forefront, sometimes it is Grace, sometimes it is Kent. Each part could have been cut down in order for the story to flow better. The ending is predictable; however, this did not take away from the overall plot.
The chapters are quick and it is easy to tell who is acting/thinking/speaking in each chapter. This is beneficial given the fact that there are three main parts interacting with each other. “Grateful” is easy to read and fast-paced, though, at times, it is hard to figure out how much time has passed. Sometimes it seems like days and then other times it seems like months.
If you enjoy reading thrillers and like reading how people overcome their hardships, then you will enjoy “Grateful” by Marnie Olson.
February 29, 2024
Grateful brings together a varied cast of compelling characters, a series of finely observed scenes that ring true, plenty of dark humor, and a steadily-tightening level of late night under the covers wait was that a noise well-paced suspense. The author is particularly good at showing the characters' internal conversations, which feel a lot like the free flow of thoughts in most people's brains most of the time. With this insight into the characters' backstories and motivations, the plot unfolds in a way that keeps the pages turning even if you do have a 5 am alarm set to go to work. Literally could not put it down - consequences be damned! A terrific read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews