Das Therapiezimmer

by Aimee Molloy

Der Psychotherapeut Sam and seine Frau Annie ziehen aus New York in die verschlafene Kleinstadt, in der Sam aufgewachsen ist. Dort arbeitet Sam fast rund um die Uhr in seiner Praxis im Souterrain mit seinen (fast nur weiblichen) Klientinnen, während Annie zu viel Zeit allein verbringt. Sam ahnt nicht, dass durch einen Lüftungsschacht all seine Therapiesitzungen im Obergeschoss zu hören sind: die Frau des Apothekers, die sich scheiden lassen möchte. Die Malerin mit dem enttäuschenden Liebesleben. All diese Geschichten mit anzuhören, ist unwiderstehlich. Doch dann taucht die betörende, junge Französin in dem grünen Mini Cooper auf. Und Sam geht eines Tages zur Arbeit, um nicht wieder zurückzukehren ...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

Much to my delight, and similar to my experience with Aimee Malloy’s debut, The Perfect Mother, I had little choice here but to rapid-fire the page-turning. While Malloy’s two novels have entirely different vibes—The Perfect Mother toed the line of suspenseful women’s fiction, while Goodnight Beautiful is a tried and true psychological thriller—they share the same addictive writing quality and cleverly plotted storylines. I couldn't get enough of either.

Readers meet Dr. Sam Statler, a psychologist, and reformed womanizer, turned new husband, at a time when he’s staring down his demons and putting forth an effort to be a better man. Celebrating his nuptials weekly and partaking in a bit of role-playing with his new bride, Annie.

The couple decides to relocate to Sam’s quaint hometown in upstate New York to try their hand at a simpler life and take care of his dementia-ridden mother. He finds a posh new office space to host his client sessions and works on getting power of attorney over his mother’s affairs. Everything is seemingly chill, until the night Sam leaves his office and never makes it home to Annie.

Malloy is masterful at keeping things under wraps for a good chunk of this novel. Giving just enough for readers to fill in the blanks and make assumptions of their own—only to be proven wrong. Way wrong. And while I’ve seen this twist utilized before by numerous authors, in a variety of ways, this time felt fresh. Different even. Leaving me completely and utterly caught off guard—twice. A feeling I haven’t experienced in this genre for quite some time.

What I found even more genius was Malloy’s cheeky nod to the unreliable female narrator. One, because I think most of us can agree with her sentiments that what was once captivating is now tired, and two, because it’s always the wife when the husband goes missing, right? *wink*

My one knock on Malloy’s sophomore novel, the ending. A little too quick and neat in some respects. Yet, still a satisfying and dare I say sweet conclusion.

My suggestion, go into this one blind and relish in the addictive journey.

*Thank you to Harper for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts shared here.

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted and Twisty

3.75 stars

“When a man goes missing, it’s always the wife.”

Goodnight Beautiful is a psychological thriller with a batshit crazy plot. It’s a dark tale of desire, obsession, and deceit.

Go in blind. There’s really no point in reading a synopsis of this book. It is filled with unpredictable twists and turns. I can’t say much without giving things away, but some of the plot twists caught me so off guard that I had to reread entire sections of the book. I was wrong about many things, and that was one of the reasons I enjoyed reading this book so much. Molloy uses stereotypes about the unreliable female narrator to trick the reader multiple times, and this aspect of Goodnight Beautiful was pure genius!

I ate this book up in a day. There’s something hypnotic about the events that take place. It is fast-paced and quite entertaining. One character is especially intriguing, and they take crazy to a whole new level! Be warned: you must suspend disbelief to fully enjoy this book.

The ending knocked this down a bit for me. The plot gets messy and some elements unravel The ending also felt a little rushed and anticlimactic; I was expecting something a little more sinister given all that occurred. Rather everything gets wrapped in a neat happy bow, which felt a little strange and didn’t match the rest of the book.

I am usually not a fan of a plot built around twists, but Molloy pulls off twist after twist after twist, which, in this case, elevated the plot. I highly recommend for those who like a good dose of crazy!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy 

I had to sleep on this story, after I finished it, to put together how I really felt about it. I loved Part 1, where we have Dr. Sam Statler attending to his patients in his new classy basement office of a Victorian house in his hometown. He doesn't realize his therapy sessions are being heard through the vent in the bedroom above his office. So when a young French, "eager to get to know him better" patient shows up, what is this doctor/patient relationship going to do to his marriage, especially when the office visits aren't as private as Sam thinks that they are?

Then we have Part 2 and 3 and so much of what we thought we knew has been thrown out the window. Sam is missing after a violent rainstorm and rumors fly about his finances and possible improper relationships. His wife is frantic as what she knows and what she hears is not the same. Not much can be said from here because going into this story blindly is the best way to enjoy it. I loved Part 1 and thought the story would continue in the same manner so was unsettled at the turn the story took. It really did take a good night's sleep for me to appreciate how this story threw me around like I was a piece of paper in a raging storm. 

