Signed copies may be ordered through McIntyre’s Books

The Good Goodbye

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.

Read Discussion Questions

Signed copies may be ordered through McIntyre’s Books

Praise

“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

“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

“… a stupendous effort by a major talent.”
—Providence Journal

“A thought-provoking must-read novel.”
—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick

“… a pleasure to read from beginning to end.”
—The Free Lance-Star

“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 Never Let You Go

“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 Judgment

“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, The Good Goodbye shudders with revelations from its first pages. As suspense, it ensnares you…. An emotionally rich novel about the formidable and fraught bonds of family.”
—Megan Abbott, author of Give Me Your Hand

“Relentlessly suspenseful and instantly riveting, this heartbreaking page-turner probes the darkest secrets a family tries to protect. Complex, sinister, and beautifully written.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, award-winning author of Trust Me

“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 trail of lies, leading to a perfectly satisfying finale.”
—Mary Kubica, internationally bestselling author of When the Lights Go Out

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