The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow

Molly Divine Marx is dead!

But that's just the beginning of this book. Molly is in her "Duration". Duration= being able to see your friends, family, etc. and hear their thoughts, yet not be able to do anything to contribute to what they're thinking, feeling, etc. (a little reminiscent of The Lovely Bones). With her guide "Bob" she is able to navigate through this new state of being and is able to flit from one person to another as they try to solve the mystery of her death.

The story starts at Molly's funeral and shows us how her husband, daughter, parents, sister and friends are all affected and are coping with her untimely death. Oh yea, and of course, the investigator who is handling her case and is trying to decipher whether her death was an accident, suicide or murder.

Through flashbacks we are able to read about Molly's relationships with her husband (who is quite the cheater and a very despicable character) and then there's Luke (the man that Molly was in love with). We are able to relive some of the best moments as well as some of the mistakes she made in her life.

I absolutely - hands down - adored this book. I thought Molly was such a lovely narrator. She was just so funny, likeable and so full of life - that it was sad to think that she was dead from the start of her story. Ms. Koslow's characters are well-developed and singularly distinct with little quirks and flaws that make them real. This is one of those rare books that draws you in and you feel as if you are experiencing it rather than just reading it.

Was Molly in such a slump in life that she couldn't find any other way out of her situation other than to kill herself? Or was she murdered? You'll have to read this gem of a book to find out - but I will warn you, this book isn't so much about solving a mystery as it is about relationships. I enjoyed this very much and I highly recommend it.

This book is scheduled for release on 5/19/09 - so mark your calendars as you will not be disappointed.