Published October 13th 2020

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy! This is freaking good! Unique storytelling , unreliable narrators who are barely differentiated from each other with twisty ultra clever chess moves. (We have a very intelligent author on board who never gets bored to play mind games with us. Don’t get fooled like me! )

A beautiful newly-wed couple in their forties with eccentric role play tricks moves to husband’s hometown upstate New York to start from fresh and also keep an eye on husband’s mother who suffers from dementia at early age.

Of course: husband has a name: Sam Statler. He is psychiatrist who is occupied at his downstairs office without having any idea somebody eavesdropping his private patient seances.
Once upon a time he was a player, flirting with most of the town’s girls and he broke their hearts just like his father left his mother for a model at his half age.

But Sam is a new man, even though he keeps a very big secret from his wife. And one day a mysterious, young French girl appears as his new patient who is driving a Mini Cooper. The patient insists to have a private seance at night and he accepts it. Then nobody hears from him.

His poor wife Annie Potter (atta girl! You keep your last name even though you’re married to that hottie shrink) keeps waiting for him enter from the front door as if nothing is wrong. But he doesn’t come back! Maybe Sam is not the same guy she fell for! Maybe he already ran away after getting the inheritance money his father promised to transfer to mother’s account.
Or is there something fishier than she cannot ever imagine?

Without giving any spoiler I want to tell you something. During my reading Michael Emerson’s face kept appearing on my mind as landlord character ( Lost’s Ben meets Person of Interest’s Harold) I can honestly say if this book will be adapted into script, the best actor to play Albert must be him!

No more words! Absolutely giving my well-earned, blazing, psychoanalysis stars!

I love this book so much. It’s already at my top ten best thrillers of 2020 list. I highly recommend it. The pacing is heart throbbing, story telling is captivating, revelations and twists are well-played . The characters are memorably entertaining!

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This my friends...is a thriller! I must say it has been a long time since I have been this blindsided by a thriller...and multiple times at that! What a wild ride this was!

Sam and his new wife Annie are looking to escape the big city and back to Sam's hometown. The thing is Sam is hotter than my coffee and Annie knows it. She knows he turns heads without even trying and she knows he was quite the popular dude in town before he left. So going back to his small hometown may be a bit challenging...

So when Sam sets up his psychology office in the gorgeous Lawrence House...well you can't blame a person for wanting to keep an eye on him. When the French girl in the mini cooper shows up...well..I must admit I was worried about Sam's state of mind.

This book went from crazy to crazier! I loved it! The twists and turns were so brilliant that I never even imagined they were a possibility! If you are looking to get out of a thriller slump...this is the book for you!

I can't thank HarperCollins enough for this gorgeous finished copy they sent me in exchange for an honest review! I LOVED IT!

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Aimee Molloy deserves the heavy-weight belt for mis-direction! A TKO!

Not one, but two huge and clever twists that knocked me sideways. Plus a bunch of smaller ones thrown in for fun.

There's plenty of snarky, sarcastic humor (my favourite kind!), all while being a retelling of a classic horror novel.

It's so smart, satirical and well-written that Goodnight Beautiful really surprised and impressed me and is the most fun I've had with a thriller in quite some time.

[Yun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, boo. This was not at all the story I thought I was signing up to read.

Looking at the blurb, it'd have you thinking this was some sort of romantic suspense. Here comes newlyweds Sam and Annie, moving to the suburbs, where Sam opens his own therapy practice with an almost exclusively female clientele. When one such patient turns out to want more than just doctor/patient privileges, that's when things start to go awry.

I'm all for a fun and sexy time, so I settled in and got ready to sink my teeth into this titillating tale. And initially, it was exactly what I wanted. Sam and Annie were both dynamic characters who leaped off the pages, and there were even some femme fatale vibes that added to the whole delicious atmosphere.

But then we reach a turning point early in the story, and it kind of went downhill from there. Without giving anything away, I'll say what started as one story quickly morphed into something completely different, and that different was exactly the sort of thing I don't enjoy. All the fun and all the sexy were sucked out of the story, and all that was left was the uncomfortable.

I pick up thrillers because I want to have a good time. Yes, I know there is murder and mayhem within, but I want to be entertained while reading whatever crazy shenanigans is going on. But if the story chooses to focus too much on the gore or the grit or the trauma, then it can become too unpleasant to still be enjoyable. And that's what happened here.

My other big issue is that all the reveals happened fairly early on. Then we are forced to sit through the entire latter half the book while it spells out in long form essentially what is already obvious to the reader. By that point, the story can only go one way, and I read through the last 150 pages just to be sure that indeed, it went that way.

Those two things put together made the second half of the book a complete snoozefest for me. My attention kept wandering, partly because I know nothing interesting will happen and partly because what's on the pages was just unpleasant to read.

