26 Jul / A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight [in Booklist]
Never mind the feeble supposed-to-be atmospheric opening music, pay immediate and exacting attention as Sarah Zimmerman takes the Prologue – because already, you’ve got your first unreliable narrator, with many more to come. Controlled with just-under-the-surface panic, Zimmerman resonates as Lizzie, a former federal prosecutor forced into corporate law to repay a hefty debt not of her own making. Her law school friend Zach has unexpectedly called—from notorious Rikers – where he insists he’s been unjustly imprisoned for assaulting an officer (by mistake) after discovering his murdered wife.
Karissa Vacker animates the dead woman, her performance consistently nervous and afraid, deftly channeling Amanda, whose heinous past haunts, while her less-than-ideal marriage to Zach only survives because of their young son. George Newbern regularly interrupts, voicing the myriad interstitials throughout, most especially enjoying the Grand Jury testimonies showcasing the divide between solemn attorneys and an impressive roster of disgruntled, frightened, indignant witnesses.
As with too many multi-cast performances, characterizations (especially of the supporting cast) are inconsistent between narrators, but the wild ride ahead replete with cyberhacking, drugs, alcohol, and partner-swapping in elite Park Slope will certainly make these 13 hours fly.
Review: “Media,” Booklist Online, June 19, 2020
Readers: Adult
Published: 2020