I feel like this was such a bait and switch. I was promised fun and sexy, and instead I cringed my way through so much of it. I'm puzzled by all the love for this book, but it just goes to show that two readers can read the exact same thing and come away with completely different experiences. So don't let me dissuade you from giving it a try.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I slide onto my stomach and press my ear to the vent.
Just for a few seconds. Just this once.”

Sam Statler spends long hours in his downstairs office, with his mostly female clientele. He has no idea that his sessions can clearly be heard from a vent in the ceiling from the room upstairs.

He and his wife, Annie Potts have just moved from Manhattan to his sleepy hometown in upstate, N.Y, after just a few weeks of marriage. They celebrate their Anniversary weekly, and Annie knows how to keep things spicy, but will that be enough to keep her heartthrob husband in check?

It all SEEMS “too good to be true” until the French girl in the green Mini Cooper shows up..

This book INSTANTLY captured my interest as Annie is a smart, confident woman, unlike the “unreliable narrators” she is SO tired of reading about.

She is settling into her new life, and new role as wife, in PART ONE.

And, then came PART 2.

Talk about blindsided!
INITIALLY, I was so confused that I had to reread several chapters.


Once I saw where Aimee Malloy was going with this, I smiled.

VERY CLEVER

The clues were there, and I MISSED them.
Well Played.

I even started rereading PART ONE again as soon as I finished to double check.

This could make my “favorites” list in a VERY competitive year!

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel tells us the story of Sam Statler and Annie Potter, who leaves New York City to start a new life in Upstate New York. It is clear from the prose that the author has no empirical idea of what she tried to write in this book. This disadvantage enervates the readers reading experience right from the start till the end. There are a couple of twists that hit the reader bolt out of the blue. Surprisingly, the novel started well in the initial part with these interesting twists despite the hiccups but sadly became farcical in the latter half due to the author's pathetic way of writing. The impact of the twists is ephemeral due to the lack of depth in writing. Much medical information is written with manifest indelicacy that will gaslight the reader into senselessness. The author included much extraneous information for giving a darker shade to it, which appallingly backfired.

The author had entirely gone wrong with the concepts of transference and countertransference. She is telling us the correct dictionary meaning of it clearly in one part of this novel. But sadly, she utterly failed to apply it through her characters. The plot was interesting, but the author lacked the finesse to deal with it making this book a flagrant reading experience. Just look at the following sentences from her novel, which are totally absurd.

"I overheard a woman in the diaper aisle in CVS talking about him (therapist) over the phone. He is so cute I am considering developing a personality disorder just to get an appointment."

"'What is like being married to a therapist?', Sydney asked, addressing Annie.
'He must read you like a book.'
'Yes, he does,' Annie says. One of the books where the woman is crazy, and you can't trust anything she says.'"

These sentences were in the initial part of this book. As we go deeper into the novel, we can see much darker versions of it.

"She and her therapist husband enjoyed a perverted sexual ritual in which she pretends to be a patient named Charlie."

Cosplays, fantasies, and sexual role-playing are not uncommon in marital life nowadays, especially after the advent of the internet, as it helps remove monotony in sexual life. I admire the author's attempt to convey that meaning to the readers. But she did in the worst way possible. A therapist having sexual perversion with his wife, considering her as a patient. This is the most absurd way that an author can write about a successful doctor or a therapist. I don't know what the author was thinking about while writing the above lines, especially after mentioning regarding transference and countertransference. There were way much better ways to show that your characters were creepy.

I have just pointed out a couple of disconcerting parts from this book. There are much more in it, which I am not pointing out here as it might become spoilers. I felt that two authors wrote this novel due to entirely different two halves. The first half was ok, and many of you might like it, but the latter half was terrible. It was as if the author was profoundly disturbed while writing the latter half and wanted to finish the book quickly. You can see an overabundance of cliches as well in it. I had huge expectations for this book as many of my friends simply loved it. I am sad to say that it didn't work out for me.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***

This is chilling psychological fiction as it contains a sociopath who does some clever, kinky manipulating and plotting. You won’t find out who that is for quite a while into this book, but have fun guessing who it is.

The story revolves around Dr. Sam Statler, a psychologist. He’s newly married and has decided to move back to his smaller hometown in upstate New York to care for his ailing mother and live a quieter life.

He’s found the perfect place to fashion his new private practice in a beautiful old building and the owner is willing to let Sam redecorate however he likes. He’s getting the space for what he thinks is a really good deal.

Sam is riding high because he’s found a letter stating that his father is leaving his mother and ultimately him a good deal of money after many years of neglect. Sam wastes no time in spending money on furniture, a new car etc. All he needs is to get his mother to sign the papers for him to have power of attorney. That shouldn’t be hard right?

Sam feels he’s in the perfect place in his life. He has a new practice and a new wife, Annie, whom he adores. But we all know that things are never as perfect as they appear and Sam is about to learn a very big lesson!!!

He is very good at seeing inside his patients minds and motives but fails to turn the same attention on himself and those close to him, BIG MISTAKE!!

I hope this is enough to get you interested in reading this thriller with the ultimate unreliable narrator. Ms. Molloy uses this element to manipulate the reader more than once. There are quite a few twists that you will not see coming, I can pretty much promise you that.

I think fans of Ms.Malloy will be delighted and eager to devour her new offering and I’m sure she will gain new fans.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The novel is set to publish on October 13, 2020

[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 outstanding stars for this twisty tale!

I dare you to try to figure this one out. My mind was BLOWN multiple times! I seriously cannot get over the brilliantly clever writing that kept me in jaw dropping shock mode. This was so thoroughly enjoyable that I feel bad for whatever thriller I pick up next - it doesn’t stand a chance of comparing to this. I’m going to leave it at that.

This was phenomenal! One of my top reads this year for sure! Get your hands on a copy now!

Thank you to Edelweiss for my review copy.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to write much about about Goodnight, Beautiful by Aimee Molloy without giving anything away.
Newly married Annie and her psychoanalyst husband Sam move to a small town to be close to Sam’s mother who is in a nursing home. Sam has created an expensively furnished consulting room downstairs. Little does he know that every word of his consultations can be heard upstairs through a secret vent.
A little while later Sam disappears.
This is a clever thriller, an object lesson in ‘sleight of pen’. You are reading, enjoying, being swept along by the story. Suddenly the ground falls away, preconceptions are shattered.
Ok, we’ve read these sort of books before, so - concentrate, readjust, don’t let yourself get caught out again - you’re ready for it this time .......... and then ..... damn, didn’t see that coming! :)
This novel won’t terrify you, make your heartbeat rise to a worrying level or cause you to lose a nights sleep, but I really did look forward to picking it up.
The writing is light but sharp, the action skips along at a lively pace and there’s loads of surprises. Dialogue flows nicely and characters are drawn knowingly with some irony and wit.
Must admit I did finally guess a couple of the twists later on in the book, but overall this was a quick and very entertaining read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Aimee Molloy. Thank you for restoring my faith in the psychological thriller genre. This book right here was done right!

Sam and Annie are blissful newlyweds making the move from NYC to upstate New York where Sam is going to open up his own private practice as a psychiatrist.

What Sam doesn't realize is that his sessions can be heard through a vent in the ceiling. How tempting it is to sit and listen to the inner thoughts of strangers. Every time the office door bangs closed you quickly make your way to the vent to eavesdrop on his mostly women clientele.

Then one night Sam vanishes and Annie is left to wonder how much she really knows about her husband.

I will say no more. This one had the twists and turns that I have come to love in this genre. The kind of twist that leaves your mouth agape saying WTF??? So. Much. Fun. I loved Annie - cool, confident, wry humor, intelligent, and she tells it like it is. And a satisfying ending to boot. I really don't have anything to complain about with this one which even surprises me. 5 stars!

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Jaw-Dropping Diggity Dang!!! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor a few times here with this twisty, twisty brilliant story!!! There are twists, and then there are those creative layered twists that rarely come in suspense thrillers that catch the avid readers off guard as this one did. Aimee Molloy nailed it here with these astounding twists. That first twist had me questioning everything I just read, and I had to go back and reread it to see how I missed seeing that twist coming. Let me say Aimee Molloy is one clever writer. After the first twist, I thought I am keeping a closer lookout for the next twist, and again I was caught off guard.

Those twists made this one an exciting, entertaining read, but it's not entirely what has me raving about this one. It's Molloy's ability to deft those gender norms and expectations I have been talking about a lot lately. She is an author who is moving forward from that tunnel vision in fiction and bringing us a fresh and exciting thrill of a read! For me, she has set the standard for authors and books moving forward in the future. We can read better!!!

I highly recommend going into this one, not knowing too much about the story.

I received a copy from the publisher through edelweiss

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh How I love a Good Thriller, especially ones where Nothing is as it Seems!

Bravo Aimee Molloy, Bravo!

So what’s the scoop with this highly entertaining book? “Goodnight Beautiful” includes a thrilling plot, newlyweds, therapy sessions and a highly intriguing main character whose sanity one can’t help but question. The ride is way bumpier than you might expect and it’ll make you question everything and I mean everything.

This mystery/suspense deals with a variety of themes including: Marriage; Secrets; Lies; Therapy; Obsession; Deceit; Abduction; Mental Illness and Sociopathy.

Then there is a nod to Stephen King’s “Misery.”

Can I just say Heck Ya!?!

I know you guys want more details but you’re not going to get them from me.

My advice: Go into this novel completely blind. The payoff is worth it.

The only thing I’ll say is that when you’re reading the book and that “Aha” moment comes, it’s a freaking doozy.

What more can I tell you? “Goodnight Beautiful” displays the art of misdirection beautifully. Aimee Molloy got me and she got me good. This novel is a psychological thriller that is highly captivating, compelling, wild and unpredictable and it is sure to top the list of best thrillers of the year.
This was another thrilling buddy listen with Ms. Kaceey! The audiobook gave us LOTs to discuss.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for the arc and Libro.fm and Harper Audio for the alc.

Published on Goodreads on 10.11.20.

[JanB · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were in a room and discovered a vent where you could hear a therapist’s sessions, with all the juicy secrets of his patients revealed, could you resist listening? What kind of secrets would be revealed that could turn lives upside down?

Newlyweds Annie and Sam leave NYC and relocate to Sam’s sleepy little hometown to be near his mother, who is suffering from dementia. Annie struggles with adjusting to their new life but Sam’s therapy practice is thriving and they do what they can to keep the sizzle in their relationship. Sure Sam used to be a womanizer, and then there’s that little matter of the $2 million dollar windfall he was expecting that hasn’t materialized.

Then Sam goes missing…is he womanizing again? Did he flee to escape his crushing debt? Or is something more nefarious going on?

With our three narrators, this is the ultimate in the unreliable narrator plot device. You will not know who or what to believe. There are multiple twists that I dare anyone to guess. At one point I had to rewind the audio, certain I had missed key information. My armchair detective skills failed me and I totally missed the clues, making it even more fun.

The less said about this one, the better. I have a few quibbles with the ending, but overall, this was a very fun and addictive read!

I highly recommend listening to this one as the cast of narrators were fantastic.

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the opportunity presents itself I love to toggle back and forth between my kindle and an audio version. With the audio book winning handily every time.

Which makes this a first for me. I actually found the audio to be distracting. The narrators just didn’t work for me. Maybe some books just aren’t a good fit for a full-on audio experience.🤷🏻♀️

Sam Statler is a psychologist. Newly married to Annie, they’ve chosen to move to upstate New York. They want to be closer to Sam’s mother, who was just placed in a facility nearby because of her advanced dementia.

Renting a killer office (sorry for the pun) downstairs in a beautifully restored old Victorian home, Sam is starting his new practice and already somewhat successful. Nice and cozy. Everything is perfect...until he vanishes!

Loved the premise. You could feel the tension building and the twists were shocking. But I know I would have had a better experience if I stayed with reading this book rather than listening. I would be handing out all five stars.

This is the second book I’ve read by this Aimee Molloy, and she once again delivers a devilish twisty thriller. Looking forward to her next release!

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for my ARC.
Thank you to libro.fm for my 🎧.

[Michael David (on hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a thriller that will bamboozle you, look no further!

Sam and Annie are newlyweds, and move from New York City to a quiet suburb where Sam can work out of a downstairs home office. He’s a therapist, and works long hours. Everything is going well, except Sam doesn’t realize there’s a vent in the ceiling of his office, and everything he and his clients discuss can be heard from a room upstairs.

When a new client, a French woman, arrives for a session, it sets in motion a series of events that will bring Sam and Annie’s lives down like a denominator.

There’s so much more I could say, but I don’t want to ruin any of the surprises. I was hooked from the first page. THAT twist at the end of part 1...I spent a good 5 minutes scratching my head, trying to understand what I read. I even reread a few pages until it made sense. THAT twist is fantastic...as well as the other twists that follow.

Even though I finally somewhat figured out where the story was going, it was an exhilarating ride. There’s suspense, dark humor, and fantastically fleshed out characters. Aimee Molloy’s writing is PHENOMENAL. I found myself mesmerized by her words. Such a talent. It looks like I already read her debut (and don’t really remember it), but I will be on the lookout for her future books!

The only part I didn’t enjoy so much was the epilogue, which had quite a different tone from the rest of the book. I didn’t let that affect my rating at all.

A 5-star stunner!

[Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - still catching up! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaw dropping, ultra thrilling, and twistier than a Cat's Cradle!

Annie and Sam: two starry-eyed newlyweds heading to Sam's childhood town Chestnut Hill, a small suburb outside of NYC, the perfect blend of proximity and peace. Sam feels like he won the proverbial lottery when he has the opportunity to move into the bottom half of an old mysterious house and convert it into the posh psychologist's office of his dreams. It's the ideal setup, except for one tiny design flaw: every session Sam conducts can be heard, word for word, through the vent upstairs. Every dark and twisted secret, every childhood neuroses...can an inquisitive mind and eager ear upstairs really resist temptation?

Wife Annie is tired of the long hours away from Sam. She keeps their marriage spicy in her own ways, but is still left empty and wanting more from the enchanting and handsome man she married. Everything takes a sharp turn, however, the night that Sam doesn't come home to her waiting arms. Could a brand new client of Sam's, a soft-voiced French temptress, be to blame for his disappearance? Does Annie have any chance of saving her husband before the search party calls off their search...for good?

Aimee Molloy has completely transformed from her first book to this one. The Perfect Mother was a fantastic domestic suspense novel, but this book is a psychological thriller with a resounding capital P! Expertly and deftly plotted, she has perfected the art of the 'gotcha' twist and does so in such an economical and clever way you will NEVER see it coming. Snarky and witty commentary comes from all of Molloy's characters, particularly Annie, which does not surprise me at all after enjoying this tone so thoroughly in Molloy's debut. She even pokes fun at the ever-present unreliable female narrator in thrillers these days, and I couldn't help but crack a smile! There are also plenty of overt (and even some not-so-overt) references to Misery, which I have not read yet, but if you loathe that book, you might want to stay away from this one for that reason.

The twists in Goodnight Beautiful are so incredible because of Molloy's ability to have you take certain storytelling aspects completely for granted. Every twist you can possibly think of has probably been 'done' in some capacity in the genre, but an author as crafty as Molloy can hide them in plain sight and STILL leave you completely bamboozled! There are three sections of this book, the first two perfectly capped by twists that will literally give you whiplash. I get so frustrated when I'm reading a book this good because I just want to talk to EVERYONE about what just happened...but then I usually just tell my cat, who does NOT appreciate an amazing thriller the way she should, just as a side note! 🤭

My only slight disappointment with this otherwise incredible thriller that took it down from a solid 5 star rating is the epilogue. Not only does it not match the tone of the rest of the book, it consists of behavior from characters that feels very out of character, to say the least. Not only was a 'perfect' ending unnecessary for this story, it almost took away some of the incredible gravitas and tension Molloy built between some of the characters throughout. This is to take nothing away from the rest of the book however, and I'd be curious to see if the revisions Molloy mentioned in her acknowledgements section had something to do with the final arc of the story.

I've been waiting for this book eagerly for months on end, and it was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait in every sense of the word! I'm thrilled (haha, see what I did there?) I got a chance to read this before the end of the year so this book can take its well deserved spot in my top 10 thrillers of 2020...and if you haven't gotten a chance to read yet?

1) Stop what you're doing. ✔
2) Carve out 3-4 hours. ✔
3) Savor the thrill-a-minute spectacle that is Goodnight Beautiful! 4.5 ⭐

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodnight Beautiful brought a few twists with it. Two of them took me completely by surprise. I had a couple of What-The-Heck-Just-Happened moments.

I was glued to the pages. I couldn't turn them fast enough. I was thinking did I miss something? Do I need to read the last couple of pages again? And guess what? I did. I went back and made sure that what I read was right.

A psychologist, Sam Statler, and his beautiful new wife, Annie Potter, have left New York City and are relocating to his hometown to take care of his mother who suffers from dementia. Annie soon learns that her husband had a reputation when he was in high-school. His nickname was Stats which gives you an idea of the type of guy he was.

Shortly thereafter, Sam sets up a new practice on the lower floor of the house not knowing that all his confidential conversations with his patients are being overheard through a vent. Then, during a storm, Sam disappears. No one knows what happened to him. Not Annie, not the neighbor, and certainly not the police.

Good golly Miss Molloy, you did well!I was entertained by this unreliable narrator with a twist.

Was it perfect? Close. Almost.

Two things that made me not give it a five-star rating. First, the portrayal of the detectives. They dismissed Sam's disappearance way too easily. No real police work was involved. Second, the ending. It was too predictable and cookie-cutter for me.

And now to check my amazon rating....... 😊

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs


MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+

Psychologist Dr Sam Statler’s life is on the up. On the promise of a lot of money from his neglectful father he buys a new house in upstate New York, a flash car and the owner of a large old house is prepared to remodel part of the downstairs for an office to see patients. He’s happily married to Annie Potter to add to all the positives. So, what could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a bit actually in this cleverly plotted psychological thriller.

Well played Aimee Molloy! You had me fooled a few times in this hard to put down, crazy and highly entertaining tale of the unexpected. I did not see the multiple twists coming and it really did feel like a hang onto your hat rollercoaster ride. It’s a well written jaw dropper, the plot is wonderfully bonkers, the dialogue is very smart and I especially like the dark humour. The characters are really good, I especially like Annie but they are all well portrayed. My only reservation is that I expected a more powerful ending although it does all fit neatly together.

Overall, a gripping and entertaining read from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.

[Virginie Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine you could hear the sessions between a therapist and his patients... How could you resist listening?

The first half of this book was phenomenal. I felt dizzy from all the fantastic twists. The characters were very interesting and I kept reading to know how their story would evolve.

The second half was a bit of a disappointment... Unfortunately, the author didn't go in a direction I liked. I still strongly recommend to read it because the first half was worth 5* and, with a second half that deserves 3*, it makes a good average of 4 shining stars! Without a doubt, I had a lot of fun reading it.

Note that you shouldn't listen to the audio version of this book. It's not as good as reading it (according to some reviews I read).

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodnight, domestic psychological thrillers. I’m putting you down for awhile.

When the majority of your trusted reading friends love a thriller you just found average, you have to ask why. In this case, it’s not hard for me to attribute a big chunk of the reasoning to genre fatigue. "Goodnight Beautiful” is a suspense novel that hinges on a few big twists. No matter how well it's written, its success depends on catching readers by surprise. And it just didn’t catch me.

I’m clearly in the minority here. “Jaw dropping” and “shocking” are descriptors used in a lot of other reviews. But for me, when the twists were revealed, I could think of other recent thrillers that had used the same devices. In particular, the first big whammy was used in one of my all-time favorites. (In Clare Mackintosh’s excellent “I Let You Go,” — spoiler for that book coming — you’re led to believe an entire section is told from the perspective a one person, only to realize it’s from another. So I saw the fact that Part 1 of “Beautiful" was not coming from his wife’s POV from the get-go.)

I would still recommend this to friends looking for domestic suspense newish releases, particularly to those who don’t read dozens of them a year. But I’m also going to turn my focus to other genres for a bit as a little palate cleanser.

3.5 stars rounded down.

Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
IG: @confettibookshelf

[David Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, solid four stars. The writing craft is superior and carries much of the load holding the reader in tight to the story. This book is an unreliable narrator similar to other great thrillers like Gone Girl, and Girl on The Train. The story starts off fast and really moves. The unreliable narrator construction can leave the reader feeling cheated, but not here, the author covered the character’s tracks masterfully. What I liked most about this one is the voice. Voice is the most difficult to get right and to stay consistent. I was immersed in “The Fictive Dream,” from start to finish. The details and the voice created live three-dimensional characters. The author follows closely many standard precepts in writing that also helps to hold the reader in the story. I highly recommend this one for thriller readers.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.

[Holly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

A great, twisted session with the doctor!

Sam Statler is a newly wed therapist and has a downstairs office. There is more that goes on upstairs (much more).

I do love an unreliable narrator and these twists were both clever and mind-boggling! Things go topsy-turvy and my head was spinning. This one really messed with my logic. Upside down and around and around!

Loved the dynamics and the reveals! You got me Aimee Molly! The new Queen of misdirection.

A fun, read with a bit of SK #Misery vibes going down.

Library loan 5/13/21

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCERPT: October 20

I look up as a man with ruddy cheeks walks into the restaurant, shaking rain from his baseball cap. 'Hey, sweetheart,' he calls to the pink-haired girl mixing drinks behind the bar. 'Any chance you can hang this in the window?'

'Sure thing,' she says, nodding toward the piece of paper in his hand. 'Another fundraiser for the fire department?'

'No, someone's gone missing,' he says.

'Missing? What happened to her?'

'Not her. Him.'

'Him? Well that's not something you hear every day.'

'Disappeared the night of the storm. Trying to get the word out.'

The door closes behind him as she walks to the end of the bar and picks up the flyer, reading aloud to the woman eating lunch at the corner seat. 'Dr. Sam Statler, a local therapist, is six foot one, with black hair and green eyes. He's believed to be driving a 2019 Lexus RX350.' Whistling, she holds up the piece of paper. 'Whoever he's gone missing with is a lucky lady.' I steal a glance at Sam's photograph - those eyes, that dimple, the word MISSING in seventy-two-point font above his head.

'I saw the story in the paper this morning,' the woman at the bar says. 'He went to work and never came home. His wife reported him missing.'

The pink-haired girl goes to the window. 'Wife, huh? Sure hope she has a good alibi. You know the old saying: 'When a man goes missing, it's always the wife.' '

ABOUT 'GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL': Newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter are head over heels, and excited to say good-bye to New York and start a life together in Sam's sleepy hometown in upstate New York. Or, it turns out, a life where Annie spends most of her time alone while Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his downstairs office, tending to the egos of his (mostly female) clientele.

Little does Sam know that through a vent in his ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. The pharmacist's wife, contemplating a divorce. The well-known painter whose boyfriend doesn’t satisfy her in bed. Who could resist listening? Everything is fine until the French girl in the green mini Cooper shows up, and Sam decides to go to work and not come home, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie's happily ever after.

MY THOUGHTS: I made this comment when I was 38% through Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy, 'OMG! This is like a packet of chocolate biscuits. You just can't stop at one!' Only it's not like a packet of chocolate biscuits, it's like a box of your favourite chocolates. An endless box....

I read Goodnight Beautiful voraciously. I devoured it, and licked my fingers afterwards. This is a cleverly plotted and addictive read. I read it every moment I could, and many when I shouldn't have.

Goodnight Beautiful is a true psychological thriller. I am not going to recap the plot, or talk about the characters. I read the synopsis back in September 2020 when I requested the ARC. I didn't reread it before I started reading, and I recommend you do the same. The twists and turns will knock you for six, so clear your day and settle down to read this in one session.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.8

#GoodnightBeautiful #NetGalley #aimeemolloy718 #hodderstoughton

@aimeenmolloy @hodderbooks

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Aimee Molloy is a New York Times bestselling author of several books such as: However Long the Night: Molly Melching's Journey to Help Millions of African Women and Girls Triumph. She is also the co-author of many non-fiction books like Jantsen's Gift and The Perfect Mother.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

When psychologist Dr. Sam Statler and his wife Annie Potter, a college instructor, move to Sam’s hometown, Chestnut Hill, NY, to build a life after their recent marriage, Sam begins his practice in the basement office of beautiful Lawrence House, a huge Victorian house last owned by Agatha Lawrence, a member of the town’s founding family. Everything is going well, Sam and Annie enjoying a sexually adventurous marriage, along with expecting a couple million dollars, promised to Sam by his mom, as soon as she’s of sound enough mind to sign the power-of-attorney papers. When it’s discovered that voices carry from Sam’s office downstairs to the room above it, his behavior comes into question. When a perfect storm (both literally and figuratively) occurs and Sam disappears, Annie and all those who know him are left to piece together what happened: a task complicated when it’s discovered that he’s been spending outrageously on credit, while awaiting the money from his mom.

Here’s what I think: This book is clever. Oh so clever! I think it’s fair to say that twists are part of what makes a thriller fun to read, and Aimee Molloy outdoes herself with the twists in this book. At the end of Part I, I think I sat there with my jaw agape for a good couple minutes wondering what voodoo magic she’d just pulled over on me. Confident I was now a bit wiser to the game, I read on with my eyes open wider, feeling sure I would catch the next one. Nope. Not even close. At the end of Part II, I was gobsmacked again by that sneaky Ms. Molloy. She’s good … props to that brain of hers. It’s because of these twists, that I can’t really say much more about this story, other than that it’s a play on a well-known horror story, and it’s brilliantly done. It manages to heavily reference that source without feeling like it’s plagiarizing it, making it a character of sorts in its own right, since it’s mentioned outrightly. There’s dark humor, twists, suspense, mystery, unreliable narrators, and surprisingly, a lot of psychological insight and empathy.

Cheers to Aimee Molloy for making my Thanksgiving Day that much brighter. :)

★★★★★ ❤️

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodnight Beautiful and Hello Whack-A-Do storyline.....

Aimee Molloy knows her way around a high tension read that unfolds like cockleburs in your underwear. The more you squirm, the more aware you are of their presence. Just when you flick one aside, another more jagged one greets you. Gonna stick with you until the end with these characters who marinate in lies and deceptions.

Chestnut Hill, New York seems to promise Annie and her husband, Dr. Sam Statler, a breakaway from the stress of living in New York City. Sam is a psychologist who worked in the children's psych ward at Bellevue Hospital. He hopes to open his own private practice in Chestnut Hill. They've purchased a home to be near Sam's mother who is in a nearby nursing home suffering from dementia.

We'll come to find that Chestnut Hill is Sam's hometown. He had quite the reputation with the high school girls back in his day. His patient load is now filled with women who gravitate to this former heart throb. And we'll also come to find that someone is listening in on his patient sessions. This someone appears to not have good intentions where Sam is concerned......especially after Sam goes missing.

If you've read The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy, you know that the girl can write. This one travels some pretty dark roads in comparison. The plot deals with some toggle bolts that are loosening minute by minute. There's a smackin' twist that you won't see coming. You'll speak in mysterious tongues when you hit upon it. Seriously. Keep your eye out for this one. It's quite the diversion from riding on the Crazy Bus that we all find ourselves traveling on these days.

I received a copy of Goodnight Beautiful through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Harper Collins Publishers and to Aimee Molloy for the opportunity.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 what did I just read? stars

This one had me fooled twice! I keep hearing that I should read this author's first book. Well played on this one Aimee Molloy.

A perfect blend of twists and turns that kept me guessing the whole time. The main characters here are a therapist – Sam Statler – and his new wife Annie. They’ve just moved to upstate New York and Sam has opened a new office on the first floor of a wonderful old home. What Sam hasn’t figured out is that due to a vent in his office, all of his sessions can be overheard upstairs. This made for an interesting part of the story! Who wouldn’t want to be the fly on the wall in a therapist’s office?

Then, Sam mysteriously disappears and Annie is frantic, trying to figure out if he was in an accident or if he left town for some reason. What has happened to Sam?

This cleverly plotted psychological thriller kept me engrossed and I read it in one day! I don’t want to tell you any more of the story, but I recommend that you get to this one right away!

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

TWISTED PERFECTION! Bravo Aimee Molloy! This book completely took me by surprise. I have no idea what I was expecting but what I got was SO much more! This was one wild and crazy ride with twists and turns perfectly paced throughout the story. Three narrators, never knowing who was reliable, if any of them were. I gasped out loud at least twice maybe more while reading, when things zigged instead of zagged. This was a clever, well executed, adictive thriller. The audio was narrated by Val Toomey, Joel Froomkin, George Newbern, and Marin Ireland. Love when a book with multiple perspectives has multiple narrators and this audiobook was nothing short of brilliant. I really cannot gush enough about this book! Just go read it and truly the less you know going in the better!

This book in emojis 🤯 🍸 👂🏼 ✍🏻

*** Big thank you to Harper Audio and Libro FM for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***